WAV to OGG software recommendations?...

[gortmertl0]

Hello, all.

I have a few complete game soundtracks that I've created over the last few years that I would like to convert to OGG format.  I have kept them in 44 MHz 16-bit WAVs right now, so fear not -- I shan't be converting from "lowly" MP3s to "mighty" OGGs.

Some of the soundtracks include TRON 2.0, Half-Life, Opposing Force, and Half-Life^2.

I know, I know -- everyone has the CDA music for Half-Life and Opposing Force on the CD-ROMs.  However, I have:

(1) gone through both games to make soundtracks complete (which results in certain themes being used several times during the game),
(2) made the soundtracks chronologically correct, and
(3) gave the music new titles relating to in-game action.  The original CDDB titles for HL are terrible, and there are no CDDB titles for OpFor.

Anyway, what software can you recommend for the job, and which OGG quality rates are better?  Constant vs Variable?  I don't know much about OGG at the moment, and some of you guys are darn near experts...


Thanks.

[Tom]

According to Vorbis.com...

Most people seeking very-near-CD-quality audio encode at a quality of 5, or 6 (lossless).

There's lots of great info about Ogg Voris at http://www.vorbis.com/faq/  Personally, I've never heard any difference in quality with any Ogg Vorbis setting above 5, but that's me.  You can't get "CD-quality" from any lossy compression, including Vorbis, but you can get pretty close.

"Ogg Drop" is a pretty nice little free Ogg encoder.  I use Cool Edit 2000 with an Ogg Vorbis filter, to encode my Ogg Vorbis files, and always use a variable bitrate.  Using a constant bitrate doesn't really do much in terms of sound quality...it just creates bigger files.  VORBIS.COM is really the best source for info and utilities about the format.

Neither MP3 or Ogg are designed to replace non-compressed formats (they're designed to save bandwidth) -- so if your goal is to keep the best quality possible for your own use, don't compress.  Keep them in WAV format, or maybe try FLAC lossless compression.

[Laust]

I use Cool Edit Professional with an Ogg Vorbis filter, to encode my Ogg Vorbis files, and always use a variable bitrate.  Using a constant bitrate doesn't really do much in terms of sound quality...it just creates bigger files.

Using Ogg Vorbis in constant bitrate mode incurs a hefty speed penalty (encoding is several times slower than normal) and doesn't improve quality at all. If in doubt, don't use it.

VORBIS.COM is really the best source for info and utilities about the format.

Apart from a facelift, vorbis.com hasn't been updated in 3-4 years. Their list of software should definitely not be taken as exhaustive.

As far as encoders go, I like OggdropXPd. Just drag wave files to the fish icon and it encodes... Couldn't be easier to use. It can also tag, decode, and is highly configurable.

You can find the latest version here: http://www.rarewares.org/ogg.html

There are several different versions, just go with the one at the top. Choose the version that matches your machine's CPU or go with "generic" if in doubt (the only difference will be in speed, and probably not that big).

[MusicallyInspired]

I use OGGDropXPD myself, no problems with it.

[Alistair]

I did a review of OGG programs recently and found that the OggDropXPd encoder with AoTuV's modifications was the best of the bunch (may have changed in the last few months, though). You can find my debate/talk on this and my own forums.

- Alistair

[Ari]

What kind of quality differences do you notice between the various Ogg encoders?
I generally use CDex when encoding to either MP3 or Ogg, but sometimes also DBPowerAmp for Ogg encoding (which is free). I can't tell any difference between the two, and I don't think they're using the same encoding dll (I'm not at home to check at the moment).

So what kind of difference do you guys notice?

[gortmertl0]

Thank you to everyone who replied.  The help is much appreciated!

G.

[Alistair]

Ari: I don't know, I've not tested myself. I guess you rely on the general community (I think my knowledge base came from hydrogen Audio forums or something similar) for the info.

- Alistair

[Kaminari]

The AoTuV build is optimised for low bitrates (64 kbps and below). Chances are you don't need them, unless you're setting up a 56 kbps-friendly online radio. The standard build is perfectly fine for everybody's needs.