mp3pro problem

[MikeZ]

I've installed all mp3pro codecs to appropriate folders. The dMC-Mp3-MP3PRO-Encoder-CLI.exe and the dBpowerAMP-codec-mp3PRO-decoder.exe which installs to C:\Program Files\Illustrate folder (though it doesn't seem to show up in file under Illustrate). The Winamp plug-in installs okay and is copied to the Multiplayer folder\input. In this folder I have the in_mp3PRO.dll and the mp3PRO.dll. I have the Thomson Encoder installed and functioning. The pathway appears to be correct, THOMSON mp3PRO Audio Player\mp3PROplayer.exe though I have created my own folder for coverted files.

When I right click on a wav file to convert to mp3pro it starts okay then stops about 9% done and freezes. While this is happening Thomson Decoder pops into action but does not function until you cancel the Converter progress window, it then gives a 'codec error' message. Once cancelled Thomson either finished decoding successfully or shuts down leaving a file of ~dmcin.mp3 in my converted files folder instead of the original file name. What's this all about? Why is it functioning like this?

Decoded mp3pro files using Thomson Encoder play okay in Winamp but not at all in dBpoweramp - My Music Collection. :(

[xoas]

Re: mp3pro problem

I have a few ideas but I am not sure if they will help.

With respect to your playback problems, I would recommend you remove either the dBmp3pro decoder dodec or remove the the WinAmp mp3pro WinAmp Plug-in from your dB Winamp plug-in folder. I suspect that the issue could be one of dueling decoders for playing through dBAudio Player/MMC. Since not all WinAmp plug-ins work with the Winamp plug-in input decoder for dMC/dAP, my first choice would be to remove that .dll from the dB WinAmp Plug-In folder.

With respect to your conversion issues:
Open up your Thomson mp3pro player, click on encoder.
Do you have the option enabled to monitor playback? Un-enable this if so. (This may be what is causing your Thomson Decoder to pop into action while conversion is still taking place).
If you have any entries in the input or output directories, erase these, leaving them blank.
When you convert to mp3pro, it will seem to hang early on and finish in a hurry. This is normal behavior. Your ~dmcin.mp3 files are incomplete conversions and should be erased. My guess, if you had the monitor playback option enabled in Thomson, is that trying to monitor playback may be causing your crashes, when they occur, but this is hypothesis at this point.
If this does not help, can you tell us what other options, if any, you have enabled in your Thomson encoder settings?

Best wishes,
Bill

[MikeZ]

Re: mp3pro problem

Hi Bill

No, the removal of Winamp plug-in (in_mp3PRO.dll) did not work either.

Thomson Encoder options 'Allow Intensity Stereo' and 'Add File To Library' are greyed out. 'Extra High Quality' is checked. 'Monitor Playback' and 'Code Original File Lenght' both unchecked.

Playback really seems odd. Conversion I let run for 6 mins (track lenght 5:09).
The Converter stayeyed at 10% complete when I finally cancelled it. The resulting file was ~dmcin.mp3. I played it in Winamp (my default player and with mp3pro plug-in returned to plug-ins folder) and it seemed to play through okay to the end. (?!) :(

[xoas]

Re: mp3pro problem

Please skip this post and refer to Post #6 in this thread (keeping in mind that without Post #5 there would be no #6!)

Well you learn something new every day!

What I have learned is that if I convert a wave file to mp3pro I will actually get a file I can playin dAP but it will be named ~dmcin just as you have pointed out.
This does not happen if I rip to mp3pro or if I convert from Flac, Ogg or mp3.

I think what is happening is that the encoder codec is hanging at the end of the conversion, I suppose because it thinks it needs file tag information

In any case, the solution is to convert the wave file to a different format and then convert to mp3pro.

Best wishes,
Bill

[LtData]

Re: mp3pro problem

Don't forget to make tags after you convert from wav.

[xoas]

Re: mp3pro problem

Please forget my previous post.
LtData is correct. This problem will occur with ANY conversion to mp3pro if there is no tag information, regardless of format. You will always see this if you convert directly to mp3pro from wave since wave does not support tag information.

The good news is that applying TagFromFileName (utility codec from Codec Central) to your ~dmcin mp3pro file should fix things (quicker than an intermediate conversion). You can also use TagFromFileName to write your tags if you convert from wave to another format.

Gosh, learned 2 things today!!

Best wishes,
Bill

[MikeZ]

Re: mp3pro problem

Hi Bill

I see now that wav files can't be used. However I still have a problem with my conversions and playback of mp3pro. The errors I've had, 'the codec required to decompress [name].mp3 could not be opened' after right clicking on an mp3 in Explorer. (Preceeded by 'overwrite these files?') and I don't understand why it should ask this. Converting a cd in dMC Audio CD Input I've had either 'codec error' or 'unable to convert...' I think it said. I'm wondering if my path names or mp3pro codecs aren't matching up somehow. mp3PRO (CLI).dll is in Program Flies>Illustrate>dBpowerAMP>Compression folder. (In that folder is Mp3 (Lame).dll, the mp3.dll was removed as suggested. Could this have any effect?
mp3PROplayer.exe is in the ProgramFiles>THOMSON mp3PRO Audio Player folder. Any help? :(

[xoas]

Re: mp3pro problem

Your setup sounds ok. To confirm, you might uninstall your mp3pro codec (through add/install programs in your control panel), re-start your computer (IMPORTANT), and re-install.

What are you trying to do when you get the messages about over-writing your files and then the codec required.... Specifically what are you trying to convert to what else (input format, output format and bit, frequency, bitrate, channels for input and output). Not all of this information will be available but try to provide what you can.

Another diagnostic step is to attempt a test conversion of one of your mp3pro files (this should indicate whether your system can read the file.

Best wishes,
Bill

[MikeZ]

Re: mp3pro problem

Hi Bill

Okay ..uninstalled, reinstalled mp3pro codec. So you can't tag wav and you can't convert wav to mp3pro directly. So what route is the best to keep best quality and what use is mp3pro here? I note that mp3pro is an option in both Musicmatch and Nero that can convert wav or your cd in your drive directly to mp3pro. You have no tag info with it but it does the conversion.

TagFromFileName ..where is that exactly, my right click menu does not have it but I've installed the codec.

e.g. I've tried to convert to mp3pro from music cd in drive, and I've tried converting mp3's on hard drive produced by other programs. Not that you'd really want to do it but a file 320kbps, 44100Hz, 2 channel, stereo, Mepeg 1 layer3, ID3v2, mp3 file, with 4 to 1 compression and encoded by Lame dll.

Using right click > convert I'm asked 'Overwrite these files'? Click okay
Then 'Errors Whilst Converting'.
'The CODEC required to decompress [name].mp3 could not be opened'.
Is this normal?

I just want to convert my files from wav to mp3pro for portability when I want to. Thomson does this okay with the right click option, 'Encode to mp3PRO'. I can't seem to use the dBpowerAMP codecs for some reason.

[LtData]

Re: mp3pro problem

TagFromFilename is in the codec list.
Also, why not just change your mp3 files to 128kbps and have them sound a LOT better and be more compatible than mp3PRO?

[xoas]

Re: mp3pro problem

So you can't tag wav...

This is true.

...you can't convert wav to mp3pro directly.

Well my experience is that you can with the BIG exceptions/drawbacks that the conversion will result in one or more mp3pro files (depending on how many you convert at once) all titled ~dmcin but with different filenames, which may appear to be unsuccessful conversions (my conversions did seem successful from the get-go) and which you may not be able to play (your files played in WinAmp, mine played in dAP).
But taking these ~dmcin mp3pro files, I found that by applying the TagFrom FileName codec (which is treated as any other conversion with dMC) resulted in properly tagged and identified files. This is somewhat easier than converting wave to different format, applying TagFromFileName, and converting the result to mp3pro. So I would advise you to try this. Try it with a few files before you try applying it to a whole lot. This will depend on your wave files having appropriate filenames.

I note that mp3pro is an option in both Musicmatch and Nero that can convert wav or your cd in your drive directly to mp3pro. You have no tag info with it but it does the conversion.

You should be able to convert from audio cd directly to mp3pro using dMC (dBpowerAMP Music Converter) Audio CD Input. You cannot use TagFromFileName but you can call up the appropriate tag and file information from the Freedb database and the conversion should produce properly named and labelled mp3pro files. If these programs can convert from wav to mp3pro without the problems we have run into their codec may be better when it comes to encoding mp3pro in this particular circumstance. Until such a time as the dB mp3pro encoder codec gets updated, this is a limitation. On the other hand, encoding directly from wav to mp3pro is a relatively uncommon type of circumstance and there are the work-arounds we have described.

Using right click > convert I'm asked 'Overwrite these files'? Click okay
Then 'Errors Whilst Converting'. 'The CODEC required to decompress [name].mp3 could not be opened'.
Is this normal?

I think this is normal. As I recall, dMC cannot read a file in a given format and replace it with a file with the same name in the same format written to the same location. (This has been described with the option in dMC to delete source files after converting). I am not sure whether this is restricted only to the conversion of a single file or whether it is also a problem when you attempt this with multiple files. The workarounds involve writing to a different format, renaming the converted files so that you don't overwrite your original files, or writing your new files to a different location. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. A good rule of thumb is not to go overwriting files or deleting source files after conversion (a dMC Option) until you are convinced that you know what you are doing and you can cope with the consequences of losing your source files even if your conversion ends up messed up in some way.

So try taking one of your ~dmcin mp3pro files, try applying TagFromFileName and see if it will work for you as it did for me. If it does, try it with a bunch of such files. Let us know how you make out.

Good luck and best wishes,
Bill

[MikeZ]

Re: mp3pro problem

Hi Bill

Thanks for your good reply. I ran a Test Conversion which completed OK without any errors so presumably that's OK. That was with cd in dB Audio Input and again with a wav file from HardDrive.

I can convert OK as you say to mp3pro but it's one file at a time (process as I've described previously) to a ~dmcin.mp3, which I can then manually Edit ID Tag in Explorer before attempting the next conversion (because file name is always the same for each file and of course it don't like that). Too long winded when there are other options so if I need mp3pro I'll use the Music Match which I've now tried and it converts fine, quickly, and it does have ID tags with it. Perhaps Nero is the same.

Haven't had any luck converting any of my mp3's with TagFromFilename either but nevermind. Have also had the same problems with Ogg Vorbis aoTuVb3 SSe2 Codec (as with mp3pro) but the other one I downloaded, Monkey - no problem at all.

Apart from that everything works fine. Good sound in Music Player and good ripper with everything else.

[xoas]

Re: mp3pro problem

I can convert OK as you say to mp3pro but it's one file at a time (process as I've described previously) to a ~dmcin.mp3, which I can then manually Edit ID Tag in Explorer before attempting the next conversion (because file name is always the same for each file and of course it don't like that).

If you are saying you have to convert a single cd track when ripping to mp3pro, this is not the case. When you use the Freedb database, you can rip a full cd at a time without problem. Were you dealing with a homemade cd not in the Freedb database, you can add track, album, and genre information and the program will take it from there.

If you are saying that you can only handle a single wav file at a time, because otherwise the ~dmcin files will overwrite each other, this should not be true. The reason is because these will continue to maintain their original filenames and so they will be written to different locations (which can all be in the same folder, they just won't be the same file). Likewise, you can take multiple files and apply TagFromFileName to a batch at once.

When I advised you to start with one and then a few tracks at once, this is a standard precaution both because their may be differences between the problem you are having and my image of it. It is also designed to help systematically test a solutiion (sometimes what works for one file may not work for many) and also to give you some faith both that a proposed solution works and to encourage a systematic approach to problem-solving (which is useful for any program, or in life in general for that matter).

Still, MusicMatch might be your better tool for converting your wave files to mp3pro.

Haven't had any luck converting any of my mp3's with TagFromFilename

Go Start>All Programs>dBpowerAMP Music Converter> Configuration> dBpowerAMP Music Converter Configuration. Check the list of installed compression codecs (write). You should see [Tag From File Name] at or near the top of this list. If you do not, the codec is not properly installed. Uninstall, restart your computer and re-install. If it does show up in dMC Configuration, then find one of your wave files, right-click and select Convert to. At the top of the dBpowerAMP Music Converter Window is a line that reads "Converting 1 file to" followed by a menu where you select your format. Scan that menu upward. [Tag From File Name] will be at or toward the top of that menu. If it is not, please let us know.

And what is the problem with Ogg, exactly? Have you noted that the 2 AuTuVb require the standard Ogg codec be installed to properly write file names? Do both Ogg codecs show in dMC Configuration?

Best wishes,
Bill

[MikeZ]

Re: mp3pro problem

Hi Bill

Onward ...I discovered yesterday that by installing the Ogg codec the 2 AuTuVb codec worked in fact from Explorer (right click menu), but not from cd.

Time to uninstall, reinstall ...I found 2 more problems which suggest a more serious problem. I cannot open the dBpowerAMP MC Configuration or the Options Menu>Multiplayer. Other Options Menu items open fine. Same Windows Error report message, the Click Send Error Report/Don't Send dialogue box.

Let you know later

Mikez

[MikeZ]

Re: mp3pro problem

Hi Bill

I've reinstalled dBpowerAMP Music Converter and the Audio Player and I have a Sveta fully loaded license, (dMC-r11-Registered.exe) which is the Powerpack/Sveta package, except I only have the Powerpack showing up as installed/registered in DMC Configuration, (which now opens actually) and Sveta does not show on start>programs>dBpowerAMP Music Converter> menu.

This is what happened first time around installing this combined package. I haven't installed any codecs yet. Need to sort out this Sveta thing. Where to from here Bill?

Mikez :p