iTunes - setting different bitrates

[stevee1966]

I'm looking to make back-ups of my cd collection onto a external disk drive at as high a quality as possible.

I also need to synch my music to an ipod, but i want to use a lower bit rate on the ipod to increase the number of albums i can keep on the player.

Is there a setting in iTunes which allows me to configure a high bit rate when copying cd's to my iTunes Library, but at the same time use a lower bit rate when synching to my ipod, or am i just going to have to keep going to the iTunes settings and change the bit rate each time i need to either put new music into my Library or when synching ?

 

[John Duncan]

There isn't yet a setting to downsample when syncing, except for the shuffle (note to Apple: sort it out).

You need to do the following - load your entire library to lossless, change the import setting to a lower bitrate, right click/create [lower bitrate/codec] version. then do one of two things

- create two smart playlists, one of which filters "where kind contains lossless", the other "where kind does not contain lossless". then you can listen to the lossless playlist via hifi, sync your iPod to the non-lossless one.

- create another library (Hold down shift when you open iTunes, if I remember correctly, Cmd if it's a Mac) and load your non-lossless files into it. Then depending on whether you're listening or syncing, open the correct library.

The latter requires more faffing every time you import a new disc, but it means your respective libraries are cleaner and easier to navigate when playing through hifi.

 

[Joe Cox]

There's only one setting for the bitrate when ripping CDs. If you want to have two files of each then I suggest ripping in lossless then simply converting to MP3. Go to Advanced then Create MP3 Version.

If you uncheck the tick box against all the lossless versions then select only sync checked files and your iPod will update only with the MP3 files.

 

[idc]

Hi Joe. If I go Advanced my only option is to Create Apple Lossless Version. I have the most up to date version (whatever number that is). Whats going on?

 

[Joe Cox]

You need to go to iTunes / Preferences / General / Import Settings and change to MP3 encoder to create an MP3 version.

 

[idc]

Thanks Joe. This means some advice I have given in the past may be 'wrong' as it works when I do it, but may not work for others depending on their itunes version. You can change bit rate using Advanced and I cannot. Time to spend some time on the Apple site catching up with changes.

 

[John Duncan]

Depends on iTunes version and Windows/Mac disparities, I think. Just the use of the word 'preferences' makes me think Mac...