What is the prevailing thought on using the MAD plugin right now. I just tried for the first time and haven't really noticed any difference, but I do like some of the features (mostly clipping). But What I really don't like is that you cant edit id3v2 tags with it. SO, quality wise, what is your opinion?

My opinion is that the audible difference from Lame or FhG (in Winamp or the Thompson mp3/mp3pro decoder) is insignificant (not using that term in a statistical sense), apart from the clipping attenuation.

ff123

If you want to use ID3v2, go with Winamp's plugin. It's safe.

And, if you want to use streaming, I would even recommend Winamp's plugin instead of MAD - it's know that MAD doesn't handles streaming well.

You can avoid most clipping problems via mp3gain, so there's little reason to use MAD.

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GCP

Ok, I did install, MAD. But here's the problem, it will not let me switch to another decoder without deleting MAD from the plugin directory. This doesn't seem right???

Winamp / Options / Configure / Plugins / Input / Select MAD, click "Configure" -> Deselect "Enabled".
Then you can enable other decoder.

It's not obvious, but there is an easy way to switch between the two decoders:

Go to your Winamp preferences, input plugins, and you'll see the list of decoders. Click on the encoder to open the configuration window.

There is a switch (checkbox) in MAD, on the right, that says "enabled" That determines (obviously) that MAD is enabled or disabled.

For the Nullsoft MPEG Audio Decoder (the standard Winamp decoder) it's a little less obvious, there is a file association box, with "MP3;MP2;MP1" in it , as the files it will run with. Clear this, and you've disabled it. To reenable it, you don't have to remember the file extensions you erased, just hit the "default" button next to it and it's back.

Just make sure you have one enabled and one disabled either way.

I eaisliy switched back and forth with this method when I was testing MAD.. till I got tired of the problems with streaming.. and realized I wasn't sure if I could tell a difference, one from another soundwise.. ;-)

Hope it helps..

Jon

Helps alot. Must've missed the "enabled" box.