Apple Lossless Decoder

[ezra2323]

Question for all the seasoned dBPowerAmp users. I recently got a new Dell laptop and installed my favorite, power pack licensed, audio conversion program (this one, of course!) on it. I then downloaded and installed the M4a, M4p. and Apple Lossless codec release 3. http://www.dbpoweramp.com/codec-central-mp4.htm. Both programs are verified as resident on my computer.

However, when attempting to convert the tagged Lossless files to LAME MP3, dBPweramp cannot open the files to convert them. Further, when I mouse over the files in Explorer, none of the tag info is displayed and the track length shows 0 seconds. Which tells me dBPoweramp does not know what to make of them. The Lossless files play fine in iTunes.

I have the same set-up on my other PC and have no problems. Lossless is decoded just fine with dBPoweramp to MP3.

Any ideas what may be wrong? This stuff works on a 5 year old PC but not a brand new laptop?

[Yue]

Re: Apple Lossless Decoder

I have exactly the same problem, and the funny thing is that when I first installed the mp4 codec I could convert one file with no problem, but now I cannot, even the one I had converted before.

I want to think that this is an error of JHymn rather than dbpowerAMP, but I may be wrong. If you check the file with a Command Prompt, it says it's not empty as dbpowerAMP claims.

Help please!

[xoas]

Re: Apple Lossless Decoder

Especially if you are dealing with Apple Lossless files created with iTunes v5 you might want to try the new beta version of the m4a/mp4/Apple Lossless codec from the beta section here:

http://forum.dbpoweramp.com/showthread.php?t=8950

(Apparently iTunes v5 implemented certain changes in Apple Lossless that were not compatible with the old codec).

Best wishes,
Bill

[LtData]

Re: Apple Lossless Decoder

Correct, iTunes 5 changed how Apple Lossless files were created. Get the beta decoder mentioned above to be able to read them correctly.

[Yue]

Re: Apple Lossless Decoder

Thanks for the quick response.

Yet, I downloaded the new codec, unistalled the previous one and installed it (the new one), and still dbpowerAMP is not able to read it correctly. Am I doing something wrong?

[LtData]

Re: Apple Lossless Decoder

You uninstalled your current mp4/m4a encoder and installed the beta one, correct? You don't also have a mp4/m4a encoder codecs installed, do you? I say this, because the mp4/m4a codecs used to have separate installs for encoders and decoders, but was later moved to one main codec.

[Yue]

Re: Apple Lossless Decoder

Now that you mention it, before installing the new one (before reading your answers), I installed the Nero mp4 codec. If it's necessary to uninstall it, How can I do it?

*Edit*> I just moved the files of Nero mp4 codec to another directory and now dbpowerAMP configuration says it is not installed. I don't know if this is the correct way to do it.

[LtData]

Re: Apple Lossless Decoder

The Nero dMC mp4 codec should be listed in Add/Remove Programs in the Control panel. The way you did it isn't correct. Move it back and check to see if it is in the Add/Remove programs list.

[Yue]

Re: Apple Lossless Decoder

I really appreciate your help, but I can't have dBpowerAMP read the files properly yet.

I uninstalled the Nero codec the way you taught me, and also uninstalled and reinstalled the Apple Lossless Codec, but still nothing.

I am using Itunes 5 and JHymn to convert the m4p files into m4a.

I'll appreciate any help or suggestion you can give me.

[LtData]

Re: Apple Lossless Decoder

Can iTunes play your decrypted m4a files? Are you using the latest version of JHymn? It may not work with iTunes 5 right now, I'll have to check.
Edit: Never mind, JHymn works with iTunes 5.x, at least the newest version of it (0.9) does. Try updating JHymn and trying again, mabye?

[Yue]

Re: Apple Lossless Decoder

Hello!

Yes, Itunes can play the m4a files with no problem.
I downloaded the new version of JHymn (0.9) and tried, but still dBpowerAMP claims that the file is empty.

I'm starting to think that maybe I'm doing something wrong. Let's see:
OS: Windows XP Professional

--> With JHymn I convert the files into m4a.
Settings:
- Save to a different folder
- Replace old files
- If encoder isn't specified, use Itunes v4.6, Quicktime 6.5.1 (I've tried with and without this one)
- Add custom signature atom, in which I specify (aplD) and (cprt) as unwanted atoms
- The Itunes Library and the Library Database paths are correct
- Click convert button.

Everything goes fine.

--> Open explorer
- Place the cursor above one of the new m4a files.
Length: 0:00
Size: 0KB
Original Size: 0KB
Compression: (empty)

--> Right click, convert to (dBpowerAMP)
Convert into Mp3 (Lame)
Click to Convert
Error: The file cannot be opened.

--> Open a Command Prompt
Cd to the directory where the m4a files are
Dir
Files are not empty (size is not 0).

What could be the problem?

[LtData]

Re: Apple Lossless Decoder

Apparently JHymn isn't working properly is my best guess. Try encoding the files to WAV in JHymn, mabye? This would probably be better suited for JHymn's forums.

[Yue]

Re: Apple Lossless Decoder

I tried to convert them to mp3 and wav and I'm getting some errors.
Let me check the JHymn forum.

Thanks!

Anyway, if you figure out something, please let me know.

*Edit*>
I read the JHymn forums, stripped (edts) and tried again. No result.

I tried then to convert directly to mp3 with JHymn and it went ok this time, but, dBPowerAMP still claims that the file is empty. I tried to play the mp3 file and it plays perfectly.

I also noted that for the m4a files I'm creating with JHymn, if you check them with "properties" their sizes are not 0, but dBpowerAMP says they are empty.

The m4a files play perfectly in Itunes, but Winamp cannot play them. So my guess now is that certainly must be something wrong with JHymn as well as with dBpowerAMP.

Still looking for a solution (even that I can now convert m4p files to mp3 directly with JHymn, I want to know why dBpowerAMP behaves the way it's behaving).

[LtData]

Re: Apple Lossless Decoder

Nono, have JHymn make the unprotected files WAV files, not m4a files.

[Yue]

Re: Apple Lossless Decoder

Hi again!

I tried to, but it fails with an unexpected error (when converting from m4p to wav)