Hi everyone.
I am starting create some electronic music and i will buy some musics from beatport and i really want to know what i should buy,i know that Aiff/Wav is the best format (music quality) but mp3 320kbps is really good too, but it is in my monitors, because on a disco or a live gig with the volume really high maybe it will not have so great quality.
any DJ/producer/etc that have some experience with that, can give me some tip?
It will help me a lot.
Thanks ableton community
Djs music format used on gigs
-
socialjusticeman
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 3:32 am
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
Re: Djs music format used on gigs
I look after one of melbourne's premier live electonic music venues.
I'm yet to have a good answer as to why, but MP3s really do sound MUCH worse on a big system.
Most people won't notice if it's 256 or 320kbps but if you're using 128kbps MP3s,it'll sound like balls.
More so, though, unwarped mp3s don't sound too bad. It does seem that warping - beats least so, complex and complex pro most so - sounds much worse with mp3s.
So, if you have to use low-bitrate mp3s, keep them unwarped.
I'm yet to have a good answer as to why, but MP3s really do sound MUCH worse on a big system.
Most people won't notice if it's 256 or 320kbps but if you're using 128kbps MP3s,it'll sound like balls.
More so, though, unwarped mp3s don't sound too bad. It does seem that warping - beats least so, complex and complex pro most so - sounds much worse with mp3s.
So, if you have to use low-bitrate mp3s, keep them unwarped.
Re: Djs music format used on gigs
I get MP3 320 off beatport, Aiff is great for Mac users (if you are one) Wav is way to big therefore I don't get it, but sounds great.
Basically all the formats off beatport are legit so I wouldn't worry about that too much.
Basically all the formats off beatport are legit so I wouldn't worry about that too much.
"A Positive mind is the Key to success" - Tydi
-
Muzik 4 Machines
- Posts: 769
- Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:35 am
Re: Djs music format used on gigs
aiff and wav is the same exact pcm data there is usually no difference in size (1411 kbps)
Re: Djs music format used on gigs
Right, aiff and wav are the same data/sound-wise, but aiff has tags/meta-data like mp3s do.
If you're on a budget and you're just looking to play the tracks out then 320kbps should be fine.
I, personally, switched to aiff a while back for the tags and so that when I make recordings I have the best sound quality to start with for later conversions to other mp3 encodings or what-not. For example, no matter what you upload to Soundcloud they decode to pcm and re-encode to something shitty like 128kbps or 192kbps mp3 for streaming (while the download link, if you allow it, will provide the original file you uploaded). While the tiny bit of quality reduction in a 320kbps isn't noticeable on anything but a really loud system (and, even then you have to really be looking for it and/or the kind of asshole who accosts guys on CDJs screaming about how "vinyl is better"), it will be "amplified" when re-encoded to something lower, resulting in a muddy, distorted sound. Some people go into uploading to Soundcloud thinking that if they upload an mp3 of the same encoding Soundcloud stream with then they'll be good, but they are actually only making things worse.
If you're on a budget and you're just looking to play the tracks out then 320kbps should be fine.
I, personally, switched to aiff a while back for the tags and so that when I make recordings I have the best sound quality to start with for later conversions to other mp3 encodings or what-not. For example, no matter what you upload to Soundcloud they decode to pcm and re-encode to something shitty like 128kbps or 192kbps mp3 for streaming (while the download link, if you allow it, will provide the original file you uploaded). While the tiny bit of quality reduction in a 320kbps isn't noticeable on anything but a really loud system (and, even then you have to really be looking for it and/or the kind of asshole who accosts guys on CDJs screaming about how "vinyl is better"), it will be "amplified" when re-encoded to something lower, resulting in a muddy, distorted sound. Some people go into uploading to Soundcloud thinking that if they upload an mp3 of the same encoding Soundcloud stream with then they'll be good, but they are actually only making things worse.