I'm looking for something that will do batch audio conversions. When you download a sample pack and all the files are in AIFF, I want something that I can drag and drop the folder (or navigate to it in the browser) and ideally it will create a set of folders in the same structure and populate it with the converted files.

Ideally, it would be free and open source, but it's more important that it works and works well.

Does such a thing exist? What are you using to accomplish these conversions?

An additional question: when I'm browsing sample files in Ableton, sometimes it will give me a preview of the audio, and sometimes it won't. They'll all open in Ableton and play just fine once I load them into the app -- either as audio or into the Simpler. It's just that I don't get an audio preview in the browser. I've got half a notion that this tends to happen to files that I've converted myself. Any hints? Am I doing something wrong? Is it a bit rate issue? I'm really unclear as to why people use different bit rates anyway. What bitrate should I be using and why?

 

Try this one. I'm using it all the time.
Kabuu Audio Converter

Freeware. Download here -> https://kabuusoft.com/product/detail/2/kabuu-audio-converter

 

I always say the same: dbPowerAmp Music Converter. It's paid but can do almost anything, with quality, and fast.

 

I use Reaper for that purpose, costs about same as dbPowerAmp, but with so much more functionality

 

Myself I use MediaCoder.
For years. The product exists since 2005. I use it since that year.
It is freeware.
Windows, OSX, Ipad, PSP, etc. There is also a portable edition.
32-bit and 64-bit.

Features In Brief

• Converting between most popular audio and video formats
• H.264/H.265 GPU accelerated encoding (QuickSync, NVENC, CUDA)
• Ripping BD/DVD/VCD/CD and capturing from video cameras
• Enhancing audio and video contents by various filters
• An extremely rich set of transcoding parameters for adjusting and tuning
• Multi-threaded design and parallel filtering unleashing multi-core power
• Segmental Video Encoding technology for improved parallelization
• Multilanguage

Typical Applications

• Improving compression / reducing size for audio and video files
• Converting media content for playback on multimedia devices
• Converting media content for online publication or broadcasting
• Unifying and normalizing media standard and storage format
• Extracting audio track from video files and discs
• Dumping and encoding from network stream or capture device
• Fixing corrupted or partial downloaded video files

Supported Fomats

• Lossy Audio Compression Formats
  MP3, Vorbis, LC-AAC, HE-AAC, Opus, AC-3, MPEG Audio, MusePack, Speex, AMR, Windows Media Audio, ADPCM, mp3PRO
• Lossless Audio Compression Formats
  FLAC, WavPack, Monkey's Audio, OptimFrog, ALAC, TTA, PCM
• Video Compression Formats
  H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, VP8/VP9, MPEG 1/2/4, Flash Video, XviD, DivX, Theora, Dirac, H.263, RealVideo, Windows Media Video, Huffyuv, MJPEG
• Container Formats
  MP4, WebM, F4V, FLV, Matroska, AVI, MPEG-PS, MPEG-TS, ASF, MTS/M2TS/AVCHD, Quicktime/MOV, PMP, RealMedia, OGM
• Storage Media and Streaming (Input)
  Bluray, DVD, VCD, SVCD, CD, CUESheet, HTTP, FTP, RTSP, UDP

If you use the built-in wizard in the toolbar you just have to define the output format and that's it. Otherwise the tool offers endless possibilities.


The website :
MediaCoder - more than a universal audio/video transcoder - MediaCoder official website

The download page for the full edition and the portable edition
MediaCoder - Download Latest MediaCoder

Pages of other editions (there is even an edition for PSP)
MediaCoder - Choose Your MediaCoder Edition

Some screenshots :

​

And there is also a simplified edition focused only on audio formats, named AudioCoder :

Supported Audio Fomats and Codecs

• Lossy Audio Compression Formats
  MP3, Vorbis, LC-AAC, HE-AAC, Opus, AC-3, MPEG Audio, MusePack, Speex, AMR, Windows Media Audio, ADPCM
• Lossless Audio Compression Formats
  FLAC, WavPack, Monkey's Audio, OptimFrog, ALAC, TTA, PCM
• Integrated Audio Codecs
  • LAME MP3
  • OggEnc (Vorbis Encoder)
  • Nero AAC Encoder
  • QAAC (using Apple's CoreAAC encoding engine)
  • CT AAC+ Encoder
  • Opus Audio Encoder
  • FAAC
  • Enhanced 3GGP AAC+ Encoder
  • Helix MP3 Encoder
  • MusePack SV8 Encoder
  • Speex Encoder
  • WavPack Encoder
  • FLAC Encoder
  • Monkey's Audio Codec 4.0
  • TTA Encoder
  • OptimFrog Encoder
  • MPEG-4 Lossless Encoder

Features

• Super fast parallelized audio transcoding
• Encodes to most popular audio formats
• Both audio and video input supported
• BD/DVD/CD & streaming input supported
• 2-pass normalization in batch
• Tagging and formatted file naming
• CUE sheet and M3U playlist support

 

Last edited: Mar 20, 2023

https://www.aimp.ru/ comes with the separate AIMPac.exe which is the audio (batch) converter. Free and simple to use.

 

Last edited: Mar 19, 2023

I use Sound Forge, the batch converter is really nice. But the converter is the only thing I need from Sound Forge, so it's a little exaggerated... Maybe I should look for freeware, too.

 

Personally using Abyssmedia Audio Converter Plus since years now, everything working fine. Fast and simple, and you can program different scenarios and recall them.
I use the R2R version, which is not the last update : Abyssmedia Audio Converter Plus v6.2.5.0 , but it works.

 

Nice! I use AIMP as my default "fast" music player (MusicBee as my "library" player).
I will check out AIMPac!

 

..... a need to follow thread!!

 

NCH Software Switch Plus (BTCR)

 

My choice: fre:ac > https://github.com/enzo1982/freac

fre:ac is a free audio converter and CD ripper with support for various popular formats and encoders. It converts freely between MP3, M4A/AAC, FLAC, WMA, Opus, Ogg Vorbis, Speex, Monkey's Audio (APE), WavPack, WAV and other formats.

Respects the folder structure. Deletes source files. Many posibilites.. donate is possible but fre:ac is completely free.

I always convert my samples to to the lossless .flac format with the quality preset 5.

 

Last edited: Mar 20, 2023

Not really free.. limited files in one task. You need Premium version for unlimited files

 

I use Signalyst HQPlayer PRO. It does the best quality conversion I know of. Just make a playlist, load it, and press <Play> (select "null" output).

 

Thanks for all the tips. Before I posted, I tried AIMP and it navigated the folders and did the conversions really well, but I wanted something that would automatically replicate the folder structure for me.

Will check out the others.

 

Myriad is probably the best of them, but now that Zynaptiq owns it, its iLok protected and you have to drop $500 and buy their whole bundle of crap apps they bought from the developer just to get the batch converter. I used to use AIMP here, but Myriad one upped it with all its options. You can convert everything and put it all in a new spot, or you can simply overwrite the 'old' stuff and it will save all the new files right on top of the old ones. There's your folder structure and everything still intact (Just remember to empty the trash when you're done, Myriad throws it all there when it's finished).

Whichever one you pick, you can compare how well apps actually do conversion here, https://src.infinitewave.ca/
Some of them are pretty bad at it, its one of the reasons I steered clear of Amadeus on the Mac.. Even the almighty Barbabatch has a little bit of 'noise' in its conversion (Look at how much Apples CoreAudio improved between Tiger and Leopard too).

 

I thought I'd check this one out so I went to their website to take a look. OK, its paid software but how much can it cost? $10? $20?

Nope, $260. Fortunately, my ears just aren't that good. (Also, there's an R2R upload on sister site.)

 

Myriad is def my fav for batch processing like length, fades, eq, gain, ect whatever you need. There's little it can't do because it can use VSTs in addition to the great set of built in stuff. It's simply the best I've ever used but it's for macOS only. For actual conversion (sample rate, but it can do a few common file types too) I prefer Izotope RX's beautiful batch processor. It also can do a bunch of stuff and works on both Windows & macOS.

Does r8brain do batch? I never used it but I've heard it's good quality.

 

Last edited: Mar 21, 2023

My little dream regarding a converter:

I wish the were a Wav to AppleLoops converter for WinOS - batch or not

Alternative Rex to Appleloops.