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Topic: WavPack 4.3b is available for testing (Read 25518 times) previous topic - next topic
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WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

I am finally nearing completion of WavPack 4.3 and I really appreciate everybody's patience. Since so many things have changed I have decided to make a beta available while I build all the other tools and update the documentation and sources. As always, any and all testing is welcome... 

Thanks to gl.tter, Kazuma, Synthetic Soul, Martin H, Guruboolez, BoraBora, shadowking, JohanDeBock, and anyone else who contributed to this release that I forgot about.

Here's what's new:

Both Programs
  • new command-line option (-l) to use low priority for smoother multitasking
  • fixed bug causing termination error with very wide screen widths
  • debug mode (rename to xxxxpack_debug.exe) causes the command-line args and other useful information (and any errors) to be dumped to the console and appended to a file named c:\wavpack.log.
  • returns error status for any error
WavPack.exe
  • new command-line option (-r) to generate a fresh RIFF header (discarding extra chunks)
  • automatically detect lower resolution data even without -x1 (handy for MLP sources)
  • use longer blocks for multichannel files (improves "high" mode compression)
  • source and destination directories are also searched for tag source files (handy for EAC)
  • wildcard accepted for tag source file (must match 1 file only; handy for EAC)
  • handle non-standard sampling rates
WvUnpack.exe
  • new command-line option (-ss) to include tags in summary dump
  • decoding overflow bug fixed (encoder fixed in 4.22)
  • more robust decoding of damaged (or invalid) files
  • handle ID3v1.1 tags (now includes track number)
  • fixed formatting error in duration display
Here's the zip:

http://www.wavpack.com/wp43b.zip

edit: formatting

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #1 –
Nice
Are there improvements for mono encodings in this beta? If no, is it planed for a next release?

Thanks

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #2 –
Maybe this is a stupid question, but I'm going to ask bryant  about it.
Is it possible to increase the overall compression ratio of the codec, how much will it be and is it planned for the future at all ?

Thanks

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #3 –
Quote
Nice
Are there improvements for mono encodings in this beta? If no, is it planed for a next release?

Thanks
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=337439"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hi Guru,

I have implemented the mono improvement, but just in the decoder for now. After 4.3 is released I plan to include the encoding portion in a 4.4 beta soon afterward. Sorry it's been so long since you first sent me those files! 

I also have not implemented shadowking's noise-shaping improvement because I wanted to do it in a backward compatible way (which was more work). But it's scheduled.

As for Leo's question, I am always working on possible improvements in compression ratio as long as they don't seriously degrade decoding speed or complexity (I have no interest in super-slow "archive" modes). Also, to consider an improvement that would break old decoders there would have to be a pretty dramatic improvement. However, I believe that the existing -x mode could be overhauled in a way that would give a significant improvement to compression of real music without the huge speed penalty that exists now. Well see... 

Thanks...

David

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #4 –
WavPack is a multiplatform application, but the 4.3b you shared are MS Windows only.
So I have to ask when you plan to release this version to us non-Windows users?

Or maybe you only want feedback from a limited user base?

**  waiting **

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #5 –
Quote
Sorry it's been so long since you first sent me those files! 
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=337447"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Don't worry: I'm glad to see that you found a way to improve the encoder. And with lossless, I can encode a second time my files with 4.4 or even with WavPack 5 if needed

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #6 –
Thanks again David.  I really appreciate that you continue to take users' suggestions on board.

Quote
  • source and destination directories are also searched for tag source files (handy for EAC)
  • wildcard accepted for tag source file (must match 1 file only; handy for EAC)

I feel it's worth highlighting the usefulness of this, especially when encoding using EAC, or transcoding using foobar.

By adding the command:

-w "CUESHEET=@*.cue"

... to your command line you can easily embed the cuesheet without worrying about the name, or path, of the file.  Very useful if your cuesheets have differing names, or you want to work from various directories without constantly amending your commandline.

Bear in mind that there must only be one .CUE in the directory - but I store all my images in an album/disc-specific directory, and always use a "clean" directory when ripping with EAC, so it works for me.

I believe this originated from a suggestion by Martin H - so many thanks to him also.
I'm on a horse.

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #7 –
Quote
Thanks to gl.tter, Kazuma, Synthetic Soul, Martin H, Guruboolez, BoraBora, shadowking, JohanDeBock, and anyone else who contributed to this release that I forgot about.[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=337437"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


I'm not in that list because, instead of telling David what to add, I told him what not to add :-P

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #8 –
Woohoo!  Thanks again Bryant

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #9 –
Quote
  • handle non-standard sampling rates
    [a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=337437"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


This is great news for me! Thanks a lot!

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #10 –
Many, many thanks, Bryant!  Wavpack was already the best for me and it keeps getting better. You do wonders!

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #11 –
As always thanks very much for the beta and hopefully a release will soon be around the corner.  I personally especially like the part of lower resolution detection without the -x switch as I know one day I'll have some DVD-A discs to rip and I might as well squeeze as much size out of them as I can.

Thank you for your great codec once again
Nero AAC 1.5.1.0: -q0.45

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #12 –
I already have a bug report for this beta.  I have a WavPack I want to decode to a .RAW.  Well it starts decoding to .RAW ... but there is NO progress meter, and it is just sitting there doing nothing.

Example:

wvunpack -r "c:\11 - kitchenware & candybars.wv"

restoring 11 - Kitchenware & Candybars.raw,



Hopefully you understand my poor description. 



Edit: WavPack 4.22 has no problem with the file, however...

restored 11 - Kitchenware & Candybars.raw in 7.89 secs (lossless)

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #13 –
Quote
WavPack is a multiplatform application, but the 4.3b you shared are MS Windows only.
So I have to ask when you plan to release this version to us non-Windows users?

Or maybe you only want feedback from a limited user base?

**  waiting **
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=337455"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

No slight to users on other platforms was meant. I simply develop on Windows and so that version is always done first. My next step is to get the non-windows ports up-to-date (hopefully by this weekend) and do the full release with sources.

But I figured that between now and then I could get some free testing from Windows users (and it looks like it already paid off, thanks Kazuma!  )

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #14 –
I would suggest you display, after encoding is finished in wavpack.exe, the speed times real-time. (like, "5.7x real time encoding")

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #15 –
Thank's for all your hard work David, it's trully appreciated 

-Martin.

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #16 –
I'm looking forward to the new version!

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #17 –
Quote
No slight to users on other platforms was meant. I simply develop on Windows and so that version is always done first.
Ok, I didnt know.
Quote
My next step is to get the non-windows ports up-to-date (hopefully by this weekend) and do the full release with sources.
Sounds great! Cant wait to check it out.

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #18 –
Quote
I would suggest ...
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=337519"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

You really want to be in that list, don't you     
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #19 –
Quote
You really want to be in that list, don't you      [a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=337601"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Of course! My best catch line with chicks is "I influence WavPack development"

They melt on spot, I tell you!

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #20 –
Will this version renew compatibility with shntool ?

EDIT: Oops, sorry, I forgot that the problem lies with shntool not WavPack.

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #21 –
i'm curious about the new -r switch.  where could i find more info?
a windows-free, linux user since 1/31/06.

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #22 –
Quote
i'm curious about the new -r switch.  where could i find more info?
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=337746"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

In the manual. Oh wait, I didn't do that yet! 

I got an e-mail request a few weeks ago from someone who wanted an option to throw away extra RIFF chunks (like FLAC does). He wanted this because a program he was using to create wavs was putting stuff in the RIFF chunks that he didn't want to distribute in the WavPack file.

Because I was already adding the functionality to the WavPack library to automatically create a wav header for the application, this became an easy feature to add (and besides I needed a way to test the new functionality).

When you use the -r option, the original wav header (and any RIFF data after the audio) is discarded and a "fresh" header is generated (an extended header is generated for multichannel). This way you know that no hidden information is going out.

Of course, the only time the wav header is used is when wvunpack.exe generates a wav file. It has nothing to do with regular playback because all the information required for playback is native to the WavPack file.

In the future I could easily expand this option to allow reading "raw" audio files by allowing specification of the audio format.

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #23 –
Quote
Quote
You really want to be in that list, don't you      [a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=337601"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Of course! My best catch line with chicks is "I influence WavPack development"

They melt on spot, I tell you!
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=337606"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


  I enjoy your sarcasm from time to time, Roberto...

WavPack 4.3b is available for testing

Reply #24 –
Well, -x is usually pretty slow for me anyway.  Does the mono fix you have incorporated break decoder compatibility?