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Old 05-17-2013, 10:19 PM   #1
mustgroove
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Default Latest LAME versions for Reaper?

When you try to render an MP3 for the first time, Reaper gives you a link to download the LAME library - http://aegiscorp.free.fr/lame/

The version posted there is 3.98.3, but the latest version is 3.99.5... newer LAME versions often make tweaks to the quality of encoding modes, so using an older version could possibly result in lesser-quality encodes compared to newer versions...

Is there some way of getting the latest versions for use with Reaper?
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Old 05-17-2013, 11:51 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by mustgroove View Post
Is there some way of getting the latest versions for use with Reaper?
See here: http://www.rarewares.org/mp3-lame-bundle.php.


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Old 05-18-2013, 07:45 AM   #3
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I wonder if any other dll could be used instead of LAME? There are some that have been optimized for faster renders. My render speeds are around 1.5x and I'd like to speed that up. I just don't want to print effects on tracks so I need all those plugins running.
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Old 05-18-2013, 08:04 AM   #4
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Reaper is meant to work with LAME, I don't believe 'other .dlls' will work.

If you don't want to use LAME, there are several programs to render .mp3s 'outside' of Reaper.


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Old 05-18-2013, 11:00 AM   #5
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I don't think the problem is finding the latest version of LAME. The problem is getting it to work with Reaper. For instance, the dll for the 64-bit version that you linked to above isn't named the same (lame_enc.dll) as the one Reaper expects (lame_enc64.dll). Simply renaming it doesn't work, I've tried. Most likely there is a difference in the API that makes it incompatible.
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Old 05-18-2013, 02:34 PM   #6
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get 3.99.5 here. use the x64 if you are 64 bit

http://www.free-codecs.com/lame_encoder_download.htm
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Old 05-18-2013, 03:43 PM   #7
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get 3.99.5 here. use the x64 if you are 64 bit

http://www.free-codecs.com/lame_encoder_download.htm
Ok, where does it go once you unzip it? Hell, I don't even know how to find out which version I already have...
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Old 05-18-2013, 03:48 PM   #8
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@ Coachz, please read pattstes post. It don't work for x64!
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Old 05-18-2013, 05:03 PM   #9
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put it in the dir with reaper.exe.

fwiw, i'm using this one with reaper 64 in win7 64
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Old 05-18-2013, 05:28 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coachz View Post
put it in the dir with reaper.exe.

fwiw, i'm using this one with reaper 64 in win7 64
I don't know what we can possibly be doing differently but it doesn't work for me. I just tried again with the same result: Reaper cannot find it.

I have tried all combinations of "lame_enc.dll", "lame_enc64.dll" in the Reaper exe directory or the UserPlugins directory and restarting everytime. It doesn't work.
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Old 05-18-2013, 05:56 PM   #11
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I don't know what we can possibly be doing differently but it doesn't work for me. I just tried again with the same result: Reaper cannot find it.

I have tried all combinations of "lame_enc.dll", "lame_enc64.dll" in the Reaper exe directory or the UserPlugins directory and restarting everytime. It doesn't work.
Did you try the version that Reaper links you to?

Edit:
I just tried the version from the rarewares link, and it does not work. And the version the Coachz linked to also did not work for me. But the one that I have from the link Reaper supplies works. It is not the newest lame encoder, but it works just fine.
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Old 05-18-2013, 07:04 PM   #12
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But the one that I have from the link Reaper supplies works. It is not the newest lame encoder, but it works just fine.
It certainly does. But the whole point of this thread is precisely that some would like to be able to use the latest version.
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Old 05-18-2013, 07:17 PM   #13
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It certainly does. But the whole point of this thread is precisely that some would like to be able to use the latest version.
I know, but sometimes the newest version of anything is not always the one that works for the majority of system configurations. I'll bow out, I was just trying to remind people that there is indeed a working lame encoder and they can still render their mp3's and don't need to lose sleep over the newest and shiniest. Good luck y'all.
If anyone absolutely needs to be using the newest lame encoder, they may also need to use it in something besides Reaper. For what it's worth, I just tried the newest lame encoder in Reaper 32bit, and it works great. But the newest 64bit lame does not. I also noticed that the new 64bit does not have the "64" in the name, so I am assuming that it is just an incorrect version....?
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Old 05-18-2013, 08:11 PM   #14
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I'm actually looking for the OS X version of LAME...

And yeah the only component Reaper actually needs is the .dll for Windows and the .dylib for OS X, so full installers for the entire LAME package aren't really necessary, just the latest versions of those files.
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Old 05-18-2013, 10:41 PM   #15
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just an OT aside... though I certain do a lot of mp3's inside reaper [win7 64, reaper 64]

I also really appreciate this:

http://www.dbpoweramp.com/

free addon dl's for more formats than you can shake a stick at...

amazingly fast on my system... rip, convert, etc.

worth every penny IMHO
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Old 05-18-2013, 11:49 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hopi View Post
just an OT aside... though I certain do a lot of mp3's inside reaper [win7 64, reaper 64]

I also really appreciate this:

http://www.dbpoweramp.com/

free addon dl's for more formats than you can shake a stick at...

amazingly fast on my system... rip, convert, etc.

worth every penny IMHO

...and it also gives you mouseover info on audio files in Windows, very useful.


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Old 05-19-2013, 01:23 AM   #17
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Ok, where does it go once you unzip it? Hell, I don't even know how to find out which version I already have...
mine installed itself in user plug-ins & works perfect!
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Old 05-19-2013, 04:51 AM   #18
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As a test I removed my lame mp3 plugin and restarted Reaper. Mp3 rendering fails of course.

removed: C:\Program Files\REAPER (x64)\lame_enc64.dll


Then I closed reaper, went to the link that reaper told me to:
http://aegiscorp.free.fr/lame/

I downloaded the 64 bit file and put it so my path is again:
C:\Program Files\REAPER (x64)\lame_enc64.dll

I restarted reaper and rendered mp3 just fine. This is Win7 64 bit with Reaper 64 bit.
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Old 05-19-2013, 07:16 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coachz View Post
As a test I removed my lame mp3 plugin and restarted Reaper. Mp3 rendering fails of course.

removed: C:\Program Files\REAPER (x64)\lame_enc64.dll


Then I closed reaper, went to the link that reaper told me to:
http://aegiscorp.free.fr/lame/

I downloaded the 64 bit file and put it so my path is again:
C:\Program Files\REAPER (x64)\lame_enc64.dll

I restarted reaper and rendered mp3 just fine. This is Win7 64 bit with Reaper 64 bit.
That's what I had suggested earlier in the thread. It was pointed out to me by pattste that this was a known fact, but the topic is people wanting the newest version of lame (which is not the one that the Reaper link points to). But it indeed works quite well.
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Old 05-19-2013, 08:56 AM   #20
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ahhh, i didnt realize it was not the latest
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Old 05-19-2013, 09:17 AM   #21
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ahhh, i didnt realize it was not the latest
But it still seems to be the greatest.....lol
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Old 05-19-2013, 09:40 AM   #22
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Unfortunately I have sometimes problems with the current version of LAME which is REAPER linked to. Here is an audio sample with severe artefacts. Only a conversion with another program with the latest version of LAME works.
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Old 05-19-2013, 09:45 AM   #23
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Unfortunately I have sometimes problems with the current version of LAME which is REAPER linked to. Here is an audio sample with severe artefacts. Only a conversion with another program with the latest version of LAME works.
Damn right! I was about to post a thread "SERIOUS MP3 encoding problem in Reaper". Encoding MP3, especially, when it comes to transient material is broken! Artifacts everywhere.
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Old 05-19-2013, 10:08 AM   #24
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Damn right! I was about to post a thread "SERIOUS MP3 encoding problem in Reaper". Encoding MP3, especially, when it comes to transient material is broken! Artifacts everywhere.
Yes you are absolutely right!
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Old 05-19-2013, 10:48 AM   #25
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Are you saying the version that Reaper supplies is broken for transients ?

The version that reaper wants us to use appears to be:
v3.98.3+patch64
http://aegiscorp.free.fr/lame/


Is that one broken? I have not heard any problems in my renders. Can anyone post an example project of the problem ?
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Old 05-19-2013, 11:30 AM   #26
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Are you saying the version that Reaper supplies is broken for transients ?

The version that reaper wants us to use appears to be:
v3.98.3+patch64
http://aegiscorp.free.fr/lame/


Is that one broken? I have not heard any problems in my renders. Can anyone post an example project of the problem ?
Yea, I think so. Updated -> Here a stem.

Last edited by mawi; 05-19-2013 at 11:41 AM.
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Old 05-19-2013, 11:37 AM   #27
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you might want to render to stems so no one needs to install anything
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Old 05-19-2013, 11:44 AM   #28
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Today I was also trying to encode some simple snappy bass track to MP3 using batch file encoding. I tried VBR and CBR, various settings - all the time it ended with ugly artifacts. Using Wavelab solved the problem.
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Old 05-19-2013, 11:57 AM   #29
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Today I was also trying to encode some simple snappy bass track to MP3 using batch file encoding. I tried VBR and CBR, various settings - all the time it ended with ugly artifacts. Using Wavelab solved the problem.


Maybe someone can link to an older version that is known to work without artifacts..?



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Old 05-19-2013, 12:14 PM   #30
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This is weird, because I am using the encoder linked to from Reaper, and I am not having any issues rendering at highest quality. Does it matter what sample-rate it is being converted from? I know that there are often issues converting to mp3 from 96kHz, for example.
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Old 05-19-2013, 12:18 PM   #31
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This is weird, because I am using the encoder linked to from Reaper, and I am not having any issues rendering at highest quality. Does it matter what sample-rate it is being converted from? I know that there are often issues converting to mp3 from 96kHz, for example.
Do you use 64 bit? I always use 44.1 kHz.
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Old 05-19-2013, 12:23 PM   #32
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Do you use 64 bit? I always use 44.1 kHz.
I am able to use either 32 or 64bit Reaper without problems, and always convert mp3's from 44.1 or 48kHz. No problems. In fact, I just checked one now to be sure, and it sounds fine (other than the fact that I think all mp3's are a tad less good anyway).
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Old 05-19-2013, 12:28 PM   #33
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I am able to use either 32 or 64bit Reaper without problems, and always convert mp3's from 44.1 or 48kHz. No problems. In fact, I just checked one now to be sure, and it sounds fine (other than the fact that I think all mp3's are a tad less good anyway).
huh, weird. are you using windows 7? Otherwise I have no idea what it could be.
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Old 05-19-2013, 12:31 PM   #34
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huh, weird. are you using windows 7? Otherwise I have no idea what it could be.
I have a main DAW (Windows 8), a mobile laptop (WIndows 7) and old back-up DAW and general use computer (Windows 7) and all do fine with the Reaper supplied LAME encoder. I suppose it is possible that since I don't use mp3's very often anyway that I am not listening as critically. But I alsway render an mp3 of any mix I am working on for quick reference, and I have never heard anything terrible.
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Old 05-19-2013, 12:34 PM   #35
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any chance the output is clipping on render ?
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Old 05-19-2013, 12:38 PM   #36
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any chance the output is clipping on render ?
Are you asking about the output of the original file, or the rendered mp3? That's an interesting question though. I have had clipping issues with mp3's that were rendered from extremely "maximized" or brickwall limited wavs. I rarely have that problem though nowadays, ever since I started mastering at more humane levels....And never have that problem if I am converting a premaster, my mixes peak at -10db at most.
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Old 05-19-2013, 01:23 PM   #37
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I put a brickwall on master at -0.2dB and push my mixes until they typically have a 0.5dB of GR happening on occasion. I render that way to mp3 and have not had any problems so far.
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Old 05-19-2013, 02:19 PM   #38
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I have a main DAW (Windows 8), a mobile laptop (WIndows 7) and old back-up DAW and general use computer (Windows 7) and all do fine with the Reaper supplied LAME encoder. I suppose it is possible that since I don't use mp3's very often anyway that I am not listening as critically. But I alsway render an mp3 of any mix I am working on for quick reference, and I have never heard anything terrible.
I am using Win8 64bit and 64bit Reaper. Please, make a simple test: make a track with some transient material (for eg. tambourine, claps, snaps, or anything similar) and use "batch file encoding. Leave channels and sample rate "as source". Do you hear artifacts? They are pretty obvious.
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Old 05-19-2013, 03:18 PM   #39
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I am using Win8 64bit and 64bit Reaper. Please, make a simple test: make a track with some transient material (for eg. tambourine, claps, snaps, or anything similar) and use "batch file encoding. Leave channels and sample rate "as source". Do you hear artifacts? They are pretty obvious.
I won't have a chance to do this for at least a few hours, but I will. But I just finished an entire album that is intensely laden with transient material (lots of drums, percussion, tambourine, claps, and I always referenced the mixes with mp3's and never heard any glaring problems.
But if you are indeed having such noticeable problems, why don't you just try the slightly older version of LAME, the one that Reaper points you to? Aren't these issues with artifacts experienced while using the latest and (not) greatest version?
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Old 05-19-2013, 04:55 PM   #40
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Default Test results.

Here are 5 percussion loops I rendered as wavs, and then converted to mp3 using the LAME encoder that Reaper linked me to. I have uploaded both the wavs and the mp3's for comparison.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/pblnsxta3...3Ib3FN?v=0mcns

There ARE from prerecorded loops, I did not track them, so hopefully that does not "taint" the tests. They are very raw and from real sources though.
This my i5 Laptop, a mobile/backup DAW, Windows 7 Pro 64bit, Reaper 64bit. I had my hearing checked pretty recently, and for being 48 years old and having performed in bands since I was 17, the person who tested me was shocked to tell me that I still has great hearing with very little frequency loss, even if I was much younger..... I am not hearing the artifacts in the mp3's. Can anyone tell me what i am missing??
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