and here's a reference to the choices around minimum bit rates when using
VBR:
CDex Manual
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Bitrate Options:
There are three types of bitrate options that you can specify for each the
encoder (although some encoders may not allow any options).
1) Constant Bitrate (CBR)
This is the default encoding mode, and also the most basic. In this mode,
the bitrate will be the same throughout the whole file. So, a second of
audio
from one
part of the file takes just as much disk space as a second from any other
part of that file -- regardless of whether either part is silence,
acoustically
simple, or
quite complex. This means that you are likely to hear distortion more in
the complex parts than in the simple parts. The advantage of CBR formats is
that
even
older players understand them, and that you can reliably predict the file
size from the duration of the sound (or vice versa).
2) Average Bitrate (ABR)
In this mode, you tell the encoder to aim for an average bitrate that you
specify, skimping on the simpler parts of the music, and using higher
bitrates
for the parts
of your music that are more complex. The result will be of higher quality
than you'd get in a CBR encoded file of the same size. This mode is highly
recommended
over CBR. This encoding mode is similar to VBR.
3) Variable bitrate (VBR)
In this mode, you say what level of quality you want in the output file, and
the encoder compresses each second as best it can to get just that level of
quality --
using less information to represent simpler parts of the song, and more
information to represent the more complex parts. However, this mode relies
heavily
on the
encoder's model of how you perceive quality, and could lead to a few "bad
choices" in the encoding process. If possible, you may want to specify a
minimum
bitrate (e.g., 64 Kbps) to avoid those potential errors.
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