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Topic: WavPack, step-by-step (Read 6268 times) previous topic - next topic
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WavPack, step-by-step

I'm using WavPack now and then mostly in fb2k, code and decode with available fb2k tools and plugins.Then came interesting compression for DSD (DSF), I saw how powerful it is on some .DSF tracks  and I thought: "I must try it!" I looked for instructions, how to use it etc...and find next to nothing.  I am no stranger to CLI (I use it with node.js, npm, gulp...understand flags etc) but when I came to WavPack I had to admit that I understand NOTHING. I obviously didn't understand something basic about it and can't make one simple  step forward. Is there some step-by-step tutorial on using WavPack on WINDOWS, how to install it (do we have to or not?!), some hands-on YT tutorial how to encode, how to compress (DSD for example), what and when to put in CLI etc, etc...Something for complete idiot because I feel I'm one when trying to do something with WavPack.  :o  Thanks.

Re: WavPack, step-by-step

Reply #1
https://wiki.hydrogenaud.io/index.php?title=WavPack#Using_WavPack

WavPack 101 course:
Encoding:
* drag and drop it onto wavpack.exe. You will not get the high compression mode nor MD5 fingerprint. (Don't worry, you can leave those concerns for the WavPack 102 course)
* dump both files into Mp3tag. If the DSD file has ID3 tags, copy them over to WavPack.
Decoding:
* drag and drop to wvunpack.exe.
You can create shortcuts for both wavpack.exe and wvunpack.exe and drag/drop onto them.


For WavPack 102:
Note that WavPack will by default preserve the entire file with a chunk for the tags, protected against the user, to be unpacked again. If the DSD has a YUUUUGE picture embedded and you don't want that to be duplicated, then you remove it from the file first. (If you want it to be copied ... Ctrl-x in Mp3tag, drag+drop etc. but it is maybe a bit risky.)
But, rather: leave that to WavPack 102. You can remove that chunk afterwards.


Re: WavPack, step-by-step

Reply #3
Also the Windows front-end available at wavpack.com will do. Then you can include -hmv as option.

But drag and drop is kinda ... I went years without noticing :-o
flac.exe also supports that. But not takc.exe. And tak the GUI will open the GUI but not add the files.

Re: WavPack, step-by-step

Reply #4
Thank you guys. But I'm sure that the first line, first step in every step-by-step "using Wavpack" should be: put those executables in windows\System32.Not everyone knows that just like that. After a day of reading documentation I saw that in David's comment on something. And CLI finally started to function.  :)

Re: WavPack, step-by-step

Reply #5
put those executables in windows\System32.
Or add their directory to %PATH%, or use the full path to the executable, or put the executable in the current directory (you can open a prompt in any directory by holding shift and right-clicking in an empty part of the window).

Personally, I wouldn't want random executables clogging up system32 or %path%, but that's just me.

Oh, and you can always drop the executable into the command prompt window to get its full path. (This works with any files.)

Re: WavPack, step-by-step

Reply #6
Also works if they are in a directory that is in PATH ... so I suggested this to foobar2000's Free Encoder Pack: those exe's reside in a subfolder to foobar2000.

If Peter & co are happy about that, it solves everything also for those who don't like to manipulate around paths ... otherwise the wiki probably needs a guide to handle CLI apps.  For example, tab-completion is a neat trick ...

Personally, I wouldn't want random executables clogging up system32 or %path%, but that's just me.
I have had quite some messy "\bin" or "\programs_portable" folders ...


Edit: threw away some bullsh*t that was due to my own PATH settings ...


Re: WavPack, step-by-step

Reply #8
I'd say that's all good information, but I'm very much a power user so it could be missing something basic that I just haven't considered.

I think almost everything on that page works the same in both Command Prompt and PowerShell, and the default shift-right-click option is PowerShell on the majority of Windows 10 installs, so it might be a good idea to expand it to cover both. The only thing I saw that's specific to Command Prompt is the demonstration of running "mac.exe" instead of ".\mac.exe".


Re: WavPack, step-by-step

Reply #10
Ubuntu where it is very easy to convert from dsf to wv (everything is done with command line)
To those who speak command line fluently, it is quite easy, but most Windows users don't.

(Actually I only use Linux without a full desktop environment ... does drag-and-drop onto the WavPack executable work in Gnome?)

Re: WavPack, step-by-step

Reply #11
Is there a way to (batch) compress (convert) more than one file with single command in CLI. At first I thought that asterisk does it but not (wavpack -hh *.dsf). "Extra unknown argument: 06. Embraceable You.dsf !" and same for other files...Works with just one file per folder. Or I'm missing something.

Re: WavPack, step-by-step

Reply #12
You can create a simple batch file to do the job. Paste this into a new text file and call it wavpack.bat or somesuch:

Code: [Select]
FOR %%1 IN (*.dsf) DO wavpack -hh "%%1"

It looks like this should work based on the WavPack documentation, but I haven't tested it, as I don't use WavPack. If WavPack really wants you to specify both the input and output filenames, this ought to work:

Code: [Select]
FOR %%1 IN (*.dsf) DO wavpack -hh "%%1" "%%~n1.wv"

The ~n isolates the filename of the input file, so that the output file becomes "song.wv" and not "song.dsf.wv".

Also note that when you're using DSD input, it appears that -h and -hh use the same compression level.

https://www.wavpack.com/wavpack_doc.html

Re: WavPack, step-by-step

Reply #13
Sounds strange. wavpack.exe usually handles wildcards. Tried quotation marks?
wavpack -hm "*.dsf"

(The "m" makes for MD5 fingerprinting.)

Re: WavPack, step-by-step

Reply #14
Quote
Tried quotation marks?
That worked!Than you! :)

Re: WavPack, step-by-step

Reply #15
I do this with Ubuntu, I open the terminal where there are the dsf / dff files that I want to convert and I give this command "wavpack -hmv --import-id3 * .dsf" the tag import command I put it only in case the files are dsf and tagged so I also import the tags ....... that's all.

Re: WavPack, step-by-step

Reply #16
I do this with Ubuntu, I open the terminal where there are the dsf / dff files that I want to convert and I give this command

Yeah, and with a good package manager, you have access to the executable.  Windows users may try https://scoop.sh/ (... chocolatey doesn't have WavPack 5).


"wavpack -hmv --import-id3 * .dsf" the tag import command I put it only in case the files are dsf and tagged so I also import the tags ....... that's all.

Beware that you need --allow-huge-tags for it to import tags larger than 1 megabyte - and that ID3v2.4 is not yet supported.

WavPack will by default compress and restore files (not just audio), and so the tags - 2.3 or 2.4 - will anyway be stored in a separate chunk, out of user's view. (If you don't want to store this part, WavPack can be set to ditch it. Safest is to run twice and copy in between :-o )