The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group MP3 Major Keary majkeary@netspace.com.au

The de facto standard for digital music on the Web is MP3, which stands for 'MPEG 1, level 3'; MPEG (Moving Picture Expert Group, an ISO Working Group) is a standard for compressing moving film data using sophisticated lossy compression techniques. There are two formats; MPEG 1 corresponds to the CD and DAT (digitised audio tape) format, and MPEG 2 enables NTSC broadcast image quality. In each there are four levels:

Level 1 Synchronisation and multiplexing of audio-visual information,
Level 2 Video compression,
Level 3 Audio Compression,
Level 4 Conformance testing.

There are a number of reasons for MP3 having become so popular, not the least of which is the availability of MP3 players. Another important reason is that MP3 can be used to produce high-quality audio files of a size that makes downloading from the Internet feasible. A three-minute recording runs to a file of about 2 Mb.

For computer users there is a further attraction, the ability to rip sound tracks from CDs and convert them to MP3 format.

What Is Ripping?

A ripper is a piece of software that enables a CD track to be captured and saved as a WAV file. Another program, called an encoder, is then used to convert the WAV file to MP3 format.

There is potential in that process for breach of copyright, and readers are reminded to be careful of what they rip and how it is used.

MP3 Resources

A useful and user-friendly MP3 resource is i want my MP3, which has a subtitle, how to download, rip, and play digital music. This is a recent publication from McGraw-Hill that comes with a CD containing all the software needed to get you going; there are even some MP3 files ready to play. The book and CD are Windows-specific-no mention of other operating systems, even though most distributions of Linux are MP3 enabled.

A number of MP3 books are presently in print, and we can expect a lot more. This one is a good all-round coverage for users new to MP3 through to those with some experience. The CD is well worth having; companion CDs are often disappointing, but this one has really useful software.

The information is complete without getting into unnecessary technical detail. There are straightforward explanations of hardware requirements, the necessary software and how to install/use it, and links to other resources on the Internet. Some one hundred pages are given to hardware matters, including burning CDs.

Much of the book is about MP3 software packages (particularly those on the CD) with explanations of what-does-what, where to get it, and how to use it. There is a lot of commercial, shareware, and free software available and the author presents a good selection. In particular he includes a number of utilities that make life easier, such a configuring CD drives.

A good book-CD package for those who simply want to try out MP3; practical, and excellent value.

Bill Mann: i want my MP3! ISBN 0-07-212290-0 Published by McGraw-Hill, 372 pp. + CD, RRP $29.95

MP3-The Definitive Guide

For those who want in-depth information MP3-The Definitive Guide is the resource to head for; it is comprehensive not only in respect of MP3, but deals with a number of MP3-related issues. A welcome feature is that the book covers all platforms likely to be used to play or create MP3 files: Mac, Windows, Linux, and BeOS.

I was impressed by the chapter on how MP3 works; it is a very good description of technical matters using language that does not patronise the reader, but does not overwhelm with sciencespeak. This is technical communication at its best.

But does the book tell me how to get and play MP3 files? Yes, it does. The author does a good job of helping users choose from the hundreds available. It is not a ranked list, but a discussion of what to look for in the context of one's needs and hardware. Peripherals, such as sound cards, speakers, and headphones are also covered.

Getting MP3 files will invariably involve downloading from the Internet. Options are discussed with notes on organising a collection (like fonts, MP3 files can become difficult to manage).

Once on the MP3 road most users will find their equipment does not make the best of digital music, or they will want to make use of equipment not usually interfaced with their computer. The book offers plenty of useful advice. There is also a detailed discussion of ID3 tags and playlists, which - when used togethe - enable users to sort, store, organise, name, and build highly customised virtual collections. Version 2 of ID3 has the potential to enable many things to be done in MP3 files (encryption, for one); the discussion is quite comprehensive and-like the book's coverage of legal issues-is worth reading in its own right.

Most users will want to create their own music CDs; the music can either be stored as MP3 files, or can be restored to CDA (analog) format. The pros and cons are discussed along with notes on the process of burning CDs.

There are other formats that do the same thing as MP3, just as there are other codecs (compression/decompression systems); even though MP3 is presently the de facto standard, the competition has advantages in certain areas. The ones described are:

VQF (Transform-domain Weighted Interleave Quantisation), MP2, RealAudio, a2b, LiquidAudio, MP4, and Windows Media.

A thorough treatment of MP3, how to use it, and other issues such as copyright.

Scot Hacker: MP3 Definitive Guide ISBN 1 56592 661 7 Published by O'Reilly, 388 pp., RRP $59.95

Online MP3 Resources

Something to be wary of is untested MP3 links. Some of them lead straight to porn sites and other places where you may not choose to be seen. A web site, www puremp3.org, is designed to filter out all but pure MP3 links; any other site that seeks to have a link presence on pureMP3 is checked to ensure users are not taken for a ride.

Other reliable sites include, www.mp3.com (music, software, MP3 news, hardware, and other links), www.amp3.com, www.astrojams.com, www.musicmatch.com, and www.rioport.com.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Search Secrets (an inexpensive and excellent guide for all levels of user) contains a list of MP3-specific sites.

[ Note: These sites were current at the time of writing, however changes may subsequently occur.]

For MP3 players try:

Search software can be downloaded from CNET's MP3 search tools site, 
home.cnet.com/category/topic/0,10000,0-4004-7-274656,00.html; 
look for: Abe's MP3 Finder, MP3 Fiend, Mp3Leech 98, MP3.Wolf, and Planet.MP3Find.

These are sites for MP3 libraries and search engines:

Newsgroups of MP3 interest include:

Reprinted from the June 2000 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia

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