luckygreen wrote: ↑12 May 2024
iTrensharo wrote: ↑11 May 2024
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Converting samples to FLAC isn't really something I'd personally ever do for a couple of reasons:
1. If you decode them in real time, they use up more CPU than WAV/AIFF files, and
2. While many DAWs do support importing Compressed Audio, many of them will forcibly convert them to WAV - so, you aren't actually saving disk space at all. You are just changing how the disk space usage is allocated. Depending on how that conversion is handled (some will convert to 32-Bit WAV files, even if the source was 16- or 24-Bit), you may end up using MORE space doing it that way.
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I have X TB samples encoded as FLAC. I have a sound browser that let's me preview what I'm looking for. When I found the .. say 20 flute samples I was looking for, I drop the files into my audio editor or DAW. That audio software would then convert the 1 MB FLAC samples into 2 MB WAV samples and put them into a temporary working folder. I can then cut, resample and otherwise work with those WAV files.
That process takes up no additonal realtime computation work and takes up just 2 MB of additonal (temporary) disk space. I can't see any issues with that.
Decompressing and Decoding Compressed Audio Files takes additional computational work if done in real-time, unless the DAW converts Compressed Files to WAV on import.
Cubase will convert compressed files on import, for example. So will WaveLab. Samplitude Pro X defaults to doing this.
Lots of DAWs will do this because the compressed files are often problematic and it's a waste of compute capacity to have tons of layered compressed audio files being decompressed and decoded in real time.
Honestly, I'm not even sure why this is debatable.
There is a reason why Uncompressed files like AVI and WAV are a thing. It's precisely because it avoids the computer's need to waste resources Decompressing and Decoding. The larger file sizes are simply the compromise we deal with for those other benefits.
I am not saying you need to care about it, but those are facts. I was simply stating why I don't do it. Large HDDs or SATA SSDs to hold sample content aren't exactly breaking the bank, can be repurposed in new/additional PCs, etc. in comparison to CPUs that are obsoleted by MOBO/PC upgrades. Most people could convert to 320k MP3 or AAC and are unlikely to hear the difference between that and a FLAC file, anyways.