Lossless m4a Encode Troubles

[lossless dave]

I am a newbie here - but I have tried to scour the forum for info regarding m4a lossless and believe I have read it all - some of it several times!

My main replay software is MC12 (very latest release), with the DC-Bass DirectShow filter installed to permit internal volume control of m4a lossless. (This should replace the use of QT decoding). MC12 is very valuable to me to improve the interface to my iPod Classic 160Gb, as well as its many other good features.

The official Apple Lossless encode is producing files which are only partly playable. The symptoms are :-

1 - a track will play OK in iTunes / QTime with internal volume control. (obviously)

2 - the same track will play in MC12 but ONLY by revertnig to the QT decoder.

3 - the track will not play in WMP11

I have then de-installed Apple lossless and installed the CLi mechanism and parameterized it to m4a lossless as described in the excellent sticky post by msanderson.

The same track re-converted then plays in
QT as expected
MC12 (via DC-Bass) with internal volume control
WMA (via DC-Bass) with internal volume control

If I then try to re-install the "official" Apple Lossless (alongside the CLi) and re-convert I still get the symtoms described initially AND the CLi mechanism starts to produce Apple compressed conversions (AAC). Obviously nothing has been changed in the CLi setup.

If I de-install official Apple Lossless encode the CLi encode starts to work again. (Sigh)

I would like them to co-exist as I could then re-convert m4a (not working as I wish) to m4a which work fully by reading m4a and converting to m4a in one pass. As things stand I am having to convert m4a to FLAC using MC12 and then convert to m4a from Flac using dbP. Tedious with 3000 tracks to get through.

I have tried a full de-install and re-install of dbP and all the codecs without making any progress.

All this makes me doubt my own sanity or competence with basic stuff - - so
I hope this all make reasonable sense to someone.

Regards and thanks in advance

Lossless Dave
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Additional

XP Pro / Intel
APPLE software running latest releases of everything. (7.5.0.20)
QT 7.3
DC-Bass release V1.0
MC 12.0.388
dbP 12.3
dbP config tells me all codecs up-to-date.

[LtData]

Re: Lossless m4a Encode Troubles

If you encode to ALAC and then run the "m4a optimize" utility codec on it, does that help any?

[lossless dave]

Re: Lossless m4a Encode Troubles

Thanks LtData,

A good result. Thank you very much.

Is there a way to add m4a optimize onto a convertion to m4a lossless? A look round DSP add-ons suggests run-external may be a way forward - or better yet add the optimize to your main m4a lossless convertion routine? (I know that means work for you guys)

Regards
Lossless Dave
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Additional.

I believe using m4a_optimize fixes the problem from dbpoweramp's point of view.

I still have some problems with MC12/DC-Bass with sporadic reverting to QT decoding. Stopping and restarting the track always makes it go into DirectShow DC-Bass.

WMP11 gets it right every time.

Looks like MC12 has a problem.

[Spoon]

Re: Lossless m4a Encode Troubles

After conversion you can use batch converter to find and do (mp4 optimize) all .m4a files with a few clicks.