Error decoded data is not block aligned

[DannyKudos]

Hi folks

I have been getting the above error when encoding some AIFF files to FLAC or WAV. This seems to have started since upgrading to the latest version of DBPoweramp music converter. The earlier version didnt though up any error.

The FLAC files "seem" ok (the play, but i dont have an osiliscope or spectrum analyser to hand :P ) Is it safe to ignore this error ? Should I revert back to the older R11 ?

[DannyKudos]

Re: Error decoded data is not block aligned

Ive just read a previous thread on this error, and noted spoons response.
Im still left a bit puzzled. Does this mean that these audio files had this problem all along, but only R11.5 spots it ?
I have a couple of thousand tracks encoded for distribution to Itunes, Napster and a bunch of other download retailers. Do I need to re-rip ?

Cheers !

[xoas]

Re: Error decoded data is not block aligned

I am unsure.
What I would recommend is taking a sample-perhaps a large sample of these FLAC files and running them through the Test function in FLAC Front-End (available for download here: http://members.home.nl/w.speek/flac.htm). I would try to sample, if you can, only files that might have had this error message at conversion if you can.

Any files that failed the test might possibly still be ok if they play alright but you could try re-ripping and seeing if that leads to a better file. If you still get the same error message, it is unclear to me whether the assymetry that generates the error message is worth bothering about if the file plays OK.

Perhaps another user might have other input.

Best wishes,
Bill

[DannyKudos]

Re: Error decoded data is not block aligned

The Flac files in question seem to pass the test. hmm

[xoas]

Re: Error decoded data is not block aligned

I would probably settle for assuming that the files are OK.
There are 2 other measures you could take.

First is to try playing these files in a variety of players. I remember one case where a user had a downloaded FLAC file that was probably damaged in downloading that would play on one player but not on others and could not be converted by dMC. So if you wish to be very cautious, you might try playing a sample of the files that produced these errors and try each on a variety of players.

The other more paranoid thing you could probably do is trying to reconvert the FLAC files to FLAC. Try with a few of the likely problem files at first to see whether they present the same error message when you convert them to FLAC. I think there's a chance that they will not present the error message when you convert them this way. If my hunch is correct then the paranoid answer would be to take all your FLAC files likely to have spawned these error messages and reconvert them to FLAC. The procedure would be lossless and you would be assured that the new files were free of any taint of error. This is more cautious but quite possibly quicker than playing the same files in a variety of players.

If my assumption is incorrect and the reconversions do display the same error messages, I suppose you try converting the same files to wav and back to FLAC to see if that will put a stop to the error messages. But if FLAC Front-End tests these files as being OK I would likely settle for using what you have. As a trial, you could also see whether re-ripping the same files will produce the same error message, since we are not sure whether the issue arises randomly or consistently. If the same tracks consistently produce this error message, then you will know that re-ripping (or at least re-ripping to the same format and settings) won't help irrespective of whether your ripped tracks need fixing or not.

Be interested in knowing what you decide.
Alternate opinions continue to be welcome.

Best wishes,
Bill

[DannyKudos]

Re: Error decoded data is not block aligned

I need to convert the flac files to wav in any case (for Od2 / Loudeye) so I will see how the conversion goes and if it kicks up any errors.

My uneducated guess is that the new version of Music Converter is a bit sensitive to this error (missing channel sample) that, in practice, makes little difference to the end result. I am considering rolling back to the earlier version and seeing what happens. I'm not too keen in ignoring error messages even if, for practical purposes, they are inconsequential.

I'll let you know how further conversions "pan out".

[xoas]

Re: Error decoded data is not block aligned

If I understand this corrrectly, I don't that the older version probably produced a better output file, it just did not produce the error message.

Perhaps Spon could confirm this.

Anyway, I'll be interested in hearing about what you find out.

Best wishes,
Bill

[Spoon]

Re: Error decoded data is not block aligned

That error means there is data coming out (most probabbly at the end) where:

[L][R][L][R][L]

ie the right channel is missing, which is bad as it can crash encoders.

[DannyKudos]

Re: Error decoded data is not block aligned

Thanks for chiming in Spoon.
I am confused.
Do you think my original AIFFS have always had this error, but just that the new version of converter has picked them up ?.
Is there any way of fixing the files ?
I have just converted the Flacs in quetion to WAVs without a single error. (There are a coupe of thousand tracks).
Would it be worthwhile converting the WAVS back ti AIFFS and try the AIFF to FLAC conversion again to see what happens ?

Cheers !.

[LtData]

Re: Error decoded data is not block aligned

Your error is new to dMC r11.5, yes. Can you convert your Flac-decoded WAVs back to FLAC? That is, take the WAV files that you converted from FLAC and convert these WAV files back to FLAC. Then try FLAC --> WAV --> AIFF --> FLAC and see if the problem manifests itself again.

[DannyKudos]

Re: Error decoded data is not block aligned

OK, it gets stranger.....

I convert from the original Aiffs -> flac and I get the error on about 40% of my tracks
I then convert these FLACS to Wav and get no errors
I then convert the wavs back to Aiff = no errors
I then convert THESE Aiffs to Flac = NO ERRORS

???

Its also not just converting to FLAC that is an issue. I get these errors also when converting the original aiffs to WAVS, WMA, MP3.

The obvious question is what is happening when I convert the original aiff to flac ? Is it dropping the rogue sample ? IF I do this conversion first, will the resulting files be safe to re-encode to whatever format ?

Thanks folk !.

[Spoon]

Re: Error decoded data is not block aligned

Flac must internally drop that last bad sample.