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		Encoders' Basics
		The Programs

What are they ...

The encoders, as mentioned in the "Make mp3s" page, are the programs that convert the .wav file that the CD ripper produces, to the final mp3 file. They can also encode any .wav file, but usually only the large ones that came from CD ripping need to be encoded. Almost all the encoders work fine under both Windows 95 and NT. You won't face any problems, like those with the rippers. However, for someone who just started making mp3s, choosing an encoder, looks a bit complicated. In order to make your choice I have in this part of the page some useful information about the encoding engines that most of the encoders use. But first of all let's make clear how a good mp3 must be made.

What is a "Near CD quality mp3"

Almost every time you are facing the word mp3 on the Internet, it means "Near CD quality mp3". This mp3 comes from a .wav file that was ripped from a CD at 44100 kHz, 16 bit, stereo, and it was encoded with 128 Kbps bitrate, at 44100 kHz, Stereo. In other words when you want to make a near CD quality you must have set, the first three parameters on the ripper and the second three on the encoder program.

Encoding engines ...

The mp3 format is based on an algorithm developed by the Fraunhofer Institute IIs. The first program used this algorithm was L3Enc, written by the same institute. L3Enc is a 16bit, command line interface encoder. It is a bit slow, but makes high quality mp3s. But this program is a shareware, and in the trial version encodes only up to 112 Kbps. To make 128 Kbps mp3s (or more) you need to register and registration costs $250 !!! There are many graphical interface programs that use L3Enc as an encoding engine. These are called Front ends or GUIs and most of them are free, but yet again you have to pay for L3Enc.

Recently, Fraunhofer Institute IIs released a 32 bit program called CODEC, which is much faster than L3Enc and makes better quality mp3s. CODEC isn't exactly a program, but a library of functions that other programs use. It is also a shareware with more limitations than L3Enc and registration costs an arm and a leg. Like L3Enc, there many free encoders using the CODEC library as an encoding engine, but again you need to pay for CODEC's registered version. MP3 Compressor was such a free mp3 encoder based on CODEC, but the program was installing the registered version of the library without any license (without paying for the rights). So Fraunhofer Institute stopped the distribution of the program and forced all the sites to stop giving it.

There is also another old encoding engine from XingTech, called TOMBG.EXE, which is no longer used from Xing's encoders. Encoders using this engine (like MP Lifier) are about 10 times faster than L3Enc, which means that they need approximately 1 min to encode 1 min of song. The problem is that Xing's engine cuts all the frequencies above 16 kHz while Fraunhofer's engines are using all the frequencies that the human ear can hear, from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Although frequencies more than 16 kHz are hard to be heard, Xing's TOMBG.EXE made mp3s can't be considered as the best quality ones. (I don't know if new XingMPEG Encoder v2.1 does the same. For any questions contact Xing)

Encoders and engines ...

Almost all the encoders are using the above engines and they are not stand alone programs. This means that they have the advantages and disadvantages of the engine they are using and the only difference is in the interface. You must always remember that even if the program is free, the engine is copyrighted and costs a lot.

There is an exception to all these and is called mpegEnc v0.07. This is the only really freeware mp3 encoder because it is using its own engine for encoding. It may be a bit slow but practically, it's the only option you have if you want to legally make mp3s without paying an arm and a leg.

To the Programs ...

The encoders have been moved to their own page. Click for the programs' page

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