She's so small, tiny and crushed up

[venta]

I'm working at home today, and am therefore finally getting round to putting software back on my PC after the Great Evesham Wiping Incident.

So, I want some mp3-ing software. I've always used CDCopy, and that seems to work pretty well. I'm just curious, would anyone recommend anything in particular. Any recommendations should do the following:

• Run on Windows (XP)


• Be free to download ("I'll give you a pirate copy" doesn't count :)


• Be easy to install (I don't really want to faff around looking for codecs, etc)


• Be friendly to use

Thanks for any help.
And kneeshooter, once I've sorted this out I'll chuck that track at you :)

Comments

[timeplease.livejournal.com]

Some applications (essentially broadcast) require that the MP3 stream be at a constant bitrate: a fixed number of bits of MP3 data correspond to a fixed period of time. This makes some things easy: playback devices don't need large amounts of buffer space and can recover the audio clock from the incoming MP3 bitstream. On the other hand it's inefficient: some sections of audio that would otherwise compress very well have to be padded out, and others that might be able to make use of a few more bits have to suffer a reduction in quality instead.

Variable bitrate relaxes the constant bitrate restriction and allows the encoder to use fewer bits in the MP3 stream for simple sections of audio and more bits for more complex sections.

While I'm at it, can I plug Ogg and suggest that storing your music in ogg format instead of mp3 format would be good for your soul?

[venta.livejournal.com]

You're welcome to plug Ogg, though I may ignore what you say :)

Go on: why would it improve the health of my soul ?

[timeplease.livejournal.com]

I know it's a bit of a feeble response on my part, but I think the "About Xiph" page explains it reasonably well.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Good grief, man, you'll never make an evangelist :)

[timeplease.livejournal.com]

:-)

I'm better in person, but even then I tend to use rational argument...