unable to convert to .ra due to error message

[dolphins136]

Good morning,
Due to an error message midway through attempting to convert to .ra, an error message pops up and states program encountered a problem and must close. I have uninstalled, reinstalled, rebooted too many times to count, all to no avail.
Thanks for any help you can render.
God bless,
frazzled in Florida

[LtData]

Re: unable to convert to .ra due to error message

I assume you have the real codec installed. Do you also have either Real Alternative or Real Player installed?

Can you do a test convert of this file? If the test convert fails, dMC cannot read the file for one reason or another.

[dolphins136]

Re: unable to convert to .ra due to error message

I do have real player and codec installed. Test conversion successful.
Tried again, same error message: 'MusicConverter.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close.'
Thanks Lt.Data for your help. I am trying to get sermons to the website...someone else was doing it before me and had no problem...so maybe it is my computer.
Ok, what do we try next?
I appreciate your help!!!

[ChristinaS]

Re: unable to convert to .ra due to error message

I do have real player and codec installed. Test conversion successful.
Tried again, same error message: 'MusicConverter.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close.'
Thanks Lt.Data for your help. I am trying to get sermons to the website...someone else was doing it before me and had no problem...so maybe it is my computer.
Ok, what do we try next?
I appreciate your help!!!

What file type are you converting your .ra to? What are teh specs of both files?

For then .ra file you get that from Real Player in clip properties.

[dolphins136]

Re: unable to convert to .ra due to error message

Hi Christina,
I am converting .cda files to .ra files, and then .rm and .ram files. If you go to www.clubzion.org/sermons.html, you will see what was done previously. I am just trying to do the same but on my computer.
Thank you!

[ChristinaS]

Re: unable to convert to .ra due to error message

So in fact you are ripping an audio cd to real media format? So you will be producting an .rm file after using dMC (or dMC AUdio Input) for this.
You need not also produce an .ra file, since it is the same thing as .rm in this case. A rename of one to the other will be ok, but unnecessary. No conversion from .rm to .ra need be done.

Your .ram file is just a meta-file, so if you need this, you use Notepad to make it. Check out the FAQ on meta-files for its contents and structure. Basically it's just a link to the .ra or .rm file you want to stream, nothing much really. But, if I ermember correctly from some past problems I encountered, it requires the full path to the .ra or .rm file - so for it to work on the web, you may need to specify the entire url.

Now coming back to your problem, are you going from the audio cd track to .rm when you encounter the error? What are the specs of the .rm file you are trying to create?

[dolphins136]

Re: unable to convert to .ra due to error message

I am going from audio cd to real audio. The specs are for an sample file are:
Length 39:40
Format RealAudio
Quality 16Kbps
Audio Channels 1
I got this from the clip info on the real player as you instructed.
I also did another test conversion and it worked fine.
Ok, off to work. Will check back tomorrow.
Thanks again!

[ChristinaS]

Re: unable to convert to .ra due to error message

I am going from audio cd to real audio. The specs are for an sample file are:
Length 39:40
Format RealAudio
Quality 16Kbps
Audio Channels 1
I got this from the clip info on the real player as you instructed.
I also did another test conversion and it worked fine.
Ok, off to work. Will check back tomorrow.
Thanks again!

The test conversion would be for the audio cd track, the source, not the destination file type. All that the test conversion determines is if the input file is OK.

Since you have problems ripping directly to .rm, I would do this conversion in 2 steps. First rip the audio cd track to a wav file, 44.1KHz, mono (though stereo would be ok too, but mono is half the size). This should work fine.

Then convert this .wav file to Real media trying to find which settings offered correspond best to 16Kbps. Real Media works with Audiences targeted (geared towards the internet connection speed), thus the ensuing bit rate may be something different. Do not select surestream, as that is geared towards a streaming server. Pick single rate. I tested converting a wav file at 44.1KHz to .rm with frequency of 44100Hz, audience at 28Kbps, and that gave me 16kbps for the resulting bitrate. I also selected Voice, since other settings would rseult in a higher resulting bit rate. In this manner the resulting file occupies 123K for one minute of audio, probably the lowest possible. No need to lower the frequency as it seems to make no difference in either size or quality. 16kbps mono .rm is about the lowest possible it seems anyway, though it's fine for Voice.

[dolphins136]

Re: unable to convert to .ra due to error message

Converted to .wav as suggested and this was successful. Then attempted to convert to real audio...same error message came up as before.
Thanks for helping...not sure what to do now...
Maybe off to look at new computers.

[ChristinaS]

Re: unable to convert to .ra due to error message

Converted to .wav as suggested and this was successful. Then attempted to convert to real audio...same error message came up as before.
Thanks for helping...not sure what to do now...
Maybe off to look at new computers.

I'd say to uninstall (from control panel, add/remove programs) all of Real Player, Real One and any other similar real players of any versions, as well as the real media codec from dBpowerAMp.

Clean up the registry of all the real player & co traces if you can. If you don't know how to do this, leave it alone.

Download and install a fresh copy of Real player and install dBpowerAMP's real media codec. There's no reason why it shouldn't work.

If you really, really need this stuff to be in Real Media format (why, oh, why???) you can download and install Real media Encoder from www.realnetworks.com and get it straight from the horse's mouth so to speak.

But also remember that you can have other media types that stream as well on the web. Take a look at .wma what gets played through Windows Media Player and usually doesn't require anybody downloading any extra player such as Real Player to play it, which is an annoyance and maybe a deterrent for many people.

[dolphins136]

Re: unable to convert to .ra due to error message

If you really, really need this stuff to be in Real Media format (why, oh, why???) you can download and install Real media Encoder from www.realnetworks.com and get it straight from the horse's mouth so to speak.

But also remember that you can have other media types that stream as well on the web. Take a look at .wma what gets played through Windows Media Player and usually doesn't require anybody downloading any extra player such as Real Player to play it, which is an annoyance and maybe a deterrent for many people.

Hi Christina,
Why is Real Media format not favorable in your opinion? Just wondering...
Since all the previous few years of sermons are in that format, I was just doing it for continuity. I like your idea re: .wma format instead...ok, off to try this. Thanks again, you are awesome!

[dolphins136]

Re: unable to convert to .ra due to error message

Hi Christina,
Well, .wma worked! I used: 16kbps, 16kHz, mono CBR. Have yet to test it, but do you think that will work for the sermons, as far as quality? Also, will the .wma be streaming like the .ra? I know this is a dumb question, but you have taught me so much. I went back and read a few things you had to say about real player. It is the quality issue that is lacking in it, correct?
Ok, hopefully it will sound good and I will get busy uploading 3 months of sermons...whew...tired already...
Have a blessed day!

[ChristinaS]

Re: unable to convert to .ra due to error message

Hi Christina,
Why is Real Media format not favorable in your opinion? Just wondering...
Since all the previous few years of sermons are in that format, I was just doing it for continuity. I like your idea re: .wma format instead...ok, off to try this. Thanks again, you are awesome!

Well, I don't favor any format which requires special tools to play, especially on the web. Since all Windows driven systems usually have Windows Media Player, it makes sense to have all in formats compatible with that. Real Media requires a downlaod and an installation of Real Player which many people may not want to do. Real Player has the bad reputation of hijacking all media types, so what used to be played in one player before suddenly starts being played in RP. This can be controlled, but not everybody knows what to do to keep RP in check.