Before explaining what Mp3 and VQF are, I need to introduce you another form of digital sound:
The WAV file.
The WAV file was developed by Microsoft, and its function is basically to record an analog sound (such as a voice, a song or any input) into a digital format, that is, that could be processed by a computer.
This sound format was an alternative to the
digitally syntethised songs in which pre-stablished patterns of "instruments" were to be fit one in each sound channel. As in an orchestra, those "instruments" would play individual parts, and when added into different digital channels, it would sound an OK music.
The problems with MIDI were:
-MIDI files did not support voice
-Not everybody had the same sound software, and it implies that some computers could support more digital channels than others. That is, one could not rely on MIDI files because it would be played differently in various computers.
Then, Microsoft developed a sound format that would be played equally in all computers of the world.
The WAV, basically, records one sound input, whatever it is, into a single stream of data, which will be played by one digital channel. In case of stereophonic recordings, the WAV recorder takes these two sound inputs and writes them into TWO data strams, and then label them as belonging to the same file. That's why a stereo version of a WAV is double-sized in relation to its mono version.
The WAV recording process is quite simple. As already described, the recording software takes the input channel and writes it on a data stream. If using a stereo source, two data streams are used, each of them will be played by one digital channel. If a mono-stereo format is required, the softare will just reuse the same data stream in two different channels; If a stereo-mono format is required, the software will just overlap the two input channels. But how this overlapping thing occurs?
We all know that sound is nothing more than air that vibrates and agitates our eardrums. The WAV recording uses this very concept. The WAV file is nothing else than information about variations on the sond wave, that is, it records info on how the sound wave behaves when responding to a "certain stimulus"-sound.
The WAV file solved that old problem of differences on how sound was played on various computers, once the "new" format couldn't be interepreted differently by diverging hardware.
Near every sound that you hear in your computer is in WAV format. Windows sounds, games sfx's, and etc, but one problem came up when they started using WAV files to play songs: The WAV file is extremely huge! OK, you can have the Compressed WAV file, but you first need to uncompress it in order to play it, once you can't playback a compressed WAV file. But the problem was storage, and much more web transfering. That's why still there is some MIDI around, much of it related to Web Document music embedding.
The WAV and the WEB
Very well, background info explained, here we go: The WAV solved the sound regularity on programs and software, but it had this one problem that turned it nearly impossible for it to circulate around the WWW. Yes, there are some atributes that can reduce its size, but also they reduce the sound quality, drastically. This led back to the problem of quality sound circulating on the WWW, once the .RA (real audio) format also is annoying in terms of sound/video quality. Then, with the grace of God, some enlighted mind thought of the
which stands for Mpeg Layer 3. This audio format is similar to the .WAV compressed file in size, but it can be played in its natural size, which is 90% smaller than the regular WAV. That represents excellent audio quality in a reasonable size for web transference (download). MP3 is, roughly a high quality, "small" sound file .
is a MP3-like file that uses a similar, but heavier encryption, allowing, for instance, a sound file with even smaller size. However, this "more compact" (about 40% smaller) sound format has an even better quality sound than the MP3 format.(see the table below)
File Type
Size Rate
CPU Usage*
WAV
10Mb/min
20%
MP3
1Mb/min
25%~30%
VQF
0.65M/min
35%~40%
*Using a Pentium 133MHz
The only problem with the VQF files is that they require a little more of the CPU than the MP3. That's because when the MP3 were created, Pentiums ruled, but today, we have PentiumII's and PentiumIII's ruling around, so it won't be any problem. The basic rule is: if you have your chip sputtering to play the MP3's, It's better to stay with them. Otherwise, go for the VQF's, because they are worth it! Now that you know how what they are, the next question is
Download the Winamp player to play the MP3's, and the Patch to be able to play the VQF's! Then just go back to the MP3VQF page and download the song you like!
