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More => Old Versions => Media Center 12 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: dlmax63 on July 30, 2008, 06:47:36 pm

Title: Is there a way to convert Flac 5.1 tracks to MP3?
Post by: dlmax63 on July 30, 2008, 06:47:36 pm
I tried to convert some songs from flac 5.1 to MP3 but got an error that reads "Failed to convert 'x' files. Pleas ensure that your files exist, and are of a supported audio format."

Does anyone know of a plug-in for MC or a separate program that can do this conversion? MC plays the flac 5.1 files but won't convert them. My guess is that the converter process doesn't know what to do with the extra channels. Maybe there's a program that allows the assigning of which channels to convert/ignore.
Title: Re: Is there a way to convert Flac 5.1 tracks to MP3?
Post by: JimH on July 30, 2008, 07:26:05 pm
What version of MC?  Current MC12 versions should work.
Title: Re: Is there a way to convert Flac 5.1 tracks to MP3?
Post by: dlmax63 on July 30, 2008, 09:22:40 pm
Currently running MC 12.0.514
Title: Re: Is there a way to convert Flac 5.1 tracks to MP3?
Post by: dlmax63 on August 02, 2008, 07:44:25 pm
I've updated and am now running "Media Center 12.0.528 (registered)" but I'm still unable to convert to MP3.

Here's the info on one of the files I'm trying to convert:
**********************************
Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC)
 96.0kHz Sample Rate
 24 Bits Per Sample
 6 Channels

 Min Block Size = 4096
 Max Block Size = 4096
 Min Frame Size = 4054
 Max Frame Size = 49761
 Padding Block = 4096 bytes

 # of Pictures = 1
 Type 3 (229616 bytes)

 Vorbis Comment Block (148 bytes):
  Vendor String = reference libFLAC 1.2.1 20070917
  TITLE = Friend Of The Devil
  Tracknumber = 2
  Artist = Grateful Dead
  Date = 1970
  Album = American Beauty
************************************
As stated earlier, MC plays the file fine, but is unable to convert it for use on an iPod. If MC is unable to convert, does anyone know of another program which could do the deed? Any help would be appreciated.
Title: Re: Is there a way to convert Flac 5.1 tracks to MP3?
Post by: DougHamm on August 03, 2008, 12:49:12 pm
I tried to convert some songs from flac 5.1 to MP3 but got an error that reads "Failed to convert 'x' files. Pleas ensure that your files exist, and are of a supported audio format."

Does anyone know of a plug-in for MC or a separate program that can do this conversion? MC plays the flac 5.1 files but won't convert them. My guess is that the converter process doesn't know what to do with the extra channels. Maybe there's a program that allows the assigning of which channels to convert/ignore.

Maybe because the source is 5.1?  Where nothing else works, google "dbpoweramp" and go from there.

-Doug
Title: Re: Is there a way to convert Flac 5.1 tracks to MP3?
Post by: ADDiCT on August 03, 2008, 02:33:34 pm
I never did this, but i think a conversion from 5.1 to stereo requires a lot of specialized processing which i don't think MC supports. MP3 supports a maximum of  two channels (stereo) (see here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_audio_codecs#Technical_details)). The sound data of 5.1 channels has to be converted to stereo data, which is not a simple task like a conversion from one two-channel format to another. I know the conversion from a surround signal to a stereo signal while ripping DVD's has to be done with a tool called "BeSweet (http://besweet.notrace.dk/)", for example.

This is as much as i can say about the topic. Google's your friend with this one. I think you'll have to do the conversion "outside" of MC, with command line utilities or specialized tools. Hope this helps a bit.
Title: Re: Is there a way to convert Flac 5.1 tracks to MP3?
Post by: dlmax63 on August 03, 2008, 04:11:39 pm
Thank you DougHamm & Addict. I did try dbpoweramp and it was unable to convert also.

I'll find another source for the disc and go from there. Thanks!
Title: Re: Is there a way to convert Flac 5.1 tracks to MP3?
Post by: KingSparta on August 03, 2008, 04:31:33 pm
Quote
I never did this, but i think a conversion from 5.1 to stereo requires a lot of specialized processing

Maybe

But You Can Play It, And Record It Using Many Programs I Us "Easy Hi-Q Recorder"
Title: Re: Is there a way to convert Flac 5.1 tracks to MP3?
Post by: lepa on August 03, 2008, 05:54:47 pm
I don't think you can downmix that flac to mp3 with MC. (Don't have such file so I can't verify that. Maybe you can do that with diskwriter output???)

If you want to make a mp3 you can use foobar2000 to convert it to stereo mp3.

1. Choose file with right click.
2. Choose convert->convert to same folder
3. Check DSP Processing
4. Choose "convert 5.1 to stereo from DSP processing menu
5. couple of "OK" clicks and converting should be started.

You can also use another container (ogg, mp4) if you want to decrease the file size but maintain all the channels.