(46)
Your rating: Now say why...
- Download Now
5.2 MB -
Visit Developer's Site
Stephen Booth
Max is an application for creating high-quality audio files in various formats, from compact discs or files.
When extracting audio from compact discs, Max offers the maximum in flexibility to ensure the true sound of your CD is faithfully extracted. For pristine discs, Max offers a high-speed ripper with no error correction. For damaged discs, Max can either use its built-in comparison ripper (for drives that cache audio) or the error-correcting power of cdparanoia.
Once the audio is extracted, Max can generate audio in over 20 compressed and uncompressed
When extracting audio from compact discs, Max offers the maximum in flexibility to ensure the true sound of your CD is faithfully extracted. For pristine discs, Max offers a high-speed ripper with no error correction. For damaged discs, Max can either use its built-in comparison ripper (for drives that cache audio) or the error-correcting power of cdparanoia.
Once the audio is extracted, Max can generate audio in over 20 compressed and uncompressed
What's New
Version 0.9.1:
- Formats preference pane works correctly on Snow Leopard.
- Note: Automatic updates may not be working correctly.
Requirements
PPC / Intel, Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
PPC / Intel, Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
Max User Discussion (Write a Review)
Overall:
(46)
(46)
| Downloads:176,520 |
| Version Downloads:90,287 |
| Type:Multimedia & Design : Audio |
| License:Free |
| Date:30 Aug 2009 |
| Platform:PPC / Intel |
| Price:Free |
Overall (Version 0.x):  |
| Features: |
| Ease of Use: |
Value: |
| Stability: |
Displaying 1-10 of 77
Displaying 1-10 of 11
-
-
-
Max is an application for creating high-quality audio files in various formats, from compact discs or files.
When extracting audio from compact discs, Max offers the maximum in flexibility to ensure the true sound of your CD is faithfully extracted. For pristine discs, Max offers a high-speed ripper with no error correction. For damaged discs, Max can either use its built-in comparison ripper (for drives that cache audio) or the error-correcting power of cdparanoia.
Once the audio is extracted, Max can generate audio in over 20 compressed and uncompressed formats including MP3, Ogg (Vorbis), FLAC, AAC, Apple Lossless, Monkey's Audio, WavPack, Speex, AIFF, and WAVE.
If you would like to convert your audio from one format to another, Max can read and write audio files in over 20 compressed and uncompressed formats at almost all sample rates and and in most sample sizes. For many popular formats the artist and album metadata is transferred seamlessly between the old and new files. Max can even split a single audio file into multiple tracks using a cue sheet.
Max leverages open source components and the resources of Mac OS X to provide extremely high-quality output. For example, MP3 encoding is accomplished with LAME, Ogg Vorbis encoding with aoTuV, FLAC encoding with libFLAC, and AAC and Apple Lossless encoding with Core Audio. Many PCM conversions are also possible using Core Audio and libsndfile.
Max is integrated with MusicBrainz to permit automatic retrieval of compact disc information. For MP3, FLAC, Ogg (FLAC), Ogg (Vorbis), Monkey's Audio, WavPack, AAC and Apple Lossless files Max will write this metadata to the output.
Max allows full control over where output files are placed and what they are named. If desired, Max will even add the encoded files to your iTunes library in a playlist of your choice.
For advanced users, Max allows control over how many threads are used for encoding, what type of error correction is used for audio extraction, and what parameters are used for each of the various encoders.
Max is free software released under the GNU General Public License (GPL).
When extracting audio from compact discs, Max offers the maximum in flexibility to ensure the true sound of your CD is faithfully extracted. For pristine discs, Max offers a high-speed ripper with no error correction. For damaged discs, Max can either use its built-in comparison ripper (for drives that cache audio) or the error-correcting power of cdparanoia.
Once the audio is extracted, Max can generate audio in over 20 compressed and uncompressed formats including MP3, Ogg (Vorbis), FLAC, AAC, Apple Lossless, Monkey's Audio, WavPack, Speex, AIFF, and WAVE.
If you would like to convert your audio from one format to another, Max can read and write audio files in over 20 compressed and uncompressed formats at almost all sample rates and and in most sample sizes. For many popular formats the artist and album metadata is transferred seamlessly between the old and new files. Max can even split a single audio file into multiple tracks using a cue sheet.
Max leverages open source components and the resources of Mac OS X to provide extremely high-quality output. For example, MP3 encoding is accomplished with LAME, Ogg Vorbis encoding with aoTuV, FLAC encoding with libFLAC, and AAC and Apple Lossless encoding with Core Audio. Many PCM conversions are also possible using Core Audio and libsndfile.
Max is integrated with MusicBrainz to permit automatic retrieval of compact disc information. For MP3, FLAC, Ogg (FLAC), Ogg (Vorbis), Monkey's Audio, WavPack, AAC and Apple Lossless files Max will write this metadata to the output.
Max allows full control over where output files are placed and what they are named. If desired, Max will even add the encoded files to your iTunes library in a playlist of your choice.
For advanced users, Max allows control over how many threads are used for encoding, what type of error correction is used for audio extraction, and what parameters are used for each of the various encoders.
Max is free software released under the GNU General Public License (GPL).
Copyright © 2012 MacUpdate LLC
- -
Mark Dancer reviewed on 06 May 2012
+3
+307
Albabe reviewed on 01 Mar 2012
+307
Albabe reviewed on 01 Mar 2012
+79
Aargl reviewed on 27 Feb 2012
XLD is constantly updated, more than any other app I know (instead of Max, but Max is still a little better for some detail and some conversion, while XLD is quite as good and very flexible).
I converted the same files with iTunes, XLD and Max, with the same settings, then watched the waveform (especially the higher end) in an editor: iTunes degrades the signal before XLD, and XLD before Max (but not significantly).
-339
+79
I assume that before calling me a liar, you have done the same thorough testing as I did, observing the waveforms of the various conversions in mp3 and aac at various rates in an editor such as ProTools as I did... ;-)
But anyway, I insist in saying that in some circumstances Max still have features that XLD doesn't have (I haven't tested with the latest versions of XLD though, but at the time of my test, Max was the only one to keep tags when converting mp3 from one rate to another — you may say it’s not good to do this, but if someone wants to do it... ;-). Max was also better in aac conversion at full quality (though inaudible difference, I recognise, the difference is somewhere around 20KHz...).
On the other side, XLD respects folders’ hierarchy while Max doesn’t, it’s great for drag’n drop.
And for the various FLAC formats, some are read by XLD, others by Max or Toast.
Now, XLD’s dev is very prompt to update, it’s one of my favourite apps and I worship the dev everyday, so no hard feelings! ;-)
+79
- on a 192Kbps ID3v2.3.0 it's ok
- on a 320Kbps ID3v2.4.0 it's not
I've tried changing that last file to 2.3.0 before converting, same result, so I don't know where the problem lies.
So you see? Max is still better in this situation! :-p
Stacky reviewed on 03 Nov 2011
Hylas reviewed on 29 Oct 2011
Hylas reviewed on 29 Oct 2011
http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/19873/max
This review is based on our Audio Platform Macintosh, a G5 DP 2.5 PPC, running OS X 10.5.8, 8 GB RAM, 4 auxiliary SATA platters.
I'm surprised the Author doesn't fill out this Application similarly to another fine program - MPEG2 Works 4 Advanced:
https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/17019/mpeg2-works-4-advanced
... and charge a modest fee. This is one of the best written (I know - OSS) packages for Audio conversion out there for the Mac and Apple in general.
I have great hope for the forthcoming update (here's the BETA):
http://files.sbooth.org/Max-r1438.tar.bz2
And now there's this at Slashdot today ...
Apple's Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) Now Open Source
http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/10/28/0115247/apples-lossless-audio-codec-alac-now-open-source
http://alac.macosforge.org/
Thanks Stephen
+47
+544
http://files.sbooth.org/Max-r1438.tar.bz2
+154
+264
+40
Agmaster reviewed on 15 Mar 2011
+2
+11
To answer those asking about comparisons with iTunes in lossless mode - there's no difference if your CDs are pristine. It's when they're not that you'll notice the difference.
+5
When I tried such a file duo (flac + cue) Max made one big aiff file. How do you do it?
+40
+185
+4
+1
+1
I've gotten some folders with the music in .flac files for each song and a .cue file which seems to have to do with drawing some tracks closely together but maintaining a 'normal' track to track time for others.
I've scoured the web looking for how to utilize the .cue file in burning audio CDs with their timing intact. Surely there is some Mac way of doing this or am I to face the wrath of my Windows friends for having to get them to do it for me?
+2
+1
+106
+53
+2
+4
(Same problem as stated below...)
+23
01/11/07 04:33:29 Max[1758] *** Assertion failure in getCoreAudioFileDataFormats(), /tmp/Max-0.7.1/Utilities/CoreAudioUtilities.m:206
01/11/07 04:33:29 Max[1758] The call to AudioConverterSetProperty failed (!dat).
+28
There are some performance issues here which while atypical are nevertheless serious.
The obvious workaround is to simply convert files in smaller batches, and that's what I'm doing, but I hope this issue receives some attention in future releases. Max is an amazingly useful tool and is something I've come to rely on. I want it to be the best, most useful tool it can be, and I expect that I'm not alone in that sentiment. Fixing this will elevate Max.
As I typed this, Max gagged and crashed when I tried to go beyond 1,277 tracks. Because of its extreme slowness, I have to add one album at a time, and it takes a LOOOOONG time to reach that count. *sigh*
-1
+20
Waveform output shows the main reason -- at very rapid frequency, the waveform zeros out, then returns.
Hope this gets ironed out soon... It's a nice little app.
+1
Fzp rated on 05 May 2012
brattonb rated on 28 Feb 2012
+47
Snake-One rated on 20 Oct 2011
+47
Werty rated on 09 Oct 2011
Isaacangelo rated on 02 Jun 2011
+5
Jam9 rated on 08 May 2011
+15
Monzterdk rated on 03 May 2011
scacinto rated on 21 Jan 2011