Converting m4a to wav

[Pelikanyo]

Hi All,
Happy to find this group, this is my first post.

I have some questions about my TASCAM CDR250N, and transferring music to it's SD cards. Where I have an actual CD, I'm using the rip function to convert to wav files. I assume this creates a 44.1/16 wav file. Is there any way to change this using the TASCAM's rip function, say to a 48/24 wav file?

Where I have an m4a file, I'm converting to a wav using Switch. The m4a is a 44.1/256...what wav settings would you use? In this case is a 44.1/16 wav file adequate, or would you use 48/24?

I'm familiar with the whole lossy/lossless theory and understand you can't put back what's been taken out etc., but what conversion would you use to put an m4a on an SD card? The CDR250N does not play m4a.

Thanks much!

 

[Soniclife]

In Windows I always used dbpoweramp for format conversions, if I wasn't scripting one myself. It's been a while since i did any important codec conversions so I'm likely out of date.

 

[Katji]

Then I would convert it to mp3. m4a is mpeg4, but encoded with VBR [variable bit rate] instead of the usual CBR. Reason being that when I see .wav I expect to actually be WAV.

 

[Pelikanyo]

Then I would convert it to mp3. m4a is mpeg4, but encoded with VBR [variable bit rate] instead of the usual CBR. Reason being that when I see .wav I expect to actually be WAV.

I read going from one compressed format to another is a no-no (m4a to mp3)?
What mp3 settings would you use in conversion? CBR or VBR and what bit rates?

Much appreciated

 

[Taddpole]

Then I would convert it to mp3. m4a is mpeg4, but encoded with VBR [variable bit rate] instead of the usual CBR. Reason being that when I see .wav I expect to actually be WAV.

That would be worse.

 

[andreasmaaan]

@Pelikanyo I don't know about the CDR250N specifically, but to approach this problem generally, when converting from a lossily compressed format to WAV, the key thing is to retain at least the same sample rate and bit depth.

A 44.1kHz 256kb mp3 or m4a file should be converted to 16/44.1 WAV.

You could convert to any higher bitrate/sample rate (e.g. 24/48), but there would be no benefit in terms of fidelity, and the file would be larger.

You should not convert to any sample or bitrate lower than 16/44.1. And definitely do not convert from one lossily compressed format to another lossily compressed format.

Hope that helps.

 

[sergeauckland]

I use Any Audio Converter.
https://any-audio-converter.com/

Very useful for creating WAVs from anything else, or anything else from WAVs.

 

[Pelikanyo]

@Pelikanyo I don't know about the CDR250N specifically, but to approach this problem generally, when converting from a lossily compressed format to WAV, the key thing is to retain at least the same sample rate and bit depth.

A 44.1kHz 256kb mp3 or m4a file should be converted to 16/44.1 WAV.

You could convert to any higher bitrate/sample rate (e.g. 24/48), but there would be no benefit in terms of fidelity, and the file would be larger.

You should not convert to any sample or bitrate lower than 16/44.1. And definitely do not convert from one lossily compressed format to another lossily compressed format.

Hope that helps.

Yes, thank you!...this has been my line of thinking.

Comparing a 16/44.1 WAV conversion to a higher conversion of 24/48...no increased headroom or smoothness? Would the higher conversion be a "more accurate" copy of the original?

Thank you all for your time and responses...I'm a old analog and reel-to-reel guy from the 70's

 

[Pelikanyo]

I use Any Audio Converter.
https://any-audio-converter.com/

Very useful for creating WAVs from anything else, or anything else from WAVs.

Yes, I'm guessing if they work, they're pretty much the same (?)

 

[Pelikanyo]

Yes, thank you!...this has been my line of thinking.

Comparing a 16/44.1 WAV conversion to a higher conversion of 24/48...no increased headroom or smoothness? Would the higher conversion be a "more accurate" copy of the original? Any negatives to doing this?

Thank you all for your time and responses...I'm a old analog and reel-to-reel guy from the 70's

 

[andreasmaaan]

Comparing a 16/44.1 WAV conversion to a higher conversion of 24/48...no increased headroom or smoothness? Would the higher conversion be a "more accurate" copy of the original? Any negatives to doing this?

No increased headroom or smoothness and no increased accuracy. So no positives at all.

The only negative would be increased file size.

 

[Pelikanyo]

No increased headroom or smoothness and no increased accuracy. So no positives at all.

The only negative would be increased file size.

Thanks again...stay well

 

[andreasmaaan]

Thanks again...stay well

No worries

One question though: Who's Crazy Eddie?

 

[Pelikanyo]

No worries

One question though: Who's Crazy Eddie?

 

[Pelikanyo]

So, a final follow-up for you...

As for the m4a files, I converted these to WAV at various bit rates and both 44.1 and 48. The best sounding files were at 48kHz/24 bit.
The WAV files ripped by the TASCAM to 44.1/16 sound better when upsampled to 48kHz during playback.
In both cases the final playback sounds smoother overall and with more depth.

I'm assuming at this point the final sound may be more about how the files interact with the equipment during playback than the actual files, but this is what sounds the best to me. Could be placebo...but it's consistent!

Thanks again for the input, and you patience with this newbie.
Stay well!

 

[smithhirussell]

Hi All,
Happy to find this group, this is my first post.

I have some questions about my TASCAM CDR250N, and transferring music to it's SD cards. Where I have an actual CD, I'm using the rip function to convert to wav files. I assume this creates a 44.1/16 wav file. Is there any way to change this using the TASCAM's rip function, say to a 48/24 wav file?

Where I have an m4a file, I'm converting to a wav using Switch. The m4a is a 44.1/256...what wav settings would you use? In this case is a 44.1/16 wav file adequate, or would you use 48/24?

I'm familiar with the whole lossy/lossless theory and understand you can't put back what's been taken out etc., but what conversion would you use to put an m4a on an SD card? The CDR250N does not play m4a.

Thanks much!

HI, Tascam cdr250n supported MP3 & WAV file format you need to convert m4a to wav file with the help of trustable audio converter such as Stellar Converter for Audio Video which easily convert audio to audio formats. The free trial version allows to convert & save initial one-third (1/3) length of the audio/video file. Thanks!

 

[fieldcar]

So, a final follow-up for you...

As for the m4a files, I converted these to WAV at various bit rates and both 44.1 and 48. The best sounding files were at 48kHz/24 bit.
The WAV files ripped by the TASCAM to 44.1/16 sound better when upsampled to 48kHz during playback.
In both cases the final playback sounds smoother overall and with more depth.

I'm assuming at this point the final sound may be more about how the files interact with the equipment during playback than the actual files, but this is what sounds the best to me. Could be placebo...but it's consistent!

Thanks again for the input, and you patience with this newbie.
Stay well!

Just so you know, playing any compressed audio format is converted by the CODEC/DECODER to bit&sample rate matched RAW PCM before being sent to the audio driver/stack. By converting to different sample rates versus the source format, you're only introducing artifacts of the sample rate conversion, which is highly reliant on how the conversion tool oversamples, applies anti-aliasing filters, and introduces dither. If you hear a difference, it's always quality degradation, and never an improvement. I'm sure you've read on some other forums that upsampling can improve audio, but that's completely false. Any deviation from the original source is further away from the original recording.

If you've got a field recorder, it's commonly recommended to record everything at WAV/PCM 24bit@48KHz to give you recording headroom(dynamic range(bits) and frequency extension(sample rate)). If possible, I'd always avoid lossy formats like m4a and archive it into a lossless format like FLAC if you're concerned about storage.

This basically is required reading... err viewing for all new members.

 

[fieldcar]

I want to translate a video from my MacBook to Windows, but Windows does not support MOV format and I need to convert the format to MP4, does anyone know a site where this can be done?

I'm sure you just need a codec pack. No need to convert.

K-lite codec pack.

Download K-Lite Codec Pack

Download links for the K-Lite Codec Pack. A free software bundle for high quality audio and video playback.

www.codecguide.com

Otherwise, try VLC media player

Official download of VLC media player, the best Open Source player - VideoLAN

www.videolan.org

EDIT: Oh, if you do actually need to convert it. Handbrake is a decent tool.

HandBrake: Open Source Video Transcoder

HandBrake is an open-source, GPL-licensed, multiplatform, multithreaded video transcoder.

handbrake.fr

 

[AnalogSteph]

The popular video player VLC (which you may already have) can convert a whole bunch of formats, including the option for just copying existing datastreams (you may have to create a new preset to do exactly what you want). Chances are the audio from a MOV may just have to be repackaged into a more convenient container format, check the codec information during playback for what it is. VLC can do a fair bit of what FFmpeg has to offer without having to resort to the command line. I've even used it to clean up the videos from Pentax cameras that would have a nasty habit of producing different video and audio lengths which in turn often led to audio crackling issues e.g. if uploaded to YT.

Other than that, they don't call Foobar2000 the Swiss army knife of audio players for nothing.

 

[mzungu]

I converted m4a files which are aac on itunes to wav and to flac but did not notice any difference. Is it because the itunes music is aac and not alac?