Old xp version convert bits Audition

Report · Jun 25, 2021

I have a much older XP version of Adobe Audition. I have to convert my audio files from 128 bits to 193 bits but my version of the software, from what I can see, does not offer 192 bits as an option for conversion. Can someone explain if I'm not looking in the right place or if I need a newer version of the software? Thanks.

Report · Jun 25, 2021

The bit rates that you mention clearly show you are not working in Audition's native file format, .wav, but in .mp3 (of some flavour).

Since.mp3 is, by definition, a "lossy" format, there is no value at all in converting your file from 128 to 192. When initially opened in Audition each file will automatically be converted to .wav, but all the data that was thrown away when the mp3 was first created is gone forever, it can never be retrieved. In other words, that "128" bit rate is the best quality you will ever hear from that file. When you then attempt to create a "new" file at 192 bit rate, you are recompressing that 128 file (= throwing away even more data) and no software in the world can "put back" what has already been thrown away.

I understand FLAC files are "lossless" (if that is the format you are using) but I am pretty certain the same pronciples apply to them as to more "standard" mp3s.

Just to add, all recent versions of Audition do allow creation of mp3s in bit rates of 192 and considerably higher.

Report · Jun 25, 2021

Great information!! Thank you! Next logical question then is . . . I have access to a current version of Audition. Would you think I could increase the bit rate from my 128 file on the latest version?

Report · Jun 25, 2021

I don't think you've quite understood what emmrecs is saying. You could convert your files to a greater bit rate in earlier versions - no trouble - but there would be absolutely no benefit. Indeed, you'd be lowering the quality of them because of the decode and then re-encode processes that you have to go through to do that with lossy files - you have no choice.

So my next logical question would be - why do you want to do that?

MP3 is intended to be a distribution format, not a production one. Once files are saved as MP3s the intention is that no more work should be done to them. The normal production process is that you do all your original work in a non-compressed format like wav, and then save distribution copies in a compressed format. It's only at the point that you create the MP3 copy from the wav file that you can determine the quality; you can make dodgy-sounding 128k MP3 files, or better-sounding 192k, or even better still 320k ones. But to do that you have to make them from the original uncompressed master file.