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2
MP3 / Re: Low bitrate MP3 (+ unsupported bitrates)
Last post by Klymins -
@Kraeved I can't say this is VBR or ABR because frame bitrates are selected automatically, not via an algorithm that looks at the contents of this file. I think more than a variable bit rate is required to say it is VBR or ABR. As i said already: Let 8kbps frames be letter A and 16kbps ones B. ABR does something like "ABABBAABBABAABABBA" but i want "BABABABABABABABA". And, my 12kbps files must be marked as CBR even if they are VBR actually. Addition: I also want the additional 4kbps in 16kbps frames to go to the 8kbps frames in a normal sequence via bit reservoir, so it can be really 12kbps.

Addition: I was already sure there is some interesting stuff as foobar2000 says it's 24kbps and it's shorter than actually it is, and i was thinked it is 24kbps at first, but these are still not a reason for me to say it's VBR or ABR per above.
4
MP3 - General / Re: Resurrecting/Preserving the Helix MP3 encoder
Last post by maikmerten -
Quote from: Kraeved on
Dear @maikmerten, is it possible to compile Helix binaries automatically for x86 and x64 (two separate archives) on Github when the version is bumped, or could you update the front page by adding links to RareWares (downloads) and HA Wiki (documentation)?

Yeah, I probably should link to the Wiki documentation and then point to a proper download location for Windows builds. I'd of course like RandomWares to be the official download location, if john agrees.

As to building the Windows binaries, I think perhaps we should find out which builds work best and how they are generated. I'm a Linux guy and am hesitant to weigh in too much on Windows things, but am hopeful that it may become apparent what works best on Windows.
6
General - (fb2k) / error reading (CUI?) configuration file
Last post by Phillight -
Hi, I've had to forcibly re-setup windows. i.e. my system crashed, Windows was unbootable. I still have the drive with all the files on it, which means I have located my installation of foobar200. I hadn't updated it in a long time, so I was sitting on Version 1.6.7



I found a folder in ProgramFiles and one in AppData\Roaming.

I copied both of them over and tried to launch it, receiving this error message:
Error reading configuration file (Corrupted configuration file). If you choose to ignore, configuration data may be irreversibly lost.

So. I've been trying ever since to isolate the issue and have found that it must be the foo_ui_columns.dll.cfg . If I don't copy that one, the program launches.

So the question is how can I still use it? I would like to not do all that work again to set up columns UI

does anyone have any idea as to what I could do?
7
MP3 - General / Re: Resurrecting/Preserving the Helix MP3 encoder
Last post by KevinB52379 -
EDIT:  OK I found a compile of Helix MP3 encoder on my external hard drive , the zip file is called helix_mp3enc_r11_x64.zip and the exe is called hmp3enc.exe.
I tried this version (I know it's one of the original Helix versions) but I was curious to see hwo this 64 bit version worked.

I did the test from my SSD and got 1300x to 1800x.

So what is different between Case's build, this old version and all newer compiles?

I believe I got that version of Helix from Rarewares or ReallyRareWares.

OK I tried copying my FLACS to the internal SSD and tried converting with foobar2000 from there.

I still average about 220x to 300x using your slow compile 64 bit version of Helix. 

Same speeds I got when converting from external hard drive...so I don't think USB is the issue.
8
General - (fb2k) / Re: Unexpected audio format change - strange output files created
Last post by cliveb -
Quote from: Peter on
Thanks for the bug report.
Main problem is that "no DSP reset" mode treats all input as one audio stream and partitions output back into tracks, making use of original track lengths + reported DSP latency. After something failed in the middle, the output no longer really makes sense and the conversion goes off the rails, precisely as you've observed.
Ok thanks. I now understand why it all goes pear-shaped.
Quote
I think you want to convert each album as a separate batch.
That makes sense, except this was a fresh transcode of my entire library, so doing it all in one go was much easier. The reason for the fresh transcode was because previously (without the "no DSP reset") I had too many instances of little glitches at the boundaries of tracks that ran into one another (eg. things like Dark Side Of The Moon, Beethoven Symphony 5, etc).
My library is nearly all 44.1kHz, with just a small smattering of 48kHz albums (typically ripped from DVDs).
Quote
Also, why not just resample everything to a fixed rate before doing any other DSP?
Yes, good idea. I frankly didn't even remember I had some 48kHz albums until I Googled what the error message actually meant.
9
MP3 / Re: Low bitrate MP3 (+ unsupported bitrates)
Last post by Kraeved -
Quote from: Klymins on
So, how 18kbps and 20kbps files are CBR and they are working with Flash Player? I'm uploading a 20kbps file example...

What makes you think it's 20 kbps CBR? Because some player told you so? Have you ever thought of double-checking this value via others apps? Especially via apps that are designed to analyze media files? It is not a CBR file, but a VBR (or ABR) file without a proper header, which data is encoded using 16 kbps and 24 kbps, so it gives an average of 20 kbps, since (16×9+24×9)/18=20.

Code: [Select]
$ mediainfo.exe google.mp3

Audio
Format                                   : MPEG Audio
Format version                           : Version 2.5
Format profile                           : Layer 3
Bit rate mode                            : Variable
Channel(s)                               : 1 channel
Sampling rate                            : 11.025 kHz
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 2.29 KiB (100%)

$ mp3val.exe google.mp3

WARNING: VBR detected, but no VBR header is present. Seeking may not work properly.
WARNING: No supported tags in the file
INFO: 18 MPEG frames (MPEG 2.5 Layer III), no tags, no VBR header

$ mp3packer.exe -i google.mp3

INFO:
 MPEG2.5 layer 3
 18 frames
 11025 Hz
 Bitrate distribution:
   16: 9,0
   24: 9,0

$ mp3guessenc.exe -f google.mp3

Frame histogram
  16 kbps :  9 (50.0%), size distr: [ 9 x 104 B]
  24 kbps :  9 (50.0%), size distr: [ 9 x 156 B]
10
MP3 - General / Re: Resurrecting/Preserving the Helix MP3 encoder
Last post by KevinB52379 -
I tried that build and I get about 300x from the external hard drive where my FLACs are and converting to mp3 to the internal SSD using foobar2000 and Helix. 

I am copying the FLACs over to the internal SSD and I'm going to try using foobar2000 to convert totally from internal SSD drive...so the source will be the internal SSD and the destination will be the same internal SSD.

My system is a PCIe Gen 3x so I didn't bother paying more for a PCIE gen 4 drive.

There were no BIOS updates.  The latest is from October 2023 and that is what I have installed.

I'll let you know how this conversion fares.