Nero MP3 Owner's manual

Brand: Nero

Model: MP3

Type: Owner's manual

This manual is also suitable for

mp3PRO

Nero MP3

Nero MP3 is a versatile device that allows you to enjoy your music in a variety of ways. With its ability to play MP3, WMA, and WAV files, you can listen to your favorite tunes on the go. You can also use Nero MP3 to record your own music or podcasts, thanks to its built-in microphone. And with its large storage capacity, you can store hours of music and other audio files.

Nero MP3

MP3/mp3PRO plug-in

How you can make an audio CD from mp3 or mp3PRO files.........................................1

The mp3PRO encoder .......................................................................................................2

How you can make your own mp3PRO files with Nero..................................................3

How you can make your own MP3 files with Nero........................................................12

How you can make an audio CD from mp3 or mp3PRO files

Launch 'Nero' and the dialog for creating a new disk

will appear. Select as disc type 'CD' and highlight

the 'Audio CD' icon on the left and the appropriate

tab ('index card') will open. The 'Audio CD' index

card will be on top. Activate the 'Write CD TEXT on

CD' check box if your recorder supports this

function.

Click on the 'New' button.

Now you only need to use 'drag and drop' to pull the

MP3/mp3PRO files from the file browser into the

compilation window together with your chosen audio

CD selection. Change to the directory containing the

MP3/mp3PRO files, highlight the files you want and

drag them into the compilation window.

Note the blue bar in the lower part of the window. It

will show how many minutes of music or how much

space is still left on the CD.

When you are ready, click on the 'Burns the current

compilation' button or select the 'Burn compilation'

command in the 'Recorder' menu to start the burn

dialog.

The 'Burn Compilation' dialog box will now open –

this is the same as what you see when you are

making a new compilation. However, the 'Burn' tab

(index card) is now on top. Check the following

steps, paying particular attention to the writing

speed and the method of writing.

Click on the 'Burn' button to begin the writing

procedure. Nero automatically decodes the

MP3/mp3PRO files before burning and as a result

you will receive an audio CD that can be played on

any CD player.

The mp3PRO encoder

You can encode audio files in the MP3 or mp3PRO format with the mp3PRO encoder plug-in. An mp3PRO

file is about half the size of an MP3 file – but the quality is the same. Both formats share the 'mp3' file

extension

How you can make your own mp3PRO files with Nero

Using Nero, you can create mp3PRO format compressed files (*.mp3) in two different ways. The first method

allows you to encode existing audio files (*.wav) that are located on your hard disk or a CD-ROM (but not on

an audio CD). The second method permits the tracks on an audio CD to be encoded. With Nero, you can

convert up to 30 files into the MP3 or mp3PRO format and then obtain the mp3PRO encoder plug-in from

our Website. This permits unlimited encoding (into either the mp3PRO or the MP3 format).

(1) Encoding a Wave file

Select the 'Encode Files' command from the 'Extras'

menu and click on the 'Add' button.

Change to the directory containing the files to be

encoded. Highlight the audio file(s) that you would

like to encode and click on the 'Open' button.

You do not need to highlight the selected file(s)

because all the files displayed will be encoded.

Click on the dropdown button in the 'Output file

format' and highlight 'mp3PRO (*.mp3)'. Click on the

'Browse' button in the 'Target file' area to indicate

the directory where you would like the file to be

saved.

The 'Source file info' field is for your information and

gives details about the quality of the file to be

encoded.

Click on the 'Settings' button to display the para-

meters for encoding.

Click on the 'Enable mp3PRO' button box if you

want to encode files in the mp3PRO format.

Encoding audio files as mp3PRO files is always

bound up with losses. When encoding, psycho-

acoustic models are used to remove "inaudible"

acoustic elements from the audio file. Most test

listeners can hardly (or not at all) distinguish

between the sound from mp3PRO files that have

been stored with a sufficiently high bitrate from the

original files. Nevertheless, a certain loss of acoustic

information is unavoidable. The size of the loss

depends very much on two factors. These are first,

the quality of the psychoacoustic model used for

data reduction and second, the bitrate of the

mp3PRO file.

Encoding quality: The quality of the psycho-

acoustic model with Nero is excellent. Naturally, a

compromise needs to be found between the

complexity of the model and the computing time

needed. Depending on the intended application of

the mp3PRO file, the quality of the encoding (i.e. of

the acoustic model) can be set at 'fast', 'medium'

and 'highest'. With the highest quality, encoding

takes place at approx. normal speed on a PII350,

i.e. three minutes of music will be encoded in three

minutes. At the 'fast' setting (and with the same

hardware), encoding can take place at up to eight

times the normal speed. The sound quality is

already very good with the 'fast' setting and

completely satisfactory for most applications.

Bitrate: 'Bitrate' means the number of bits stored

per second in the mp3PRO file. The higher this is,

the smaller the amount of information that has to be

removed from the original sound file. Therefore the

higher the bitrate, the better the sound quality. Of

course, the price paid for this sound quality is a

larger file. The mp3PRO file format lets you encode

at either a constant or a variable bitrate (VBR).

Select the option you prefer and specify the bitrate.

Constant bitrate: A bitrate of 64 KB per second has

proved itself to be a fairly good compromise

between sound quality and file size. At this bitrate,

audio files, very roughly speaking, are compressed

by somewhat more than a factor of 20. This means

that a normal track of around three to four minutes in

length (in CD quality; in other words 44.1 kHz, 16

Bit, stereo) can be compressed to a 1.5 - 2

megabyte mp3PRO file by these means.

Once you are satisfied with the settings, click on the

'OK' button to close the dialog or make additional

alterations to the expert settings.

Variable bitrate: With a variable bitrate, the audio

file is not encoded with a specified, constant bitrate

but the encoding depends on the individual

elements of the audio file instead. Complex

elements are compressed less than simple ones, so

that the result is an mp3PRO file that depending on

the desired quality offers the best possible, loss-free

result. The 'Medium quality' has proved itself to be a

fairly good compromise between sound quality and

file size. At this bitrate, audio files, very roughly

speaking, are compressed by somewhat more than

a factor of 20. This means that a normal track of

around three to four minutes in length (in CD quality;

in other words 44.1 kHz, 16 Bit, stereo) can be

compressed to a 1.5 - 2 megabyte MP3 file by these

means.

Once you are satisfied with the settings, click on the

'OK' button to close the dialog or make additional

alterations to the expert settings.

Expert settings

If you click on the 'Expert' button, the dialog will be

extended, allowing special options to be chosen that

are not relevant to the 'normal' user.

Original bit: This means that the mp3PRO file is an

original and not a copy. This information can be

important in relation to future copy protection options

and is also of value to the user for information

purposes.

Private bit: The user can set this bit however he or

she wants. It has been conceived primarily for those

users who want to decode or evaluate mp3PRO

files. The bit is stored in the mp3PRO file, but nearly

all programs ignore it.

concerned is copyright-protected. In addition, it is

used for SCMS (Serial Copy Management System).

However, it does not have (or at least currently does

not have) any influence when playing or burning the

files.

Write CRC: By setting this bit, checksums (proof

totals) are also stored. These recognize defective

sections of the file (which may have arisen from

incorrect data transfer from the Internet, etc.).

However, many decoders ignore this checksum

information, while others reproduce a defective

mp3PRO section as silence, in order to avoid sound

interference in a defective part of the file. The

mp3PRO file will be very slightly larger if this option

is chosen.

Allow intensity stereo coding: Setting this option

permits the use of a special type of that only saves

directional information and volume for high frequen-

cies. This option should normally be activated.

Allow downmix: This option makes it possible to

'downmix' the input signal from stereo to mono. This

has advantages when encoding a stereo source with

a very low data rate - and where encoding in mono

only would make sense.

Padding: Because mp3PRO blocks within an

mp3PRO file can be of different sizes and because

some mp3PRO player programs cannot cope with

MP3PRO different sized blocks, this option can be

selected to specify how to deal with mp3PRO blocks

of different size. The default setting with Nero is

'ISO', in other words, the procedure spelled out in

the ISO-MP3PRO standard. 'Always' and 'never', as

the names suggest, "top up" the differently sized

mp3PRO blocks (in every case or not at all).

Once you are satisfied with the settings, click on the

'OK' button to close the dialog or make additional

alterations to the expert settings.

Click on 'OK' if you are satisfied with the settings

and to close the dialog.

Click on the ‘GO' button to begin encoding.

A window will appear and inform you of the progress

of the encoding procedure.

(2) Encoding audio CD tracks

Select the 'Save Tracks' command in the 'Extras'

menu. A window will open and show all the disk

drives installed, i.e. the recorder, the 'normal' CD-

ROM/DVD drive and (if appropriate) a Nero

ImageDrive. Select the CD drive containing the

original audio CD and click on 'OK'.

A window will now appear with a list of the audio

tracks that can be found on the original CD. Clicking

on the play button will play the highlighted track, so

that you can check which tracks need to be encoded

before you start the encoding process. Highlight the

file(s) to be encoded. Click on the dropdown button

in the 'Output file format' and highlight 'mp3PRO

(*.mp3)'. At 'Path', specify the target directory where

the mp3PRO files is to be stored. In the 'File name

creation method' field, specify how the name of the

mp3PRO file is to be created. If the CD is

recognized and the name of the artist and title of the

track are known, the 'Manual' method can be used

to create an mp3PRO file in the 'Artist – Title.mp3'

format.

In a similar way to the encoding of files on the hard

disk, you can specify which parameters should be

applied when encoding. Click on the 'Settings'

button to display the parameters.

Click on the 'Enable mp3PRO' button if you want to

encode files in the mp3PRO format.

Encoding audio files as mp3PRO files is always

bound up with losses. When encoding, psycho-

acoustic models are used to remove "inaudible"

acoustic elements from the audio file. Most test

listeners can hardly (or not at all) distinguish

between the sound from mp3PRO files that have

been stored with a sufficiently high bitrate from the

original files. Nevertheless, a certain loss of acoustic

information is unavoidable. The size of the loss

depends very much on two factors. These are first,

the quality of the psychoacoustic model used for

data reduction and second, the bitrate of the

mp3PRO file.

Encoding quality: The quality of the psycho-

acoustic model with Nero is excellent. Naturally, a

compromise needs to be found between the

complexity of the model and the computing time

needed. Depending on the intended application of

the mp3PRO file, the quality of the encoding (i.e. of

the acoustic model) can be set at 'fast', 'medium'

and 'highest'. With the highest quality, encoding

takes place at approx. normal speed on a PII350,

i.e. three minutes of music will be encoded in three

minutes. At the 'fast' setting (and with the same

hardware), encoding can take place at up to eight

times the normal speed. The sound quality is

already very good with the 'fast' setting and

completely satisfactory for most applications.

Bitrate: 'Bitrate' means the number of bits stored

per second in the mp3 file. The higher this is, the

smaller the amount of information that has to be

removed from the original sound file. Therefore the

higher the bitrate, the better the sound quality. Of

course, the price paid for this sound quality is a

larger file. The mp3PRO file format lets you encode

at either a constant or a variable bitrate (VBR).

Select the option you prefer and specify the bitrate.

Constant bitrate: A bitrate of 64 KB per second has

proved itself to be a fairly good compromise

between sound quality and file size. At this bitrate,

audio files, very roughly speaking, are compressed

by somewhat more than a factor of 20. This means

that a normal track of around three to four minutes in

length (in CD quality; in other words 44.1 kHz, 16

Bit, stereo) can be compressed to a 1.5 - 2

megabyte mp3PRO file by these means.

Once you are satisfied with the settings, click on the

'OK' button to close the dialog or make additional

alterations to the expert settings.

Variable bitrate: With a variable bitrate, the audio

file is not encoded with a specified, constant bitrate

but the encoding depends on the individual

elements of the audio file instead. Complex

elements are compressed less than simple ones, so

that the result is an mp3PRO file that depending on

the desired quality offers the best possible, loss-free

result. The medium quality has proved itself to be a

fairly good compromise between sound quality and

file size. At this bitrate, audio files, very roughly

speaking, are compressed by somewhat more than

a factor of 20. This means that a normal track of

around three to four minutes in length (in CD quality;

in other words 44.1 kHz, 16 Bit, stereo) can be

compressed to a 1.5 - 2 megabyte MP3 file by these

means.

Once you are satisfied with the settings, click on the

'OK' button to close the dialog or make additional

alterations to the expert settings.

Expert settings

If you click on the 'Expert' button, the dialog will be

extended, allowing special options to be chosen that

are not relevant to the 'normal' user.

Original bit: This means that the mp3PRO file is an

original and not a copy. This information can be

important in relation to future copy protection options

and is also of value to the user for information

purposes.

Private bit: The user can set this bit however he or

she wants. It has been conceived primarily for those

users who want to decode or evaluate mp3PRO

files. The bit is stored in the mp3PRO file, but nearly

all programs ignore it.

concerned is copyright-protected. In addition, it is

used for SCMS (Serial Copy Management System).

However, it does not have (or at least currently does

not have) any influence when playing or burning the

files.

Write CRC: By setting this bit, checksums (proof

totals) are also stored. These recognize defective

sections of the file (which may have arisen from

incorrect data transfer from the Internet, etc.).

However, many decoders ignore this checksum

information, while others reproduce a defective

mp3PRO section as silence, in order to avoid sound

interference in a defective part of the file. The

mp3PRO file will be very slightly larger if this option

is chosen.

Allow intensity stereo coding: Setting this option

permits the use of a special type of that only saves

directional information and volume for high

frequencies. This option should normally be

activated.

Allow Downmix: This option makes it possible to

'downmix' the input signal from stereo to mono. This

has advantages when encoding a stereo source with

a very low data rate - and where encoding in mono

only would make sense.

Padding: Because mp3PRO blocks within an

mp3PRO file can be of different sizes and because

some mp3PRO player programs cannot cope with

MP3PRO different sized blocks, this option can be

selected to specify how to deal with mp3PRO blocks

of different size. The default setting with Nero is

'ISO', in other words, the procedure spelled out in

the ISO-MP3PRO standard. 'Always' and 'never', as

the names suggest, "top up" the differently sized

mp3PRO blocks (in every case or not at all).

Click on 'OK' if you are satisfied with the settings

and to close the dialog

Click on the ‘GO' button to begin encoding.

A window will appear and inform you of the progress

of the encoding procedure.

How you can make your own MP3 files with Nero

Using Nero, you can create MP3 format compressed files (*.mp3) in two different ways. The first method

allows you to encode existing audio files (*.wav) that are located on your hard disk or a CD-ROM (but not on

an audio CD). The second method permits the tracks on an audio CD to be encoded. With Nero, you can

convert up to 30 files into the MP3 or mp3PRO format and then obtain the mp3PRO encoder plug-in from

our Website. This permits unlimited encoding (into either the mp3PRO or the MP3 format).

(1) Encoding a Wave file

Select the 'Encode Files' command from the 'Extras'

menu and click on the 'Add' button.

Change to the directory containing the files to be

encoded. Highlight the audio file(s) that you would

like to encode and click on the 'Open' button.

You do not need to highlight the selected file(s)

because all the files displayed will be encoded.

Click on the dropdown button in the 'Output file

format' and highlight 'mp3PRO (*.mp3)'. Click on the

'Browse' button in the 'Target file' area to indicate

the directory where you would like the file to be

saved.

The 'Source file info' field is for your information and

gives details about the quality of the file to be

encoded.

Click on the 'Settings' button to display the para-

meters.

Click on the 'Enable mp3PRO' button again if

mp3PRO is activated and if you want to encode files

in the MP3 format.

Encoding audio files as MP3 files is always bound

up with losses. When encoding, psychoacoustic

models are used to remove "inaudible" acoustic

elements from the audio file. Most test listeners can

hardly (or not at all) distinguish between the sound

from MP3 files that have been stored with a

sufficiently high bitrate from the original files.

Nevertheless, a certain loss of acoustic information

is unavoidable. The size of the loss depends very

much on two factors. These are first, the quality of

the psychoacoustic model used for data reduction

and second, the bitrate of the MP3 file.

Encoding quality: The quality of the psycho-

acoustic model with Nero is excellent. Naturally, a

compromise needs to be found between the

complexity of the model and the computing time

needed. Depending on the intended application of

the MP3 file, the quality of the encoding (i.e. of the

acoustic model) can be set at 'fast', 'medium' and

'highest'. With the highest quality, encoding takes

place at approx. normal speed on a PII350, i.e. three

minutes of music will be encoded in three minutes.

At the 'fast' setting (and with the same hardware),

encoding can take place at up to eight times the

normal speed. The sound quality is already very

good with the 'fast' setting and completely

satisfactory for most applications.

Bitrate: 'Bitrate' means the number of bits stored

per second in the MP3 file. The higher this is, the

smaller the amount of information that has to be

removed from the original sound file. Therefore the

higher the bitrate, the better the sound quality. Of

course, the price paid for this sound quality is a

larger file. The MP3 file format lets you encode at

either a constant or a variable bitrate (VBR). Select

the option you prefer and specify the bitrate.

Constant bitrate: A bitrate of 128 KB per second

has proved itself to be a fairly good compromise

between sound quality and file size. At this bitrate,

audio files, very roughly speaking, are compressed

by somewhat more than a factor of 10. This means

that a normal track of around three to four minutes in

length (in CD quality; in other words 44.1 kHz, 16

Bit, stereo) can be compressed to a 3 - 4 megabyte

MP3 file by these means.

Once you are satisfied with the settings, click on the

'OK' button to close the dialog or make additional

alterations to the expert settings.

Variable bitrate: With a variable bitrate, the audio

file is not encoded with a specified, constant bitrate

but the encoding depends on the individual

elements of the audio file instead. Complex

elements are compressed less than simple ones, so

that the result is an MP3 file that depending on the

desired quality offers the best possible, loss-free

result. The medium quality has proved itself to be a

fairly good compromise between sound quality and

file size. At this bitrate, audio files, very roughly

speaking, are compressed by somewhat more than

a factor of 10. This means that a normal track of

around three to four minutes in length (in CD quality;

in other words 44.1 kHz, 16 Bit, stereo) can be

compressed to a 3 - 4 megabyte MP3 file by these

means.

Once you are satisfied with the settings, click on the

'OK' button to close the dialog or make additional

alterations to the expert settings.

Expert features

The expert features for mp3 encoding are identical

to those available for mp3PRO encoding and are

therefore not explained in detail at this point. Please

read the appropriate sections concerned.

Click on 'OK' if you are satisfied with the settings

and to close the dialog.

Click on the Go' button to begin encoding.

A window will appear and inform you of the progress

of the encoding procedure.

(2) Encoding audio CD tracks

Select the 'Save Tracks' command in the 'Extras'

menu. A window will open and show all the disk

drives installed, i.e. the recorder, the 'normal' CD-

ROM/DVD drive and (if appropriate) a Nero

ImageDrive. Select the CD drive containing the

original audio CD and click on 'OK'.

A window will now appear with a list of the audio

tracks that can be found on the original CD. Clicking

on the play button will play the highlighted track, so

that you can check which tracks need to be encoded

before you start the encoding process. Highlight the

file(s) to be encoded. Click on the dropdown button

in the 'Output file format' and highlight 'mp3PRO

(*.mp3)'. At 'Path', specify the target directory where

the MP3 files are to be stored. In the 'File name

creation method' field, specify how the name of the

MP3 file is to be created. If the CD is recognized

and the name of the artist and title of the track are

known, the 'Manual' method can be used to create

an MP3 file in the 'Artist – Title.mp3' format.

In a similar way to the encoding of files on the hard

disk, you can specify which parameters should be

applied when encoding. Click on the 'Settings'

button to display the parameters.

Click on the 'Enable mp3PRO' button again if

mp3PRO is activated and if you want to encode files

in the MP3 format.

Encoding audio files as MP3 files is always bound

up with losses. When encoding, psychoacoustic

models are used to remove "inaudible" acoustic

elements from the audio file. Most test listeners can

hardly (or not at all) distinguish between the sound

from MP3 files that have been stored with a

sufficiently high bitrate from the original files.

Nevertheless, a certain loss of acoustic information

is unavoidable. The size of the loss depends very

much on two factors. These are first, the quality of

the psychoacoustic model used for data reduction

and second, the bitrate of the MP3 file.

Encoding quality: The quality of the psycho-

acoustic model with Nero is excellent. Naturally, a

compromise needs to be found between the

complexity of the model and the computing time

needed. Depending on the intended application of

the MP3 file, the quality of the encoding (i.e. of the

acoustic model) can be set at 'fast', 'medium' and

'highest'. With the highest quality, encoding takes

place at approx. normal speed on a PII350, i.e. three

minutes of music will be encoded in three minutes.

At the 'fast' setting (and with the same hardware),

encoding can take place at up to eight times the

normal speed. The sound quality is already very

good with the 'fast' setting and completely

satisfactory for most applications.

Bitrate: 'Bitrate' means the number of bits stored

per second in the MP3 file. The higher this is, the

smaller the amount of information that has to be

removed from the original sound file. Therefore the

higher the bitrate, the better the sound quality. Of

course, the price paid for this sound quality is a

larger file. The MP3 file format lets you encode at

either a constant or a variable bitrate (VBR). Select

the option you prefer and specify the bitrate.

Constant bitrate: A bitrate of 128 KB per second

has proved itself to be a fairly good compromise

between sound quality and file size. At this bitrate,

audio files, very roughly speaking, are compressed

by somewhat more than a factor of 10. This means

that a normal track of around three to four minutes in

length (in CD quality; in other words 44.1 kHz, 16

Bit, stereo) can be compressed to a 3 - 4 megabyte

MP3 file by these means.

Once you are satisfied with the settings, click on the

'OK' button to close the dialog or make additional

alterations to the expert settings.

Variable bitrate: With a variable bitrate, the audio

file is not encoded with a specified, constant bitrate

but the encoding depends on the individual ele-

ments of the audio file instead. Complex elements

are compressed less than simple ones, so that the

result is an MP3 file that depending on the desired

quality offers the best possible, loss-free result. The

medium quality has proved itself to be a fairly good

compromise between sound quality and file size. At

this bitrate, audio files, very roughly speaking, are

compressed by somewhat more than a factor of 10.

This means that a normal track of around three to

four minutes in length (in CD quality; in other words

44.1 kHz, 16 Bit, stereo) can be compressed to a 3 -

4 megabyte MP3 file by these means.

Once you are satisfied with the settings, click on the

'OK' button to close the dialog or make additional

alterations to the expert settings.

Expert features

The expert features for MP3 encoding are identical

to those available for mp3PRO encoding and are

therefore not explained in detail at this point. Please

read the appropriate sections concerned.

Click on 'OK' if you are satisfied with the settings

and to close the dialog.

Click on the 'Go' button to begin encoding.

A window will appear and inform you of the progress

of the encoding procedure.

Nero MP3 Owner's manual

Brand: Nero

Model: MP3

Type: Owner's manual

This manual is also suitable for

mp3PRO

Nero MP3

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Nero MP3 Owner's manual

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Nero MP3 Owner's manual

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