title
Products            Buy            Support Forum            Professional            About            Codec Central
 
Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Totally stuck on .m4a to .mp3 conversion

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1

    Unhappy Totally stuck on .m4a to .mp3 conversion

    Hi. Please help me :-) ... I am new to dbPoweramp ... am trying to convert an iTunes .m4a library to .mp3 so that I can import it into SAM Party DJ, which does not open .m4a files. I know I am missing something dead obvious, so I apologize in advance.

    I am using an ASUS notebook with Intel Centrino duo core (1800) and external storage (lots of free space) on a USB 2.0 drive (I've tried conversion on C drive and it doesn't work there either). Windows XP/SP3 with 2 GB RAM and lots of open, fast HD storage. Registry cleaned weekly, drives defragged nightly, scan lots for viruses and spyware. i.e. clean, reasonably fast machine - runs most programs flawlessly.

    I tried .m4a to .mp3 conversions using the demo/trial version and it always got stuck at the very beginning of the "Converting" dialog box. It correctly identifies the number of files it is to convert but then does nothing. The dialog box just sits there looking like it is thinking :-) ... below file number it says "examining source & overwrite check" with one "+" sign in the bracketed progress (?) field. The files that I am converting are NOT read only or otherwise write-protected, and I have full administrator privileges for the write.

    The problem is the same with a single file and with a number of selected files (with either right click in Explorer or manual start of program both). Won't convert 1 song, won't convert 21 songs. No matter how long you wait for it.

    I had the current codecs installed for .mp3 and .m4a and .aac

    Batch conversion also "does nothing" when the Convert button is pressed. I get the "Converting" dialog box (correct number of files) but again, no action on conversion. I can leave the dialog box alone for hours - for a single song, for a number of songs, or for a batch conversion.

    So I bought the Powerpack + MP3 version for $24. Uninstalled the demo, installed that, checked Configuration to make sure all needed codecs present.

    Same problem. I have the most current codecs. The most recent everything - demo was downloaded yesterday, and full version today (Monday, May 11th).

    LAME settings are quality, normal, original folder with the Volume Normalize DSP running (replay gain - makes no difference if Volume Normalize is disabled).

    All extraneous programs are shut down. (Possible interference from Firebird [embedded] as a process running for SAM?)

    Antivirus (Trend Micro) is turned on (but gives no error messages); internet connection is open.

    My files were ripped from CD using 320 .aac, which iTunes converts to 320 .m4a ... they are all organized in a standard iTunes library format. i.e. Music Directory/Artist/Album/Song. I am working with an exact copy of the iTunes library.

    Any help/suggestions/guesses would be *greatly* appreciated. Couldn't find this problem in the forums (.mp4 files, yes, unprotected .m4a files, no).


    ***BUG*** (?) when I pull up "List" from the Batch Conversion Box and look at songs, then decide you want to change things, the app locks up when cancel is clicked (at least on my machine with Win XP/SP3). You get the batch conversion main screen, but it is white with only the "List" button showing. The entire window is completely unresponsive, and the app has to be closed by the operating system.

  2. #2
    Administrator
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Posts
    43,854

    Re: Totally stuck on .m4a to .mp3 conversion

    Please email one .m4a file which causes the lockup:

    http://www.dbpoweramp.com/email.htm

  3. #3

    Re: Totally stuck on .m4a to .mp3 conversion

    Sent to the non-support email address that is referenced on that page you linked to.

    It appears that .m4a files that arose from ripping CDs with iTunes as 320 .aac format are the ones that don't process.

    An .m4a file recently downloaded from iTunes converts just fine.

    Other questions are in the email - I don't need to clutter the forum with those, although I will post the solution to the problem.

  4. #4
    Administrator
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Posts
    43,854

    Re: Totally stuck on .m4a to .mp3 conversion

    I have the file and they are quite revealing, have any tools except Apple Tools touched the file? because the ID Tags are seriously corrupted (it is a good file for us to improve our code on though because the code is locking up and sticking).

  5. #5

    Re: Totally stuck on .m4a to .mp3 conversion

    The file info was adjusted with iTunes, correcting some omissions, e.g. artist, and changing genres of certain songs on a CD ... e.g. if one track on a rock album was fairly "bluesy", I would change the genre for that track only to blues.

    The files have also been opened with Winamp, and broadcast through the Shoutcast DSP and DSAP to a shoutcast server. Some file info was changed in Winamp, but not much.

    I also tried to open the files in SAM DJ (to get them into media library or playlist) ... it would only open .mp3 files. Don't think any corruption there.

    The file that I sent you was not messed with in any way. I just played it in iTunes and Winamp and it plays fine, and the "file info" such as artist, genre, year, album title, track title, album art etc looks intact ... that is all that I can look at with what I have.

    So bottom line, the file as you got it was ripped straight off the 1993 CD with iTunes using 320 .aac ... which becomes .m4a. Anything else that saw it was either only reading (like Winamp) or trying to read it (djpoweramp).

    - A

  6. #6
    Administrator
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Posts
    43,854

    Re: Totally stuck on .m4a to .mp3 conversion

    I took the m4a file you sent, and created a fresh PC, latest iTunes and dropped the file on to it, no tags were shown (as I said the block is corrupted).

    Foobar also does not show any ID Tags.

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •