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MPecker/MPegger/N2MP3 encoders
In the beginning there was MPecker. It was a free MP3 encoder for Mac
OS Classic created by Rafael Luebbert who wished to bring this technology
to the Mac - as it was allegedly the first MP3 encoder on that platform,
a dist10 derivative with very simple interface and minimal features: it
only allowed a handful of bitrates, and offered batch encoding.
By the time version 1.0 rolled out, it was already showing improvement.
Much prettier interface, bigger choice of bitrates and four experimental
psychoacoustic models to choose from. Quite slower too, which I guess is
a reflex of the quality improvements. It was still freeware.
Then in 1999, famous Mac software developer Proteron bought the program,
improved it and relaunched as MPegger, a commercial software costing US$
24,95. But the improvements were varied: full range of bitrates for MP3
encoding, as well as three VBR modes. MP2 encoding. CD ripping (with CDDB
support). ID3 tagging. Volume normalization. You can see a mirror of the
MPegger web page at the Internet Archive.
At the same time Proteron was developing another MP3 encoder called N2MP3,
using an unknown encoding engine (probably dist10 as well) and with much
of the same functionalities as MPegger, but in a drag'n'drop-oriented
interface. It cost US$ 34,95.
The last iteration of this encoder was N2MP3 Pro, a merge of MPegger and
N2MP3. One unusual feature in this encoder is that it allows users to
chose the encoding engine they want: MPegger, LAME
(version 3.89), or "Fraunhofer"; besides MP2 and Vorbis. It seems the
encoder in N2MP3 was discarded - or simply renamed (see next paragraph).
Another new feature is microphone and line-in recording.
In the paragraph above, Fraunhofer is surrounded by quotation marks for a
reason: that is not the encoder you would expect by that name (which
would be MP3enc or Fastenc).
It is actually just a misleading way to refer to the dist10 encoder
(because, in principle, Fraunhofer participated in the dist10 development).
For instance, the user manual describes LAME as "a GNU Project optimization
of the Fraunhofer encoder", which is as inaccurate as a phrase can be:
LAME never had any relation with the FSF/GNU Project (other than using
one of their licenses) and bears no relation with the encoders we
understand as being created by FhG.
All this makes more irritating the knowledge that N2MP3 Pro was sold for
the price of US$ 59,95 - 25 dollars more expensive than N2MP3 -, for
encoders that they obtained for free (dist10, LAME and Vorbis). Considering
this behavior, no surprises then that the company went under in the late
2000s. A mirror of the N2MP3 Pro web page can still be viewed at the Internet Archive.
Date: 2001-01-23
Version: 2.01
Interface: Graphical
Platform: Mac OS Classic (PPC)
Download: N2MP3Pro.sit - 3.007kB
Date: 2000-01-26
Version: 1.5b3
Interface: Graphical
Platform: Mac OS Classic (PPC)
Download: N2MP3v1.5b3.sit - 1.324kB
Date: 1999-09-22
Version: 1.02
Interface: Graphical
Platform: Mac OS Classic (PPC)
Download: N2MP3v102.sit - 1.329kB
Date: 1999-12-21
Version: 1.1
Interface: Graphical
Platform: Mac OS Classic (PPC)
Download: MPegger11.sit - 572kB
Date: 1998-09-03
Version: 1.0b5
Interface: Graphical
Platform: Mac OS Classic (PPC)
Download: MPeckerEncoder1.0b5c3.sit - 168kB
Date: 1997-05-17
Version: 0.19a6
Interface: Graphical
Platform: Mac OS Classic (PPC)
Download: MPeckerEncoder019a6.sit - 202kB
Luebbert also created a simple, freeware MP1/2/3 decoder for Mac OS called
MPecker Drop Decoder. The Proteron guys took this code and turned it into
the MPegger Drop Decoder. It cost US$ 9,95, but was included for free on
puchases of MPegger or N2MP3. According to this page, it is one of the most accurate MPEG audio decoders for
Mac.
Date: 2000-12-16
Version: 2.01
Interface: Graphical
Platform: Mac OS Classic (PPC)
Download: MPeggerDropDecoder.sit - 296kB
Date: 1999-08-08
Version: 1.6.4
Interface: Graphical
Platform: Mac OS Classic (PPC)
Download: MPeckerDropDecoder164.sit - 231kB
Date: 1998-09-16
Version: 1.3
Interface: Graphical
Platform: Mac OS Classic (PPC)
Download: MPeckerDropDecoder13.sit - 75kB
Date: 1997-10-27
Version: 1.02
Interface: Graphical
Platform: Mac OS Classic (PPC)
Download: MPeckerDropDecoder102.sit - 71kB
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