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I have files with an extension of .aac (not protected as far as I can remember or tell) and I'm trying to convert them to .mp3. When I try to convert them I get an error saying there is no .aac decoder. The website says that the m4a QAAC should be able to decode all forms of AAC, but since that isn't working I went to the configuration tool for the install-on-demand .aac. It takes me to a page where I download "dBpoweramp-Codec-m4a QAAC (iTunes) Encoder.exe" which I have run. I do have itunes installed (on a windows machine). The cd ripping tool shows m4a NERO AAC grayed out. When I click on it, it prompts me to download a package then takes me to the same page that I have already downloaded from. It seems like either the installer I am being prompted to download isn't installing correctly. dB is installed in C in the default directory.
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Which version of dBpa do you have?
The error message says that there is no acc decoder, but you have installed an acc encoder.
Dat Ei -
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The release is 14.4, so presumibly the aac decoder is not included by default, but it says it can be added and that is the part that is failing.Comment
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dbPA 14.4 is ancient in software terms. It is unrealistic to expect an optional feature from that long ago to still be maintained and available. Just look at the change log with the significant changes since that version was
released.
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BTW: R14 is 15 years old. Since then there have been many changes, especially concerning the connection to the metadata databases and their providers.
The error message is missing an acc decoder, but you have installed the acc encoder.
Dat EiComment
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15 years is indeed ancient, but so are AAC encoders. Google says AAC was developed 28 years ago. If the issue is that the repository that R14 would need to access is no longer maintained, I would not hold that against DbPA, but the decoder I need is certainly out there, it's just a matter of getting it into DbAP.
Q#1: R14 does take me to an download page with an installation file (screen shot #2), so why is that not compatible? Is that installer for R20 and doesn't contain the decoder because it assumes the decoder is already present in the base software?
#2: More importantly, I can download the 28 year old decoder manually from other places. Is there a way to enter the path to the decoder manually into DbPA?Comment
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#1 the download link is likely not active any more.
#2 the decoder would be specific to dBpoweramp rather than a generalComment
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When I first got DbPA all I really wanted it to be was a GUI for ffmpeg. I'm sure it's more than that, but that was my interest, and since it uses (or seems to use) that codec anyway, it seemed like a reasonable question to ask how to link the two. It has worked well for me until now, but I guess command line is the way to go. I found this, which walks through how to add ffmpeg to the environment variables path.
https://video.stackexchange.com/ques...peg-in-windows.
To do a batch conversion of a folder (in Windows) is: navigate to the folder in the command prompt and enter the following.
for %i in (*.aac) do ffmpeg -i "%i" "%~ni.mp3"
Problem solved. I appreciate the responses along the way.Comment
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