free FLAC to AAC converter

I'm not sure of the limits of the trial, but Roxio Toast (full version of Titanium 10 for Mac is what I'm using) has a really easy to use FLAC to ALAC/AIFF/AAC/OGG/WAV converter that's pretty quick. Can't have it output into multiple folders, but I'm not sure of any good ones that do.

Depends whether you're on Mac or Windows.

 

For the Mac, Stephen Booth's freeware Max does batch conversions between all kinds of file formats, including AAC and FLAC.

 

I'm not as familiar with Windows, so I don't know what's best to recommend there.

Do you already have a way to mass convert from FLAC to WAV? If so, iTunes is free and its interface makes it very easy to grab and isolate a gazzillion files, in your case 700 WAVs, then mass convert them to AAC (remember to set the bitrate 192 or 320 kbps in iTunes beforehand) or even ALAC or AIFF if you want.

 

PA

I haven't used this but you could give it a try, then dump all your WAVs into iTunes to mass convert to AAC;

 

http://www.wav-mp3.com/convert-flac-to-wav.htm

 

PA

Can't you just stick an AAC encoder in Foobar and just do it that way? (not sure)

 

 

free:ac (until recently called bonkenc) is what i've been using for years. Does batch conversion, and is pretty quick and keeps the tagging. With a little tweaking, you can even get it to dump the output files into appropriate folders at the same time

 

I've used it to do a 2k over song batch encode, so i'm sure it'll work.

Edited by faileas - 3/7/11 at 7:14pm

freac uses and old undeveloped AAC encoder so I wouldn't use that. .  .

its a solution i know works and is fairly simple. If you can recommend a 'better' encoder, that's already been compiled  i can probably give a poke to work out what it takes to set it up and document it for future use. As far as i can tell though, this is the most recent version most sites have, and it works well enough.

 

Uhh, iTunes? AAC is Apple's baby, and Apple will definitely not put a merely adequete AAC encoder in iTunes, their flagship music management application. There was a time, back in iTunes version 6 for the Mac, that there was even a LAME MP3 plugin for iTunes. I used to use that alot. It was very good. LAME is well regarded as one of the best MP3 encoders out there. Despite that, IMO, the best AACs made within iTunes sounded better that the best MP3s made from the LAME plugin.

 

Oh, and don't worry about DRM. DRM only applies to music bought from the iTunes store. That's a huge mis-conception that has been eagerly spread about iTunes.

 

PA

http://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmc.htm

 

Best one for windows, free 14 day trial.

Edited by Insilin1i - 3/8/11 at 7:38pm

iTunes doesn't support FLAC.

 

Sticking to mp3 is a more sensible choice, since AAC is no more transparent in listening tests.

Edited by Satellite_6 - 3/9/11 at 11:55am

I use Foobar2000 for everything, and so should everyone. Just use it with Nero AAC, it's the best AAC encoder and is free.