RADIFIED
Guide to Ripping & Encoding CD Audio

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The LAME MP3 Encoder (codec)

Step 2: Let's head over to codecs.com (formerly free-codecs.com) and download LAME (latest version = 3.98.x)

You can also download the recommended version of LAME at the hydrogenaudio wiki, or SourceForge, or RareWares.

I've even mirrored the file on my Downloads page. Julius usually mirrors the recommended version, also.

Even tho it's not the newest version of LAME, it is the one which yields the best audio fidelity (quality) per bit used, and the one which has been tested most extensively.

Newer version (alpha versions) are still being tested and tweaked.

For a nice, concise history of version info (and a trip down memory lane), see here:> LAME versions.

Note that the LAME homepage [maintained by Mark Taylor] does not contain [compiled] binaries. LAME is distributed as source code, which needs compiling [turns raw lines source code text into usable software].

Since 1998, many programmers have spent coutless hours developing this software. Still others [like me] have spent time aiding the development of this codec by participating in double-blind listening tests.

This is why the home page is able to say: LAME has the "quality and speed to rival state of the art commercial encoders." LAME is so good, in fact, so well developed, that big companies like Sony are ripping off parts of its source code. The only thing I don't like about LAME is it's name. But you'll quickly discover it's not. =)

Before proceeding, always check here for the latest info on the currently recommended LAME version and settings. The nice folks at Hydrogen Audio are diligent about keeping you posted with up-to-the-minute information. I try to keep this guide current, but things change fast in the world of audio encoding. (Not as fast as the *used* to, tho.)

LAME is a recursive acronym that stands for LAME Ain't an MP3 Encoder. The name was fashioned back when the source was not an encoder. (But now it is.) The acronym is fashioned after GNU, which stands for GNU's Not Unix!

LAME is considered the world's best MP3 encoder by those in the know. If you have good ears, and good equipment [good soundcard and good headphones], you can even help with its development. [<-here is where the developers hang out, and they're always looking for folks with a golden ear.]

The downside to LAME is that it's not the easiest encoder to use/configure. Like me, you may have discovered that the most powerful software usually comprises those programs with the steepest learning curves, because they offer the most options.

That's where this guide comes in. It'll show you how to put the LAME mojo to work for you, with a minimum of pain & suffering.

You can configure EAC to launch LAME automatically, after it's done ripping your songs. In other words, EAC can call the LAME encoder and launch it to encode MP3s in the background, automatically, while you rip.

Purists however, prefer to perform one step at a time, rather than ripping & encoding in tandem. Less chance of something going wrong that way. Personally, I rip first, then batch encode overnight afterwards. Likewise, purists decode prior to burning, instead of decoding on-the-fly. In reality, it shouldn't matter. But you never know.

You can also use EasyLAME to batch encode wave files you already ripped with EAC. But I'm getting ahead of myself. We'll discuss the details of encoding later, on this page and also this page.

Compiling your own Binaries

This is not necessary, but fun. If you'd like, you can compile your own LAME binaries. The Intel C++ Compiler is reportedly your best option for this. It's posted here. You can download a 30-day trial here [42-MB]. LAME source code is posted here.

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