Lame works @ 44Khz, fails @ 22Khz

[Barak]

Hello,


Using Windows 98SE, dBpowerAMP 8d, and lame 3.91 (I later tried 3.92 and it didn't fix the problem), I can encode .wav files to .mp3 @ 44.1Khz just fine, but when I try 22Khz or lower, I get an error box that says:

"The CODEC required to compress <filename> could not be opened."

What should I do?

[Spoon]

Could you try the Release 9 beta in the beta topic of this forum, let me know how you get on.

[Barak]

Problem still exists in Rel9 Beta 4

Spoon,

Yep, same problem, I get:

The CODEC required to compress 'C:\temp\V001_raw.mp3' could not be opened.

[Spoon]

Just tried it my self, and it works fine. What are you converting from? wav files @ 44Khz?

[Barak]

Spoon,

Using Windows 98's mighty "sound recorder", I make a 44.1Khz, 16 Bit, Stereo PCM wave file (the "CD quality" preset). When I try to convert it to a 16Kbps, 11.025Khz MP3 file, that's when I get the error.

Conversion works regardless of bitrate at 32, 44.1, and 48Khz, and fails on everything below 32Khz.

Could it be that from a prior install or some other MP3 software, dbPowerAMP is being misdirected to the wrong compression codec?

Do you have a debug version that would allow me to send you more detailed information about the error?

[Barak]

Yea, for I have solveth the problem!

Spoon,

I can make the error go away if I set the preset quality to "No Preset". If I set it back to "Studio Quality", the problem reappears.

Obviously, encoding below 32Khz is not studio quality. Is the problem I've discovered a bug or a feature? Can you replicate it?

BTW, I'm an off duty software engineer, so I enjoy stuff like this.

[Spoon]

I can get it to do it as well. It must be a feature of Lame - there is quite a bit of behind the scenes tweaking that goes on with Lame for each of the presets, it would be impractical for me to try and find these 'bad combinations' for the reason that lame changes from one version to the next.

[Barak]

I guess you could have a dialog box pop up to let people know that certain combinations of presets and selected setting will cause Mp3 encoding to fail...