Having problems with music files ripped under Vista

[fh1805]

I have discovered what appears to be a problem associated with music files and am wondering whether it might just be a bug in PTE v5.1.

I build my sequences and do all my experimentation on a Compaq desktop PC running Windows Vista. To rip music tracks off CD I use Windows Media Player (WMP) which I believe to be at v11 (it's whatever version came with Vista). The options are set to rip to WAV.

I was doing some experiementation today and wanted to add a particular piece of music to check out the overall effect. I ripped it as usual, then added it via Project Options Music tab. When I tried to preview the sequence I got a pop-up message box telling me that the music had zero length, and that probably my sound card was faulty or had missing drivers.

That's got to be a red-herring because the piece plays perfectly straight off the CD using WMP. The ripped track plays perfectly off the hard drive using WMP and also if imported into Audacity. I even tried exporting the piece out of Audacity as a WAV but under a different name. It gave the same error. Converting it to MP3 with Audacity produces a file that works but I don't want to have to convert every piece of music to MP3 just to try it out with images. The convert to MP3 is the very last act on my soundtrack files. All the build is done using WAV files in order to preserve the detail.

Yesterday evening I had ripped two Enya CDs. All the tracks from those show up with the same error.

A sample of the tracks that had been ripped on my previous computer using WMP v10 behave as you would expect - no problems.

Has anyone any ideas, please?

[Ken Cox]

Pete

change the rip setting to mp3 in wmp

i will do a screen shot as to where to change the setting if necessary

ken

this is with wmp 10 but i figger it should be the same

[Conflow]

Peter,

If memory serves me correctly "Win Media Player.11" has an Anti-Piracy feature built into it which

permits the replay of WAV's but not the 'ripping' of Wav material with a CDDB signature within it.

(CDDB= CD-Database Signature) All to do with the paranoia of the RIAA Organisation.

Before you go mad over the technics better to check this out. They started to 'fiddle-aound' with

this in WinMedia.10 (it works with CDDB Warning) but WinMedia.6~9 are completely free of it.

(My advice, throw out Win.11 and install Win.10 ~ check for Vista compatibility first)

This "messing-around" by the RIAA really iks me after one has paid top price for the CD and they

want another cut of the cake when one wants a 'snippet' of sound from it. Congress has already

ruled that 30.Secs of Program extraction is Legal ~ but not to these Moguls.

Its like buying a New Car ~ and then the Manufacturer wants £20 for every time you use it !!

Anyway check it up....

Brian.

[Ken Cox]

see

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsme.../mp11guide.aspx

http://www.bernzilla.com/item.php?id=816

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&c2co...+11&spell=1

ken

[Guest Dick Le Bleu]

I like mp3directcut.

http://mpesch3.de1.cc/mp3dc.html

Dick

[fh1805]

Ken/Dick,

Thanks for your responses, fellas - but I feel you've missed a key point.

Just as, when manipulating images in Photoshop, we keep the file in a "lossless" format so as to preserve maximum detail and only resize and convert to JPEG at the very end, so do I want to keep my sound files in a "lossless" format (i.e. WAV) until I'm finally satisfied with the manipulation (e.g. the mix) - and then I'll convert to MP3.

You're suggestions are all about getting the music in MP3 format first which I most definitely do not want to do.

[fh1805]

Brian,

Thanks for your reply. I spent some time this afternoon Googling around this subject but couldn't find anything that refered to the error message box that I get (which I suspect is coming from PTE code). I guess I could really do with one of Igor's team checking out the circumstances that cause that particular error box to come up.

[xahu34]

Hello,

why don't you use "CDex" or "Exact Audio Copy" for ripping. Under XP, I normally use "Audiograbber".

Kind regards

Xaver H.

Munich

[Conflow]

Peter,

Here you are, I found it ~ and its quite explicit. There are various simple

'work-arounds' which involve changing the 'Windows-WAV' sampling rate

unfortunately I expect that defeats your purpose. (See Attachment).

Note.1

I have also learnt that if one had used WinPlayer.10 to burn CD's and now

wishes to copy/or/extract and copy ~ now that also act's up (See below).

Note.2

More news ~ Prior to mid '2007 it was up to the CD Manufacturer as to

what Track/Track(s) he registered as DRM ~ Now since Win.Player.11

ships with Vista, all RIAA registered CD-Manufacturers are obliged to

DRM all CD-Tracks.

Brian.

[Conflow]

Hello,

why don't you use "CDex" or "Exact Audio Copy" for ripping. Under XP, I normally use "Audiograbber".

Kind regards

Xaver H.

Munich

Xaver,

Good suggestion, I use them myself absolutely no problems, but I wonder will

they work with Vista ~ I have never tried that, and I dont use WinPlayer.11

because of the DRM-Metatag problem.

Brian.Conflow.

[davegee]

Try downloading SONIC STAGE and use that to convert to WAV. It is an excellent and versatile converter and it will give you a data base of all converted files.

DaveG

[Ken Cox]

Peter

"Converting it to MP3 with Audacity produces a file that works but I don't want to have to convert every piece of music to MP3 just to try it out with images. The convert to MP3 is the very last act on my soundtrack files. All the build is done using WAV files in order to preserve the detail."

people have had problems with playing wav files long before v5/vista

it would be easy enough to rip to mp3 at 320 kb as a test to see if you get the error

it was my understanding that >192 kb was cd quality

Ron West makes broadcast quality mp3's at 320 kb

ken

[Ronniebootwest]

Peter

"Converting it to MP3 with Audacity produces a file that works but I don't want to have to convert every piece of music to MP3 just to try it out with images. The convert to MP3 is the very last act on my soundtrack files. All the build is done using WAV files in order to preserve the detail."

people have had problems with playing wav files long before v5/vista

it would be easy enough to rip to mp3 at 320 kb as a test to see if you get the error

it was my understanding that >192 kb was cd quality

Ron West makes broadcast quality mp3's at 320 kb

ken

When using Audition to convert WAV files to mp3 I always use the 320 bit setting so that I can maintain 'broadcast quality' for my radio programs. I use the mp3 pro setting when I make CD's but change to the normal mp3 setting for PTE slide show work. For some reason, PTE often dislikes the 'pro' setting.

Ron West

[xahu34]

Xaver,

Good suggestion, I use them myself absolutely no problems, but I wonder will

they work with Vista ~ I have never tried that, and I dont use WinPlayer.11

because of the DRM-Metatag problem.

Brian.Conflow.

Hello Brian,

I found several indications at download sites, that EAC (Exact Audio Copy) runs under Vista, and this is what Andre Wiethoff, the (German) developer of EAC says: "EAC sollte mit Windows XP und Vista funktionieren."

Kind regards

Xaver H.

Munich

[Conflow]

Hello Brian,

I found several indications at download sites, that EAC (Exact Audio Copy) runs under Vista, and this is what Andre Wiethoff, the (German) developer of EAC says: "EAC sollte mit Windows XP und Vista funktionieren."

Kind regards

Xaver H.

Munich

______________________________________________________________________

Xaver,

Many thanks for that valuable piece of information, and if this is the correct translation:-

~The EAC Developer recommends that EAC should be used for XP and Vista~ thats good

news, I will try the EAC Program with this new XP-Laptop.

You probably know the 'Old-Trick' of stopping CD-Autorun by keeping the 'Shift Key'

pressed when loading the CD into the PC Player. Most times this prevents Autorun

from 'auto-loading' the DRM-Metafile and activating the Copy-Rip protection. That also

might be of some use to Peter.

There is another problem with Vista which Peter may not realise ~up to WinPlayer.10

the Player/Ripper converted the CD-PCM Audio into a genuine PC.Wav File but now it converts

the PCM.Format into a WMA File (If its allowed). But neither Audacity nor Audion support the

WMA Format so one has to use a WMA/WAV Converter which requires a 'Runtime Codec'

and that seems to be hidden in XP & Vista.....Another days work !

Thanks again,

Brian.Conflow.

[xahu34]

................... and if this is the correct translation:-

~The EAC Developer recommends that EAC should be used for XP and Vista~ thats good news ...........

Hello Brian,

What the developer wrote in an EAC forum leaves room for interpretations. My feeling is that your translation is not quite correct. In my ears it sounds a bit different: The developer seems to be convinced that it will work, but does not give any guarantee that it will really work in all cases.

Remark on Autorun: On my machines I deactivated Autorun for all drives via the goup policy editor.

Kind regards

Xaver H.

Munich

[Conflow]

Xaver,

Yes,I understand what you say ~ also on my PCs, No Autorun !

Brian.

[Ken Cox]

have used tweakui for years -- started with powertoys 95

since it has been up dated for xp

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloa...ppowertoys.mspx

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/tweakui.htm

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=xp...earch&meta=

an essential piece:)

ken

[cjdnzl]

There are two ways to copy music from CDs. One is to use software like WMP to rip the CD, which also will include any copy protection inherent in the tracks. The other way is to simply play the music through the computer and use a sound editing program to copy the music as it plays.

The second way leaves behind all copy protection, as you are simply copying the music as it plays. I don't know if Audacity is capable of doing this, but Goldwave, a professional sound editing program will do it. Goldwave is free to download, and free to use for a limited number of commands per session, about 800 I think. I edited and strung together 14 tracks, adjusting sound levels and pitch, and only used about 350 commands, so 800 is pretty generous. If you want to buy it it's not expensive, about $45 US. I found it so good I bought it without hesitation.

It's worth a look at:

http://www.goldwave.com/

Colin

[Conflow]

Ken,

Those 'Utilities' won't work with Peters Vista Problem ~ although they work well elsewhere.

You see, Peter is convinced that its a PTE.5xx 'bug' but I'm afraid that "SorrySoft" have

made major modification to XP-Sp2 and Vista during the latter half of 2007 all in the pursuit

of $$$$ ~ but as usual unknown to its paying Customers.

They have sneaked in with DRM (aka Sony Rootkit) their version is not the Sony XCA System.

Its a newly purchased 'Selective Digital Rights Management System' which is being pushed out

on all new PC's but they have also modified existing XP's running WinMedia Player-10.

Heres the proof below-

Brian.Conflow.

http://www.news.com/FAQ-Vistas-strong%2C-n...1.html?tag=nw.7

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsme...er/faq/drm.mspx

[Ken Cox]

tweakui will stop auto run

ken

[Conflow]

Ken,

They have thought about that also ~ You need to read and examine in detail the 2nd. "Link" I just Posted.

SorrySoft are quite open about it (no apologies) and they tell you "bluntly" what they are doing to protect other

Manufacturers Products ~ they mean the RIAA, who have put legal pressure on the CDDA Organisation and they

expect you to convert to their WMA Format for their own protection ~ what a Fiasco !!!.

At this stage I'm getting out of this 'thread' ~ I put enough into it ~ and quite honestly they can stuff Vista and

the "protection racket" thats going on at our expense. I hope Congress moves on this faster than what its doing.

Brian.

[Ken Cox]

i never should have entered into the auto run addition and it should not have been added to te thread

i am talking about tweakui

i never looked at your sorrysoft thing

ken

[Conflow]

Ken,

I'm surprised at your remark "off thread" ~ Autorun is part of 'Microsofts Digital Rights Management'

where they dictate what you can -and- cannot do with Media. [Windows Media Player 10 &11]

I will say this:-

If someone altered your TV so they could control what you watched and what you Recorded...'

I am certain sure that you would get them by the scruff of the neck, give them a box, and promptly

dump them into the middle of Sarnia Harbour, preferably when its Snowing ~ otherwise it wouldn't be

the Ken Cox I got to know ~ and that's precisely what Microsoft is doing. What next..PTE ???

As always,

Brian.Conflow.

[fh1805]

This reply is in response to Xaver (at post #9) and Brian (at post #10),

Thanks for the pointer to ExactAudioCopy (EAC). I downloaded it this morning and have just finished a fairly extensive test of it (about 2 hours of trying this and that).

It does exactly what I want from a CD Ripper. It seems slightly faster than Windows Media Player (WMP) - although I haven't done any formal checks on that. It's just my "gut feel". The resultant WAV files are handled perfectly by PTE v4 and v5. And when used simply as an audio CD player the sound is much cleaner and brighter than when the same CD is played through WMP. Oh, I forgot to mention - it's working fine under Vista, at present.

Now all I've got to do is fathom out how to make this my default CD player instead of Windows Media Centre.