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Topic: convert tracks in SACD iso to FLAC (Read 1460 times) previous topic - next topic
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convert tracks in SACD iso to FLAC

hello forum,

does anybody know the correct procedure for splitting a SACD iso to multiple FLACs (one per track)?
I'm experiencing a problem but definitely I'm doing something wrong.
foobar 2.24.1 32bit with a recent version of SACD plugin.
I have a SACD iso file: I can play all the songs just fine (so the plugin is configured correctly). I also see the right song info: frequency 2822400, bitrate 5645kbps, DST64, etc.

  • when using the built-in "convert", foobar says that the conversion won't be lossless (which is fine for me). I click on ok, but then the resulting FLAC contains only noise (it's almost silent).
  • in the same menu I have a "DSD converter" entry, which was obviously added by the SACD plugin: this produces a HUGE wav file per track, which is playable but I cannot convert it to FLAC (flac.exe says "unsupported bitrate")
  • I was able to do the conversion using XLD (see https://tmkk.undo.jp/xld/dsd.html), which automagically picked the right parameters 88200/24 bit.

thanks in advance,
MH

Re: convert tracks in SACD iso to FLAC

Reply #1 –
Quote from: mycroft holmes on
hello forum,

does anybody know the correct procedure for splitting a SACD iso to multiple FLACs (one per track)?
I'm experiencing a problem but definitely I'm doing something wrong.
foobar 2.24.1 32bit with a recent version of SACD plugin.
I have a SACD iso file: I can play all the songs just fine (so the plugin is configured correctly). I also see the right song info: frequency 2822400, bitrate 5645kbps, DST64, etc.

  • when using the built-in "convert", foobar says that the conversion won't be lossless (which is fine for me). I click on ok, but then the resulting FLAC contains only noise (it's almost silent).
  • in the same menu I have a "DSD converter" entry, which was obviously added by the SACD plugin: this produces a HUGE wav file per track, which is playable but I cannot convert it to FLAC (flac.exe says "unsupported bitrate")
  • I was able to do the conversion using XLD (see https://tmkk.undo.jp/xld/dsd.html), which automagically picked the right parameters 88200/24 bit.

thanks in advance,
MH
The DSD Converter entry creates DSF/DSDIFF files not FLAC. You need the normal converter entry and select FLAC.
The samplerate is going to be what you entered in the SACD plugin configuration.

If you put 88kHz in the config the resulting FLAC will also be 88kHz, if you put 352800kHz the resulting file will be 452800kHz.
Also the size of the file will be a lot bigger when higher samplerates are selected.

Another thing to consider is that conversion to FLAC will produce a lot of noise in the high kHz which will also be encoded by FLAC.

So you also need to use a filter to get that high kHz noise filterd out, which will by the way also reduce the resulting filesize of the FLAC.
Select either an external FIR or select lowpass 30kHz lowpass in the filter.

In my screenshot you can also see in the playlist the 3 conversions with resulting filesize I did of track no5.



Re: convert tracks in SACD iso to FLAC

Reply #2 –
Quote from: Defender on
The DSD Converter entry creates DSF/DSDIFF files not FLAC.

There is a third option: you can select also WAV.
But it creates a HUGE file (e.g. several GBs per track).



Quote from: Defender on
You need the normal converter entry and select FLAC.

The problem is that it doesn't work: when I run it, I basically get ONLY noise.
But I cannot see why.

Re: convert tracks in SACD iso to FLAC

Reply #3 –
Quote from: mycroft holmes on
Quote from: Defender on
The DSD Converter entry creates DSF/DSDIFF files not FLAC.
There is a third option: you can select also WAV.
But it creates a HUGE file (e.g. several GBs per track).
The WAV option creates files with the original sample rate 2822kHz and with the chosen bitspersample. Lowest you can choose is 8. I made a 8bit and a 24bit and, yes, those files are huge.
You cannot even convert them to flac, but you can play those WAV's. Result is that fooBar almost grinds to a halt.
The WAV's also do contain the noise that should have been filtered. See screenshot above 30kHz.

Quote from: mycroft holmes on
Quote from: Defender on
You need the normal converter entry and select FLAC.
The problem is that it doesn't work: when I run it, I basically get ONLY noise.
But I cannot see why.
Hmm, my conversions to 88, 176 and 352 play fine.

Just a hunch, are you doing something to the source (eg. 88/176/352kHz) before it reaches the converter? Upsampling?

Re: convert tracks in SACD iso to FLAC

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Defender on
The samplerate is going to be what you entered in the SACD plugin configuration.
If you put 88kHz in the config the resulting FLAC will also be 88kHz

Curious, that's not what happens in my setup...
I have 88200 in SACD plugin settings, but I do get a 176400 FLAC (which is unplayable, btw).

Re: convert tracks in SACD iso to FLAC

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Defender on
you can play those WAV's. Result is that fooBar almost grinds to a halt.

Yes. Exactly, same here.

Quote
Hmm, my conversions to 88, 176 and 352 play fine.

Just a hunch, are you doing something to the source (eg. 88/176/352kHz) before it reaches the converter? Upsampling?

No. Also in the converter options, everything is disabled.
Not sure if this is a proof: is there anything else I should check?

Re: convert tracks in SACD iso to FLAC

Reply #6 –
Quote from: mycroft holmes on
Quote from: Defender on
The samplerate is going to be what you entered in the SACD plugin configuration.
If you put 88kHz in the config the resulting FLAC will also be 88kHz
Curious, that's not what happens in my setup...
I have 88200 in SACD plugin settings, but I do get a 176400 FLAC (which is unplayable, btw).
I don't have DOP for Converter enabled. What happens if you disable that setting before converting?

Rest of settings is the same. I use foo_input_sacd 1.5.13 btw,

EDIT: When I enable DOP for Converter a  track converted to flac is unlistenable. Same as you. Maybe you should just disable DOP for Converter before converting a SACD track to FLAC?

Re: convert tracks in SACD iso to FLAC

Reply #7 –
Quote from: Defender on
EDIT: When I enable DOP for Converter a  track converted to flac is unlistenable. Same as you. Maybe you should just disable DOP for Converter before converting a SACD track to FLAC?

Yes!
I didn't try myself yet but it must be it: I read somewhere that DoP generates a "fake" PCM that appears as 176/24 (fixed), but it's actually a totally different audio encoding.

Mystery solved, thanks


 

Re: convert tracks in SACD iso to FLAC

Reply #8 –
SoX for downsampling is another option. Look at the pcm output via a spectogram and decide accordingly. It does not make sense to create eg 192 khz pcm with music frequencies ending at 20k, and keeping tons of ultrasonic noise. So, either lowpass (case has a plugin) or, I prefer it, downsample to ~2x the highest nonjunk frequency). I don't use the foo_sacd 30k lowpass, but do the Lp later. Also, SoX does lowpasses as needed.