Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Nada]

I'm a new user that has just downloaded the trial version of JRiver Media Center for the Mac (20), and when converting from DSD to AIFF, I find the file size to be nearly ten times, and in some cases more than ten times the size of normal AIFF files.  I'm finding a single file to be anywhere from 490MB to 1.3 GB.  Am I doing something wrong with my converting process?  The files play fine, and sound very good, but the file sizes are enormous.

Thanks in advance.

[Hendrik]

Decoding DSD produces PCM in extremely high sample rates, if you intend to store it as PCM, you may want to tell the converter to resample to a lower sample rate, or the files are indeed going to be enormous, considering AIFF is not compressed at all.
You can open the DSP options in the converter options and set a sample rate there.

[Nada]

Decoding DSD produces PCM in extremely high sample rates, if you intend to store it as PCM, you may want to tell the converter to resample to a lower sample rate, or the files are indeed going to be enormous, considering AIFF is not compressed at all.
You can open the DSP options in the converter options and set a sample rate there.

Thank you.  What do you suggest as a setting ?  44,100, which I believe how my iTunes is set?

[InflatableMouse]

For converting DSD I would suggest 24-bit 88.2 kHz, unless you need compatibility with other devices that don't support 24-bit or higher sampling rates. In that case you need 16-bit 44.1 kHz.

[Nada]

For converting DSD I would suggest 24-bit 88.2 kHz, unless you need compatibility with other devices that don't support 24-bit or higher sampling rates. In that case you need 16-bit 44.1 kHz.

Obviously, I'm still misunderstanding the procedure to adjust the conversion process.  I went in and changed the conversion to AIFF, and then thought I had changed to 44.1kHz. I did the conversion of the original DSF file (file size 372.7 MB), and ran the conversion with the resultant AIFF file being 1.12 GB.  Then I noticed that the bits were set to Auto, so I changed it to 16-bit, and ran it again, and the resultant file was 745.3 MB, still way bigger than the original DSF file.  So I am still am obviously not setting the conversion process.  Is there a step by step somewhere where I can see what to do.  I appreciate all the power of your software, but I am not finding it as easy to use without some form of instruction on how to do a conversion.  Right now, to get a file size equivalent to an 16-bit file size, I have to import the files into iTunes and the create a new AIFF file from that. And I'm sure that shouldn't be necessary with software as powerful as the JRiver Media Center. And so I assume that I just not doing the conversion correctly.  Can you direct me to an area at the JRiver Site where I can read up and learn what I am doing wrong?   Thanks once again.   

[6233638]

You aren't going to get small files with AIFF since it's uncompressed.
DSD is completely different from PCM. It's a 1-bit audio format so the files are smaller than you might expect, and conversion from DSD to PCM is unlikely to produce smaller files.
 
I'd also suggest something like 24/88.2 or 24/44.1. I wouldn't drop the bit-depth below 24-bit.
You should use a format like FLAC or ALAC though, on average AIFF/WAV files will be twice the size.

[Nada]

You aren't going to get small files with AIFF since it's uncompressed.
DSD is completely different from PCM. It's a 1-bit audio format so the files are smaller than you might expect, and conversion from DSD to PCM is unlikely to produce smaller files.
 
I'd also suggest something like 24/88.2 or 24/44.1. I wouldn't drop the bit-depth below 24-bit.
You should use a format like FLAC or ALAC though, on average AIFF/WAV files will be twice the size.

Thanks for your response.  I'm just not understanding one thing these files that are set for 16-bit conversion as only half as big as the final 16-bit AIFF converted file.  However, if I take that new 16-bit file, which is now, say 750 MB (the DSD is somewhere around 345 MB) and I create a new AIFF file with the very same settings (16/44.1) in iTunes, the resultant file is somewhere around 88MB.  Why is it that the 750 MB converted 16/44.1 AIFF, when re-created in iTunes ends up being only 88 MB.  Another DSD example  converted by JRiver Media Center to be 16/44.1 was 639.9 MB but when placed into iTunes and then re-created (as 16/44.1 uncompressed) ended up being only 53.8 MB.   Both are supposedly uncompressed files, but one is way bigger than the other, and both are AIFF 16/44.1, and I'm just very interested in what's going on.  What is JRiver Media Center doing or not doing to create a 639.9 MB file, while the iTunes file is only 84 MB?

I had thought that maybe I had altered the settings in JRiver Media Center 20 but not really put them into effect by leaving out a step of the Options setting process.  But you are saying no, I've probably done it correctly.  I'm just puzzled why one is more than six times bigger than the other when they both seem to be set for 16/44.1, and this is why , I kept thinking I hadn't actually turned on these the new settings within JRiver Media Center before clicking on CONVERT.   

[6233638]

That sounds like either a bug, or something not being configured correctly.

I just did a quick test and converting a DSD track to AIFF at the default settings resulted in a 600MB file.
A 16/44 AIFF was 50MB and a 16/44 FLAC was 30MB.
 
 
Are you sure that you're setting the bit-depth and sample rate in the conversion options? (lower-left corner of MC)

[Nada]

That sounds like either a bug, or something not being configured correctly.

I just did a quick test and converting a DSD track to AIFF at the default settings resulted in a 600MB file.
A 16/44 AIFF was 50MB and a 16/44 FLAC was 30MB.
 
 
Are you sure that you're setting the bit-depth and sample rate in the conversion options? (lower-left corner of MC)

YES I have changed the settings, but where in God's name do I go to save the settings, and on what do I click to save them.  I have to say, with all due respect, that I do see that it is obvious. I am not exactly computer illiterate either. Where do I save the settings. I have set the bit depth to 16, and if I look at DSP settings, I have also set all the inputs to output at 44.1   But apparently, it's one thing to change the settings, and another thing altogether to SAVE the settings before running the conversion.     I would appreciate it if you could give me the step by step on saving the changes I have made?  Maybe one has to buy the software to be able to save the changes?  I can't think of any other reason why I haven't been able make a proper conversion other than the feature for saving one's settings are currently disabled in the trial version.  And if so, JRiver should make that clear, as I've already spent a lot of time trying to get this to work without success.

[6233638]

1. Select Convert Format, and click the Options button:
 

 
2. Enable the "Apply DSP" option and set the bit-depth.
 


3. Open up the DSP Settings.
 
4. Set the output format as required:
 

 
Close DSP Studio, click OK in the conversion options, and then convert your file.

[Nada]

  Thanks, it is working!  So, firstly, thanks very much for taking the time to include the screen shots.  That was very kind of you to do.

Obviously, I'm puzzled that when I attempted it previously (and I did go into Options a multitude of times), it didn't seem to enable those changes.  I am hopelessly hocked on high resolution files, but now, if I wish to place some of my DSD files on my phone or iPod, for use when I'm away from the house, I can do that.

And so, once again, thank you very very much for responding. I might have given up otherwise.

[6233638]

No problem - I'm glad you got it working.