fre:ac (formerly BonkEnc) 1.0.31

If you want a versatile but free audio converter, then try fre:ac, which integrates several encoders for compatibility with different audio formats, including Bonk files. It also functions as a CD ripper that allows you to convert audio CDs to Ogg Vorbis or MP3 file formats.

Features:

• Supports different combinations of audio format conversions
• Integrates CD ripper
• Includes audio player
• Multi-core optimized encoders
• Full Unicode support for file names and tags
• Interface supports 39 languages
• Free and open source

Using fre:ac

fre:ac gave us a number of options during its installation. Apart from choosing the language we wanted to use, we could select the features we wanted to install, such as international language support, easy Update online updater, fre:ac command line interface, smooth Translator utility and fre:ac source code.

We found it easy to use, and the built-in player enabled us to play selected audio files without opening another program. Although the icons on the upper part of the program interface featured no names, placing the cursor over them displayed their respective functions.

We could add items either by pattern or from a folder. The list of files displayed their track numbers, approximate lengths and sizes, and hovering over the file names displayed even more details about them.

The free audio converter uses the Compact Disc Database or CDDB method to read music and search for relevant metadata online. The program automatically reads content and fills relevant information like song, track and artist. At the same time, it allowed us to add or remove details manually, including track, title, album, genre, artist and year.

We had granular control over the output. Some of the things we could do included applying various audio filters, selecting relevant encoders, creating cue sheets and playlists and choosing the default directory for saving converted files. By default, fre:ac selects the music directory. The converter also accepts the installation of both input and output plugins for more functionality. The program let us tailor the quality of the converted files to suit our preferences, including adjusting their bit rates.

You can use the converter to encode all selected files into one file, which is handy if you want to create a medley of songs. Multi-core processing allows the program to take advantage of the power of modern computers for even faster conversions. You can convert a whole library relatively fast. Even if you do not want to blend multiple songs into a single file, the batch processing feature allows you to create a list of files to convert at a go.

Advanced users may prefer using the command line interface, which is especially useful when handling batch scripts.

Conclusion

fre:ac is a versatile program that allows you to perform several tasks for which you would otherwise need different applications. It is a free audio converter, player, CD ripper and tag editor. It is user friendly and supports multi-core processing, which boosts conversion and ripping speeds.