Proteron, LLC today announced the preview release of N2MP3, an easy to use, full featured MP3 encoder for the Mac OS. Targeted at iBook toting students and G3 addicted audiophiles, N2MP3 gives novice and technical users alike a powerful tool for bringing digital audio to their desktop.
N2MP3 aims to be the best MP3 encoder available for the Macintosh. It simplifies encoding so that the novice iMac user can enjoy the benefits of MP3, yet provides high-end hi-fi quality for the veteran MP3 fan.
N2MP3's key features include:
- Seamless Drag-and-Drop encoding from audio compact discs
- High quality, fast MP3 encoding engine with support for VBR
- Play As You Encode(TM) technology
- Live CDDB support for desktop naming of discs and tracks
- Support for ID3v2 tags
- Integration with Panic's recently announced Audion MP3 and CD player
- CD ripping for lossless audio capture
- Encoded MP3 files have unlimited use
N2MP3 contains the Proteron MPEG encoder for MPEG1 layer III format. The algorithm is a variation of the psycho acoustic model and supports variable bitrate (VBR) with minimum bitrate specification and full support for joint stereo encoding.
The quality of Proteron's encoder is of the highest caliber and is being licensed from Fraunhofer-Thomson. Although based on the International Standard source for MP3, the Proteron encoder includes proprietary improvements making it substantially better-sounding than plain ISO psy-model based encoders. On most G3 Macintosh computers, including all iMacs and iBooks, Proteron's MPEG Encoder is capable of encoding 128kbps, better quality (psy-model) MP3s faster than real time. Lower quality modes are much faster of course, and higher bitrates approach that of full-quality 44khz CD audio.
N2MP3 is available for free download as a preview release which limits encoding to twenty tracks and thereafter will only encode the first minute of additional tracks. For a limited time, pricing for the preview release of N2MP3 has been set at only $24.95. This pricing is only good until September 6, when the final version will be released. Pricing after September 6 has yet to be determined.
You can find more information on N2MP3 at a special (anttractive and easy to use) web site set up by Proteron.