Issue with the new AAC/M4a encoder

[Makaveli84]

Re: Issue with the new AAC/M4a encoder

Awesome! Will test it out...

[Spoon]

Re: Issue with the new AAC/M4a encoder

Fixed in R15.2 (testing section of this forum)

[Makaveli84]

Re: Issue with the new AAC/M4a encoder

Been testing for 3 months:

https://forum.dbpoweramp.com/showthr...AC)-Encoder-R3

Thanks!

BTW, I had been doing some VBR encodes using the command-line fdkaac tool directly, and I've stumbled on a weird quirk: using fdkaac version 0.6.1 (tested with VBR, LC profile, default settings) results in m4a files whose bitrate isn't handled correctly by dBpoweramp's property handler. All such encodes show "0 kbps". MediaInfo seems to handle them correctly.

Now going back to fdkaac 0.2.0 (the version included in the above link, i.e. the dBpoweramp installer), that problem seems to not exist.


Conclusion: some change to the fdkaac CLI between versions 0.2.0 and 0.6.1 is causing dBpoweramp to break when reading AAC (m4a) bitrates of files encoded in VBR mode. Bitrate readings for CBR encodes are fine in both 0.2.0 and 0.6.1.
This seems more of a dBpoweramp bug than a fdkaac bug, since other tools (MediaInfo, foobar2000, etc..) give a correct reading for the bitrate of such VBR encoded files.

[Spoon]

Re: Issue with the new AAC/M4a encoder

Been testing for 3 months:

https://forum.dbpoweramp.com/showthread.php?34694-FDK-m4a-(AAC)-Encoder-R3

[Makaveli84]

Re: Issue with the new AAC/M4a encoder

Hi Spoon.

Sorry for bumping an old reply.

I've spent considerable time with the libfdk-aac and fdkaac source code and I can't find any evidence that "The codec cannot do VBR". Having experimented with the fdkaac command by itself, I can assure you that VBR works great in LC mode and files produced with "-m5" are high quality and smaller in size than their equivalent CBR files.

Please enable VBR in the UI.

Thanks

True that! FDK has supported both CBR and VBR since day one.

[phm]

Re: Issue with the new AAC/M4a encoder

The codec cannot do VBR, but that is not to say if you encode at around 205kbps CBR that the results would be worse than the nero codec, as far as I know this FDK codec beats the nero codec hands down.

Hi Spoon.

Sorry for bumping an old reply.

I've spent considerable time with the libfdk-aac and fdkaac source code and I can't find any evidence that "The codec cannot do VBR". Having experimented with the fdkaac command by itself, I can assure you that VBR works great in LC mode and files produced with "-m5" are high quality and smaller in size than their equivalent CBR files.

Please enable VBR in the UI.

Thanks

[hogger129]

Re: Issue with the new AAC/M4a encoder

Any possibility of getting QAAC as a built-in codec?

[Spoon]

Re: Issue with the new AAC/M4a encoder

The AAC encoder is independent of dBpoweramp version, however if you install R15 you would need to force the 32 bit install to work with this 32 bit only codec, see:

http://forum.dbpoweramp.com/showthre...ility&p=143358

[jproudfo]

Re: Issue with the new AAC/M4a encoder

Well guess what. I was about to give up and say you've lost my money... but I figured it out. The waybackmachine has my back: https://web.archive.org/web/20130925...entral-m4a.htm
So everyone who couldn't get Nero to work, just stick to an older version of poweramp, such as 14.3: http://www.oldversion.com/windows/db...converter-14-3 and the codec from above. I really can't believe I had to spend this much of my own time to get something to work, that *used* to work. I would be infuriated if I had paid for the upgrade, only to find out the only useful feature to me has been nerfed. Luckily I have only wasted my time, not a dime. Looks like I'll be installing a virtual machine any time I want to convert music...

Thanks for that useful tip... Unfortunately, I don't like the new encoder, either. It doesn't seem to work on some of my hardware, which is forcing me to go back to Nero. I also find it odd that it doesn't support VBR. Hopefully, we'll get this option back in the future release. I don't want to be stuck on 14.3 forever.

[rayray]

Re: Issue with the new AAC/M4a encoder

I had successfully used dBpoweramp, during the 30 day trial, to convert audio to the highest quality AAC that would work with my head unit (with the old Nero encoder). I had not needed to convert any more music, so I didn't end up buying it then. By now I have replaced my operating system with Windows 8, and upon attempting to use the program for my needs, it failed completely. Not only am I missing the VBR option, which I always used. The audio doesn't even work on my head unit at all, even when encoding at a lower 320kb/s. I seriously would've purchased this time around, but I've been spending the better part of the 30 day trial just attempting to get the Nero encoder to work. No matter where I put the Nero encoder, with either the old version 14.3 that actually shows it in the list, or the new version 15 with no support at all, I can't get it to work.

Well guess what. I was about to give up and say you've lost my money... but I figured it out. The waybackmachine has my back: https://web.archive.org/web/20130925...entral-m4a.htm
So everyone who couldn't get Nero to work, just stick to an older version of poweramp, such as 14.3: http://www.oldversion.com/windows/db...converter-14-3 and the codec from above. I really can't believe I had to spend this much of my own time to get something to work, that *used* to work. I would be infuriated if I had paid for the upgrade, only to find out the only useful feature to me has been nerfed. Luckily I have only wasted my time, not a dime. Looks like I'll be installing a virtual machine any time I want to convert music...

[Notac]

Re: Issue with the new AAC/M4a encoder

Because it is a better codec, I seem to remember a listening test on Hydrogenaudio.org and it was better than the nero, even without vbr.

you seem to remember a listening test.

I purchased this product ages ago because of the good reviews and was not disappointed.
Unfortunately, I cannot agree with you on this topic as you have unilaterally decided to replace one codec with another which has less functionality.
That is a backwards step in anyones book.

you have given me no choice so I will just have to find another converter program that uses either the nero or apple aac codec so I can encode the way I have done previously

I will no longer be directing friends and colleagues to your product

[Spoon]

Re: Issue with the new AAC/M4a encoder

Because it is a better codec, I seem to remember a listening test on Hydrogenaudio.org and it was better than the nero, even without vbr.

[Notac]

Re: Issue with the new AAC/M4a encoder

My intention is not to tick anyone off, but can you explain why dbPoweramp is now using a codec that you have stated cannot do VBR, whereas both the Nero and Apple AAC encoders can.
This program is a great product, but I feel like it has taken a step backwards by giving us a codec that has less abilities then its predecessors.
As you will well know, VBR will give a smaller file than CBR but at the same quality if all other settings are kept the same. The difference in saving on a single album may be small, but when you have over 200 albums on your phone, the space saving counts.
Any hope of a VBR option in this new Codec, if not, can we have the Nero option back and let the people decide which version they prefer (you can always put the previso that you no longer support the Nero and will only be supporting the FDK version)

Thank you

ffm76600 - Thank you, I am aware of the profile options, it was the ABR, CBR and VBR settings that I was asking about.

[ffm76600]

Re: Issue with the new AAC/M4a encoder

Hey Nottac

You have to try in the "converting option" the "LC AAC", "HE AAC" and "HE V2 AAC" options for the FDK codec

[justtosay]

Re: Issue with the new AAC/M4a encoder

hmm? is my comment somehow being moderated? I can't seem to find my reply to admin's post uploaded moments before