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iTunes - "Create Apple Lossless Version"

Spiderous

Spiderous

pfm Member
Hello,

I'm in the process of planning my first foray into computer audio for home listening (as opposed to mobile via the iPhone), and am currently doing some digital housekeeping of my music library. I've got about 110Gb of mostly Apple Lossless files, although I have about 80 albums worth of files in compressed formats (AAC, MP3 etc). These are either from my own early days of ripping to get stuff on the iPhone, when I wasn't aware of the sonic benefits of lossless, or are from files I've been given by friends.

I've noticed that in the options for tracks it's possibleto "Create (an) Apple Lossless Version". So, assuming I will soon be listening via computer - DAC - Hifi, is this worth doing and getting rid of the orginal compressed file, or should I re-rip where possible?

Thanks in advance of any advice.
Ian.
 
I'd never noticed that option was available in iTunes for compressed files, though you are indeed correct. I'd describe it as an interface bug as it can't possibly recover information lost in the previous compression process to create the .mp3 or .aac. To rip to a lossless format and remain lossless you need the full resolution file, e.g. the CD itself, a .wav, .aiff etc. There is no way around this.
 
If the original file was ripped into a compressed format, you can't turn it back into a lossless one,I would re rip using AIFF.
Keith.
 
Yes you could use ALAC, but storage is cheap, and it is possible to convert codecs if you leave the Apple environment.
Keith.
 
These various formats may be considered 'a wrapper' for the audio data within. The wrapper .mp3 .flac etc will quite happily take any audio format and wrap it up and consequently you could well land up with a lossy format masquarading as lossless.

Equally you could take a bunch of MP3s at just a few meg each, providing they sit under 70 minutes of music will quite happily burn to a CD in red book format and take up the entire 700 megs of available space. You still have a crapy MP3

Less scrupulous websites may well sell you 'high quality' flacs or 'Hi Def' which are nothing more than rips from a commercially purchased CD.

In short in todays world the most reliable method for getting the best possible quality is to roll you own for commercially purchased CDs. Always rip as either AIFF/WAV or at a minimum lossless and store these safely. You can always extract fro these lower quality versions for the car etc, but never the other way round, once the datas gone, just like a Jpeg, its gone.
 
Purite Audio said:
Yes you could use ALAC, but storage is cheap, and it is possible to convert codecs if you leave the Apple environment..
Click to expand...

It's easy to convert ALAC to anything you like - it is lossless so all original data is preserved. Apple released the codec into the public domain several years ago and it is supported by just about everything these days. It's just like FLAC, but supported by more platforms.
 
It's just like FLAC, but supported by more platforms.
Click to expand...
I think you meant to write 'iTunes'....

ALAC should be avoided on principle. The best way to fight back against monopolistic multi-nationals is to use alternatives. Apple need a good dose of anti-trust action.

Paul
 
Paul R said:
I think you meant to write 'iTunes'....
Click to expand...

Yes. iPods, iPhones, iPads, Macs and PCa running iTunes amount to a huge, huge percentage of the world's digital music systems. I'd need to google for figures, but I'd bet on it being the majority of systems actually in use for that purpose (i.e. ignoring some advertised functionality on some PC or phone that no one actually bothers to use).
 
Paul R said:
I think you meant to write 'iTunes'....

ALAC should be avoided on principle. The best way to fight back against monopolistic multi-nationals is to use alternatives. Apple need a good dose of anti-trust action.

Paul
Click to expand...

I remember the same things being banded about regarding Microsoft 5 years ago.... Why do people so love to hate..?
 
Tony L said:
I'd never noticed that option was available in iTunes for compressed files, though you are indeed correct. I'd describe it as an interface bug as it can't possibly recover information lost in the previous compression process to create the .mp3 or .aac. To rip to a lossless format and remain lossless you need the full resolution file, e.g. the CD itself, a .wav, .aiff etc. There is no way around this.
Click to expand...

I don't regard it as an interface bug.

It says 'Create an Apple Lossless version' because your default ripping method is to rip to ALAC. If your default method was to rip to AIFF, the option would say 'Create an AIFF version'....etc...

Yes, obviously I realise it would be pointless to convert an mp3 to ALAC, but iTunes is just being consistent in offering you the option to produce a version in your default ripping format.
 
FWIW, I re-ripped all my CDs as Apple Lossless, even though I'd already done a fair few at a lower bitrate. I figured I was only going to do it once, so might as well do it properly, whatever the audibility of the different formats.
 
canyelles said:
Yes, obviously I realise it would be pointless to convert an mp3 to ALAC, but iTunes is just being consistent in offering you the option to produce a version in your default ripping format.
Click to expand...

Ok, bug may be a bit strong, but I certainly I consider it a user interface error. It should either not be there, or it should pop up a dialog box explaining that this type of conversion is entirely pointless. I'd go for the former. Apple frequently leads the field in user interface design, and in most respects iTunes knocks the fiddly, awkward and inconsistent competition into the weeds - there is no excuse IMO, it's a logic fail.
 
Purite Audio said:
If the original file was ripped into a compressed format, you can't turn it back into a lossless one,I would re rip using AIFF.
Keith.
Click to expand...

This statement is nonsense.

'Compressed' doesn't mean 'lossy'.

ALAC is compressed but with No losses. You can convert an ALAC back into the full fat version anytime you want to, with no compromise at all. You could even make a duplicate of the original CD from an ALAC file if you wished.

JC
 
You are absolutely right JC I should have said 'lossy' ,rather than 'compressed', once you rip to a lossy format you cannot recreate from it the original lossless file.
Keith.
 
and in most respects iTunes knocks the fiddly, awkward and inconsistent competition into the weeds -
Click to expand...

cough-foobar-cough :)

You caught the 'eye phone' episode of the new Futurama yet?


No one screams like Billy West...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yes. iPods, iPhones, iPads, Macs and PCa running iTunes amount to a huge, huge percentage of the world's digital music systems.
Click to expand...
Which is why when Apple work to keep things closed and proprietary they should be resisted. ALAC has always been completely unnecessary, just an extra complication.

Paul
 
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