Music Format

[Barghy]

So.... what is everyones take on the best digital music format for djing?

I was thinking about using Apple Lossless but i have to admit i have no idea which is the best (i am using mac)

[SherpaPsy]

.wav of course - if you mean the absolute highest quality. I suppose a lossless format would be okay, but you have the added overheaed of decompressiing the files on the fly to play them. I have always ripped to wav, mixed with wav, burned from wav and only converted to aac for my i-pod.

mp3 is only for pirating :eek:

Not quite..I jest a little, but I suppose its okay or for sharing at a listenable but not great quality, but I would never pay for an mp3 (and I don't pirate).

[djhipnotikk]

flac is also a good lossless format. and smaller than .wav if i remember correctly.

[DvlsAdvct]

I have never had an issue with a 320k mp3, regardless of the system I've played on (small and large). Of course WAV is the cleanest but it's also HUGE, and I don't think that size factor makes it worth it.

I haven't dealt with FLAC yet. I know it's smaller, but does it support tags like mp3s?

[usdm]

Hi, Im new to the board........Now I go tthat out of the way......

Maybe its because I came up well before there was digital djing or "controllerism". Maybe I like to believe in the continual evolution of technology improving upon the species. Or, maybe, just, maybe, I want to keep whats left of my rapidly failing hearing. But for me, Ill take a wav or any other loss-less option over mp3s pretty much any day

[pepehouse]

Yes, FLAC supports tags just as mp3 and compresses about 50% of the original, is a great format I think but not supported by the on-line stores sadly so I´ll keep with 320kbps mp3 wich is ok for me.

[sj03w4t]

flac isn't greatly supported at webstores, but you can convert to flac lossless and rip to flac from your cd or vinyl ofcourse. I'd take flac over wav and flac over mp3 but wav over mp3. Mp3s (even from webstores!!) are often transcodes (= bad quality). Sometimes wavs are even transcodes! I guess buying CD/Vinyl is the only real safe option you have..

[usdm]

Funny, I frequent another site devoted to dance music and a member there
made a point that seems to resonate:

We spend inordinate amounts of time researching this and that, spending
on quality products, or putting the money in to develop and manufacture
our own. We for the most part, scrutinize the details.

And yet...

When it comes to the weakest link in the chain, we "settle" for something that should
have never even introduced itself into the discussion of sound quality; especially if we
are talking about playin in anything larger than the bedroom or basement.

Mp3s. Ipod- friendy? heck yeah. Club-friendly? not so much.

[DvlsAdvct]

Hey, all I know is that when I've played 320k mp3s through great sound systems they sound louder and cleaner than some CD decks. Though, I spend a lot of time on the EQ process, whereas a lot of DJs I know don't really pay close attention to that.

But I agree in principal. If it wasn't for the size and tags I'd just rip everything in wav

[sarasin]

I have always played Wav's.

I don;t know about 320 on a huge outdoor rig.....i reaaaalllllly don't.

I know guys that do play em....and it sounds ok i guess.

Just not sold yet myself.