Can't convert to MP3 using command-line LAME

[Blaq]

(Note: I find the whole dMC licensing situation confusing. Apologies if my question is out of line.)

I can't seem to convert files to MP3 using LAME version 3.93 MMX, downloaded from www.mp3dev.org. dMC seems to convert, but the output file can't be found.

Here's what I did:
- Select source file in Windows Explorer > "Convert To"
- dMC comes up; select "mp3 (Lame.exe)" codec (has a dMC icon), *not* "mp3 (Lame)" with a Windows Media Player icon.
- Option area shows command-line parameters; I use:

--preset standard [InFile] [OutFile]

- Clickong "Convert" bring up a progress window; everything seems fine. Conversion complete in ~8 seconds.
- Output file is nowhere on my drive, so it's not a directory snafu.
- Running LAME directly via the command line works fine: the file gets converted and the output file created.

Grrr! I hate asking such a newbie question, but Google, newdgroups, and the FAQ are no help.

[LtData]

Re: Can't convert to MP3 using command-line LAME

Try doing a "Test Conversion (no write)" conversion on your source file. What is your source file, out of curiosity? (bits, bitrate, type, frequency, channels)

[ChristinaS]

Re: Can't convert to MP3 using command-line LAME

Did you actually specify the full path to your input and to the output file?

[Blaq]

Re: Can't convert to MP3 using command-line LAME

Try doing a "Test Conversion (no write)" conversion on your source file.

Success on the test conversion; took 2 seconds to process 100%.

What is your source file, out of curiosity? (bits, bitrate, type, frequency, channels)

54M WAV file, 1411kbps, 16-bit, stereo, 44kHz.

Did you actually specify the full path to your input and to the output file?

Given what I'd read in the forums, I assumed that "[InFile]" and "[OutFile]" would get substituted to the correct values by dMC before calling the command-line LAME. (As a test, I moved my test.wav file to C:\ to avoid possible problems with long directory paths and spaces, and tried to hardcode the dMC command-line codec parameter as " --preset standard C:\test.wav C:\test.mp3", just to see. Same result: no MP3 output file.)



On another note, there's an options.txt file alongside lame.exe which looks strange:

[Codec]
.mp3
<Program Files>\Utilities\Music\Illustrate\dBpowerAMP\Compr ession\mp3 (Lame.exe)

[CLIString]


[Label]
1
2
Command Line:

[CLIText]
1
17
330

[CLIString]
-r -x --bitwidth

[BitsPerSample]

[CLIString]
-s

[SamplesPerSecKHz]

[IsMonoString]
-m m

[CLIString]
-

[OutFile]


Would this have any bearing with my problem?

[unSeen]

Re: Can't convert to MP3 using command-line LAME

May not be the problem, but comparing your options.txt with mine, it looks like the lame.exe on the third line is missing. Maybe it automatically looks for lame.exe in the folder specified, but try to add "\lame.exe" directly after "mp3 (lame.exe)" so it looks something like:

<Program Files>\Illustrate\dBpowerAMP\Compression\mp3 (lame.exe)\lame.exe

Otherwise the file is the same as mine and I haven't had any problems using the lame.exe CLI.

[Spoon]

Re: Can't convert to MP3 using command-line LAME

The tags will be written after encoding by dbpoweramp, it could be your lame version is holding the file open so dbpoweramp cannot get in.

[RedMage]

Re: Can't convert to MP3 using command-line LAME

I was annoyed with the mp3 encoder licensing thing, but with a little hacking of the options.txt file I seem to have the lame.exe encoder working the way I want without having to supply a bunch of command line stuff. . here's my options.txt file in C:\Program Files\Illustrate\dBpowerAMP\Compression\mp3 (Lame.exe)

[Codec]
.mp3
<Program Files>\lame-3.96.1\lame.exe

[CLIString]


[Label]
1
2
Command Line:

[CLIText]
1
17
330

[CLIString]
-r -x --bitwidth

[BitsPerSample]

[CLIString]
-V 3 --vbr-new

[SamplesPerSecKHz]

[IsMonoString]
-m m

[CLIString]
-

[OutFile]

Hope this helps. . Great software btw. =)

[LtData]

Re: Can't convert to MP3 using command-line LAME

As it has been said elsewhere, none of us like the mp3 licensing thing, but Spoon didn't really have a choice. It was either take mp3 out or license an encoder. And since mp3 is still so popular and nearly everything supports it, the first choice wasn't an option.