Hydrogenaudio Forums > Seek easy codec converter for .wav to FLAC

Calabrese

Jul 17 2005, 00:20

Any recommendations for a (hopefully easy) Windows conversion program for .wav to FLAC? Would love it to be free, but willing to pay a bit - especially if free version limits # of files. Hopefully it will handle batches.

I've searched & Googled, but only found programs that convert FLAC to lossy, not .wav to FLAC. Lots don't publicize what they do, just say what they support, then disappoint after being downloaded. (I have music programs I'm using that require FLAC, but my files are .wav.)

I'm new to all this, and need to be able to get up and running quickly to meet a reunion deadline next week and the conversion is just the first step; I'd *hate* to have to re-record 100+ songs individually.

Please, please don't just read if you can help!

TIA

esa372

Jul 17 2005, 00:36

Download and install the FLAC Installer for Windows.

Once installed, use the FLAC frontend program.

Hope this helps.

:edit: link

saverio

Jul 17 2005, 02:14

Also, foobar2000 (audio player) with diskwriter plugin. It should be quite easy to mass-convert all your files.

zombiewerewolf

Jul 17 2005, 04:16

JetAudio 6 is also easy to use.

guest0101

Jul 17 2005, 05:10

Check out the easy to use, free Windows GUI based audio converter that will do WAV to FLAC called VuPlayer:
http://www.vuplayer.com/vuplayer.htm

Gambit

Jul 17 2005, 10:21

Frontah
http://home.vxu.se/mdati00/frontah/

UniversalFront
http://unifront.boereck.de/

AtaqueEG

Jul 17 2005, 11:35

QUOTE(Gambit @ Jul 17 2005, 10:21 AM)

Frontah
http://home.vxu.se/mdati00/frontah/

Has not been updated in ages, and probably never will. But still does everything that I need. You can even set it up to tag your FLACs from your tagless .wav's, whoa! I love this

Calabrese

Jul 17 2005, 17:18

Thanks for all your recommendations, but nothing's working so far.

FLAC INSTALLER FOR WINDOWS FRONT END: Added Files. Couldn't understand command-line Help. Tried to Encode & Decode (didn't understand which did what.) .wav files, but it said it didn't recognize anything except FLAC & Ogg-FLAC Seems too complicated. . .

JET AUDIO: Manual doesn't specifically mention that it converts to FLAC, only mentions Mp3, Ogg, wav, & wav for output. Plus it's over 90 pages long and seems to emphasize what the program can do rather than *how* to do it. And I need to do it fast!

VUPLAYER: FLAC filter won't download.

FRONTAH v.0.92 beta: Starts off "Use this program at your own risk!" Not even Version 1 but *beta* and ogg (my codec of choice) tags get cut off? After all I've been through? Yikes!

Any more ideas - simple, reliable ones???

ArsonDragon

Jul 17 2005, 17:29

Try FlacDrop.

From here: http://www.rarewares.org/lossless.html about 4/5th of the way down the page. Make sure you get the FLAC bundle too and put them in the same directory as each other.

Calabrese

Jul 17 2005, 17:31

P.S. I also tried EAC, but it wouldn't recognize either of my recorders, and I didn't understand what I could do about it, or that anything really could be done about it quickly since the author who inspired me to try EAC said in his play-by-play illustrated tutorial, "If you don't get this screen, (the one where my drive info should have been), I don't know what to do next with you, because I've never had a drive blow the wizard install since they put it in." His tutorial is called "How To Rip a Show The Right Way (or, how I learned to love EAC, and the lessons it taught me.)" You can find it at: http://toritraders.com/guides/ripping.htm

kjoonlee

Jul 17 2005, 17:31

If you're not afraid to use the command line, running the following command in a directory with a.wav and flac.exe will give you a.flac.

flac -V a.wav

You can start from there to get using the FLAC frontend.

zver

Jul 17 2005, 17:50

QUOTE(Calabrese @ Jul 17 2005, 03:18 PM)

Thanks for all your recommendations, but nothing's working so far.

FLAC INSTALLER FOR WINDOWS FRONT END: Added Files. Couldn't understand command-line Help. Tried to Encode & Decode (didn't understand which did what.) .wav files, but it said it didn't recognize anything except FLAC & Ogg-FLAC Seems too complicated. . .

JET AUDIO: Manual doesn't specifically mention that it converts to FLAC, only mentions Mp3, Ogg, wav, & wav for output. Plus it's over 90 pages long and seems to emphasize what the program can do rather than *how* to do it. And I need to do it fast!

VUPLAYER: FLAC filter won't download.

FRONTAH v.0.92 beta: Starts off "Use this program at your own risk!" Not even Version 1 but *beta* and ogg (my codec of choice) tags get cut off? After all I've been through? Yikes!
All those programs works well so you must be making a mistake somewhere..?
Anyway i use foobar0.8.3 for all compress and tagging tasks and works ok-tested many times.
Try it and youll love it.
Its free,lightweight and totally customizable...

Made a mistake,as i put post in your quote,in short-Foobar is the answer to anything

Calabrese

Jul 17 2005, 18:01

ArsonDragon, I'm just now trying FLACDrop. The README promised, "FLACDrop is basically designed to be idiot-proof." Well, let's see about that. . .

cool little window, "Drop Files Here." Looks like the most outrageously simple program I could imagine. Except I can't even open the other two files in the bundle. Aah, maybe they just do their work invisibly. . . So I dropped a file into the FLAC box, and it just Poof! disappeared. Do you know what the h happened?

Now I really resent what the README file said about me.

P.S. kjoonlee, Yup, I'm afraid to use command lines. I never got DOS, and I've been a hold-out in my friendship circle that includes a *lot* of Linux professionals.

Calabrese

Jul 17 2005, 18:09

QUOTE(zver @ Jul 17 2005, 06:50 PM)

in short-Foobar is the answer to anything

zver, I know Foobar's got a great rep, but the FAQ looked scary w/all it's references to ICL builds, DSP order,formatting strings, etc. Sounds a bit "Command lineish" to me. I'd been hoping to use it eventually, but can I really get it up and running, like tonight, so I can convert 100+ songs by morning? (I'm a night owl, but also a newbie.)

DreamTactix291

Jul 17 2005, 18:13

I don't think foo_flaccer is very commandline-ish.

Calabrese

Jul 17 2005, 18:22

zver, I'm reading Foobar page, as well as components page, and it doesn't seem to say anything about FLAC output. Does that mean it won't convert .wav to FLAK? It says it decodes FLAC, but the only Outputs mentioned are waveOut, DirectSound and Kernel Streaming. It doesn't even specifically mention conversion at all on either page.

Calabrese

Jul 17 2005, 18:25

QUOTE(DreamTactix291 @ Jul 17 2005, 07:13 PM)

I don't think foo_flaccer is very commandline-ish.

Yes, but what about all that stuff I mentioned in the FAQ: ICL builds, DSP order,formatting strings, etc. Is this really for a Windows person who is at Step 1 in the world of digital audio?

rjamorim

Jul 17 2005, 19:01

QUOTE(Calabrese @ Jul 17 2005, 09:25 PM)

Yes, but what about all that stuff I mentioned in the FAQ: ICL builds, DSP order,formatting strings, etc. Is this really for a Windows person who is at Step 1 in the world of digital audio?

If you are in step 1, you should research, and not expect to receive all answers ready-made.

Preuss

Jul 17 2005, 19:08

How about dBpowerAMP Music Converter or http://www.wma-mp3.com/ where there is converters.

zver

Jul 17 2005, 19:19

Foobar is so easy to use-i mean the basic use not making your own personalized gui.
In short to get you up and running;
Open a foobar.go to playlist and choose a folder where the files are,click with right mouse on it and go to convert from menu,click on settings and thats it.
You can do a same thing clicking on preferencies

From the diskwriter settings choose ouput preset you need-like flac in your case and youre good to go

Since i tryed foobar i never looked back for winamp,so hopefullu will be good for you too

Btw,install the special version0.8.3 as its got all components included in it.

DreamTactix291

Jul 17 2005, 20:31

Calabrese you're making this way more complicated than it needs to be.

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....howtopic=34401#

Others here have given you many many more options as well.

Cosmo

Jul 17 2005, 21:46

QUOTE(Calabrese @ Jul 17 2005, 06:18 PM)

FLAC INSTALLER FOR WINDOWS FRONT END: Added Files. Couldn't understand command-line Help. Tried to Encode & Decode (didn't understand which did what.) .wav files, but it said it didn't recognize anything except FLAC & Ogg-FLAC Seems too complicated. . .

Any more ideas - simple, reliable ones???

I don't know how much simpler it can get.

To encode WAV files to FLAC using FLAC frontend:

[] Under encoding options, set the compression level.
...( 8 is the highest compression level, its a little bit slower than the default of 5 )

[] I recommend checking the "Verify" box. (You can leave everything else unchecked.)

[] Set the output directory if you want them to go somewhere other than the input dir.

[] Drag-n-drop your WAV files into the GUI, or search for them with the "Add Files" button.

[] Press "Encode". The GUI will create a batch file (called "go.bat") and execute it.

To Decode FLAC to WAV: add .flac files to the GUI, then press "Decode"...

The "Test" button will check the integrity of .flac files.
The "Fingerprint" button will copy all of the checksums from within the selected files and save them to a text file of your choice.
The "Tag Conf" button is for setting up tagging info prior to encoding.
The rest of the buttons are pretty self explanatory...

As long as the files you input are valid WAV or FLAC files, I don't see how it can go very wrong.

Calabrese

Jul 18 2005, 00:17

I think we've got a winner - foobar! Thanks, zver, for the recommendation, instructions, encouragement - plus telling me that all the components were in the latest version - that made it easier.

And thank you all for your support and patience.

Now I can go bother them at the foobar forum.

krabapple

Jul 28 2005, 14:13

QUOTE(Calabrese @ Jul 17 2005, 10:17 PM)

I think we've got a winner - foobar! Thanks, zver, for the recommendation, instructions, encouragement - plus telling me that all the components were in the latest version - that made it easier.

And thank you all for your support and patience.

Now I can go bother them at the foobar forum.

I'd be amazed if you couldn't get the FLAC frontend to work...it's simplicity itself. Rather easier than setting up F2K (though that has many other advantages) Did you really try it?

kwanbis

Jul 28 2005, 14:56

easiest way is dbpoweramp imho.