Hi guys!
Becoming increasingly aware (and annoyed) at the sound quality of MP3s - I've decided to upgrade my entire Beatport collection of music to WAV. I would have chosen AIFF, if it weren't for the fact that Beatport chops the AIFFs down to 44.1/16.
As we are all well aware, WAV files don't have any metadata in them. However, Rekordbox stores metadata in separate files, and as such, does not rely on the metadata embedded in the music file to work. (Yes, it does copy the ID3 info from the file to it's own format file, if available.).
Is it possible, if I migrate my entire collection of music, to re-use the already prepared metadata for the MP3, if there is a 1:1 correlation between MP3 file and WAV file? Think in terms of "Search and Replace". And if not - are there external tools that would permit this sort of action?
Cheers!
- Tord
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Hi.
If your music is in mp3 format 320kbps converting them to wave will not improve the quality as the information is already lost when these were made yes the file size would be bigger but no improvement of sound will be added.
It is my understanding of wave files that when it comes to tagging that they are limited as to what information you can add.
I suggest that you use another Lossless format ie Flac or Apple Lossless.
Hi Mike,
I don't know what gave you the idea that I wanted to convert my MP3 - but that is absolutely not what I meant. I will use the Beatport "Upgrade" feature to upgrade my collection, i.e. download it all again in a new format - which cost 0.75 USD per track.
Hi
Sorry I did not know Beatport did that so I apologise.
No worries mate! Take a look at https://support.beatport.com/hc/en-us/articles/204784990-How-can-I-upgrade-my-MP3s-to-lossless-format- for the details :)
To re-hash what has already been said:
1) WAV and AIFF are effectively the same when it comes to audio quality and filesizes, however AIFFs are superior in their ability to store metadata.
2) Cross-converting from a 320k MP3 to a WAV file is a waste of time and space as the WAV will consume 4x the drive space the MP3 does, and there is no improvement of quality when doing so. Downloading an "upgraded' version is the much better option, and $0.75 per track is pricey, but could be worth it if you are playing on a system where the difference is audible.
3) In blind tests, most users couldn't tell the difference between compressed and lossless:
As above, unless you're playing on million-dollar sound systems, chances are good that neither you, nor the guests, will notice the difference.
Thanks Pulse!
Fully aware of all points. Like I said, Beatport capis the AIFFs at 44.1/16, which is CD audio quality, and very good - but some WAVs are higher quality, from 48k/16 up to 192/24 (though rare..).
Not going to make a big deal out of it, though. I was simply wondering if there was a way to copy the metadata from my old collection to my new collection.
On a sidenote; There was a significant bump in audio resolution from NXS1 to NXS2. Are you (Pioneer DJ) arguing that it doesn't really add value?
Cheers!
No, it makes the biggest difference for those who are producing audio at that resolution because they're more likely to be playing on a system capable of more accurately reproducing those recordings. For the average-Joe-DJ, you can't tell the difference between the files themselves, but even the improvement of the hardware can make a difference for lower resolution playback.
Has there been an update to this? I am in the same boat where I would like to replace the mp3 files I have with the exact same tracks but in WAV. I don't want to pain of losing all my cues to hundreds of songs and having to redo them!
Sorry, this is not a feature available within rekordbox. Each song (file) needs to have the analysis done to build the waveform and beatgrid. You can't simply transfer that data to another song as there may be a different offset for the grid. Using a 3rd party application you may be able to transfer your hot cues, however I also can't speak to the accuracy due to the same possibility of an offset existing.
I started with low res MP3 many years ago (when HD space was limited and pricey). Transitioning to 320kbit MP3 and lossless FLAC files. As Pulse stated with some tools or XML file editing you can move the Hot Cues, Memory Cues and Beatgrid from an MP3 to i.e. a FLAC file but they will be off. Each file will need adjustments for the Beat Grid and therefore the placement of the cues as well. At least you will not need to spend time to rething where to place the cues - but still a lot of work depending on the size of the library.