List of recommended LAME compiles, Discussion Options

[yourtallness]

Well, other codecs like l3codeca.acm reside in the system folder, so I thought
I should also put lame_enc.dll there. I think I read in the Plextools manual
that it can use LAME if it finds it the system folder...

[mmortal03]

The currently recommended EXE binary is:

www.hydrogenaudio.org/extra/LAME/lame3.90.2-ICL.zip

Make sure to read the instructions for RazorLAME etc. (in other words: RTFM).


The currently recommended DLL binary is:

www.hydrogenaudio.org/extra/LAME/lame3.90.2-modified_dll-ICL.zip

I believe the links are broken...

[Dibrom]

fixed

[Crocodil]

Hi everyone. I'm quite new to LAME encoder (first I heard of it was 4 days

ago) and I have some questions. I'm aware they are lame but if you could

help me I would very much appreciate it So here goes:

1) Which version of LAME to use and where to get it from?
I have 3.90.2 by Dibrom and 3.93.1 by mitiok. I've read there

are/were some doubts about the quality of MP3's made with 3.93.1 and also

some problems with "--alt-preset fast standard" switch. I would gladly use

Dibrom's but it works a bit slower and gives higher bitrates (about 10kbps

more with --alt-preset standard), still I'd sacrifice time and disk space

for quality .

2) Just making sure: --r3mix is the thing of the past and now it's best to

use --alt-preset standard (or extreme if someone likes)?

3) I've read that using "--alt-preset fast ..." is faster but may result in

higher bitrates and lower quality...
I've tried it and on my computer and it makes the bitrate lower

than without "fast". It's hard for me to compare quality (neither my

speakers are high-end nor my hearing is very sensitive) but I can't hear

any difference. I'm confused... Is it all right to use "fast" or not?

4) My last question is about using LAME with EAC.
I've read earlier in this thread that when in Compression

Options...\External Compression the "Parameter passing scheme:" is set to

"Lame MP3 Encoder" (and all the rest is set correctly) EAC is trying to

send his parameters (e.g. bitrate) instead of command line options which

messes with the presets and therefore to work correctly it should be set to

"User Defined Encoder". On the other hand the other sites I've read say

that the command line options override other parameters. So how is it? How

should it be set?

I'm sorry if my questions seem foolish but please remember I'm new to LAME.


And In the end I'd like to thank all the developers of LAME for creating

it. It's really the best MP3 encoder there is!! Once again: Thank you

[Jebus]

First of all, welcome to the boards. Please make use of the search feature however, as these questions have all been answered many times.

1. Use 3.90.2. The presets haven't been properly tuned and tested for a new release since then.

2. --alt-preset standard uses the "old" and well-tested vbr method, while --alt-preset fast standard uses the new one. The new one is way faster, makes files a bit smaller, but MAY screw up the odd sample (not as well tested, which is why it's not the default yet). Fast is by no means poor quality however. It comes highly recommended as well if speed is a concern. Coincidentally, dibrom's (intel compiler) binary is the fastest, but tends to make files a touch larger. Use the available microsoft visual studio compile if you want to shave off a few kilobytes, at the expense of speed.

3. You are correct about EAC. Use "user defined encoder" then put "--alt-preset standard %s %d" in the box there. The %s and %d are needed for lame to get source and destination file paths from EAC.

Hope that helps!

[Crocodil]

Thank you Jebus for your reply, it's been very helpful.
In future I'll try to search more but I've been lurking through this here forum for the last couple of days and still had some doubts, thanks for clearing them.

[alexndr]

[...]
1. Use 3.90.2. The presets haven't been properly tuned and tested for a new release since then.
[...]

What's wrong with lame 3.91 (from http://mitiok.cjb.net/)?

3.90.2 and 3.91 gives the same filesize (+/- 0 bytes!!!)

(tested with "standard" and "fast standard")

Best regards
Olek

[fewtch]

[...]
1. Use 3.90.2. The presets haven't been properly tuned and tested for a new release since then.
[...]

What's wrong with lame 3.91 (from http://mitiok.cjb.net/)?

3.90.2 and 3.91 gives the same filesize (+/- 0 bytes!!!)

(tested with "standard" and "fast standard")

Best regards
Olek

Probably no quality differences between 3.90.2, 3.91 and 3.92... but the argument is that 3.90.2 has gotten the most testing, so it's the "safest" choice. Personally I use 3.92 (with --a-p standard) and have no problems at all with the results. It does seem slower than 3.90.2, but the files are a bit smaller too.

This post has been edited by fewtch: Apr 14 2003, 12:01

[SnakeSnoke]

The difference between lame3.90.2-ICL and lame3.90.2-MSVC?
I read in this thread the MSVC-Version makes a bit smaller mp3s than the ICL-Version. I tested it with the --alt-presets and it's true, but of course the MSVC-Version used less bits for the mp3 file Ô_o Is there any difference in quality? Or has the faster version the same quality but only a bigger file size?
For me it's like: quality > file size > speed


--alt-preset standard

lame3.90.2-ICL
average: 180.2 kbps LR: 1239 (14.67%) MS: 7209 (85.33%)

lame3.90.2-MSVC
average: 175.0 kbps LR: 1243 (14.71%) MS: 7205 (85.29%)


--alt-preset 103

lame3.90.2-ICL
average: 101.9 kbps LR: 695 (8.227%) MS: 7753 (91.77%)

lame3.90.2-MSVC
average: 101.8 kbps LR: 700 (8.286%) MS: 7748 (91.71%)

This post has been edited by SnakeSnoke: Apr 16 2003, 21:07

[DigitalDictator]

Does version 3.92 come in the two compiles -- ICL and MSVC? I take it that the common version is the ICL-version? Can I get hold of a MSVC-compile? And what about 3.93.1?

[tinsun]

So: is the source code available at http://static.hydrogenaudio.org/extra/LAME/src/ the one OS X users should use as well? Or is that code tweaked specifically for intel, and 3.93.1 should be just as good for OS X?
Is there, by the by, any work on optimizing the code for G4/altivec?

[Dalkus]

Will Dibrom update 3.90.2 --> 3.90.3 due to the -Z switch or was that just nonsens??

[amano]

Well, he told us, he would do. Just be patient. Or am I wrong??

[TWPD]

Ok folks...forgive me but I'm thick and confused! Please point me to a decent reliable build of 3.92 or 3.93 cos I am not entirely sure where to go!

Thanks in advance.

[amano]

now john33 has compiled a 3.90.3 release with the -Z switch integrated into APS and APE. this should now be the release to recommend most.

lame 3.90.3 2003-05-09

includes lame.exe, lame_enc.dll (--alt-preset standard & extreme with -Z option) - ICL4.5 compile using Dibrom's switches

Download (312Kb) - Sources (20Kb)

get it here at rarewares:
http://rarewares.hydrogenaudio.org/files/l...lame-3.90.3.zip


EDIT: to understand the reasons that led to the integration of the -Z switch, check this thread:
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....6&t=7783&st=25&

This post has been edited by amano: May 12 2003, 21:19

[Jan S.]

Updated the first post.

[amano]

hmm. I hope that there will be an official "approved" by dibrom himself.
as I just heard from john33 there will be a very special 3.90.3 compile by him tomorrow. just wait and look...

This post has been edited by amano: May 14 2003, 20:25

[Jan S.]

hmm. I hope that there will be an official "approve" by dibrom himself.
as I just heard from john33 there will be a very special 3.90.3 compile by him tomorrow. just wait and look...

I was asked by Dibrom to update the recomended compile. So you should probably consider it approved.

[CiTay]

Latest developments: LAME 3.90.3 is now recommended. However, the instructions (i.e. for RazorLAME) are gone, as well as the license notice and so on. We'll have to see about that.

LAME 3.90.3 now uses -Z by default for --alt-preset standard and --alt-preset extreme (in addition to --alt-preset insane, where it's always been used). There's no need to use -Z in the commandline anymore.

[amano]

there is now a special compile of 3.90.3 available. tnx a lot to john33, for messing around with it again. it's goal was to achieve more conformity with newer releases (3.93+), and to pay attention to the fact that the --alt-presets are not ALTernative anymore.

but read for yourself (I quote john33):

This version has been modified to allow for the use of either --alt-preset or --preset in the command line. The encoded results using our beloved presets are bit identical with the current 3.90.3 compile. 

Further modifications:

1. As in 3.93.1, the old presets - phone, voice, fm, etc., are now alias's for ABR settings.

2. I have added Gabriel's MEDIUM and FAST MEDIUM presets. These do NOT give bit identical results with the 3.93.1 compile because there have library changes in between. However, I can't detect any audible differences but, no doubt, those of you with 'golden' ears will advise whether this is so. I put these presets in because it was easily done. If the consensus is that they shouldn't be in this compile, they are easily removed; it's up to you.

again the question goes to dibrom or the mods, whether it would be more "modern" to recommend this compile, or not. the results should be the same, just alternative commands ( --preset in addition to --alt-preset ) are allowed.

comments are highly appreciated.

EDIT: this modified compile is now hosted at rarewares: http://rarewares.hydrogenaudio.org/files/l...0.3modified.zip

or

http://rarewares.hydrogenaudio.org/files/l...APEmodified.zip with additional APE and CUESHEET support.

This post has been edited by amano: May 15 2003, 14:47

[Spunky]

Hi there,

have you got a second mirror for the download? We want to change the lame version on the german audiograbber site to 3.90.3 and the admin needs a second mirror.

Can you help me?

Spunky

[john33]

Hi there,

have you got a second mirror for the download? We want to change the lame version on the german audiograbber site to 3.90.3 and the admin needs a second mirror.

Can you help me?

Spunky

You can use: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jfe1205/ and then add the filename you're interested in at the end. The filenames are the same as at RareWares.

[STSinNYC]

Hi friends...I have been trying to download the new 3.90.3 for the last two days, but can't connect to the server. Connecting ok to HA as you can see and to other sites.

[john33]

Hi friends...I have been trying to download the new 3.90.3 for the last two days, but can't connect to the server. Connecting ok to HA as you can see and to other sites.

If you don't mind a list, you can get the same files here: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jfe1205/

[MadBison]

What is the very best LAME version to use now?

3.90.3
3.93.1
or other?

I am currently using 3.90.1, which I hope is OK for now.

Thanks
David