What is Joint Stereo?

Just wondering what "Joint Stereo" is?
In iTunes Preferences, it says "Details-80 kbps (mono)/160 kbps (stereo), joint stereo, optimized for Velocity Engine."
I have it set to 160 kbps. But I noticed that some of my songs are "joint stereo" and some others are "stereo" in the "get info" tab of the file?....Just wondering what might have caused this or if it is anything to worry about?
Is joint stereo not a true stereo sound that uses two discrete audio channels?...
any info would be appreciated, thanks.

hmm, sounds like "joint stereo" is not true stereo which is two discrete audio channels...whish i knew that a while back, I changed my mp3 import settings up to 192kb which uses true stereo...

Similar Messages

What exactly is "Joint stereo" in the MP3 custom import settings?

Hi
I want to optimize the way I import my cds on itunes and this is the only custom setting that I don't really understand. I read he help guide bit that refers to this and I'm not understanding it fully.
Does it change in any way the left and right channel are delivered to the speakers/earphones from the way they were on the original cd at all? If I leave it to normal, what's different?
Thanks

Quote:
"Joint Stereo is a neat mathematical technique which is used to enhance the quality of compressed digital audio. It generally tends to be associated with the most popular format of audio compression - mp3, but it has also been incorporated into several other formats"
"Joint stereo is a method to save additional space while retaining a stereo signal, exploiting the fact that most music contains relatively little difference between the left and right audio channels"
You can read more at these links:
Joint Stereo - The Myths and the Realities
What is Joint Stereo?

What is the difference between joint stereo and normal stereo?

When I go to the importing options and click custom, it asks if I want it to import in joint stereo or normal stereo. Can someone tell me what the difference is? I want to do whichever one sounds better.

Try Google:
http://www.google.com/search?q=jointstereo+vs.stereo
Also:
I want to do whichever one sounds better.
If you can' tell the difference, go with the default.

Joint stereo vs. Normal stereo...whats the difference when importing a CD?

I used to import my cd's at 192kbps and the default setting was normal stereo, but now I do it at 256kbps and the default is joint stereo...whats the difference? Since it defaults to joint at 256, should i keep it there? Thanks!
Message was edited by: noisexcore

In audio encoding, "joint stereo" takes advantage of the fact that the two stereo channels are well-correlated to each other, and uses that fact to capture the audio information more efficiently. "Normal stereo" treats the two tracks independently.
If it is done right, joint stereo does offer an advantage in fidelity at a given bit rate, but there is a lot of folklore about whether various implementations really do it right. I can't say for sure what goes on in the Apple implementation, but unless you are noticing a perceptible difference, my inclination would be to go with the defaults.

Problem with Joint Stereo

Hello all,
I have a weird problem which seems to be related to Joint Stereo MP3's played in iTunes (I have 10.3.1 but I've noticed it since an older version). The Stereo sound is a little weird compared to normal Stereo. I also imported the Joint Stereo MP3 in Logic Pro and it sounds ok in there (also had problem when exporting projects from Logic Pro in Joint Stereo Mp3 sounding different than the project itself in iTunes; but it did sound right using normal Mp3). Do you know what the problem could possibly be or is iTunes just that bad in Mp3 decoding ?
Thanks.

I doubt sending Apple a request to allow users to choose their own decoder will have any effect on the product, hmm.
Per my observation about "half-hearted," I too would not expect much response to such a request. But if you fell like giving it a try, use the Feedback Page.

Bouncing To MP3 Format: Stereo Mode = Normal or Joint Stereo?

After much research on these forums and listening test, I finally realized that having the "Normalize" box checked (in the Bounce window) resulted in a different sound from what I had mixed. It did "protect" my songs from being distorted in iTunes but I went back to the songs that were poorly mixed and reset the levels to be lower. Bottom line is that I don't want Logic to play "big brother" by messing with the volume/dynamics of my "final mix" when I bounce. Hence no more Normalize for my stuff.
That being said I noticed that when bouncing to MP3 format, Logic defaults the "Stereo Mode" (option in Bounce Window) to "Joint Stereo". I looked up "Stereo Mode" in the manual but there was no explanation as to the difference between "Normal" and "Joint Stereo".
Anyone know the difference between these two MP3 bounce modes?

Joint Stereo reduces the file size a little by encoding some parts of the spectrum in mono, mostly the low end components which are, to our perception, non-directional.
There's really no downside to this, unless you have a track that depends on some flanging effects, in which case you might hear a difference. I believe that Fraunhofer codecs are used by Apple and if this bothers you (unlikely) you could use a LAME encoder which treats either side of a stereo file separately.

FLAC to MP3 Conversion (Stereo or Joint Stereo)

Hello Again :
I regularly concert FLAC files to 192 kB MP3s using dBpoweramp Music Converter. This program's default / auto setting is Joint Stereo, as identfied in the "iTune | Get Info" option. Generallly, what's better : Stereo or Joint Stereo? I would very much appreciate if someone could clear this up for me. Thanks kindly.

The commands are straightforward. All they are doing is creating a local subdirectory in the usr directory, and then a bin subdirectory in the new local directory, so you'll be able to load the software and not have it overwritten/destroyed when a new update comes along. That's good practice.
The warning you're getting is standard operating procedure, the first time you execute the sudo command. Just take your time and follow the steps. Note, after you enter the sudo command, you'll get back Password: which requires you to enter your admin password. Do it slowly and carefully, then hit the return key. Don't worry if you muck entering the password, you can try three times.

Edirol R-09 "Joint Stereo" MP3's do not import

Recently acquired an Edirol R-90 digital recorder. It works great, but I cannot import the MP3 files it creates into Garageband for a podcast. The R-09 creates "joint stereo" MP3 files (no option to change this, though I could use larger WAV files)
The MP3 files transfer fine to my Mac, play fine in iTunes or Quicktime, and are seen and can even be previewed in Garageband. But when you drag the file to a track, nothing appears after the Garageband import file(s) progress bar.
If I convert the original file to MP3 again in iTunes, a standard stereo version is created, and that file can be imported without a problem.
Since I cannot surmise any other differences, it appears Garageband cannot import mp3's in a joint stereo format. Can anyone confirm this? There is not an option to turn joint stereo off on the R-09 either...
Thanks

Ah, something just occurred to me: Is the file extension of your recordings ".MP3"? Then you might change it to lowercase ".mp3" and see what happens.
(Take a look at this thread: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=673517&tstart=0)

Joint Stereo Balance Issues with Headphones iPod iPad iTunes 10.5.0.142

This is a cross posting.
I'm running iTunes 10.5.0.142 on windows vista SP2. I have an old nano (2nd gen) and an iPad (1st gen).
Most of the files in my library are MP3 encoded using iTunes with default joint-stereo settings.
All of my library seems to want play through the Left stereo channel whenever I have headphones plugged in, either on my laptop, on my ipad, or ipod. Same thing. Doesn't matter what set of headphones (and YES I have switched the phones in my ears, so I'm not going deaf). I've cleaned my ear buds.
I've reencoded some of the files to AAC on iTunes Plus - the result is the same. The thing is that all of the settings indicate stereo in some form. NONE are mono. I can hear the track really really faintly on the right channel, but it's constantly as if I'm going deaf in one ear, and I'm not.
The REALLY strange things are this - when played out of my laptop speakers, there are no issues with balance. Neither are there issues when I play through Airplay to an Airport Express set up.
I've gone through my files, and it doesn't matter which ones. This problem occured before, but I think it cleared up quickly with an iTunes update at somepoint.
IT is RIDICULOUS. I do not have this issue with any other audio on my laptop, and it only started when I updated to 10.5.0.142. I haven't actually changed anything in the library other than that.
Please let me know if something is going on or what I'm missing here.

I noticed this problem first on my Windows 7x64 i3 laptop... I'd rather it not happen. Knowing how helpful Apple has been in the past at actually solving Windows problems. You might consider uninstalling and just syncing to iCloud unless you have a lot of music. As for me, I'm uninstalling it again on my laptop.

Joint Stereo?

I'm starting to import my music at 320kbps, but I'm not sure what the difference between normal stereo and joint stereo is. Anyone?

This is right from the 'Help' menu selection within iTunes....
i In Joint Stereo mode, one channel carries the information that's identical on both channels, and the other channel carries the unique information. At bit rates of 128 Kbps and below, this can improve the sound quality of your converted audio.

Stereo vs Joint Stereo !?!

Hi friends :
I often convert lossless FLAC files to MP3s at a constant bit rate of 192 kb/s. I then import the MP3s into my iTunes library.
I have tried two different FLAC converters: Switch Sound File Converter (Lame 3.82) and dBpoweramp Music Converter (Lame 3.98). The audio quality is virtually the same. However; the Switch files are in "Stereo" while the dBpoweramp files are in "Joint Stereo."
At a bit rate of 192, which should sound better : the Switch-created MP3s in Stereo, or the dBp-created MP3s in Joint Stereo?
Basically, which is better ... Stereo vs. Joint Stereo ?
All of the different articles on the Internet leave me confused. I just want to choose between the Switch and dBpoweramp converters.
Thanks for any help at all.

In audio encoding, "joint stereo" takes advantage of the fact that the two stereo channels are well-correlated to each other, and uses that fact to capture the audio information more efficiently. "Normal stereo" treats the two tracks independently.
If it is done right, joint stereo does offer an advantage in fidelity at a given bit rate, but there is a lot of folklore about whether various implementations really do it right. I can't say for sure what goes on in the Apple implementation, but unless you are noticing a perceptible difference, my inclination would be to go with the defaults.

My files keep bouncing as joint stereo even though I've selected normal.

Hello!
I'm bouncing audio files with the "normal" tab selected but they keep reading as "joint stereo" after the bounce. It's only doing this to a few of my files so I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong...I'm going through the same process when bouncing each file, but some of them are still bouncing as joint stereo. Any help would be most appreciated. I'm very new to this so I'd really appreciate simple instructions if possible. Thank you so much in advance!
Brooke

Why don't you want joint stereo? It's pretty much the standard for bouncing compressed formats, and there is no advantage that I know of to not using it.

How to stop joint stereo during mp3 import when it's not selected.

I use iTunes to manage my mp3 purchased from other music stores (tracsource, etc). For some reason, iTunes changes my file from stereo to joint stereo even though joint stereo is not selected. I have searched the web for days prior to this post with no success. I understand all of the reported benefits of joint stereo but prefer to not have my files altered in any way. Is there any way to disable completely? Any information is appreciated.
Thanks.

This is very helpful and assists with narrowing down my issue. I am converting vinyl to mp3 using a digital recording device (M-Audio Microtrak II). From there, I am moving the files to iTunes. It is possible that this device is encoding as joint stereo but all of the specification read stereo.
I will continue to narrow down the source.
Thanks again!

Joint Stereo and dB level

my .wav custom import settings won't change back to normal stereo, it keeps selecting joint stereo.
and, one of my songs imported volume is at +4.3 dB and is distorting, the rest of the songs from the album are fine. I tried re importing it using cd quality settings, I also turned down the songs volume adjustment, and there's still distortion.
any suggestions are welcome.

For Windows, there is no better solution than foobar2000. It has full ReplayGain support, which is superior to Sound Check. See here for technical details.
Likewise, for OS X, there is also no better solution than ReplayGain. For MP3s and unprotected AACs, the most functional solution is MacMP3Gain. It is also free. It's important to mention that with ReplayGain, you can make adjustments to files at the album (audiophile) and track (radio) level. If your library consists of complete albums, then album gain is the way to go, as it will preserve the subtleties of the album and the listening experience will be as it was intended.

Stereo vs. Joint Stereo (in FLAC to MP3 conversion) ?!

Hi friends :
I often convert lossless FLAC files to MP3s at a constant bit rate of 192 kb/s. I then import the MP3s into my iTunes library.
I have tried two different FLAC converters: Switch Sound File Converter (Lame 3.82) and dBpoweramp Music Converter (Lame 3.98). The audio quality is virtually the same. However; the converted Switch files are in "Stereo" while the dBpoweramp files are in "Joint Stereo."
At a bit rate of 192, which should sound better : the Switch-created MP3s in Stereo, or the dBp-created MP3s in Joint Stereo?
Basically, which is better ... Stereo vs. Joint Stereo ?
All of the different articles on the Internet leave me confused. I just want to choose between the Switch and dBpoweramp converters.
Thanks for any help at all.

The commands are straightforward. All they are doing is creating a local subdirectory in the usr directory, and then a bin subdirectory in the new local directory, so you'll be able to load the software and not have it overwritten/destroyed when a new update comes along. That's good practice.
The warning you're getting is standard operating procedure, the first time you execute the sudo command. Just take your time and follow the steps. Note, after you enter the sudo command, you'll get back Password: which requires you to enter your admin password. Do it slowly and carefully, then hit the return key. Don't worry if you muck entering the password, you can try three times.

What is Joint Stereo?

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