Skip to main content

Notice

Please note that most of the software linked on this forum is likely to be safe to use. If you are unsure, feel free to ask in the relevant topics, or send a private message to an administrator or moderator. To help curb the problems of false positives, or in the event that you do find actual malware, you can contribute through the article linked here.
Topic: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac (Read 8622 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Just as I wrote i subject: I have one file with DTS 5.1 (+ .cue) which I want to convert to multichannel flac (with the same bitrate etc). Tried different tools without satisfactory effect (like foobar). I can do it with ffmpeg but it converts 1 file dts to 1 file flac - and I want 1 file 1 song.
Any advice?

PS. Yes, I know that dts is lossy and flac not.

Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #1
DTS is lossy, unless it's DTS HD Master Audio. Converting anything but HD-MA to FLAC will suffer way worse compression ratios.

Unless you're talking about stuffing the DTS bitstream into a PCM WAV file and encoding *that* as FLAC. That won't be likely to compress it any better, and will produce a file that most players won't be able to play unless they send it to an external decoder box without modification.

Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #2
Tried different tools without satisfactory effect (like foobar)
So, what exactly is problem with foobar?
Download foo_input_dts component and install it to foobar
Download  flac.exe (if it is in archive, unpack it)
Add your cue for dts to foobar's playlist
Select all tracks, right click-->Convert->Convert ...
In Output format section choose FLAC with compression level 8
In Destination section choose Specify folder and set output folder for FLAC files or choose Source track folder if you want FLAC files in the same folder where dts is. Choose Convert each track to individual file and set Name format to %tracknumber%-%title%
In Pocessing section check Enable decode postprocessing and make sure that Active DSPs list is empty
In Other section check Transfer metadata
Click convert button. If foobar asks for flac.exe, point it to flac.exe that you downloaded previously.

Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #3
Thank you Rollin for your kind reply.
I did "almost" the same thing ... that is, in the Processing section I didn't check "Enable decode postprocessing". After I did that, the results were as expected.
One thing that makes me wonder (and something irritating) is that when I check the properties of the dts file (the original one) it shows 2ch, i.e. stereo, even though the spectrogram shows 6ch. It is normal or something can be done to show 6ch like in this FLAC after conversion.

Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #4
upps!
I have DTS file that is labeled 5.1 24bit. about 36 min. 383MB. Flac properties on foobar shows 16bit...

Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #5
It converted to 16 bit during conversion process. There is an option in flac converter settings to keep 24 bit.
Somewhere, there's someone dying in a foreign land
Meanwhile, the world is crying stupidity of man
Tell me why, tell me why

Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #6
The 24-bit field in the header means that the DTS was originally created from this bit depth. As DTS is a lossy codec, the encoded waveform is always an approximation of the original signal, and usually decoded to 24 or 32 bits anyway. The higher range is effectively only used during the quietest sections.

You can choose the bit depth to use under "Converter setup" - "Choose output file format" - "Output bit depth". A 24-bit FLAC will be very large, about double the size.

The wrongly reported number of channels only happens if your DTS is encapsulated into a fake WAV or other format. You can strip the WAV header, use a .dts file extension, then the DTS will play in most programs than can play videos, but you can't use it to burn a CD easily, or verify with Cuetools.

 

Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #7
DTS HD MA is lossless. But the converter doesn't know about the dynamically generated metadata fields that decode postprocessors generate. You'll have to specify 24 bits manually.

Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #8
DTS HD MA is lossless. But the converter doesn't know about the dynamically generated metadata fields that decode postprocessors generate. You'll have to specify 24 bits manually.
His files are definitely not DTS-HD MA:
1)Files are dts in wav container
2)
5.1 about 36 min. 383MB
This cannot be DTS-HD MA.

Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #9
Then they should either be kept as DTS WAV, or the DTS WAV should be compressed using FLAC.exe without postprocessing enabled, and then played back with foo_input_dts installed.

Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #10
1. I really didn't know that it's soooo complicated. I just don't want to have big DTS files (where 1 file is 1 CD) because it's not possible to play it at my place with my equipment (whatever it is, it's not important).
All I wanted is to have clean multichannel FLAC, with original bitrate and as close to original sound as possible.

2. Foobar, when I play dts files (as one big wav) identifies songs as 16 bit, 2ch, 44khz independently what is real bitrate etc. Very irritating. Sometimes I know if wav is 24 or 16 bit but sometimes not. Is there any "checker" what can check these files and inform me what is REAL bitrate, channels etc?

3. Is there really  easy soft, with input box and output folder.... And no questions asked.

Thank you all for your opinions on this matter, which you wrote here and I hope you will write more

Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #11
Foobar, when I play dts files (as one big wav) identifies songs as 16 bit, 2ch, 44khz independently what is real bitrate etc.
This is because your files are packed into wav container.

Is there any "checker" what can check these files and inform me what is REAL bitrate, channels etc?.
ffmpeg

Is there really  easy soft, with input box and output folder.... And no questions asked.
ffmpeg can easily convert to flac, but cannot split. But you can split resulting flac with foobar2000
ffmpeg.exe -i inputfile.dts outputfile.flac

Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #12
Thanks a lot Rollin, everything is great, the results are as expected, thanks for your patience :)

Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #13
It looks like all you wanted to do was decode a DTS 5.1 album to multichannel WAV files (split by tracks, guided by a cue file). Then compress each file with FLAC.

That's easy to do.

I can't tell if you actually managed to do it though.  The advice here was quite confusing.





Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #14
DTS CDs are lossy-compressed 5.1 audio data put on the CD as a stream that sounds like white noise if played back without decoding. A player needs to recognize "this is not meant to be played without decoding" from the signal.

That is the reason why you see two channels 44.1 samplerate 16 bits - because it is pressed on a physically normal CD, it *is*  two channels 44.1 samplerate 16 bits (where the two most significant bits - the "loudest" ones - are always zero).
Considering it a 14-bit signal, the real bitrate is 1234.8 kbits/second. FLAC/Wavpack/TAK can get you quite close.


I just don't want to have big DTS files (where 1 file is 1 CD)
That is one question: splitting in one per track. That is not so much related to the rest - just like any ordinary CD as single-wav+cue, you can split it by the .cue and FLAC it. If you have a DTS-aware DAC you can then play the single files.

And if you don't, the DTS part can be decoded before or after splitting.

Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #15
The stream can be converted to 1235 kbit/s DTS using Dts2wav or BeSplit, and back again. (Except some broken streams with incorrect frame size.) Then a special plugin that checks every WAV file isn't needed, the chance of playing back noise is avoided, and the format and parameters can be displayed in a player. A disadvantage is that the data can't be put back onto a CD or sent to an external decoder.

If the album is gapless, it should be played or decoded prior to splitting (directly converted with the cue file). Otherwise there will be a click and a short fade-in at every split point. If wrapped inside several split WAV files, one additional frame of 1024 samples around the split points would be lost. I would also check that the split points are placed accurately before start of the music, or in positions that cause the least glitches.

Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #16
If the album is gapless, it should be played or decoded prior to splitting (directly converted with the cue file).
That's a point. The packets identifying the DTS ...

(Meh, not the smartest format in the first place.)

Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #17
Just as I wrote i subject: I have one file with DTS 5.1 (+ .cue) which I want to convert to multichannel flac (with the same bitrate etc). Tried different tools without satisfactory effect (like foobar). I can do it with ffmpeg but it converts 1 file dts to 1 file flac - and I want 1 file 1 song.
Any advice?

PS. Yes, I know that dts is lossy and flac not.

You used foobar with the DTS Decoder plugin? 

It can decode .dtswav*  files -- the sort of files that come off a DTS-CD.

With that plugin active and a cue, it should give you 1 file per track when you do Convert.  The files should be multichannel PCM.    Format is wav for flac, depending on what you choose. Check settings of Convert to make everything is set as you need it.

(*i dimly recall maybe having to edit the filename extension from .wav to .dtswav...but not sure this is true)



Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #18
I use ffmpeg to convert wav to flac (still it's one big file).
I wrote a short batch script which converts cue file from wav to flac
I can start foobar with add file.cue parameter so it starts with all selected files. Then I must only convert it.

The last thing I try to do is commandline for foobar to convert files to separate flacs what I think is not possible.
I read flac.exe manual because foobar is kind of "conteiner" where all job is done by flac.exe
Do you know command line for flac.exe to convert music.flac + music.cue to individual flac files in XXX folder?\
thanks in advance.

Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #19
I  don't know why you are doing all these steps.

Focus on decoding and splitting your DTS file into multichannel PCM wav format..one file per track. 

AFTER that is achieved successfully, compress each file with FLAC




Re: How to convert DTS 5.1 (one file wav/dts+cue) to multi-ch Flac

Reply #20
Basically everything you write has been done, with ffmpeg and foobar GUI it can be done without problem. Now I mean finding a way to do it all with commandline commands (as part of batch script).