Zero Audible Psychoacoustic - Studio Reference Audio Codec
Advanced psychoacoustic principles preserve clarity and ambiance while removing inaudible components.
Intelligent Mid/Side encoding applied only when beneficial for compression and phase coherence.
Subtle transient shaping enhances punch and presence without audible artifacts.
64-bit internal processing ensures archival stability and numerical accuracy.
Enforces lossless sources (WAV, FLAC, AIFF) and automatically rejects lossy formats (MP3, OGG, AAC) to prevent quality degradation.
Applies reflection padding for boundary handling, pre-emphasis filtering for high-frequency clarity, and subtle transient shaping for improved dynamics.
Real-time evaluation determines if Mid/Side encoding is beneficial based on stereo field energy distribution and correlation.
Converts time-domain signal to frequency domain using sine-windowed DCT-IV with 50% overlap for optimal time-frequency resolution.
Non-linear power law quantization with frequency-dependent weighting and temporal prediction reduces data while preserving perceptual quality.
Final compression using Zstandard Ultra level 21 achieves maximum size reduction while maintaining fast decompression.
| Parameter | Value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Block Size | 2048 samples | Optimal frequency resolution |
| Hop Size | 1024 samples (50%) | Smooth reconstruction |
| Window Function | Sine | Time-frequency localization |
| Power Law Exponent | 0.85 | Non-linear quantization |
| Pre-Emphasis | 0.28 | High-frequency clarity |
| DC Blocker | 0.9995 (IIR) | Low-frequency drift removal |
| Target Bitrate | < 280 kbps | Studio-grade quality |
| Compression | Zstd Ultra 21 | Final binary packaging |
| Format | Bitrate | Quality | Compression | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAV (PCM) | 1411 kbps | 100% (Lossless) | 0% | Archival, Production |
| FLAC | ~800 kbps | 100% (Lossless) | ~40% | Best for Archival |
| ZAP | < 280 kbps | ~95% (Transparent) | 70-85% | Experimental, High Quality |
| Opus | 128-256 kbps | ~92-96% | 80-90% | Modern, Versatile |
| AAC (256) | 256 kbps | ~90-94% | ~80% | Streaming, Apple |
| MP3 (320) | 320 kbps | ~88-92% | ~75% | Universal Compatibility |
| OGG Vorbis | ~200 kbps | ~85-90% | ~85% | Open Source, Gaming |
Note: Quality percentages are approximate and subjective. ZAP is experimental and designed for specific use cases where psychoacoustic optimization matters. For true lossless archival, use FLAC. For broad compatibility, use MP3/AAC. For modern applications, consider Opus.
Complete encoder/decoder/player in a single executable. No installation required - just run and encode!
Full Rust source code with detailed comments. Build, modify, and learn from the implementation.
Comprehensive technical documentation (EN/DE) and user guides for quick start and advanced usage.
Built-in playback engine with real-time sample rate conversion and progress display.