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[bannonb]

I may need coaching in using "Drives and Devices".  I want to use itunes to synch to my iphone and ipod, so:

I created a directory (virtual device) for synching with MC17.

I set options to have allowed filetypes of .m4a and .mp3

File conversion set to mp3 and set encoder to CBR/ABR encoding of 256kbps bitrate.  
Argument shown in dialog is lame.exe --preset 256.  I click OK to save those changes.  Then I synch.

It properly copies all m4a songs into the directory, and my big FLAC files are converted and copied as mp3s...so far so good.

When I look at individual songs that were converted though, I find that the properties shows that the encoder setting is variable bitrate with -V 5 switch and one song (among many) is now showing a bitrate of 136Kbps.  I checked this with DBPowerAmp "autido properties" and Windows properties-details.  This is quite different than I set in the dialog above.

I would like to convert all non-mp3 and non-m4a files to mp3 and copy them to my "itunes only" directory at 256kbps bitrate.  I would like existing mp3s and m4as to copy with no change.  I think I am close, but need the settings dialog to be followed...

Could someone comment?  Any hints?  I am attaching a screen shot showing the encoder settings, then the file properties.


Thanks for the review and/or advice.
BannonB

[bannonb]

Bumping for assistance...

Can anyone comment?  JimH or Matt?  Encoding appears not to be doing what I think I told it to do...

Help is appreciated.

BannonB

[bannonb]

I believe this is a support issue so I am posting in the forums to get assistance.

So far 0 responses.

I have tried every combination of cbr vbr encoding with lame and always get the same result...very low bitrate conversions. 
I have removed and re-created the virtual device and retried.  Same result.

Can someone please help here?  I am willing to experiment.

Thanks,

BannonB

[JimH]

In MC's encoding options, there are encoding settings for ripping, conversion, and sound recorder.  Make sure you're setting the right one.

[bannonb]

Thanks JimH.

I didn't know that there were 3 capabilities there...
-Ripper encoding is set to FLAC
-Conversion encoding is set to mp3 -V 0 --vbr-new
-Sound Recorder is set to mp3 -V 0 --vbr-new   also

In the HH synch, I set conversion settings to mp3 and -V 0 --vbr-new

When I hit "synch now" on a playlist of flac files, it succeeds, but generates mp3 files with bitrates from 105 to 150 kbps.  Audio property details show that encoding was done with vbr -V 5 parameters...

My experience here is making me believe that the dialog is not passing the paramaters I want.

Your help is appreciated.

BannonB

[Matt]

I've tried to reproduce this (using MC18), but I get files that average about 256kbps with those settings.

Since it's ABR, I suppose a few files could come out lower or higher.  The album I tested ranged from 246-251.

So I can't explain what you're seeing.  Maybe you could add a new device and see if it still happens on a second device?

[bannonb]

If I should update to MC18 I will.  I hoped to wait until you considered it stable.  I understand that it's easier to support one version, but 17 should be supported and fixed until you release 18 in GA form (my 2 cents).

I added a 2nd device and am getting the same exact results.  I place -V 0 or --preset cbr 256 into the dialog and the files all show -V 5 as encoding options...

If I uninstall MC17 and reinstall it, will it keep all my settings?  All else seems to work ok, but this one feature is my barrier to end to end success.

BannonB

[Matt]

I place -V 0 or --preset cbr 256 into the dialog and the files all show -V 5 as encoding options...

Your screenshot shows that you've selected 'CBR / ABR Encoding' so any text entry is ignored.

Could that be the issue?

[bannonb]

Sorry, I've referred to multiple option sets.

I've tried every setting in that dialog...that group of dialogs was to show that I set as CBR/ABR (not custom) and still the resultant file properties show the -V 0 option.

By the way, the gogo item worked first time (256k avg).  lame however has been my bane.

[bannonb]

In order to help the cause, I installed and ran MC 18.  Painless, works fine.  I guess I'll stay on that.  Now the troubleshoot is for the current beta/flagship platform.

I still get the exact same behavior.

I validated that conversion settings in options-encoding were still set for file conversion to mp3 variable extreme. 

Also validated handheld synch options reflect the variable extreme setting.

I am converting about 5 albums of flac files with varying sample rates, bitrates and bit depths.

Files still all show they were encoded with -V 5 parameters...

Using the right-click convert format menu item works just fine, the file properties shows -V 0 as expected.

Now to understand why that pesky handheld synch conversion doesn't do the same thing...

[bannonb]

I also tried using lame as an external encoder with parameters:  %IN %OUT -V 0

I get the same -V 5 encoded files.


***Should this be moved to the MC18 topic area since this is happening on MC18 and that's what I need support on?

BannonB