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[dlmax63]

I'm in the process of updating to Win 7 (x64) on my desktop and can't get m4a files to play. I've got the filters set the same as on my laptop (same O/S) but I get an error when I try to play m4a's on my desktop. The error states that it failed to play and that "You may not have installed on your computer DirectShow filters for decoding the type of file you are trying to play. Please install appropriate filters and try again."

Currently:
  File Type: AAC Audio (m4a,aac)
  Playback Method: "JRiver audio engine (using DirectShow filter)
  Source Filter: "Haali Media Splitter"
  Other Filters: "ffdshow Audio Decoder"

Maybe it's a configuration problem but darned if I can figure it out.

[sunfire7]

Im using DC-Bass Source as directshow filter and works for AAC and Apple Lossless


screen:

[dlmax63]

sunfire7:

Thanks for the response... although dcBass would probably work, I prefer not to use it because that would break the ability to burn them (11811 songs in m4a) to audio CDs or to convert to mp3 data CDs.

[Yaobing]

sunfire7:

Thanks for the response... although dcBass would probably work, I prefer not to use it because that would break the ability to burn them (11811 songs in m4a) to audio CDs or to convert to mp3 data CDs.

Why do you say that?  It should allow you to burn or convert.  DC-BASS is a DirectShow filter which decodes your AAC or ALAC encoded audio.  As long as you choose to play m4a in "JRiver audio engine (using DirectShow filters)", you should be able to burn or convert.

[dlmax63]

Yaobing:

I have read many of your responses on the forum and I consider your advice to very useful,... so I went ahead and installed DC-Bass and set it as the source filter with "Other Filters" set to "JRiver Bitrate Monitor Filter".

Yes, it allowed me to playback my m4a files on my desktop machine.

No, it would not allow me to convert to mp3. (I got an information pop-up which read "Failed to convert 1 file. Please ensure that your files exist and are of a supported audio format.") I did not attempt to burn an audio CD. I assumed (maybe I'm wrong here) that since MC couldn't convert to mp3 that it would also fail on conversion to cda (previously, with this setup, all it would burn were empty files and produce a coaster).

Additionally: Using DC-Bass causes me to lose the ability to analyze for replay gain. (I got an information pop-up which read "Only audio files on a local drive that can be played in the native playback engine can be analyzed.")

My laptop is able to do all of this and I would like this ability on my desktop.

Current Laptop settings which work for analyzing, converting and audio CD burning are:


I even went through all of the configuration options for the source and other filters between my laptop and desktop, matching settings and versions, and yet... my desktop would not play the m4a files.

Any suggestions are welcome... thanks for your help.

[Yaobing]

You are saying that analyzing/replay gain/converting work if you use Haali Media Splitter but they will not work if you use DC-BASS.  I will take look tomorrow.

EDIT: I just did a quick test on Analyzing.  It works for me.  I selected a few m4a files, some encoded with AAC, some with ALAC.  I selected DC-BASS for Source Filter.  Analyzer worked on all files except one file which seems to be corrupt.

[sunfire7]

I did a quick check and with DC-Bass Source Directshow I can convert and analyze m4a's too.

[Yaobing]

I confirm conversion works.

... so I went ahead and installed DC-Bass and set it as the source filter with "Other Filters" set to "JRiver Bitrate Monitor Filter".

Yes, it allowed me to playback my m4a files on my desktop machine.

No, it would not allow me to convert to mp3.

This is strange.  I am able to convert to APE or mp3.  I am able to analyze them. 

Since you are able to play the files, you should be able to do all other things, assuming your playback actually was done in DirectShow (not in Quicktime engine).

Since you can play the files, the only possible reason for the failure becomes unlikely reason.  But I will ask you anyway - what version of DC-BASS did you install?  If it is version 1.11, do you have unicode characters in file names?  DC-BASS 1.20 can handle unicode, earlier version can not.

[dlmax63]

Sorry for the delay... I did have DC-Bass v1.11, so I found a copy of 1.20 (forgot where). It still didn't work on my desktop.

BTW...At no time was I using quicktime. It was always haali, ffdshow or DC-Bass.

Anyway,... I uninstalled MC and all of my codecs. I was able to get it to work eventually with DC-Bass v1.11. Perhaps a different installed codec was causing problems. I don't know why, but all is good now.

Thanks everyone for your help!

[aldotcom]

Just providing an update in here because I had this issue but for a different reason. Running MJ12.0.17 (not upgrading so I continue using ASIO). I could play m4a files until a pop option appeared asking if I wanted to use fddshow to decode - I selected yes. I could not find an option in MJ12 to change this setting (unlike MJ14 as per screenshot). After downloading CCCP I still couldn't and after an hour of tinkering discovered that in order to stop MJ12 using fddshow to play m4a I needed to change the setting in CCCP itself. Unchecked AAC and all is now back to normal - happy days :-)