If all lossless audio extensions are supposed to be identical to the original, then how come I have to select a sample rate when I'm converting from: AIFF to FLAC Apple Lossless to FLAC I am using a program called Switch, all I want is to convert all of my music into FLAC. I am willing to switch programs or take any advice. Help.
Lossless is not identical to the original. Those are about half the size of WAVs (which is really uncompressed), so something must have changed. Btw, if you're planning on converting MP3s - don't. Once compressed, those frequencies are gone. As for the formats: FLAC is a free format, Apple Lossless is patented by Apple, AIFF is by Apple too and is the closest thing to the original CD as it gets. It's really a matter of taste, but I think Apple Lossless and FLAC save more space.
Thanks. As I understand it, the difference between compressing and encoding is this: When you encode an audio file (mp3, aac, etc.) information is "thrown away" and quality is reduced in an attempt to reduce the file size; however, when you compress an audio file (apple lossless, flac) it is "crunched" so it loses no information once it is uncompressed. Am I correct so far?
No but this is more about an issue of semantics rather than any technical difference. Encoding in the digital audio context just means representing sound information (which is analog) in some unique (or not) digital format. Some encoders don't include any sort of compression algorithm i.e. PCM which shows up in your computer as .wav. Encoders that can reduce the filesize in such way that all the "lost" information can also be recovered in the decoding process are called lossless encoders. (flac, apple lossless, monkey's audio, wavpack, etc). Encoders in which the "lost" information cannot recovered are called lossy encoders. (mp3, aac, vorbis, musepack, etc)
EDIT: To usediesel ^^^ Not really. When you "encode" an audio file like .MP3 etc., you are also "compressing". The difference is that there are two types of compression. "Lossy Compression" and "Lossless Compression". "Lossy Compression" throws away information that is assumed won't be missed. For example .MP3 IIRC throws away high and low frequencies that aren't all that detectable to the human ear. "Lossless Compression" retains ALL the original information, but in a form that takes less space than the original file.
To answer the original question, IIRC (assuming I'm not thinking of a different codec, and I'm not at all sure I'm not) the bit rate you select for FLAC determines how much CPU is required to decompress and play it - more space compression = more CPU cycles required to decompress and play. Some slower computers would have trouble with high levels of compression, to the point that it can't be decoded and played in real time.
I have decided that I'm just going to stick with AIFF. It is uncompressed and seems to be the standard for mac and usable on a pc.
