I don't use any of the esoteric codecs, I'm not even sure of their
origins. AIF and Wav or BWav are the standards of the industry. AIF
is handy because the marker data will follow the file. Wav or better
yet BWav because ... well because it works on Windows and a few of my
customers actually do professional audio on Windows machines. All
Mac apps that I know of will handle either file format.
I use Peak and ProTools ( but I'm ready to switch to Nuendo - had
enough of ProTools ) and a number of pricey plug-ins but they aren't
free. Not a big issue for me because I charge for using the things I
do with audio editors. Audacity is a remarkably good program for the
price and I highly recommend it for users that can blow off some of
their time occasionally when the app crashes in the middle of an edit
or a save.
I use mp3 at the Apple default bit rate of 128k for many of my
customers when they want something emailed. It yields the smallest
file size. I use ma4 compression at 256k VBR for my own itunes
library of stuff to play in the car. I use Apple Lossless for things
I need to listen to at high levels for balancing sound. I use AIF for
all production work, special efx playback etc. The workflow is
Protools mixed down to stereo, stereo edited & mastered in Peak and
any lossy compression done in good old iTunes.
MP3s are fair to mildly annoying on an ipod in the car. They are
excruciating at concert hall volume. It's unfortunate that the
standard of audio reproduction is now the built in speakers on a
laptop or the earbuds on the rack at Walmart.
At 3:01 PM -0400 3/17/09, b_s-wilk wrote:
AIFF an early PCM codec on Macs, then Microsoft made WAV. Both are
lossless containers for Raw PCM audio. How about FLAC? ALE? Can you
hear a difference?
Which audio do apps you use? I replaced Macromedia SoundEdit with
Audacity--it's all I need for now. Actually, one of its main
problems is that it's easy for basics, but has a steep learning
curve for the details. [must remember to save the keyboard and mouse
bindings as separate file]
Do you have occasion to use lossy formats? Which codec?
--
E. Riley Casey
Silver Spring MD
301-608-2180 ph
301-608-0789 fx
301-440-2923 shoe phone
Entertainment Sound Production ( http://www.ESPsound.com )
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