How important is FILE COMPRESSION in mixing ?
How important is file type in mixing.
I can’t hear the difference usually between a 256 kbps mp3’s and a 1411 kbps AIFF or WAV.
But DOES it MAKE a DIFFERENCE in MIXING ?
thank you All
In mixing? No.
But when you are hooked up to a real professional sound system it can totally make a difference in how everything sounds. There are so many factors involved in the end result not sounding like shit, the last thing you want to deal with is the starting product (original track) sounding like shit.
iTunes, Amazon, eMusic FILES ?
iTunes, Amazon, eMusic FILES ?
They range from 160 kbps to 256 kbps. If i can’t hear the difference between them and CD quality Files, will the public on Club speakers.
wast majority of my library is in that range.
and thank you very much
Will it make a difference in a club? Hell yes it will, big difference from 320 to 160. More than anything the bass will sound weak, and the hi’s will sound dull as hell.
You might not be able to tell the difference because of you’re listening set up at home, but there is a big difference. And just because you can’t hear a difference doesn’t mean there isn’t.
What’s the minimum kbps one should use?
so i shouldn’t use iTunes Files at All ? 256kbs
thanks again
What kind of Files do you guys use ?
That’s the biggest complaint about iTunes, they don’t provide files at 320
do not only compare kbit, but also take in mind the compression used. generally mp3 is not really the best compression algorithm, however its the most deployed and also cheap on the licensing. AAC and OGG both produce the same quality at lower bitrates. OGG for example is very good at really low bitrates, but even at higher bit rates it will sound better than an mp3 at the same bit rate.
iTunes are AAC, but i am not sure how a 256kbit AAC file compares to a 320kbit mp3 file, but it will definitely be better quality than a 256kbit mp3.
So it seems that with 256kbps AACs or 320 mp3s i will be just fine.
Meaning i’m not going to hear even on a club speakers a difference between the 256 kbps AACs or 320 kbps mp3’s and the higher end 1411 kbps AIFFs and WAVs.
Or am i wrong here.
thank you for your help and time
I started using only 320’s recently, if it isnt a 320 then i wont play it. If i really like the song, ill just go out and buy a 320 version of it.
I have to agree with Bento, with the additional constraint that if I expect to do any serious warping inside Ableton, I really only want to be starting with uncompressed audio. I have yet to buy anything from Beatport without paying the WAV tax, actually. Disk space is cheap y’all.
Didn’t used to worry me about file quality until we started getting the odd gig. Now i try and use 320 as much as possible. 192 would be the absolute minimum and even then i can notice a diff. Play your tunes on a 10k system and you will know what we mean!
go
i got all 320 mp3 format but everyone know this is still compressed like mofo so i will let u know that in the club 320 sounds worse than from cd.
but once its really loud crowd will not know there difference
only other djs or sound engineers could tell
Yep a big sound system tends to even things out a bit, but i think using exclusively 320kbs tunes would make you more likely to actually buy tracks, as most tunes available on blogs etc tend to be @ 192 or less, which is a good thing. And running through a good sound card makes them sound nice and crisp and lush also.
a good tip to keep in mind is: the louder the sound, everything gets amplified. quality is more apparent, and the louder your mistakes will be 
i’d really just go with the highest you can get. like feralchimp said, disk space is cheap.
Disk space is cheap, but WAV files are not cheap. On your average club system you really wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a wav file and a 320 mp3, unless you’re playing on a Funktion one system or something similar quality.
And a another mistake new DJ’s make is just around from different formats. I.e. starting out playing wavs, then jumping to 320 mp3’s, down to 192, back to wavs, and maybe the odd record tossed in and so on. That is when people will take notice more than anything, the sonic quality is just all over the place it’s hard not too.
Just pick on format and stick with it. I’m a 320 man myself.
I only use 320s for mixing at home and gigs now. Might drop the odd 192 track in a mix I record at home but not too often.
The bass has to sound good for dance music so you cant afford to play anything less than a 320 if your mixing in public.
Also totally reasonable advice. At the end of the night, the crowd’s experience is not going to hinge on whether you chose WAVs or high-end MP3’s.
If you look at WAVs and think “i could spend that extra money on more tracks!” then spin 320k’s and don’t worry about it. If you look at WAVs and think “this is so much better than import vinyl!” then spin WAVs and don’t feel like you’re wasting your money.
well i can really tell the difference between 192 and 320 and right now i am not getting anything less than 320.