Hello,
I'm using Foobar2000 with LAME to convert flac to mp3.
I want to use the VBR (V-0) but I'd like to set an 'under-limit' of let's say 192Kbps.

I often used V-0 and see in WinAmp that my bitrate droppes to VERY low, not just in silent parts of the music.
By the way, I watch that bitrate in WinAmp.

Any suggestions?

TIA

This is typically discouraged, but you can set the minimum bitrate (other than digital silence) using the switch -b <bitrate>. Usually it is recommended to let lame determine what bitrate is needed, especially using a high quality setting like -V 0.

OK, when it is discouraged, I won't touch it...
I use WinAmp to play my files and the kbps is shown there.
My questions:
- Is there another way to view those bitrates?
- I get the feeling (at least it shows) that using -V 0 it rarely hits 320, or even 256 for that matter.
I just want to make sure it works properly...

Thank you

Yeah, that is not surprising. Most music rarely needs bitrates that high, even with -V 0. Most people who have done extensive lietening tests will tell you that -V 0 is actually overkill, with recommendations being more along the lines of -V 3 to -V 5, depending on the equipment and listening environment. You may want to test this yourself. Others will, of course, say that they don't have the time or patience to test and therefore just use a very safe setting like -V 0.

Thanks for your answer.
I'll stick with the "-V settings"

Hi, do you know how to remove the minimum bitrate when using RazorLame to encode? I don't know how to adjust the Lame options to remove the lowest bitrate.

I think razorlame has a custom encoder option that overrides all. Otherwise you can -b32 B320

Dibrom's --alt-preset standard setting (which eventually became -V2; --alt-preset fast standard became -V2 --vbr-new) used to have a minimum bitrate of 128kbps. This was true in LAME 3.90.3 and I think through 3.92 or 3.93, and was eventually dropped. To my memory it was more of a safeguard against LAME's vbr choosing too-low of a bitrate; eventually the vbr algorithm improved to where the safeguard was not needed anymore.

Mp3DirectCut

I can't seem to change the encoder line manually. I have a few sliders which will change the encoder line. I can adjust it to
-b 8 -m j -V 2 -B 320
Is it good enough for encoding?