How to Use Total Audio Converter — Fast, Batch, and Lossless Options

How to Use Total Audio Converter — Fast, Batch, and Lossless OptionsTotal Audio Converter (TAC) is a versatile desktop application designed to convert audio files between many formats, perform batch conversions, extract audio from video, and preserve quality with lossless options. This guide walks you through installation, basic and advanced workflows, optimization for speed, batch processing, lossless conversion settings, troubleshooting, and practical tips for different use cases.

1. What Total Audio Converter does best

Total Audio Converter converts between common formats (MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, OGG, WMA) and less common ones (APE, M4A, RA, etc.). It can:

• Convert single files or entire folders.
• Process files in batches with customizable settings.
• Extract audio from video (AVI, MP4, MKV, FLV).
• Preserve metadata and handle tags.
• Offer lossless conversion when using formats such as FLAC, ALAC, or WAV.
• Integrate with Windows shell for right-click conversion.

2. Installation and initial setup

1. Download the installer from the official site (make sure it’s the latest version).
2. Run the installer and follow prompts; choose default options unless you have specific needs.
3. Launch TAC. On first run, allow the program to scan folders if prompted to build a file list.
4. Optional: enable shell integration during installation to add right-click convert options in Explorer.

3. Basic conversion workflow

1. Add files: Click “Add files” or drag-and-drop individual audio files or folders into the program window.
2. Choose output format: Select MP3, WAV, FLAC, etc., from the format toolbar or menu.
3. Configure settings: Click “Settings” to set bitrate, sample rate, channels (mono/stereo), and encoder options.
   • For MP3: pick a bitrate (320 kbps for high quality, 192–256 kbps for good quality with smaller files).
   • For WAV/FLAC: choose sample rates like 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz depending on source.
4. Set output folder: Select a destination folder or use the default.
5. Start conversion: Click “Start” or “Convert” to begin. Progress will display per-file and overall.

4. Fast conversion tips

• Use a fast codec: MP3 LAME and modern AAC encoders are generally faster than complex lossless encoders.
• Reduce CPU load: Close background apps and pause antivirus if it interferes.
• Convert to compressed formats for smaller file sizes and faster disk I/O.
• Use SSDs rather than HDDs if available — disk speed affects conversion throughput.
• For multi-core CPUs, check if TAC supports multi-threading in settings; enable it if available.

5. Batch processing best practices

• Batch by folder: Place files to convert in a single folder, then add the folder to TAC.
• Use templates/presets: Save commonly used settings (e.g., “Podcast — 128 kbps MP3”) to apply quickly.
• Preserve folder structure: If converting large libraries, enable the option to reproduce original folders in the output directory.
• Filename patterns: Use TAC’s naming options to add suffixes, prefixes, or sequential numbering to avoid conflicts.
• Monitor memory and CPU: For very large batches, break into smaller batches (500–1,000 files) to avoid crashes.

6. Lossless conversion and when to use it

• Lossless formats: FLAC, ALAC, WAV (WAV is uncompressed; FLAC and ALAC are compressed but lossless).
• When to use lossless:
  • Archiving your original music collection.
  • Mastering or further audio editing.
  • High-fidelity listening on quality audio equipment.
• How to do it:
  • Select FLAC/ALAC/WAV as output.
  • Match the sample rate and bit depth to the source to avoid unnecessary resampling.
  • Use highest-quality encoder settings; no bitrate selection is required for true lossless formats.

7. Extracting audio from video

1. Add video files (MP4, MKV, AVI, etc.) to the TAC queue.
2. Choose an audio-only output format (MP3, WAV, FLAC).
3. Configure format settings and specify whether to keep the original audio codec/channel layout.
4. Convert — TAC will extract the audio track and save it as the selected format.

8. Preserving metadata and tags

• TAC can copy ID3 tags and other metadata during conversion.
• Before converting, check tag settings to ensure fields like Title, Artist, Album, Year, Genre, and album art are preserved.
• For large libraries, use a tag editor beforehand to standardize metadata for cleaner results.

9. Troubleshooting common issues

• Poor audio quality after conversion: Check that you didn’t downsample or use a low bitrate; pick a higher bitrate or lossless format.
• Conversion fails or crashes: Update TAC to the latest version; try smaller batches; check file permissions.
• Missing metadata: Ensure “Copy tags” is enabled and that source files have proper tags.
• No audio in extracted file: Make sure the video contains an audio track and select the correct track if multiple are present.

10. Practical examples

• Convert a whole CD rip folder to FLAC for archiving: add folder → choose FLAC → match sample rate/bit depth → start.
• Make a 128 kbps MP3 podcast version: add files → choose MP3 → set bitrate to 128 kbps → save preset “Podcast 128” → batch convert.
• Extract audio from a lecture video to WAV for transcription: add MP4 → choose WAV → match sample rate (e.g., 44.1 kHz) → convert.

11. Alternatives and when to switch

If you need open-source or cross-platform options, consider:

• fre:ac — open-source, supports many formats and batch conversion.
• FFmpeg — powerful command-line tool for scripting large conversions or custom workflows.
• dBpoweramp — high-quality converters focused on audio enthusiasts.

12. Final tips

• Keep backups of originals when doing mass conversions.
• Use lossless for archiving and high-quality listening; use compressed formats for portability.
• Regularly update TAC to get bug fixes and newer codecs.
• Use presets and folder-based batching to save time.

If you want, tell me your operating system and the audio formats you work with and I’ll give a tailored step-by-step workflow.