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View Full Version : How to downsample from 192 kHz to 96 kHz on the Mac?



magiccarpetride
15-11-2010, 22:41
My situation is as follows: I'm feeding FLAC files into Logitech Squeezebox Touch, and have noticed that I get a much, much improved sound if I disable FLAC processing and instead force the Squeezebox server on the MAC to do the heavy lifting and convert FLAC to PCM on the fly.

One problem: when I do that, I can only play back FLAC that is encoded in 96 kHz. Any other format is not recognized. As I have a lot of high definition FLAC files in other formats (mostly 192 kHz, but also some weird ones, such as 88 kHz or 177 or some such things), this is no small problem for me. All these formats work if I enable FLAC processing on the Touch, but then the extra heavy lifting that the player is forced to do really compromises the sound quality.

The only solution to this conundrum, that I can think of, is to take all these other high definition formats and 'normalize' them to 96 kHz. What I'm struggling with at this point is trying to find the utility that will do that for me on the Mac. I understand that DBPoweramp should be able to let me do that, but I think it is only available on the Windoze platform.

Any ideas?

Welder
16-11-2010, 12:34
You can run dbpoweramp with bootcamp on a Mac I believe Alex.
Course, if you had a proper computer you wouldn’t be having these problems :eyebrows:


Sry mate; couldn't help myself :lolsign:

Beechwoods
16-11-2010, 16:39
Sound Grinder is worth a try. I've never downsampled from 192 to 96 but have used it for other downsampling duties.

Vincent Kars
16-11-2010, 16:43
Try SOX: http://sox.sourceforge.net/
As your Mac runs SqueezeServer it is probably already installed

magiccarpetride
16-11-2010, 19:59
You can run dbpoweramp with bootcamp on a Mac I believe Alex.
Course, if you had a proper computer you wouldn’t be having these problems :eyebrows:

Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to afford a Windoze box. Yeah, Windows Vista is great (probably the best operating system ever invented by humans), but it's bloody expensive!

Stratmangler
16-11-2010, 20:32
Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to afford a Windoze box. Yeah, Windows Vista is great (probably the best operating system ever invented by humans), but it's bloody expensive!

Sarcasm is often regarded as as the lowest form of wit, and such is the case here;)

John's comment is a very valid one - as you're so keen on having the perfect computer experience you've gone for a computer that has f**k all in the way of audio manipulation software written for it.

As you've asked for directions, mine are "Well I wouldn't start from here if I was goin' there", said with a straw hanging from my lip and with West Country accent.

Alternatively you could try Pro-tools:lolsign:

WAD62
16-11-2010, 20:48
In good humour...honest

I can stand it no more...

It's bad enough slagging off Winoze when you're running with an apple 'jewellery box', without any useful functionality, but to top it off by praising Vista, the single worst operating system this side of the 'black stump', just takes the proverbial biscuit. I actually got Dell to accept it wasn't fit for purpose a couple of years ago, and they eventually conceded and gave me a free copy of XP pro...which was nice!

Deep breathing exercises...surely I've fallen for some elaborate sarcasm.

Right back on topic, dBpoweramp will definitely do as you require, if you can run it...I don't know enough about the Mac/windows emulation environment.

I'm intrigued by your squeezebox issues, I only have the receivers, and a classic, which only support up to 48K sampling rates, if I were to send down a 96K they'd try to re-master back to 48K in place. The Transporter will handle 96K (I think) but that's a rather expensive solution.

Does the Touch handle 96K, I'd just assumed it was a tarted up classic with some server capabilities and a touch screen.

Do you run it into a separate DAC or are you using it as the DAC? A separate DAC would help but yet again another expensive solution.

So it looks like your re-sampling would work, but wouldn't 48K be more compatible (excuse my Touch ignorance), and you could leave it as FLAC too.

I've not noticed any difference in sound between my audiolab CDM transport, and my squeezebox transcoding 44.1 FLAC, both into the same audiolab DAX, and I really have tested this, perhaps you're pushing the little devil too hard.

WAD62
16-11-2010, 21:00
...ah the Touch does do 96K.

Ignore my 48K blather...

magiccarpetride
16-11-2010, 21:25
Sarcasm is often regarded as as the lowest form of wit, and such is the case here;)

John's comment is a very valid one - as you're so keen on having the perfect computer experience you've gone for a computer that has f**k all in the way of audio manipulation software written for it.

As you've asked for directions, mine are "Well I wouldn't start from here if I was goin' there", said with a straw hanging from my lip and with West Country accent.

Alternatively you could try Pro-tools:lolsign:

I disagree, I think scatological humor is often regarded as the lowest form of wit.

I do agree that Apple computers are terrible. I'm not using Apple because I'm keen on having the perfect computer experience, it's just that, thanks to their relative obscurity, Macs are not a target for viruses/malware. This relieves me of any worries around firewalls and shit -- I hate being pushed into the role of systems/network administrator. Life is too short to be wasted on those kinds of meaningless activities.

Reid Malenfant
16-11-2010, 21:34
I do agree that Apple computers are terrible. I'm not using Apple because I'm keen on having the perfect computer experience, it's just that, thanks to their relative obscurity, Macs are not a target for viruses/malware. This relieves me of any worries around firewalls and shit -- I hate being pushed into the role of systems/network administrator. Life is too short to be wasted on those kinds of meaningless activities.
I have been using this Windoze based PC for 5 years online, i have had a grand total of zero malware & zero viruses...

Nothing, not a single thing :eyebrows: Just don't go looking for "hacks" to get round stuff & you'll find you don't need a Mac.

I do a complete computer scan about once every two months now, no point in doing it more often as i still find nothing ;) Just use your head or as mother would have said:- "use your godgiven sense" :)

Simples :lolsign:

magiccarpetride
16-11-2010, 21:46
I have been using this Windoze based PC for 5 years online, i have had a grand total of zero malware & zero viruses...

Nothing, not a single thing :eyebrows: Just don't go looking for "hacks" to get round stuff & you'll find you don't need a Mac.

I do a complete computer scan about once every two months now, no point in doing it more often as i still find nothing ;) Just use your head or as mother would have said:- "use your godgiven sense" :)

Simples :lolsign:

I know. It's okay to get into the strangers' cars (and especially into the white windowless vans), just use your godgiven sense. You'll know if a guy is a serial killer the moment you see him, your gut will tell you so.

Stratmangler
16-11-2010, 21:49
I know. It's okay to get into the strangers' cars (and especially into the white windowless vans), just use your godgiven sense. You'll know if a guy is a serial killer the moment you see him, your gut will tell you so.

Oh FFS !!:rolleyes:

Reid Malenfant
16-11-2010, 22:00
I know. It's okay to get into the strangers' cars (and especially into the white windowless vans), just use your godgiven sense. You'll know if a guy is a serial killer the moment you see him, your gut will tell you so.
:lolsign: Sorry Alex but what the f*ck are you on about? :scratch: Are you an adult capable of making rational decisions or do you want mummy to make them for you :wah: :D

magiccarpetride
16-11-2010, 22:08
:lolsign: Sorry Alex but what the f*ck are you on about? :scratch: Are you an adult capable of making rational decisions or do you want mummy to make them for you :wah: :D

I want mummy.

lovejoy
17-11-2010, 12:30
Audacity on the Mac will handle 192kHz and does a good job of downsampling and is free.