FLAC to WAV

quote:

Originally posted by rded:
Hey All,

I bought some albums from HD tracks but the NDAC on supports WAV files on a usb stick. I tried Media Monkey but I can't seem to find the MAC parallel program. Is there a link so I can download it? Thanks

The best format converter for Mac is XLD.

Google for "X Lossless Decoder(XLD)" and it will stand at the top (site called infoseek from japan).

It is easiest to take the GUI version when you download it.

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aleg

agreed. It is the best ripper for Mac as well.

Thanks! I found that website but I don't know how to down load it. Sorry, but I'm just not computer savvy.

quote:

Originally posted by rded:
Thanks! I found that website but I don't know how to down load it. Sorry, but I'm just not computer savvy.

1. Click on it
2. Save it on your computer
3. Use StuffIt Expander to unpack it
4. Install it on your Mac (the actual application is in the directory called "XLD.app")

Use XLD Setup Guide to set it up properly.

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aleg

Thanks for this topic, been trying (unsuccessfully) to use xld for a while too. This has been very helpful but the setup guide isn't. It tells you to output to flac not wav and shows various other settings that I don't understand including setting compression (a BAD THING surely?)Can you recommend settings? would be great to be able to use this as MAX refuses to convert some files I've bought.

quote:

Originally posted by SAT:
Thanks for this topic, been trying (unsuccessfully) to use xld for a while too. This has been very helpful but the setup guide isn't. It tells you to output to flac not wav and shows various other settings that I don't understand including setting compression (a BAD THING surely?)Can you recommend settings? would be great to be able to use this as MAX refuses to convert some files I've bought.

There is compression and compression .

When using a lossless codec like FLAC, the compression we talk about is "data-compression": i.e. how to store all information in less space. That isn't a bad thing.

When talking about lossy codecs like MP3, compression is "music compression": i.e. how to leave out parts of the musical information that one is likely not to hear anyway. That is a bad thing, because we can hear all musical information in a recording.

If you don't want to use FLAc, just choose WAV as a target. I added the guide for its guidance on setting up CD ripping which is the foremost important thing to get right.

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aleg

quote:

That is a bad thing, because we can hear all musical information in a recording.

This is arguable. If you define 'musical' as sound that humans interpret as music then by definition it is true. If you mean all sound information then it isn't.

It sounds worse so close enough.

So any SQ difference in ripping CD's to WAV with XLD vs i-tunes?

nope

quote:

Originally posted by James L:
So any SQ difference in ripping CD's to WAV with XLD vs i-tunes?

No. Nor AIFF or ALAC. Look forward to explanations of how that could be etc.

XLD is preferred because it gives you details of the quality (or not) of what you have ripped. FWIW I have not come across any discs that produce any 'read' errors that XLD reports as significant. But then my discs are in good condition. A couple that would not play on my CDS3 ripped fine and sound superb.

Joe

Thanks Aleg now listening to a USB with wav via XLD (and very good it is too)! Thanks also to rded for bringing the topic up.