My files in Ogg Vorbis format

The process I use for making these is the following: I make a midi file of the piece using a sequencer, and I record this sequence using a Soundfont (kind of a library of little samples of real instruments). Then I convert this file to Ogg Vorbis. I recommend you to download these free files first and then, if you like the piece, to buy a quality recording.

They are in Ogg Vorbis format, a much better one than Mp3 or any other. Some time ago we got the WMA format, which is better that the Mp3 in many aspects, but the one that will withstand is the Ogg Vorbis or simply Vorbis.

Apart from being of better quality than any other format at any bitrate, its main advantage is that is free. Free, meaning that you don’t pay anything for it and also free as Open Source. That means that anyone can have the source code and modify it.

That means that improvements would be made all the time, as long as there is someone interested and with the required knowledge.

Contrary to popular belief, the Mp3 format isn’t free. Thomson Consumer Electronics and the German Fraunhofer Institute still hold patents to core technologies used in mp3.

From Wikipedia:

Listening tests have attempted to find the best quality lossy audio codecs at certain bitrates.

Some conclusions made by recent listening tests:

• Low bitrate (less than 64 kbit/s): the most recent public multiformat test at 48 kb/s shows that Vorbis has a better quality than WMA and LC-AAC and the same quality of WMA Professional.
• Mid to low bitrates (less than 128 kbit/s down to 64 kb/s): private tests at 80 kb/s and 96 kb/s shows that Vorbis has a better quality than other lossy audio codecs (LC-AAC, HE-AAC, MP3, MPC, WMA).
• Mid bitrate (128kb/s): most recent public multiformat test at 128 kb/s shows a four-way tie between Vorbis, LAME-encoded MP3, WMA Pro, and QuickTime AAC, with each codec essentially transparent (sounds identical to the original music file).
• High bitrates (more than 128 kb/s): most people do not hear significant differences. However, trained listeners can often hear significant differences between codecs at identical bitrates, and Vorbis performs better than LC-AAC, MP3, and MPC.

Most of the audio files in this site are in Ogg Vorbis format. Most players now support this format, but if you have problems, you can visit this page and download many free players for any platform.



Downloads in Ogg Vorbis format:

• My favorite pieces by Barrios: Know some of my favorite works by the greatest composer for guitar.
  
• The essential works of Bach: Pieces that everyone should know.
  
• Bach Violin Concertos: Outstanding pieces for violin and orchestra.
  
• Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin: The deepest thoughts and emotions produced in only one small instrument.
• Bach Cello Suites: The greatest works ever written for Cello.



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