Re: FLAC Question
Dane, I think the question is more about performance than audio quality. Dana, the audio quality is identical whether compressed at level 0 or level , but it sounds like you're wondering whether your machine can handle the higher compression levels without audio breakup, stuttering, crackels, ticks, pops, etc., from a machine not up to the task. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that, with today's machines mostly all running above at least 1.5 gigahertz processing speed, the answer is in all likelihood no. I'd not be surprised, though, if you did have problems on slower, less responsive machines such as netbooks since everything about them is slow as compared with your average desk- or laptop. On Fri, 4 Mar 2011 17:26:45 +1100, you wrote: I thought I made myself clear when explaining Cue sheets etc, I'll say it again FLAC files don't hold information by default. When playing a FLAC file it is not uncompressed by the player rather its decoded in exactly the same way as a MP3, WMA, OGG or any other file, if expansion of compressed files were to occur when a player played each one then yes it would take a while and you'd need one hell of a lot of memory not to mention some nice complex software smile. On 04/03/2011, at 5:08 PM, Dana S. Leslie wrote: Dane, I don't understand the relevance of your initial comments, regarding cue sheets, to what I asked. What I'm wondering about is this: When an audio file is compressed with FLAC, no audio information is lost in the process of compression. Fine. But, as you say, it will take longer to compress a file, using a higher level of compression, than if a lower level is used. Similarly, I imagine, if a higher level of compression is used, it will take longer to uncompress the FLAC file. Now, when I click on a FLAC file compressed at the maximum level of compression, and it begins to play in my media player, will the fact that it takes longer to uncompress the file have any effect on the sound quality of the playback/listening experience? Thanks. Dana - Original Message - From: Dane Trethowan grtd...@internode.on.net To: PC Audio Discussion List pc-audio@pc-audio.org Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2011 12:59 AM Subject: Re: FLAC Question Okay let's make a few things clear here. a FLAC file does not contain information on a CD rather its usually the associated Cue file which contains the information, how many tracks the CD contains, at which point or sector each track starts and ends, the name of each track, the artist of each, the length etc. Having said that it is possible to imbed a cue sheet into a FLAC file and extract or use this information with the FLAC file, thus cue and FLAC file are a pair which software can act upon, software takes instruction from the cue file. Regard the various compression levels for FLAC? None will give you any degradation in audio, they do however affect size and performance of the compressor. For example, Level 0 is fast whilst the higher levels take longer to encode and are slightly bigger though not by much, you may find that the difference is only say 10MB from levels 0 through 8 thus you may as well use level 0 as the size won't be much different and the encoder will take a fraction of the time to create your FLAC file. On 02/03/2011, at 4:31 PM, Dana S. Leslie wrote: If I rip a CD to FLAC, there is, of course, no loss of audio information. But what about the level of compression I choose? If I choose Level 8 (the highest available), does that affect the sound quality of playback, at all, in comparison with a lower level of compression? I wouldn't think so; but I'm checking to see if there's something about FLAC compression I don't know/understand. Thanks. Blessed Be, Namaste, Dana that's Dana, D A N A, NOT Donna, D O N N A If your synthesizer pronounces them identically, instruct your customized pronunciation dictionary that Dana=dayna. D. S. Leslie, née C. R. Guttman Email: dsles...@alumni.princeton.edu Skype: dsleslie Web: ÞE OL' PHILOSOPHIE SHOPPE Your Source for Discounted Ideas http://members.cox.net/dsleslie2/ To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org __ NOD32 5918 (20110301) Information __ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org
Re: FLAC Question
Dane, I don't understand the relevance of your initial comments, regarding cue sheets, to what I asked. What I'm wondering about is this: When an audio file is compressed with FLAC, no audio information is lost in the process of compression. Fine. But, as you say, it will take longer to compress a file, using a higher level of compression, than if a lower level is used. Similarly, I imagine, if a higher level of compression is used, it will take longer to uncompress the FLAC file. Now, when I click on a FLAC file compressed at the maximum level of compression, and it begins to play in my media player, will the fact that it takes longer to uncompress the file have any effect on the sound quality of the playback/listening experience? Thanks. Dana - Original Message - From: Dane Trethowan grtd...@internode.on.net To: PC Audio Discussion List pc-audio@pc-audio.org Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2011 12:59 AM Subject: Re: FLAC Question Okay let's make a few things clear here. a FLAC file does not contain information on a CD rather its usually the associated Cue file which contains the information, how many tracks the CD contains, at which point or sector each track starts and ends, the name of each track, the artist of each, the length etc. Having said that it is possible to imbed a cue sheet into a FLAC file and extract or use this information with the FLAC file, thus cue and FLAC file are a pair which software can act upon, software takes instruction from the cue file. Regard the various compression levels for FLAC? None will give you any degradation in audio, they do however affect size and performance of the compressor. For example, Level 0 is fast whilst the higher levels take longer to encode and are slightly bigger though not by much, you may find that the difference is only say 10MB from levels 0 through 8 thus you may as well use level 0 as the size won't be much different and the encoder will take a fraction of the time to create your FLAC file. On 02/03/2011, at 4:31 PM, Dana S. Leslie wrote: If I rip a CD to FLAC, there is, of course, no loss of audio information. But what about the level of compression I choose? If I choose Level 8 (the highest available), does that affect the sound quality of playback, at all, in comparison with a lower level of compression? I wouldn't think so; but I'm checking to see if there's something about FLAC compression I don't know/understand. Thanks. Blessed Be, Namaste, Dana that's Dana, D A N A, NOT Donna, D O N N A If your synthesizer pronounces them identically, instruct your customized pronunciation dictionary that Dana=dayna. D. S. Leslie, née C. R. Guttman Email: dsles...@alumni.princeton.edu Skype: dsleslie Web: ÞE OL' PHILOSOPHIE SHOPPE Your Source for Discounted Ideas http://members.cox.net/dsleslie2/ To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org __ NOD32 5918 (20110301) Information __ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org
Re: FLAC Question
I thought I made myself clear when explaining Cue sheets etc, I'll say it again FLAC files don't hold information by default. When playing a FLAC file it is not uncompressed by the player rather its decoded in exactly the same way as a MP3, WMA, OGG or any other file, if expansion of compressed files were to occur when a player played each one then yes it would take a while and you'd need one hell of a lot of memory not to mention some nice complex software smile. On 04/03/2011, at 5:08 PM, Dana S. Leslie wrote: Dane, I don't understand the relevance of your initial comments, regarding cue sheets, to what I asked. What I'm wondering about is this: When an audio file is compressed with FLAC, no audio information is lost in the process of compression. Fine. But, as you say, it will take longer to compress a file, using a higher level of compression, than if a lower level is used. Similarly, I imagine, if a higher level of compression is used, it will take longer to uncompress the FLAC file. Now, when I click on a FLAC file compressed at the maximum level of compression, and it begins to play in my media player, will the fact that it takes longer to uncompress the file have any effect on the sound quality of the playback/listening experience? Thanks. Dana - Original Message - From: Dane Trethowan grtd...@internode.on.net To: PC Audio Discussion List pc-audio@pc-audio.org Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2011 12:59 AM Subject: Re: FLAC Question Okay let's make a few things clear here. a FLAC file does not contain information on a CD rather its usually the associated Cue file which contains the information, how many tracks the CD contains, at which point or sector each track starts and ends, the name of each track, the artist of each, the length etc. Having said that it is possible to imbed a cue sheet into a FLAC file and extract or use this information with the FLAC file, thus cue and FLAC file are a pair which software can act upon, software takes instruction from the cue file. Regard the various compression levels for FLAC? None will give you any degradation in audio, they do however affect size and performance of the compressor. For example, Level 0 is fast whilst the higher levels take longer to encode and are slightly bigger though not by much, you may find that the difference is only say 10MB from levels 0 through 8 thus you may as well use level 0 as the size won't be much different and the encoder will take a fraction of the time to create your FLAC file. On 02/03/2011, at 4:31 PM, Dana S. Leslie wrote: If I rip a CD to FLAC, there is, of course, no loss of audio information. But what about the level of compression I choose? If I choose Level 8 (the highest available), does that affect the sound quality of playback, at all, in comparison with a lower level of compression? I wouldn't think so; but I'm checking to see if there's something about FLAC compression I don't know/understand. Thanks. Blessed Be, Namaste, Dana that's Dana, D A N A, NOT Donna, D O N N A If your synthesizer pronounces them identically, instruct your customized pronunciation dictionary that Dana=dayna. D. S. Leslie, née C. R. Guttman Email: dsles...@alumni.princeton.edu Skype: dsleslie Web: ÞE OL' PHILOSOPHIE SHOPPE Your Source for Discounted Ideas http://members.cox.net/dsleslie2/ To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org __ NOD32 5918 (20110301) Information __ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org
Re: FLAC Question
Dane, Okay. Now I understand there's something I don't understand. grin So, compressed files (of whatever format) are not uncompressed on the fly, when played back. (It did always strike me that that would probably be a more resource-intensive process than playing a compressed audio file seemed to be.) So, what is it that actually happens when a compressed files is played back; where is the audio info coming from if not from uncompressing the compressed files, on the fly; what, exactly, are these things call cue sheets, and how do they fit into the process? I fear I need a more elementary explanation, ab ovo. Thanks. Dana - Original Message - From: Dane Trethowan grtd...@internode.on.net To: PC Audio Discussion List pc-audio@pc-audio.org Sent: Friday, March 04, 2011 1:26 AM Subject: Re: FLAC Question I thought I made myself clear when explaining Cue sheets etc, I'll say it again FLAC files don't hold information by default. When playing a FLAC file it is not uncompressed by the player rather its decoded in exactly the same way as a MP3, WMA, OGG or any other file, if expansion of compressed files were to occur when a player played each one then yes it would take a while and you'd need one hell of a lot of memory not to mention some nice complex software smile. On 04/03/2011, at 5:08 PM, Dana S. Leslie wrote: Dane, I don't understand the relevance of your initial comments, regarding cue sheets, to what I asked. What I'm wondering about is this: When an audio file is compressed with FLAC, no audio information is lost in the process of compression. Fine. But, as you say, it will take longer to compress a file, using a higher level of compression, than if a lower level is used. Similarly, I imagine, if a higher level of compression is used, it will take longer to uncompress the FLAC file. Now, when I click on a FLAC file compressed at the maximum level of compression, and it begins to play in my media player, will the fact that it takes longer to uncompress the file have any effect on the sound quality of the playback/listening experience? Thanks. Dana - Original Message - From: Dane Trethowan grtd...@internode.on.net To: PC Audio Discussion List pc-audio@pc-audio.org Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2011 12:59 AM Subject: Re: FLAC Question Okay let's make a few things clear here. a FLAC file does not contain information on a CD rather its usually the associated Cue file which contains the information, how many tracks the CD contains, at which point or sector each track starts and ends, the name of each track, the artist of each, the length etc. Having said that it is possible to imbed a cue sheet into a FLAC file and extract or use this information with the FLAC file, thus cue and FLAC file are a pair which software can act upon, software takes instruction from the cue file. Regard the various compression levels for FLAC? None will give you any degradation in audio, they do however affect size and performance of the compressor. For example, Level 0 is fast whilst the higher levels take longer to encode and are slightly bigger though not by much, you may find that the difference is only say 10MB from levels 0 through 8 thus you may as well use level 0 as the size won't be much different and the encoder will take a fraction of the time to create your FLAC file. On 02/03/2011, at 4:31 PM, Dana S. Leslie wrote: If I rip a CD to FLAC, there is, of course, no loss of audio information. But what about the level of compression I choose? If I choose Level 8 (the highest available), does that affect the sound quality of playback, at all, in comparison with a lower level of compression? I wouldn't think so; but I'm checking to see if there's something about FLAC compression I don't know/understand. Thanks. Blessed Be, Namaste, Dana that's Dana, D A N A, NOT Donna, D O N N A If your synthesizer pronounces them identically, instruct your customized pronunciation dictionary that Dana=dayna. D. S. Leslie, née C. R. Guttman Email: dsles...@alumni.princeton.edu Skype: dsleslie Web: ÞE OL' PHILOSOPHIE SHOPPE Your Source for Discounted Ideas http://members.cox.net/dsleslie2/ To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org __ NOD32 5918 (20110301) Information __ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org __ NOD32 5924 (20110303) Information __ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org
FLAC Question
If I rip a CD to FLAC, there is, of course, no loss of audio information. But what about the level of compression I choose? If I choose Level 8 (the highest available), does that affect the sound quality of playback, at all, in comparison with a lower level of compression? I wouldn't think so; but I'm checking to see if there's something about FLAC compression I don't know/understand. Thanks. Blessed Be, Namaste, Dana that's Dana, D A N A, NOT Donna, D O N N A If your synthesizer pronounces them identically, instruct your customized pronunciation dictionary that Dana=dayna. D. S. Leslie, née C. R. Guttman Email: dsles...@alumni.princeton.edu Skype: dsleslie Web: ÞE OL' PHILOSOPHIE SHOPPE Your Source for Discounted Ideas http://members.cox.net/dsleslie2/ To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org
Re: FLAC Question
Okay let's make a few things clear here. a FLAC file does not contain information on a CD rather its usually the associated Cue file which contains the information, how many tracks the CD contains, at which point or sector each track starts and ends, the name of each track, the artist of each, the length etc. Having said that it is possible to imbed a cue sheet into a FLAC file and extract or use this information with the FLAC file, thus cue and FLAC file are a pair which software can act upon, software takes instruction from the cue file. Regard the various compression levels for FLAC? None will give you any degradation in audio, they do however affect size and performance of the compressor. For example, Level 0 is fast whilst the higher levels take longer to encode and are slightly bigger though not by much, you may find that the difference is only say 10MB from levels 0 through 8 thus you may as well use level 0 as the size won't be much different and the encoder will take a fraction of the time to create your FLAC file. On 02/03/2011, at 4:31 PM, Dana S. Leslie wrote: If I rip a CD to FLAC, there is, of course, no loss of audio information. But what about the level of compression I choose? If I choose Level 8 (the highest available), does that affect the sound quality of playback, at all, in comparison with a lower level of compression? I wouldn't think so; but I'm checking to see if there's something about FLAC compression I don't know/understand. Thanks. Blessed Be, Namaste, Dana that's Dana, D A N A, NOT Donna, D O N N A If your synthesizer pronounces them identically, instruct your customized pronunciation dictionary that Dana=dayna. D. S. Leslie, née C. R. Guttman Email: dsles...@alumni.princeton.edu Skype: dsleslie Web: ÞE OL' PHILOSOPHIE SHOPPE Your Source for Discounted Ideas http://members.cox.net/dsleslie2/ To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: pc-audio-unsubscr...@pc-audio.org
