I seem to be having a problem with encoding properly my music library to MP3 files at a 192kbps range - range I want all my files to be encoded. I have EAC V.099 prebeta3 and Lame V3.97 installed. The parameter is set as adviced on the Wiki.

Here is the problem as I see it - I'm not an expert; everytime I ripped a CD, either or all the tracks are encoded at 320kbps or at a lower bitrate. Usually, one or two tracks of the entire CD are at a lower bit rate. Is this a glitch generated by the program or I set the parameter wrongly?

Here is a log from one of my latest ripped files:

Exact Audio Copy V0.99 prebeta 3 from 28. July 2007

EAC extraction logfile from 14. December 2007, 17:47

Rippingtons / Weekend in Monaco

Used drive : MATSHITAUJDA760 DVD/CDRW Adapter: 1 ID: 0

Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : No
Make use of C2 pointers : No

Read offset correction : 102
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : No
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000
Gap handling : Not detected, thus appended to previous track

Used output format : User Defined Encoder
Selected bitrate : 192 kBit/s
Quality : High
Add ID3 tag : Yes
Command line compressor : C:\lame.exe
Additional command line options : -V 2 --vbr-new %s %d


TOC of the extracted CD

Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
---------------------------------------------------------
1 | 0:00.32 | 5:23.20 | 32 | 24276
2 | 5:23.52 | 5:56.60 | 24277 | 51036
3 | 11:20.37 | 4:50.40 | 51037 | 72826
4 | 16:11.02 | 5:45.25 | 72827 | 98726
5 | 21:56.27 | 5:15.40 | 98727 | 122391
6 | 27:11.67 | 5:46.10 | 122392 | 148351
7 | 32:58.02 | 5:48.30 | 148352 | 174481
8 | 38:46.32 | 5:58.08 | 174482 | 201339
9 | 44:44.40 | 4:16.37 | 201340 | 220576


Track 1

Filename C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\My Music\Weekend In Monaco.wav

Peak level 88.3 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Copy CRC 2039FFD6
Track not present in AccurateRip database
Copy OK

Track 2

Filename C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\My Music\St. Tropez.wav

Peak level 93.0 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Copy CRC F07D4553
Track not present in AccurateRip database
Copy OK

Track 3

Filename C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\My Music\Vienna.wav

Peak level 85.5 %
Track quality 99.9 %
Copy CRC 567AB49F
Track not present in AccurateRip database
Copy OK

Track 4

Filename C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\My Music\Indian Summer.wav

Peak level 90.5 %
Track quality 99.9 %
Copy CRC 9483CDA1
Track not present in AccurateRip database
Copy OK

Track 5

Filename C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\My Music\A Place For Lovers.wav

Peak level 85.5 %
Track quality 99.9 %
Copy CRC 013CE43E
Track not present in AccurateRip database
Copy OK

Track 6

Filename C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\My Music\Carnival!.wav

Peak level 98.0 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Copy CRC B771897F
Track not present in AccurateRip database
Copy OK

Track 7

Filename C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\My Music\Moka Java.wav

Peak level 99.6 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Copy CRC 2E77EF51
Track not present in AccurateRip database
Copy OK

Track 8

Filename C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\My Music\Highroller.wav

Peak level 100.0 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Copy CRC E19A3ABB
Track not present in AccurateRip database
Copy OK

Track 9

Filename C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\My Music\Where The Road Will Lead Us.wav

Peak level 98.8 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Copy CRC 7B96167F
Track not present in AccurateRip database
Copy OK


None of the tracks are present in the AccurateRip database

No errors occurred

End of status report

I hope there is an answer to this since I like the Crisp sound I get from using both programs. This has stopped me on my tracks from redoing my entire library at 192-220 kbps from 128kbps I had been using over the last few years.

Keep in mind the following:

1. I'm redoing my entire CD library and like to have it at least at 192kbps range.
2. I listen to my MP3 mostly while traveling or before going to sleep. I will be going back to IRAQ soon and I like those moments of traquility - whenever I can after an ardous day, trying to mantain Peace and Hope in that sand box; listening to the best sound possible that I can obtain by any means.
3. I have a Creative Zen Touch.

If it comes to a compromise between the 320 and the 192kbps, then I will have to buy myself another external hard drive and another MP3 player. If 320kbps is the only option I have then I will have to split my music library between two MP3 Players and take both with me to the sand box.

My last option is if I can't be able to fix this, I will have to continue to rip my files using WMP11 at 195kbps or maybe give it a try to Audiograbber and see what happens.

Hope someone here can share some light as to why is not ancoding at 192Kbps. All answers will be greatly apreciated.

how are you looking up the bitrate? if it's through windows explorer then that won't be accurate. try mr questionman and see if it says the same thing.

You have specified user defined encoder. This means that the 192 kbps bitrate and high quality settings are ignored. Lame using -V2 is typically in the bitrate that you want, but that is only typical. Individual tracks may deviate significantly from the typical.

The vbr files that you get with -V2 should all be about equal in quality, regardless of their bitrate. The real test is to encode some tracks that you are familiar with and see if they sound good to you.

Hi! Thanks for the fast response. I installed Mr Questionman and here are the results:

Folder Size File Count Duration Average Bitrate

C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\My Music 72.57 MB 9 49:01 207/207 kbps

File Name Type Size Length Ratio Bitrate Encoder Info Sample Rate Channels Bits Per Sample
A Place For Lovers.mp3 MP3 7.64 MB 05:16 14.39% 203 kbps MPEG 1 Layer III LAME 3.97 44100 2 16

Carnival!.mp3 MP3 8.61 MB 05:46 14.78% 209 kbps MPEG 1 Layer III LAME 3.97 44100 2 16

Highroller.mp3 MP3 8.76 MB 05:58 14.54% 205 kbps MPEG 1 Layer III LAME 3.97 44100 2 16

Indian Summer.mp3 MP3 8.95 MB 05:45 15.40% 217 kbps MPEG 1 Layer III LAME 3.97 44100 2 16

Moka Java.mp3 MP3 8.27 MB 05:48 14.10% 199 kbps MPEG 1 Layer III LAME 3.97 44100 2 16

St. Tropez.mp3 MP3 9.36 MB 05:57 15.59% 220 kbps MPEG 1 Layer III LAME 3.97 44100 2 16

Vienna.mp3 MP3 6.88 MB 04:51 14.08% 199 kbps MPEG 1 Layer III LAME 44100 2 16

Weekend In Monaco.mp3 MP3 8.13 MB 05:23 14.95% 211 kbps MPEG 1 Layer III LAME 3.97 44100 2 16

Where The Road Will Lead Us.mp3 MP3 5.97 MB 04:17 13.84% 195 kbps MPEG 1 Layer III LAME 3.97 44100 2 16

By the way it looks, it is the target bitrate I was looking for - also what I was seeing on the encoder window as they where being encoded. Now my question is, Why in the name of Pete sake when I look on those files on "My Music" folder - when I hover the mouse pointer over any of those files, on the box that come up it always say "320Kbps" or any other value for the bitrate as opose to what Mr Questionman just pointed? Could it be a glitch generated after the encoding? If it is; I can live with it and verify with Questionman. In other words it seems, that all is well but the correct data is not being inputed properly. Am I right?

I have one more question and hope is not a problem. How can I have all the files as they are being ripped under one folder instead of the single file format I'm getting right now? What I'm doing is that after the files had been ripped I moved them to a new folder to have all of then under one folder for that CD Album. In other words. Instead of having nine different files in my music - all from the same album, I move all of them to one folder with the name of that specific CD album.

I appreciate and thank you for your responses.

Your files are fine. The glitch is that Microsoft still hasn't figured out how to calculate the bitrate of mp3 files correctly.

pdq, I understood that much when I decided to use the user define encoder, that it will override EAC settings. I was interested in the -V2 VBR setting. I decided on using that setting for two reasons:

1. Sound Quality without compromising it too much from its source, and
2. Space.

twostar directed me on the right path. It seems that all is working as it should - according to Mr Questionman report. What got me is the why it shows on those tracks when I hover my pointer over them that the bitrate is 320kbps. It scare the be-jesus out of me. Space and having to buy another MP3 Player became my main issues. Specially, when my MP3 Real Estate is kind of tight under those values.

I tested the sound Quality and it is what I'm looking for and hope for right now. I tested the tracks with my Altec Lansing VS 3151.

Thanks pdq, that is a huge relief for me. It's all I was hoping for to hear: just a Glitch by Microsoft. Since Microsoft have Zune out I guess they can invest some of their time in fixing that correctly. I've been so out of touch from all of this that I was frustrated and confuse.

I can re-start rebuilding my library with the EAC/Lame set up. I got into my head in replacing my MP3 Player with a newer one and buying a bigger external drive. Looking at it that way, now I know what my x-mas gift to myself - one of my habits, will be this year, LOL! Life is Sweet, All is Well and Heaven is smiling upon me.

Thanks pdq and twostar! Have a good x-mas both of you!