Real Audio Codec crashes DMC

[Unregistered]

My O/S is WinXp Pro SP2 and I recently installed the RealAudio Encoder Codec from Codec Central since I wanted to convert some MP3 files to Real's rm format.

My problem is that that DMC crashes randomly when I attempt the conversions. The weird thing is that sometimes the conversion works and at other times it does not with no clear pattern. Sometimes a couple of files get converted during batch conversion before the crash occurs. At other times by changing the conversion settings i.e. from Voice to Voice/Music or the sampling rate from 44100 to 16000, the conversion works.

Crashes only occur with the RealAudio codec- all other conversions appear to work fine.

Ideas anyone ??

[xoas]

Re: Real Audio Codec crashes DMC

This may be a case where differences in sampling rate or number of channels or bit setting between the source file and the specified output file settings may be interfering with your conversions.

In such cases, I have found it helpful to make sure that Professional Frequency conversion is checked (in dMC Configuration, Start>All Programs>dBpowerAMP Music Converter>Configuration>dMC Configuration).

Even then, the other strategy is that often doing these conversions in two steps (mp3 to wav with the wav settings similar to your output settings, generally) will work where a one step conversion will not.

Some things I would want to look for since you refer to batch conversions:
Will the same files consistently crash the program, even when they are converted alone; or will a file sometimes crash the program and sometimes not? I have encountered cases where a batch conversion will fail if you throw in a source file that is markedly different from other files in the batch.
If you are using Power Pack, what setting are you using for your conversion priority?
If your conversion setting is not normal or below normal you may want to decrease your conversion priority (set in the window where the progress of your conversion is shown).

If none of these seem to apply, a little more about any error messages you are receiving might be helpful, as would any details about your attempts to deal with the issues raised above.

Best wishes,
Bill Mikkelsen

[Unregistered]

Re: Real Audio Codec crashes DMC

Thanks Bill for your detailed response.


I am trying to convert voice files ( all in 64 Kbps / 44100 Hz MP3 format ) to RealAudio's .rm format ( Target Audience 28kbps modem; Single Rate ). If I set the RealAudio encoder Audio Format settings to Voice, DMC always crashes. If I change settings to Voice & Music or Music, DMC sometimes works and sometimes crashes. In the latter case, fiddling with the Sampling settings (from 44100 Hz to 16000Hz for example) sometimes solves the problem.

Sorry I can't be more specific but the crashes appear to be random and do not seem to follow a clear pattern.

I did try your suggestion to convert the MP3s to Wave first and then to Rm - DMC still crashes with Audio Format set at Voice.

I think there appears to a bug in the Real encoder.

[ChristinaS]

Re: Real Audio Codec crashes DMC

Thanks Bill for your detailed response.


I am trying to convert voice files ( all in 64 Kbps / 44100 Hz MP3 format ) to RealAudio's .rm format ( Target Audience 28kbps modem; Single Rate ). If I set the RealAudio encoder Audio Format settings to Voice, DMC always crashes. If I change settings to Voice & Music or Music, DMC sometimes works and sometimes crashes. In the latter case, fiddling with the Sampling settings (from 44100 Hz to 16000Hz for example) sometimes solves the problem.

Sorry I can't be more specific but the crashes appear to be random and do not seem to follow a clear pattern.

I did try your suggestion to convert the MP3s to Wave first and then to Rm - DMC still crashes with Audio Format set at Voice.

I think there appears to a bug in the Real encoder.

Maybe you should uninstall the codecs (in Control Panel Add/Remove Programs) and re-download and reinstall them. Maybe uninstall and reinstall also Real Player. I have no problem doing such a conversion at all, but I use W2K. I have the Real Audio codec release 3, don't know if a newer one has come out.

[xoas]

Re: Real Audio Codec crashes DMC

I am trying to convert voice files ( all in 64 Kbps / 44100 Hz MP3 format ) to RealAudio's .rm format ( Target Audience 28kbps modem; Single Rate ). If I set the RealAudio encoder Audio Format settings to Voice, DMC always crashes. If I change settings to Voice & Music or Music, DMC sometimes works and sometimes crashes. In the latter case, fiddling with the Sampling settings (from 44100 Hz to 16000Hz for example) sometimes solves the problem.

Do you know (or can you figure out) what bit setting and frequency Real Audio uses for their Voice format setting?

I did try your suggestion to convert the MP3s to Wave first and then to Rm - DMC still crashes with Audio Format set at Voice.

Was this procedure any more reliable with the Voice & Music or Music settings, or more successful with changing the sampling rates? I ask because I am not sure whether we are making some type of progress or not. What settings did you use for your wav conversions?

With respect to these questions, I am thinking that your best hope for a sucessful conversion will involve an intermediate conversion to a format and settings that are as similar as possible to your output source. So I would recommend checking out what settings in terms of bit setting, number of channels (mono vs. stereo) and frequency
that RealAudio uses. Then I would try converting to wav using settings for wav that approximate as closely as possible the settings that Real Audio uses for the format (Voice) you are trying to convert to. If wav will not do, you might consider using wma instead of wav for your intermediate conversion since wma v9/9.1 have special settings for Voice files which may provide a smoother transition than you can get with wav.

Can you confirm whether files that crash during conversion will consistently crash or will they sometimes crash and sometimes not (check this without changing the settings for the conversion)?

Best wishes,
Bill Mikkelsen

[Unregistered]

Re: Real Audio Codec crashes DMC

1. Cant figure out what bit setting and frequency this particular RealAudio encoder uses for Voice.
2. The settings I used for the intermediate conversion to Wave were "same as source".
3. The procedure was more reliable when changing the setting from Voice to Voice & Music rather than changing the sampling rates. Voice setting always crashes DMC ; other settings work most of the time.
4. The crash during conversion is not consistent i.e. even without changing any settings, crashes will occur randomly.

I also tried ChristanaS's suggestion of reinstalling both Real Player and the RealAudio codec (v3) with no success.

Incidentally, this problem is only with this particular codec and/or DMC - I am able to convert the same files without any problem using other software such as Real Producer Basic and Easy Real Converter.

[ChristinaS]

Re: Real Audio Codec crashes DMC

OK, don't use bits as source and frequency as source when converting to wav. Just convert to 16-bits and 44.1KHz PCM wav. You may be ending up with some odd combinations there.

[xoas]

Re: Real Audio Codec crashes DMC

If the settings Christina has suggested don't work, I would suggest that you try converting to PCM wav 16 bit, 8 or 16 khz. (based on the following table here:
http://service.real.com/help/library...audio.htm#9659, although I am not familiar with the exact settings which the dMC RealAudio Encoder uses for Voice).

If 44.1 khz wav works, stick with that.

Best wishes,
Bill Mikkelsen

[Unregistered]

Re: Real Audio Codec crashes DMC

Thanks Bill and Christina for all your help. I have now decided to give up on this codec and use Real Producer to do my conversions.

[mdreher]

Re: Real Audio Codec crashes DMC

Bumping here because I've wondered if I've been the only one to see this problem. I guess I'm not.

I have dBPowerAMP w/the Real codec on two machines. 1 has XP, SP 1; the other XP, SP2.

I also use the program to convert basically voice files to RM format. The machine with SP1 - never a hiccup.

With SP 2 - definitely crashes every time I try to use single rate.
My normal settings are the 44khz, voice setting. I use a target audience of 28kbps. Always the crash in "musicconverter.exe" - then it pops back up after it crashes.

It appears that SP2 has something to do here. I've done the uninstall/reinstall with no success.



However, if I change this to the Surestream setting, then it will often (not always) work, but the resulting rm file is 3x the size of the 44khz/voice/28kbps setting.

I'm using version 11 of DMC and version 3 of the Real codec.

Any ideas?

[philipjacobs]

Re: Real Audio Codec crashes DMC

Yes, I have the exact same problem as the other guy. 2 machines, exact same file. SP1, works fine, no glitches. SP2 crashes everytime.
If someone is able to resolve this issue, please let me know!!
Thanks in advance,
Philip :blush:

[LtData]

Re: Real Audio Codec crashes DMC

Try downloading Real Alternative (use google to find the link) and getting the beta Direct Show codec from the beta section of this forum.

[tylast]

Re: Real Audio Codec crashes DMC

I have a same issue when converting from M4A files to RM. Using the single stream, I can ONLY get the file to encode & not crash with the following settings (44 / Voice / 28k).

Everything else at low bitrates crashes dbpoweramp.

The Direct Show codec is only for reading & did not help at all.
Thoughts?

[Spoon]

Re: Real Audio Codec crashes DMC

It relates somehow to SP2 in XP....

[rayheinrich2]

Re: Real Audio Codec crashes DMC

The Real Audio CODEC when I try to do .wav to .rm conversions crashes
for me too.

I'm running dBpowerAMP Music Converter Release 11 and dMC Power Pack Release 3
on a Win 98 machine.

I tried a bunch of stuff and here's what I found:

If I do a .wav conversion to .rm with any of the Power Pack Effects set,
I usually get a crash on the first or second file. (Actually I've only tested
"Volume Fade" and "Volume Normalize".)

If I re-boot and take all the Power Pack Effects off, I get no crashes doing
.wav to .rm conversions. (I usually run about 40 files). But once there is a
crash even the .wav to .rm conversions with all the Power Pack Effects off
will crash.

To get around this I do an intermediate conversion. I don't know about any other
set-ups, but the ones necessary for what I'm doing (see below) have run many times
now and I've yet to get a crash.

My run procedure:

Select Palm Pilot .wav files for conversion.
(These happen to be ADPCM 8000hz 4bit files.)
Set dBpowerAmp for .wav 16bit 8000hz mono
(If set to 8bit there's all sorts of noise, but 16bit sounds great.)
Set Power Pack DSP for:
Volume Fade In=1000msec Out=1000msec
Volume Normalize 90%, Max 15, Simple
Set Destination Folder
Press "Convert" button and wait for all files to be converted.

Select 16bit 8000hz mono intermediate files for conversion.
Set dBpowerAmp for Real Audio 8000hz Voice 28kbps Single
Delete Volume Fade and Volume Normalize from Power Pack DSP
(i.e. clear all effects)
Set Destination Folder
Press "Convert" button and wait for all files to be converted.

This has yet to cause a crash for me.

Maybe this will work for other set-ups as well.
(Obviously you'll have to select an intermediate conversion that's as
good or better than your conversion resolution and frequency.)

Hope this helps,
Ray Heinrich