Distortion and flanging on rm and streaming mp3 files -Sound Forge - PC

Subject:Distortion and flanging on rm and streaming mp3 files Posted by: roshrosh Date:6/20/2003 1:11:13 PM I'm tying to set up a web site with streaming audio of my music. But when I convert my wav files to variable bit rate type files (rm or mp3) using Sonic Foundry, the audio quality degrades horribly, especially with rm files. The sound is metallic with ridiculous amounts of flange. It sounds like the recording was done under water. I've also tried Real Media's Helix Producer to make this conversion and I get the same problem. Any tricks anyone knows of to avoid this problem when converting to streaming files? I've followed the tips given on the Real Media web site and they don't work.
Subject:RE: Distortion and flanging on rm and streaming mp3 files Reply by: Ted_H Date:6/20/2003 3:42:54 PM What bitrate are you saving the files at? Have you only listened to the streaming audio on one machine? If both formats have the same artifacts, perhaps it is a sound card issue. Ted
Subject:RE: Distortion and flanging on rm and streaming mp3 files Reply by: roshrosh Date:6/20/2003 3:53:37 PM It's really a huge problem with rm files (56kps) and a minor problem with mp3 files saved in vbr low quality. It's machine independent. I note that a lot of musicians have had "real" problems with flanging on files converted to real media format. But others have told me their converted files sound just fine.
Subject:RE: Distortion and flanging on rm and streaming mp3 files Reply by: Geoff_Wood Date:6/21/2003 4:20:39 AM Do you mean "more than the usual expected artifacts of rma and mp3 at these rates" ? Otherwise thats just what you get with lossy compression - the lower the filesize or streaming rate, the worse the artifacts. Unfortunately the hype somerwhat raises peoples' expectations.... This is partially what makes the whole concept of paying for downloading music on the net abhorent (to me). geoff

Subject:Distortion and flanging on rm and streaming mp3 files

Posted by: roshrosh

Date:6/20/2003 1:11:13 PM

I'm tying to set up a web site with streaming audio of my music. But when I convert my wav files to variable bit rate type files (rm or mp3) using Sonic Foundry, the audio quality degrades horribly, especially with rm files. The sound is metallic with ridiculous amounts of flange. It sounds like the recording was done under water. I've also tried Real Media's Helix Producer to make this conversion and I get the same problem. Any tricks anyone knows of to avoid this problem when converting to streaming files? I've followed the tips given on the Real Media web site and they don't work.

Subject:RE: Distortion and flanging on rm and streaming mp3 files

Reply by: Ted_H

Date:6/20/2003 3:42:54 PM

What bitrate are you saving the files at? Have you only listened to the streaming audio on one machine? If both formats have the same artifacts, perhaps it is a sound card issue.

Ted

Subject:RE: Distortion and flanging on rm and streaming mp3 files

Reply by: roshrosh

Date:6/20/2003 3:53:37 PM

It's really a huge problem with rm files (56kps) and a minor problem with mp3 files saved in vbr low quality. It's machine independent. I note that a lot of musicians have had "real" problems with flanging on files converted to real media format. But others have told me their converted files sound just fine.

Subject:RE: Distortion and flanging on rm and streaming mp3 files

Reply by: Geoff_Wood

Date:6/21/2003 4:20:39 AM

Do you mean "more than the usual expected artifacts of rma and mp3 at these rates" ?

Otherwise thats just what you get with lossy compression - the lower the filesize or streaming rate, the worse the artifacts. Unfortunately the hype somerwhat raises peoples' expectations....

This is partially what makes the whole concept of paying for downloading music on the net abhorent (to me).

geoff