What ATRAC rate/type would I have to use for 192Kbs MP3?

[JohnnyBoy]

I have a whole bunch of MP3s encodes at a bit rate of 192 bits. I want to copy these to Hi-Md after I have bought a player.

Does anybody know if:

1. Can I copy these to the MD in MP3 format, or does SonicStage have to be used to copy them to the ATRAC format?

and if I have to convert them to ATRAC format:

2. What ATRAC type and bit rate would I have to use to keep the same quality of the MP3 that I have now?

Thanks for any help.

Cheers,

johnny

[symphara]

I have a whole bunch of MP3s encodes at a bit rate of 192 bits. I want to copy these to Hi-Md after I have bought a player.

Does anybody know if:

1. Can I copy these to the MD in MP3 format, or does SonicStage have to be used to copy them to the ATRAC format?

You need to use SonicStage. The files will be converted to ATRAC when transferred to the minidisc. You don't need to convert them yourself though, it will be done automatically, you only need to choose the format.

and if I have to convert them to ATRAC format:

2. What ATRAC type and bit rate would I have to use to keep the same quality of the MP3 that I have now?

Converting from a lossy format (MP3) into another lossy format (ATRAC) will guarantee that the resulting quality is lower than the original lossy format. That's because they lose different bits of audio information, hence the effect is cumulative.

However, using either regular SP or Hi-SP (atrac3plus) mode will minimize the quality loss and unless you're a very keen listener you shouldn't notice any difference compared to your original 192kbps MP3s.

From my personal experience, reconverting high quality MP3s to LP modes (regular LP2, LP4 (atrac3), Hi-LP 64 or 48kbps (atrac3plus)) will lose quality varying from noticeable to impossible not to notice, depending on the target ATRAC bitrate.

Thanks for any help.

Cheers,

johnny

[Fray Adjacent]

Well, you CAN copy .mp3 to HiMD... but you can't PLAY it on the player.

Now, as far as getting your .mp3s to HiMD, you would have to convert the format. Of course, as stated, converting from one codec to another will degrade quality, so I'd probably suggest going to a lower bitrate, so you don't lose as much.

For 192kbps mp3s, I'd probably use LP2, which is 132kbps.

(my theory about not losing as much going to a lower bitrate when transcoding may not be sound... but that's what I'd do.)

If you can, get the CDs and rip straight from CD to HiMD.

[Breepee]

(my theory about not losing as much going to a lower bitrate when transcoding may not be sound... but that's what I'd do.)

It's definitely not sound. If one would want to minimalize signal loss, always use the highest quality setting (HiSP).

I think Fray Adjacent chooses LP2, because of the fact that there WILL BE signal loss (maybe unnoticable), and doesn't want to sarcifice too much discspace to a song with signal loss.