Thanks, fellas. Those are helpful reflections.

LAME still seems to be updated, Mac. I suppose it doesn't need too much attention nowadays. Commercial and freeware encoder programs are using it now in good numbers, so somebody is likely to keep it going.

The WMA 9 codec proves to be startlingly good, now that I try it. The test piano solo encoded at VBR quality 50 (halfway) proves to sound nicer than I am used to, while still staying much smaller than an equivalent MP3. This started out of idle curiosity, but I may start using WMA a lot more, now that I see it's come along quite a bit since early days. As Bob says, it's at least a good idea to have it available for those times when it does the job better.

Many codecs sound pretty decent, but only MP3 and WMA seem widely compatible enough to be generallly useful. Few things are more discouraging than to find your bandmate has sent you some obscure .GOBB file that she swears is the best thing out. Maybe it is, but it's a drag setting up for it, and then you may never hear of the rotten thing again.

Larry
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