cant you just convert any 128 192 to 320+
won’t fill in the gaps, like trying to enlarge a jpeg, it’ll improve the size, but not the quality with it
First off, there is no higher bitrate than 320 for mp3.
Secondly if you convert to mp3 in what ever way, from whichever format and no matter what time of day data is LOST. As in, FOREVER. (unless you keep the orignal file 
slight_smile:
But that means that conversion from lower bitrates to higher bitrates will only result in quality LOSS.
Look at it like this: there is no point in describing very precisely what a song sounds like (conversion to 320) when the file you are describing (128) is a bad description of the original file(wav).
edit: BradCee beat me to it
Damn! a large portion of my music has been converted… from 128 
if you have files that are lossy ex: MP3 then I would suggest using bitrates no lower than 256 kbps. always shoot for 320.
or use lossless files ex: WAV, Flac, Ogg …
in my opinion anything lower in quality than listed above should be deleted, or left for the bedroom.
Run you 192’s through platinum notes mate.
Yeah man, it doesn’t work that way. ANY time a file is encoded as an MP3 (or any lossy format), it has data REMOVED. Doesn’t matter if your upping the bitrate, dropping it, or going sideways. A file should only be lossily encoded once, if at all.
Using your ears is more important than any “standard” though. I have 192k files that sound bangin’ too, and some 320’s that sound shite. It just depends on the source material, settings, and the encoder itself. I’m surprised no one mentioned this yet: MP3 encoding is a dynamic process, and not all encoders are created equal. Many feel that the LAME encoder is one of the best sounding out there. I use it, and am very satisfied. ITunes’ encoder on the other hand is widely known to be pretty sub par.
A/B it. Take a track you know really well and drop it into various encoders using the same settings and pick the one you like the best. Try some really complex material too, dense stuff that must remain clear in order to pick out all the instruments in the mix. A crappy encoder will make music like this sound smeared and washed out.
I honestly can tell a difference between the difference qualities of mp3’s usually. But it’s something that honestly, it’s worth having the music if it’s at 192kbps.
Yeah I just ended up tossing all of my 128 kbps mp3’s. I know I have a bunch to replace, but honestly most of that stuff I “shouldn’t” have had anyhow.
My goal for the future is to have 320 kbps and nothing less.
But has anyone dealt with itunes? I used it for the first time today to download a track, and it was 256 kbps. Is there a way to get higher quality from that site or should I just be okay with that? Honestly, the prices are cheaper than beatport for most of the same tunes if I can find them on there.
Yeah its 256 aac which is equivalent to a 320 mp3 mate.
Thanks. Learning a lot about mp3’s that I never knew even existed before.
Currently running my files through MP3Gain to normalize the output levels. I’ve always had this problem with tunes even just while listening to them, and I’m so psyched I found an article on how to fix it.
Also just bought/downloaded a copy of mixed in key. I come from a strong traditional music background (yeah I was a band kid once upon a time) and I think this is a really interesting thing.
I plan on going through and using the color/key chart and trying to update the album art according to key as well, though that’s well down on my list. I think having a quick color visual reference to what color is what key would be wicked damned handy for easy correlation.
Man, I’ve been unhappy with my music library forever. Even told a friend once that I never planned on fixing it because it would take too much time. I guess that’s one of the perks of being unemployed, you have way to much time to do shit you would never do otherwise 
Good luck with the big reorganisation man. Just finished doing this myself It can be a long and tedious process but when you’re all done, whammo.
Spend a couple weekends with your cd collection or one of your friends collections and just re-rip as many of your songs as you can. Maybe you can get one of your little cousins to do most of the work for you or get a few cd’s running in the background while you are at work.
itunes are pretty much all 256 plus they are AAC encoded. Shop with play.com man, they have the same collection all in 320. They even tell you the bit depth before downloading (its listed next to the track). Plus play is cheaper than itunes. itunes take the piss if you ask me!
Yeah my brother has a lot of my old CD’s and he just moved to the middle of nowhere West Virginia last summer (I’m in Massachusetts) so I need to hit him up.
Mixed in Key takes forEVER with this many files. I’ve had it run all night and it’s still going batty.
But I’ll tell you, even though I’m trying to organize my files, I’ve become a bit of a forum junkie as of late and… well I keep finding more tunes to grab. It’s a terribly good thing in it’s own way.
Is there any easy way to edit the genre’s you have to choose from in iTunes if anyone knows? Trying to figure that out so I can add the basic set I want right off the bat.
yeah I was just playing with the iTunes store cause it was well… right there and easy. I really like beatport.com and haven’t had much of a problem finding tunes there until recently with some obscure releases. I’m trying to expand my horizons on where to get quality tunes, and armed with new knowledge of what quality I’m actually looking for.
To edit, highlight all the tunes you want by clicking shift to highlight multiple tracks (as you are working you’re way down the list if there are gaps in between tracks you want to highlight you can command to highlight individual tracks), then left click or control click, hit edit, (yes to edit multiple tracks) then on the edit window you have the genre right at the bottom.
then you’re done
Nasty. Thank you.
What ever you’re comfortable with 'ey. For me having play open for shopping and itunes open for listening is no extra work. I’d sooner have to deal with an extra window if I know Im getting the same tracks for cheaper and in a better quality.
lol, but yours had more detail
stop saying that there are no 320+ quality.
wiki:“Non-standard bit rates up to 640 kbit/s can be achieved with the LAME encoder and the freeformat option, although few MP3 players can play those files. According to the ISO standard, decoders are only required to be able to decode streams up to 320 kbit/s”
search the web(I will give you links but cant find in my bookmarks right now) for that encoders if you like, but they exists…
.
.
.
etc