Ogg Vorbis (OGG) is a completely open, patent-free, professional audio encoding and streaming technology with all the benefits of Open Source. It is roughly equivalent to MP3 in its ability to compress audio files but the compression algorithm is patent-free. Follow this link to the Ogg Vorbis web site for further details.

Total Recorder software provides the ability to play, record, edit, and convert OGG files to any supported sound formats. With the OGG Vorbis conversion feature, you can convert OGG files to MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, APE, and other formats. To convert multiple files at the same time, you can use the built-in batch conversion engine. Using the program's tag editor, you can easily edit, add, or delete tag data of OGG files, as well as generate file names based on tag information (such as the artist's or album's name, track title, genre, or track number).

Total Recorder Version 4.1 to Version 5.3 supported the Ogg Vorbis audio format by using an external dynamic link library, named vorbishc.dll, which was developed and written by High Criteria.

Total Recorder Version 6.0 and above supports the Ogg Vorbis audio format either by using the external dynamic link library (vorbishc.dll) or by using High Criteria's Ogg Vorbis Support Add-on. The results of encoding are equivalent regardless of the method you choose. Files created by Total Recorder using the dll can be recognized and processed by a version of Total Recorder that uses the add-on and vice versa. Both the dll and the add-on are available free of charge.

If you have Total Recorder Version 6.0 or above and have both the dll and add-on installed, then Total Recorder uses the add-on to encode in Ogg Vorbis format.

If you use Total Recorder Version 6.0 or above, it is recommended you use the Ogg Vorbis Support Add-on rather than vorbishc.dll. The add-on has the following advantages over the dll:

• The add-on uses an updated Ogg Vorbis engine with improved encoding quality and a number of minor bug fixes.
• The process of adding support for the Ogg Vorbis format is simpler.

Follow these steps to add support for the Ogg Vorbis format through the vorbishc.dll (for users of Total Recorder Version 4.1 and above):

1. Download the zipped High Criteria Ogg Vorbis support library.
2. Extract the vorbishc.dll file and copy it to your Total Recorder installation directory (default is "C:\Program Files\HighCriteria\TotalRecorder").

You can verify the installation and check the version of the Ogg Vorbis support library using the Options-> Settings-> Ogg Vorbis dialog within Total Recorder.

Follow these steps to add support for the Ogg Vorbis format through the Ogg Vorbis Support Add-on (for users of Total Recorder version 6.0 and above):

1. Download and install the Ogg Vorbis Support Add-on.

You can verify the installation and check the version of the Ogg Vorbis Support Add-on using the Options-> Settings-> Add-ons and Options-> Settings-> Ogg Vorbis dialogs within Total Recorder.

After installing and verifying the installation, you can delete the vorbishc.dll (if you previously installed it).

Notes regarding Ogg Vorbis

The vorbishc.dll program and the Ogg Vorbis Support Add-on were written by High Criteria. They are based on the Xiph.org Foundation source code implementation. The Xiph.org Foundation requires that the following information be included with any copy or redistribution of its code.

Copyright (c) 2002, Xiph.org Foundation

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

- Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

- Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

- Neither the name of the Xiph.org Foundation nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE REGENTS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.