I am trying to archive my music at or around a 256kbps bit rate, but the songs keep comming through with much higher bit rates (like 661kbps). I am using EAC & LAME with the following compression settings:

User Defined Encoder
--alt-preset extreme %s %d
256 kBits/s (setting doesent matter with the above command...I think)
High Quality

I am new to this software, what don't I know? (alot I'm sure, but sticking with the question...)

Hi JGre!

Your command-line looks quite O.K.!! - Your MP3s should be ~ 200-220 Kbit...
The theoretical maximum of MP3 is at 320 KBit...
so your MP3s cannot! be with more than this Bitrate...!!!

So, i would ask you:
a) where did you read, that they are at ~ 600 Kbit... (perhaps your player just shows a false bitrate)
b) What Version of Lame do you use...

Hiwi

That is an amazingly high bitrate. What are you using to report this rate??

If I understand the problem correctly, you may be looking at the bitrates reported by Windows Media Player (or Windows XP when displaying MP3 file properties). That program is known to incorrectly calculate real average bitrates for VBR MP3 files like those created by most of the LAME presets.

Pretty much any other current player out there should be able to show you the correct average bitrate for those files.

BTW, you're right about that 256 kbps setting not mattering with user defined encoder settings.

Hiwi


a) the information caption when i hover over the song title reads bit rate:661kps. and WMP show's playing: 661 K bits/second

b)I'm not sure of the lame version. I downloaded the EasyLAME 1.4 package, and I'm using the LAME.exe from that with EAC.

Like I said I'm pretty new with this, but I do appreciate the help.

Open your MP3's in another player, such as Winamp or foobar2000 and check the reported bitrate. foobar2000 definately should report the correct bitrate.

windows media player definitly shows you the wrong bitrate. it should also show wrong lenght.

PowerPig

I am looking at the bit rates reported by Windows Media Player, and the MP3 file properties in XP. I'll use your suggestion. THANKS

THANKS ALL!

I use WMP too. When playing vbr encoded files it always shows the wrong bitrate (they seem to do that on purpose since it depends on the settings and actual average bitrate of the file). But it displays the correct play time!
If you want to find out about your average bitrate, just use the size of your file , multiply it by 128 and divide that by the the overall time of your file (in seconds).

For example: I have a 5MB file that plays 3 Minutes and 5 Seconds

5 * 8192 / (3*60 + 5) = 221kbps