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[waiting4windshield]

I'm using MC33.0.71 (64 bit). I purchased Doug MacLeod's 'There's a Time' CD by RR (Reference Recordings) with 'HDCD' clearly marked on both front and back covers. I ripped this CD using both dBpoweramp CD Ripper and MC33's built-in ripper. I invoked Analyze Audio on the results of both rippings and in both cases got the same result of HDCD (tag) == 0, whereas I was expecting HDCD == 1.

Note that prior to running Analyze Audio I was seeing HDCD (tag) == -1, as expected.

I think there's no doubt that the recording -- advertised as HDCD -- is actually HDCD. So, what might I be doing incorrectly, or is MC33's HDCD feature broken?

Edit: See: https://referencerecordings.com/recording/theres-a-time-doug-macleod/

[dtc]

HDCD can be tricky. Some CDs say they are HDCD but there is nothing in the actual data that uses HDCD.  They may have a marker for a HDCD feature but the data for the feature is not there. MC ignores those but other programs detect those and expand, although nothing is actually changed.  There are also some HDCD features (filters in particular) that are not implement by HDCD decoding programs.  Can you check it with dBpoweramp?

[waiting4windshield]

Yes, using dBpoweramp's HDCD@DSP function, the ripped result says "HDCD Detected" on all 13 tracks.

Edit: Moreover, each track's resulting Bit Depth is 24 [vs 16] and they sound noticably better than the non-HDCD rips.

Edit2: I gave a sample file to Matt who determined that the HDCD encoding is do-nothing code. Also, in a 2nd audio test, I could not detect a difference in sound quality.

[dtc]

What you are seing definitely happens, but it usually because their is no real HDCD code in the data. I don't know of any way to be sure. MC throws out coding that does nothing, but it does make it hard to be sure if the decoding is working properly.

[Matt]

Would you be willing to send me one of the files you're testing? I'm matt at jriver.

We don't trigger as HDCD today when the change is not "effectual". This seems right, but having a non-effectual test file would be helpful.

Thanks.

[Matt]

Thanks for the sample file. As expected, there are HDCD markers but they're all non-effectual. Today we don't flag the file as HDCD when that is all that is found.

These markers are described like this in the HDCD code:
HDCD packets appear, but all control codes are NOP

[dtc]

Matt - How about a code (+2 maybe) for HDCD detected but not "effectual". That would clarify this type of situation. Thanks.