[Jim Lesurf[_3_]]

In article , Scott Dorsey
wrote:
However in some quiet passages the result became quite 'ragged'. I
finally realised that the encoder judgement rule settings was treating
a lot of the low level detail as 'noise floor' simply because it wasn't
fully taking into account the overall low sound level.

This is adjustable! You can set some of those thresholds down manually
when necessary.. And yes, for classical music it's necessary.

Understood and agreed. The surprise was that it actually was allowed to
happen when the encoding was being done by professionals.

So not all mp3 files are equal, even when at the same mp3 rate.

This is why we pay mastering engineers. It's just like cutting LPs, you
are trying to pack 10 gallons of music in a 5 gallon container.
Something has to be thrown away. It's better for a person with ears to
help make the decision about what instead of letting the computer do it.
--scott

Again, agreed. But again, a reason why some LPs sound rather poorer than
others, even when coming from professionals.

The advantage of LPCM - flac is that no such judgements are needed.

Jim

--
Electronics https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~www_pa...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
biog http://jcgl.orpheusweb.co.uk/history/ups_and_downs.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html