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Topic: Compressed or Not - Beats Me? (Read 3616 times) previous topic - next topic
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Compressed or Not - Beats Me?

After both hard disks crashed earlier and had to be replaced I am going through the agony of having to reinstall everything (am still using Windows XP for my operating system).  This time around installing flac in EAC has become a real nightmare. What's frustrating is that I don't know whether I am getting compression by flac or not! Before my crash when I was making a compressed copy with EAC and flac, after a track was copied there would be a momentary appearance of a black screen while the file was quicky being compressed. Now that is not happening. As an example I inserted a copy of some celtic music and selected the title "Hector the Hero".  EAC listed its size as 45.43 MB but compressed as 10.55MB (I seem to recall this last figure is only correct for mp3 compression however). I proceeded to copy the track and got the readings: Copy Track 1
                    Reading File
                    Writing File
                    Copy ok
                    Compressing External Program (But no  momentary black screen this time)
                    ETC.

On going to the copied file and placing my computers  arrow on it I get:
                                                                            TYPE - NeroMediaPlayer file (shouldn't this be flac??)
                                                                            SIZE - 30.0MB (I thought flac compresed to about 50%)

On opening Foobar2000 and adding this title to my laylist I get a title reading of "Hector the Hero - ?" (Doesn't that indicate that Foobar sees this as an unrecognized file type?)

Under external options of EAC  I have selected  1) "Use external program for compression"
                                                                    2) "user defined" in primary passing scheme
                                                                    3) Use file extension -- ".flac "

My path is :  C:\Program Files\Exact Audio Copy\ flac -1.2.win\bin\flac.exe

I know this is pretty basic, but I am in over my head and any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Paul

Compressed or Not - Beats Me?

Reply #1 –
Quote
Compressing External Program (But no momentary black screen this time)
EAC has options that suppress the command prompt window from opening: EAC Option >> Tools >> Do not Open External Compressor Window.


Quote
Under external options of EAC I have selected 1) "Use external program for compression"
2) "user defined" in primary passing scheme
3) Use file extension -- ".flac "
As far as I know, compression options require at least "%s" in your additional command line options. Mine look like this:
Code: [Select]
--force -8 --replay-gain -T "Album Artist=%a" -T "ALBUM=%g" -T "Track Number=%n" -T "Title=%t" -T "Date=%y" -T "Genre=%m" %s


Quote
On opening Foobar2000 and adding this title to my laylist I get a title reading of "Hector the Hero - ?" (Doesn't that indicate that Foobar sees this as an unrecognized file type?)
Does FB2K play the FLAC created?


Quote
On going to the copied file and placing my computers arrow on it I get:
TYPE - NeroMediaPlayer file (shouldn't this be flac??)
SIZE - 30.0MB (I thought flac compresed to about 50%)
This just means that Nero plays those files. Install flac frontend again, or set FB2K to be the default player for FLAC and it will be a FLAC file.
Also, that 50% is just an average. I get only 75%-80% ratio with my trance music, and 35% compression with my classical.
OP can't edit initial post when a solution is determined  :'-(

Compressed or Not - Beats Me?

Reply #2 –
Quote from: SamHain86 on
Quote
Compressing External Program (But no momentary black screen this time)
EAC has options that suppress the command prompt window from opening: EAC Option >> Tools >> Do not Open External Compressor Window.


Quote
Under external options of EAC I have selected 1) "Use external program for compression"
2) "user defined" in primary passing scheme
3) Use file extension -- ".flac "
As far as I know, compression options require at least "%s" in your additional command line options. Mine look like this:
Code: [Select]
--force -8 --replay-gain -T "Album Artist=%a" -T "ALBUM=%g" -T "Track Number=%n" -T "Title=%t" -T "Date=%y" -T "Genre=%m" %s


Quote
On opening Foobar2000 and adding this title to my laylist I get a title reading of "Hector the Hero - ?" (Doesn't that indicate that Foobar sees this as an unrecognized file type?)
Does FB2K play the FLAC created?


Quote
On going to the copied file and placing my computers arrow on it I get:
TYPE - NeroMediaPlayer file (shouldn't this be flac??)
SIZE - 30.0MB (I thought flac compresed to about 50%)
This just means that Nero plays those files. Install flac frontend again, or set FB2K to be the default player for FLAC and it will be a FLAC file.
Also, that 50% is just an average. I get only 75%-80% ratio with my trance music, and 35% compression with my classical.

Compressed or Not - Beats Me?

Reply #3 –
You are correct.

  1)  "Do not open external Compression window" was keeping the momentary black screen from appearing
  [a good feature]

  2)  My additional command line options reads much as yours,  including the %s on the end.

  3)  Yes, FB2K plays the compressed files. I guess since uncompresssed files are appended .wav I was expecting  compressed flac files to be appended .flac. Also the NeroMediaPlayer file bit  threw me.

  4)  Another puzeling  thing was at the bottom of FB2K I was geting " PCM" and a bit reading when playing files I had earlier recorded. Now it is reading "Flac". 

  5)  So I guess my concerns were unwaranted and I am getting flac to work properlyafter all.

  6)  BTW, I did not have your "--replay-gain" entry on my additional command options line. Is this required to implement ReplayGain?

Thanks for your help, it is much appreciated.

Paul
















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Compressed or Not - Beats Me?

Reply #4 –
Quote from: 1Srcitizen on
5)  So I guess my concerns were unwaranted and I am getting flac to work properlyafter all.
You still have some problems I believe.


Quote from: 1Srcitizen on
3)  Yes, FB2K plays the compressed files. I guess since uncompresssed files are appended .wav I was expecting  compressed flac files to be appended .flac. Also the NeroMediaPlayer file bit  threw me.
The extension on a FLAC file should be .flac ... they should not read as WAV. FB2K is probably having trouble since it is expecting a WAV by extension but reading the FLAC media. WAV has no embedded tag system, so FB2K probably isn't looking for tags, which may explain your "Title -?" entries in FB2K.


Quote from: 1Srcitizen on
4)  Another puzeling  thing was at the bottom of FB2K I was geting " PCM" and a bit reading when playing files I had earlier recorded. Now it is reading "Flac".
PCM is WAV [I believe]. Something is still wrong. When I play my FLAC files, it reads:
Code: [Select]
FLAC %bitrate% %Frequency% %audio channel type, ie stereo%      [eg]
FLAC 867kbps 44100Hz Stereo



Quote from: 1Srcitizen on
6)  BTW, I did not have your "--replay-gain" entry on my additional command options line. Is this required to implement ReplayGain?
[EDIT] No, you are not required to implement replay gain, but to implement replay gain analysis, yes you need it. Remember, it will only add RG value tags, not alter the data.


Quote from: 1Srcitizen on
Thanks for your help, it is much appreciated.
No problem.
OP can't edit initial post when a solution is determined  :'-(

Compressed or Not - Beats Me?

Reply #5 –
Quote from: SamHain86 on
Quote from: 1Srcitizen on
  5)  So I guess my concerns were unwaranted and I am getting flac to work properlyafter all.
You still have some problems I believe.


Quote from: 1Srcitizen on
3)  Yes, FB2K plays the compressed files. I guess since uncompresssed files are appended .wav I was expecting  compressed flac files to be appended .flac. Also the NeroMediaPlayer file bit  threw me.
The extension on a FLAC file should be .flac ... they should not read as WAV. FB2K is probably having trouble since it is expecting a WAV by extension but reading the FLAC media. WAV has no embedded tag system, so FB2K probably isn't looking for tags, which may explain your "Title -?" entries in FB2K.


Quote from: 1Srcitizen on
4)  Another puzeling  thing was at the bottom of FB2K I was geting " PCM" and a bit reading when playing files I had earlier recorded. Now it is reading "Flac".
PCM is WAV [I believe]. Something is still wrong. When I play my FLAC files, it reads:
Code: [Select]
FLAC %bitrate% %Frequency% %audio channel type, ie stereo%      [eg]
FLAC 867kbps 44100Hz Stereo



Quote from: 1Srcitizen on
6)  BTW, I did not have your "--replay-gain" entry on my additional command options line. Is this required to implement ReplayGain?
[EDIT] No, you are not required to implement replay gain, but to implement replay gain analysis, yes you need it. Remember, it will only add RG value tags, not alter the data.


Quote from: 1Srcitizen on
Thanks for your help, it is much appreciated.
No problem.



I will have another look at it tomorrow. Thanks/