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Topic: Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix (Read 117831 times) previous topic - next topic
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Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Steve from the AAC listening test topic found a bug related to gapless information in m4a files encoded with Winamp/FhG's new AAC encoder.

Updates from the 5.62 release
* Fixed a bug that was preventing gapless playback information from being written to the encoded file in some circumstances
* Fixed compatibility issue that was preventing HE-AAC files from being used with iTunes
* Fixed a bug that was causing the ADTS encoder to fail with the default settings

To install, just unzip this to your Winamp plugins folder.  It should overwrite an existing file (unless you are using an older version of Winamp).

This will be released with 5.63 (or 5.621 depending on what version number we decide upon)

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #1
I noticed that this encoder produces 88.2 kHz .m4a files when the input is 44.1 and bitrate>=320kpbs. 48kHz remains untouched.

Is it a bug or a feature?

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #2
I noticed that this encoder produces 88.2 kHz .m4a files when the input is 44.1 and bitrate>=320kpbs. 48kHz remains untouched.

Is it a bug or a feature?


A little bit of both.  One issue is that the configuration dialog currently has no idea what the input samplerate / channel count is going to be.  And the encoder must be trying really hard to honor the bitrate request.  I'll do a bit more checking on it - is it all bitrates >320kbps, even 324kbps?  I'll check myself also.

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #3
is it all bitrates >320kbps, even 324kbps?  I'll check myself also.


All bitrates >= 320. Even 320 kbps. (2 channels, 16 bit).

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #4
By chance I noticed a serious encoding artifact (I'd actually describe it as a bug) when I tested this encoder with some gapless albums. The album is Transatlantic's The Whirlwind. I noticed that the track #4 (A Man Can Feel) has a suspicious track peak value of 2.46 after encoding it using the FhG AAC VBR preset 3. The track has a loud artifact in the left channel at about 2 min 1 s.

I tried to create a 30 s sample in which the artifact would occur at 25 s, but the cut source file did not produce the same artifact. Apparently only the complete track triggers it.

I verified the problem with two different computers.

I created samples of the reference file and the decoded file (decoded to float and cut). I reduced the volume levels by -8 dB to prevent clipping before I saved the samples in the 16-bit integer format. The artifact occurs at about 5 s.

The reference sample: [attachment=6589:A_Man_Ca...eference.flac]
The decoded sample: [attachment=6590:A_Man_Ca...oded_aac.flac]
Here is how the decoded sample looks in Audition:






EDIT

benski and C.R.Helmrich, I have posted a PM to you.

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #5
I tried to create a 30 s sample in which the artifact would occur at 25 s, but the cut source file did not produce the same artifact. Apparently only the complete track triggers it.


Maybe removing first N*1024 samples will help?

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #6
So you think that the AAC frame border position may have an effect on this. That would be a logical explanation because I don't think a VBR encoder would take into account the past audio content from tens of seconds or minutes before the current frame.

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #7
That did the trick. I removed N*1024 samples from the beginning. Here is a ~15 s sample that produces the same artifact when encoded (using Winamp/FhG AAC v.1.01, VBR preset 3). The problem occurs at about 12.6 s. It is clearly audible when replay gain is set to prevent clipping.

[attachment=6591:A_Man_Can_Feel.flac]

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #8
Benski,

i wish you were posting this at the winamp forums!

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #9
By chance I noticed a serious encoding artifact (I'd actually describe it as a bug) when I tested this encoder with some gapless albums.

Thanks a lot, Alex, for this report! This is a very rare bug which has been fixed in a newer release of Fraunhofer's AAC encoder (version 03.02.03) a few weeks ago and should reach Winamp soon.

I noticed that this encoder produces 88.2 kHz .m4a files when the input is 44.1 and bitrate>=320kpbs. 48kHz remains untouched.

Is it a bug or a feature?

Thanks for reporting! It's a bug (because it was trivial to solve) and is also fixed in the new version.

Please, anyone, if you find such configuration problems or artifacts, report them here on HA along with the input file, just like Alex did, so we can reproduce and hopefully fix them.

Chris
If I don't reply to your reply, it means I agree with you.

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #10
@C.R.Helmrich

hi, do you plan to add adts support for VBR mode too?
_

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #11
@C.R.Helmrich

hi, do you plan to add adts support for VBR mode too?
_


The encoder supports VBR encoding in ADTS format.  We (Winamp) have chosen not to implement it as there is no defined seek-table for ADTS files.

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #12
i hope you will reconsider...(may be as a silent option - for a CLI wrapper only!)...this would be very handy (with adts STDOUT support too! - may be as a silent option - for a CLI wrapper only!) for pipeing VBR/CBR aac from an audio decoder to an audio-video muxer...
_

sorry for OT...
_

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #13
I am looking forward to a fix for the upsampling issue. Regards.

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #14
Are you considering higher bitrate VBR presets? I use Q 0.9 with Nero which result in ~375 kbps with modern music and around ~250 kbps with older less hifi music. You (Fhg) have constant bitrate up to 448 kbps for us who want some reassurance headroom when it comes to the bitrate but a VBR mode that uses the highest bitrates and results in maybe 320-375 kbps would be much appreciated. Regards.

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #15
Are you considering higher bitrate VBR presets? I use Q 0.9 with Nero which result in ~375 kbps with modern music and around ~250 kbps with older less hifi music. You (Fhg) have constant bitrate up to 448 kbps for us who want some reassurance headroom ...

I assume you like the idea of headroom in order to avoid non-transparent encodings. Actually I tuned FhG's encoder for precisely that, using also the most "killer" items I could find here on HA. At the highest VBR mode, any item should be transparent. If it is not, please notify me. Until then, I see little point in adding a very-high-rate VBR mode.

In any case, you'd have to ask benski since he decides (and has to implement) which modes are/will be available in the Winamp GUI.

Chris
If I don't reply to your reply, it means I agree with you.

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #16
Am I correct to assume that the v. 03.02.03 is still not available?

Edit: Winamp 5.621 is still the latest build and its encoder version is 03.02.02. (at least in my installer, downloaded July 14)

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #17
Great! The only downside is I'm not using Winamp. Is therre a facet for foobar2k, or a plugin for f2k?

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #18
Am I correct to assume that the v. 03.02.03 is still not available?

Edit: Winamp 5.621 is still the latest build and its encoder version is 03.02.02. (at least in my installer, downloaded July 14)


Winamp 5.622 with FhG AAC 3.2.3 just got released moments ago.

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #19
Thanks for the info!

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #20
@benski can you update your attachement from the first post?
_

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #21
Apparently new version 3.2.3 has not only bug fixes but also quality tunings.

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #22

Quote
I assume you like the idea of headroom in order to avoid non-transparent encodings. Actually I tuned FhG's encoder for precisely that, using also the most "killer" items I could find here on HA. At the highest VBR mode, any item should be transparent. If it is not, please notify me. Until then, I see little point in adding a very-high-rate VBR mode.

In any case, you'd have to ask benski since he decides (and has to implement) which modes are/will be available in the Winamp GUI.

Chris


Depends on what you call "transparent".
The encoder is indeed very efficient and every detail is clear at the highest VBR mode, but the sound is still kinda "compact" and a bit unnatural compared to the lossless files.
320 kbps would be perhaps a bit overkill, but what speaks against a mode "6" at around 256 kbps?

Edit:
Sorry for the wrong quote I answered to at first!

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #23
can anybody help with the new .dll?
_

Winamp FhG AAC encoder with gapless fix

Reply #24
Download the latest Winamp package.
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