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: Want to test the next generation AAC encoders? (Read 21876 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

...then we can use your help!

We are working on the low bitrate AAC encoders, and need some more feedback to make decisions.

At low bitrates, sometimes what sounds best is an issue of what sounds least bad...so we want to know what you think sounds least bad  At the same time you can get an impression what is up-and-coming in AAC.

Download this first:

http://www.audiocoding.com/listening_tests/decode.rar

Links to samples:

http://www.audiocoding.com/listening_tests/sample1.rar
http://www.audiocoding.com/listening_tests/sample2.rar
http://www.audiocoding.com/listening_tests/sample3.rar
http://www.audiocoding.com/listening_tests/sample4.rar
http://www.audiocoding.com/listening_tests/sample5.rar
http://www.audiocoding.com/listening_tests/sample6.rar
http://www.audiocoding.com/listening_tests/sample7.rar
http://www.audiocoding.com/listening_tests/sample8.rar
http://www.audiocoding.com/listening_tests/sample9.rar
http://www.audiocoding.com/listening_tests/sample10.rar
http://www.audiocoding.com/listening_tests/sample11.rar

Put them all in the same dir and run the decode.bat.

And compare the A B and C files to the reference. Grade them from
0 to 5 and make a few notes on what your impressisons of them are.

ABC/HR may come in handy for that:
http://ff123.net/abchr/abchr.html

Send your results to gcp@sjeng.org. Thanks for the help!


Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #2
Windows only?

 

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #3
These lines in decode.bat don't seem to be correct.
Code: [Select]
flac -d .\sample1\sample1.flac
flac -d .\sample1\sample2.flac
flac -d .\sample1\sample3.flac
flac -d .\sample1\sample4.flac
flac -d .\sample1\sample5.flac
flac -d .\sample1\sample6.flac
flac -d .\sample1\sample7.flac
flac -d .\sample1\sample8.flac
flac -d .\sample1\sample9.flac
flac -d .\sample1\sample10.flac
flac -d .\sample1\sample11.flac

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #4
Quote
These lines in decode.bat don't seem to be correct.

Was just about to comment on that... it doesn't only "seem" to not be correct, it's obviously not    should be easy enough to fix for most people, before garf fixes the .bat himself

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #5
Sorry for that - file is fixed now

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #6
Quote
Windows only?

Should be possible on Linux too, though you'll have to decode the files manually. The public FAAD source can handle them. So basically you just have to find an AAC and FLAC decoder for Linux or your OS of choice...

Thanks to everyone that sent results so far!

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #7
One more question: will the OS X binary from rarewares work for decoding these files?

http://www.rarewares.org/aac.html

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #8
THIS i can do, but, as others have asked, when will it end? i get back from Cali on friday...

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #9
Quote
One more question: will the OS X binary from rarewares work for decoding these files?

http://www.rarewares.org/aac.html

It is dated 2003-09-15, which would be too old...we fixed and improved a lot of things since then.

Maybe someone can do a new compile based on new FAAD sources.

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #10
Quote
THIS i can do, but, as others have asked, when will it end? i get back from Cali on friday...

Yeah, we have about a week time.

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #11
is this a parametric stereo (+sbr) decoder or does it include more goodies?
I know, that I know nothing (Socrates)

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #12
Quote
is this a parametric stereo (+sbr) decoder or does it include more goodies?

FAAD2 decodes SBR and PS. It has done so for a while now...?! Both are needed to decode the files in this test.

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #13
Ok, fast results are sent.
EDIT: BTW, rather impressive quality for such a bitrates...

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #14
Now I have some spare time to analyze what I've done
So, I have some questions now:
1. What codecs/settings were used for this test ?
(If this is not a secret period)
2. (Not directly related to this test) Are the spatial audio specs finalized ? And is there any chance that it will be used by AHEAD aac encoder ?
Thanks in advance !!

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #15
Quote
Now I have some spare time to analyze what I've done
So, I have some questions now:
1. What codecs/settings were used for this test ?
(If this is not a secret period)


Combinations of SBR and PS, all from our in-development encoder.

Quote
2. (Not directly related to this test) Are the spatial audio specs finalized ? And is there any chance that it will be used by AHEAD aac encoder ?
Thanks in advance !!


They are not finalized. Once they are I assume we will do something in this area.

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #16
A very big thanks from the NeroDigital team to everyone that submitted results!

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #17
Can you tell us something more about the results?

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #18
We now know the break-even point for current Parametric Stereo.

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #19
Hey Garf, in that sample1 of the pack we downloaded I did some goofing around.  I took the flac samp and re-encoded at 80kbits MP3Pro and 80kbits HEAAC and the MP3Pro samp sounded much better.  There was alot of ringing in the begining that wasn't present or pretty much unaudible in the MP3Pro re-encode(also at 96kbits MP3Pro still sounded better at 80kbits). 

Just something you guys may want to check out, since you are competing with that codec.


***Edited Part and Note***
The gain/volume on the mp3Pro samp was slightly less than the original on that triangle sounding instrument.  So there was audible difference, but the ringing wasn't present.

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #20
Quote
We now know the break-even point for current Parametric Stereo.

Hehe
Can you be a bit more specific, if you have spare time, of course ?
Just curious about settings used for all 3 encodes and overall conclusion 

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #21
Well - the overall conclusion is that PS48 and SBR48 are pretty much equal:

HE64: 3.61
HE48: 2.78
PS48: 2.75

At current state, PS and HE were very close - where HE failed, PS was ranked as very good - and vice versa.

Current conclusion is not to use PS on this bit rate - due to power consumption and backwards compatibility - at 40 Kb/s, PS brings significant improvements, and will be used.

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #22
Thanks for clarification, Ivan !
So, As I understand this, now situation with nero aac implementation will be:
(for stereo)
>96 -> LC
48-96 -> HE
<48 -> PS
So, we all waiting for the new Nero version to test it by ourselves ! 
P.S. It would be great, if PS will be finised until new Roberto test begins.
I hope, it will happen...

Thanks again.

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #23
There's also DSBR which can be useful from about 64kbps to 128kbps. Finding the exact margins for optimal quality also needs a lot of testing there.

Just in case you were wondering why we're taking so long

Want to test the next generation AAC encoders?

Reply #24
Quote
There's also DSBR which can be useful from about 64kbps to 128kbps.

I remeber, Ivan mentioned somewhere that your testing team try DSBR to find if it is better on this bitrates...
Is this clarified now, that downsampled SBR produce better result using 128Kbit bitrate, than pure LC ?
Quote
Just in case you were wondering why we're taking so long

Understandable. But life is short, so we need it all and imidiately
EDIT: grammar