Slosh, question on Lossless WMA's

[-Jar-]

is there a way using Media Player to convert to WMA right from WAV files, or do you have to convert straight from a CD?

I can't find a way to compress WAV files. All I can find is the "rip" function.

How doo you do it?

-jar

[Slosh]

I rip in WMAL directly from WMP10. All of the existing WAVs I had I converted to WMAL with the Creative Media Source software that came bundled with my cheapie ($45) USB Creative soundcard. It's really a nice piece of software and can batch file convert to and/or from MP3, WMA, WMAL, WMA 5.1, WMA 96/24, and WAV, plus it can play (but not convert) AIFF files. When I want to burn a regular audio CD from WMAL I just import the WMP playlist (and not the files themselves). It creates a temporary WAV image and burns a gapless CD (unlike WMP's CD burning software) plus automatically converts the song title and artist meta tag data to CD Text.

I believe there's free downloadable software that will allow you to convert as well. DBpower amp might be the one I'm thinking of. Google it.

FWIW, I used to rip everything in WAV and then convert to WMAL but that seems like a waste of time to me now. As long as your CD drive is decent WMP10 does a fine job ripping directly in WMAL, just make sure you set it up to rip in the highest quality setting and they are bit-perfect upon playback, plus you automatically get all of the meta tag data from AMG, whereas with the WAVs ripped with Nero all I got was the CD Text data and had to manually type in the rest of the tag data.

[-Jar-]

FWIW, I used to rip everything in WAV and then convert to WMAL but that seems like a waste of time to me now. As long as your CD drive is decent WMP10 does a fine job ripping directly in WMAL, just make sure you set it up to rip in the highest quality setting and they are bit-perfect upon playback, plus you automatically get all of the meta tag data from AMG, whereas with the WAVs ripped with Nero all I got was the CD Text data and had to manually type in the rest of the tag data.

The only issue I'd have with doing it that way is with volume matching. Though I might be able to get my burning software to do that part. I can't load MP3's or WMA's into my WAV editing software.

The other option I've found is the "Plus!" program for Windows XP. This does in fact, have a program that will go WAV --> WMA and also MP3 --> WMA. It's $25 though.

I installed the XP Bonus Pack for WMP, it includes a teaser version that only works on MP3's.

-jar