dbPowerAMP, A Memory Hog

[WKMahler]

Unlike 2 or 3 years ago, the recent release of the converter is a memory hog.

I used to be able to run nearly a dozen converters, .wav to mp3 at once. Now, I only run 1. I've been watching a 25 song set in .ape taking nearly 1/2 hour now. All conversions take more time now and overall the converter is a memory hog. In easy to understand terms, what can I do to lighten this swiss army knife up?


Thanks,

WKMahler

[adaywayne]

Unlike 2 or 3 years ago, the recent release of the converter is a memory hog.

I used to be able to run nearly a dozen converters, .wav to mp3 at once. Now, I only run 1. I've been watching a 25 song set in .ape taking nearly 1/2 hour now. All conversions take more time now and overall the converter is a memory hog. In easy to understand terms, what can I do to lighten this swiss army knife up?


Thanks,

WKMahler

What OS are you running (now compared to then), what is your CPU speed,
and how much RAM do you have?
Arnie

[LtData]

You have to realize that ape conversions take more CPU to convert, and that dMC has to make these files WAV files before it converts them. Also, a different OS will change the RAM taken up. Lastly, running more than one instance of dMC isn't advised. Use File Selector for multiple files or just do them one folder at a time.

[neilthecellist]

From what I learned at school, WinXP takes up the most memory, am I right?

[ChristinaS]

Use Priority Below Normal during the conversion.

[neilthecellist]

What about Low? I always use Low if I'm doing other things.

[ChristinaS]

What about Low? I always use Low if I'm doing other things.
The main thing is to use below normal or lower. A lot of people think that Above normal will speed up things when in fact the opposite happens especially if they have other programs running (which most everybody has: anti-virus, browser, etc).

[WKMahler]

What OS are you running (now compared to then), what is your CPU speed,
and how much RAM do you have?
Arnie

A couple of years ago, it was Windows ME on the very same computer I use now. Since then, I'm using WinXP Home Edition with service pack 2, 512 mb of ram. I learned not to go higher than that regarding memory (ram) along time ago.

Thanks for the info about .ape conversion.


When I used to run up to 10 converters at once, it was for 10 different artist(s) entirely at a time etc. Still fast and I could even chat via IRC. Not now though.

I'm just wondering,


Why is it that dbPowerAMP/Illustrate has not gone commercial yet and most notably, when the RIAA etc were going nutters about MP3, how did this company manage to survive?

A user till the end.


WKMahler

[LtData]

Gone commercial? What exactly do you mean by that? And the RIAA going nuts about mp3s? They were going nuts about illegal TRADING of mp3s. Blaming ripping software that rips CD for piracy of songs is like blaming a computer manufacturer for their computer being used by hackers.

As for the quip about RAM: Win9x (95, 98, ME) systems did have trouble with over 512MB of RAM, but NT-based Windows Systems (NT, 2000, XP, 2003) can address over 512MB of RAM. I personally know people who run their systems with 1GB or even 2GB of memory.
Also, your computer being slow may also be attributed to dMC better managing itself and finishing quicker, albeit at the expense of some immediate speed. Try adjusting your priority down to "Below Normal" as this gives best results for concurrent usage of the computer and still fast conversions. This setting is also the best result when ripping CDs.
And before, as I mentioned earlier, you were converting uncompressed WAV files. APE files require more CPU usage to decompress.
Also, your computer being "slow" could just be the CPU being heavily used.

[neilthecellist]

Blaming ripping software that rips CD for piracy of songs is like blaming a computer manufacturer for their computer being used by hackers.

LOL! :lol: When converting APE files, CPU Priority level should ALWAYS be set to below normal or lower.

[WKMahler]

Gone commercial? What exactly do you mean by that? And the RIAA going nuts about mp3s? They were going nuts about illegal TRADING of mp3s. Blaming ripping software that rips CD for piracy of songs is like blaming a computer manufacturer for their computer being used by hackers.

As for the quip about RAM: Win9x (95, 98, ME) systems did have trouble with over 512MB of RAM, but NT-based Windows Systems (NT, 2000, XP, 2003) can address over 512MB of RAM. I personally know people who run their systems with 1GB or even 2GB of memory.
Also, your computer being slow may also be attributed to dMC better managing itself and finishing quicker, albeit at the expense of some immediate speed. Try adjusting your priority down to "Below Normal" as this gives best results for concurrent usage of the computer and still fast conversions. This setting is also the best result when ripping CDs.
And before, as I mentioned earlier, you were converting uncompressed WAV files. APE files require more CPU usage to decompress.
Also, your computer being "slow" could just be the CPU being heavily used.


Lt. Data,

By commercial, I meant that it is not for sale online or in store with or without the player and cd writer. By far, this is a great program. I had read that when MP3 was increasing in popularity, around the time that Napster was being put together for the first time, the RIAA was making much ado about the advent of MP3, the ease of creation (encoder-decoders were fairly new then) and the worry was the loss of the CD format. Back then, the average CD writer didn't support MP3 vastly.


I have a 22 song folder, all in .shn and only 1 track in .shn would not convert. Would you like a shot at it?

I keep seeing the potential for greatness if the dBpowerAMP and all the goods were combined with www.openoffice.org, www.mozilla.org and www.winamp.com as well as www.shoutcast.com and a few others out there, all on the same page, multiple owners of a diversified business with one main page.

WKMahler

[Spoon]

How much memory is it taking up?

When converting to mp3 most of the time is compressing the mp3 file, various mp3 settings (some alt presets) are very slow - you cannot get any faster with any software (using lame).

Going from ape >> mp3 does not create a temporary wave file unless DSP effects are being used.

[neilthecellist]

how do u tell how muhc memory is being used?

[LtData]

You can check memory usage in Task Manager under the Process tab.

[neilthecellist]

Oh right....(I knew that!)