WAV to WMA issues

[streak111]

I have been using Audacity and dbpoweramp for a long time, using audacity to record streams off of the internet, editing to my content, exporting as a WAV, then using dbpoweramp to turn them into a WMA, and putting them on my mp3 player.
Recently, there has been a very loud hissing noise when it is transcoded into a WMA, but the WAV file has no hiss when played back. About five seconds into the WMA song, the music stops and immeadiately a loud hiss starts. It lasts for five to seven seconds, and the song returns to normal goes fine until the finish. Again, there is absolutly nothing wrong with the WAV when played back.
I was using the WM9 codec from codec central on this site, but I went into the forums and got the new codec from the beta section, and retried it. Still the same hiss, but it starts sooner and lasts longer. What am I doing wrong?

[LtData]

Re: WAV to WMA issues

Are you wav files compressed?

What is the frequency and channels of your starting wav file and your ending wma file?

[streak111]

Re: WAV to WMA issues

When hovered over by the mouse, dbpoweramp says the compression on the WAV is .4 to 1 (200%), and 2 channels, frequency of 48000, and 32 bits. The WMA is 16 bit, 44000hz, 2 channels. The weird thing is is when I highlight the file, it shows the current size correctly, and the original size of 42024kb, but the original size is actually 91,483... I am very confused.

[LtData]

Re: WAV to WMA issues

When hovered over by the mouse, dbpoweramp says the compression on the WAV is .4 to 1 (200%), and 2 channels, frequency of 48000, and 32 bits. The WMA is 16 bit, 44000hz, 2 channels. The weird thing is is when I highlight the file, it shows the current size correctly, and the original size of 42024kb, but the original size is actually 91,483... I am very confused.

The problem might be your frequency of the original wav. If I may ask, why 4800Hz? If this came from a CD, the frequency of the source CD is just 44100Hz.

Try converting your original wav to a uncompressed, 44100Hz wav and then converting to wma. Also, make sure "Professional Frequency Conversion" is checked in your dMC Configuration.
(Start Menu --> Program Files --> dbPowerAmp Music Converter --> Configuration --> dMC Configuration)

[ChristinaS]

Re: WAV to WMA issues

A frequency of 48000 Hz and 32 bits for the wav.... That would be the problem alright. It should be 44100Hz and 16 bits if it comes from an audio cd. More than that would not offer any improvement. Those may well be parameters for DVD or perhaps studio recordings, but in the end they should be set down to normal audio cd parameters.

[LtData]

Re: WAV to WMA issues

A frequency of 48000 Hz and 32 bits for the wav

Missed the 32 bits part. But yes, that is also a problem.

For future reference, CD audio is 44.1Khz 16-bit stereo. Raising the bits or frequency of either of these settings will not improve the quality of your records, as ChristinaS said, but just increase the size of the file. Making the frequency 48KHz might improve playback on some soundcards, but most should be fine with 44.1KHz.