Chiptune Format to MP3?
 

Similar thread when compared to my MIDI to MP3 thread, but anyway...

What is the best way to convert say, GSFs, SPCs, VGMs, etc. to MP3? I used to do it by first converting to WAV using Winamp and then converting to VBR MP3 using dBpowerAmp. Is that a high-quality method or can it be improved?

Although I do extract using winamp for my chiptunes music, I usually follow Moguta's guide for the encoding, which basically means LAME APS using Exact Audio Copy.

I'm interested whether there's a better-fidelity way to extract, though.

Yes, that's the way I do it as well. I make any adjustments I like to the waveform first (such as adding silence, normalizing the volume, etc.) and then I convert the WAVs to mp3 with Exact Audio Copy v.0.95 beta 4 with the LAME3.97b encoder, in Preset Standard (-V 2).

The page Skexis linked to should help you out with encoding in EAC.

I guess using the EAC method instead of plain DBpowerAMP presets could *maybe* improve compression, but not sound quality itself. You're definitely using the right method, in my books.

Alright, good to know that at least the quality is fine. Now, I guess that I'll use Moguta's method for better compression...

Thanks everyone! :D

Also, when converting SPC files to WAV (assuming you're using the SNESAmp plugin, which you definitely should) make sure to set the DSP options to your desired settings. The sample rate should be 44100 Hz if you plan on ever burning to a CD, and to ensure optimal results with LAME encoding. I would also recommend checking "Disable echo", as this echo is a faux-reverb added by the plugin and is not from the SNES chipset.

Then under Mixing change AAR from "Increase" to "On" with Amplification and Output Threshold both at 0.0dB. This way you still protect the SPC from clipping, and your encoding won't have a slowly mounting (or sharply descending) volume at the beginning. You can use WaveGain to equalize the WAVs loudness levels, since the volumes do vary by rip and game. Or it might be easier to just use MP3Gain on the resultant MP3s.