I need help getting FLAC to be useful., Installer doesn't work. Options

[Leathlobhair]

I don't want to step on any toes here, but I've exhausted all patience with this FLAC supposedly being better than MP3. I've tried every way that I can think of to install this thing called a "FLAC Frontend", or unzipping files and moving them around, or using the command prompt (a thing I really hate using because I barely know how) to jury-rig something. Over the past two weeks of trying to do this on my own, I've practically given up all belief that this FLAC thing is really any better than MP3s if it won't even work right. Case in point, it won't install properly because it can't register some kind of OCX file, and I have to run it as an administrator in order to do anything with it.

I'm using Windows 7 Ultimate (beta) <---It looks just like Vista. You could boo-hoo it if you want, but every single program that I use on this OS works just fine, except for the FLAC installer and partially working player.

Like I said - I've tried to get this thing to work for the better part of two weeks to no avail. Any and every other program I have ever used on my OS works without a hitch, except for the FLAC installer/player that I found here. Not to mention that it left some kind of problem behind when I uninstalled it... Now there is an icon on my desktop that I can't delete because it says it doesn't exist.

The forum messages pertaining to these problems petered out some time last year, and I wasn't able to figure out if anybody actually FIXED IT. I'm hesitant to do anything further, since it's screwing up my computer.

Edit: I've also been searching other websites, I was able to locate a codec installer at xiph.org, but lo and behold: It didn't work either.

This post has been edited by Leathlobhair: Mar 31 2009, 09:00

[Bryanhoop]

Use foobar2000 and the flac executable/plugin.

[Nick.C]

I've had foobar2000 and FLAC working successfully on W7.

[probedb]

I'm sure the OP could've posted their question in a couple of sentences.

[ojdo]

Given that you did not ask any question. So, step by step how to install FLAC and foobar2000 to be able to encode (nearly) any audio file (or even Audio CDs) to FLAC without fiddling with command line parameters.

1. Download the FLAC for Windows with installer. Install it (memorize the installation path).
2. Download foobar2000. Install it. Pay attention to select the "Converter" under tools during the setup process.
3. Launch foobar2000. Open the files (or an Audio CD to be ripped using the "file" menu) you want to encode to FLAC.
4. Select the entries in the playlist, open the context menu (right mouse click) and select "Utils > Convert > ..."
5. The window "Converter Setup" should appear. Select "FLAC, level 5" under output format.
6. Under "output files", you can determine how foobar will name the converted files. This field might be confusing at first, but is very mighty and flexible.<
7. Let the other settings default unless you know why you want to change them. Click OK.
8. Now foobar asks you for the path to the flac commandline encoder (flac.exe). Search it.

Ask (please don't rant) if you hang at some step. This is just a rough "step-by-step" guide.

And if only the FLAC installer fails, you can rest with the "FLAC for Windows (command-line tools and Winamp2 plugin only)", extract it and find the flac.exe there.

This post has been edited by ojdo: Mar 31 2009, 12:47

[greynol]

There are so many better ways of using flac than with the bundled frontend. I would kick that program to the curb without a single thought.

[Ron Jones]

I'm using Windows 7 Ultimate (beta) <---It looks just like Vista.

But it isn't just like Vista: it's a beta OS and such issues with third-party software are, unfortunately, to be expected. If you're unprepared to work around such issues, you should probably revert to Vista or XP.

Which OCX file needed to be registered, and did you attempt to register it?

There are so many better ways of using flac than with the bundled frontend. I would kick that program to the curb without a single thought.

I'm only using the frontend for exporting FLAC fingerprints at this point. For that purpose, it serves me fairly well.

[greynol]

...until you find a track with characters that win2dos cannot translate.



This post has been edited by greynol: Mar 31 2009, 19:48

Reason for edit: Had to do a little more research.

[trout]

Leathlobhair,

For what reason do you want to use flac? If you just want better sounding audio files, you're probably wasting your time. High quality mp3 encoding sounds identical to the original cd. If you think your mp3s don't sound as good as the original cd, maybe they weren't encoded as well as they could have been or it could be your hardware. Or maybe you're just being misled by some of the widespread hype out there.

[Axon]

Yeah, unless you've found specific issues with MP3s in a blind test, the advantages of FLAC (and there are many) have little to do with actually audible improvements.

And srsly. You're complaining about user interface issues in a beta? I hope you aren't that hard up for money to not afford Vista. Hell, you might have better luck than your current situation installing the Windows version of FLAC on Linux!

[Big Olmec Head]

Leathlobhair,

For what reason do you want to use flac? If you just want better sounding audio files, you're probably wasting your time. High quality mp3 encoding sounds identical to the original cd. If you think your mp3s don't sound as good as the original cd, maybe they weren't encoded as well as they could have been or it could be your hardware. Or maybe you're just being misled by some of the widespread hype out there.

I do not think so. I have the same track in 320 kbps in mp3 and in flac and you can hear differences. For instance I did notice some dogs barking and a rooster in some tracks of Sting´s Songs from the Labyrinth. I have both formats because not many portable players support flac. So if I want to listen to music in my computer, I have Flac files, and mp3 for my portable option.

[CoyoteSmith]

this seems like a good place to lobby for a .deb package on flac's webpage for us ubuntu folk

[trout]

I do not think so. I have the same track in 320 kbps in mp3 and in flac and you can hear differences. For instance I did notice some dogs barking and a rooster in some tracks of Sting´s Songs from the Labyrinth.

okay.

This post has been edited by trout: Apr 16 2009, 05:59

[jcoalson]

this seems like a good place to lobby for a .deb package on flac's webpage for us ubuntu folk

not sure what you mean, flac debian packages have been around since almost the beginning.

[CoyoteSmith]

this seems like a good place to lobby for a .deb package on flac's webpage for us ubuntu folk

not sure what you mean, flac debian packages have been around since almost the beginning.

http://packages.debian.org/cgi-bin/search_...amp;release=all

command line, gstreamer, plugin, perl, header metadata, c++ development library, runtime c library...

confused

a nice package (gui version) would be great wait is one up there somewhere? lol idk what all that stuff says XD keep in mind that retards use ubuntu nowadays too

This post has been edited by CoyoteSmith: Apr 16 2009, 04:55

[cpchan]

a nice package (gui version) would be great wait is one up there somewhere? lol idk what all that stuff says XD keep in mind that retards use ubuntu nowadays too

Huh. It only takes a few seconds to search for FLAC and install it with Synaptic.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SynapticHowto

[CoyoteSmith]

i looked at synaptic and found the commandline tools, dont see gui

i just wanted to make a helpful suggestion. it seems that a deb, labeled with Ubuntu version that clearly states it comes with a GUI would be much easier for MOST people.

just constructive criticism, when i google, i find the flac site and i'm completely lost from there. personally i'm using foobar2000 through wine and a windows flac.exe to encode through that, but others may not be so clever. if my criticism is not welcome, no hard feelings

[cpchan]

i looked at synaptic and found the commandline tools, dont see gui

There are many gui based audio transcoders in a typical Linux distro. Here is a partial list (off the top of my head):

1. SoundConverter (Gnome)
2. Perl Audio Converter (console and KDE file manager service)
3. soundKonverter (KDE)
4. gnormalize (gtk2)

Of course there are many rippers+encoders as well.

This post has been edited by cpchan: Apr 16 2009, 21:17

[tpijag]

This isn't a what can we do to help the poor flac developers thread.

Time spent on your request for help was a waste of other's effort as you now state you do not even use it / need it.

Another problem in Theory.

terry

[CoyoteSmith]

its not a "problem in theory" that more people would use a flac frontend on ubuntu if it was actually EASY to install on that OS.

o well, no hard feelings, jcoalson is a bit of a hero so i won't rant anymore, but tpijag you should consider not bothering to post a reply that stupid if you dont actually use ubuntu or have the skills short of a programmer. then again, if you do, try to have some empathy for those of us that do fit into those two categories.

This post has been edited by CoyoteSmith: Apr 17 2009, 04:36

[Glenn Gundlach]

Leathlobhair,

For what reason do you want to use flac? If you just want better sounding audio files, you're probably wasting your time. High quality mp3 encoding sounds identical to the original cd. If you think your mp3s don't sound as good as the original cd, maybe they weren't encoded as well as they could have been or it could be your hardware. Or maybe you're just being misled by some of the widespread hype out there.

High bitrate MP3s are indeed very good but there is something satisfying about a reduced size bit perfect file. I tried playing with the FLAC front end 2 years ago but found the FLAC plug-in for Audition with its batch processing mode to be the least annoying to me. Just my $0.02

G²

[cpchan]

its not a "problem in theory" that more people would use a flac frontend on ubuntu if it was actually EASY to install on that OS.

There is no problem. All of the programs that I mentioned work with FLAC and are very capable.

This post has been edited by cpchan: Apr 17 2009, 05:13

[CoyoteSmith]

thats good to know cpchan, and anyone that needs to get flac functioning on ubuntu will just clairvoyantly know to download those programs

[cpchan]

thats good to know cpchan, and anyone that needs to get flac functioning on ubuntu will just clairvoyantly know to download those programs

Huh, this is what a package manager (in this case Synaptic) is for- Just search the description for FLAC:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SynapticHowto#Browsing the package database://https://help.ubuntu.com/community/S...ackage database

This post has been edited by cpchan: Apr 18 2009, 02:50

[shadowking]

In the terminal (Yes the %$#f! terminal):

sudo aptitude update && sudo aptitude install flac