FLAC to WAV - Big Problem

2011-05-27 09:47:11

Hey!

So, I'm in the process of converting my FLAC files to WAV. My digital decks don't support the FLAC format.

I'm using dbpoweramp.

My problem is a few of the tracks I converted have a bad skip sound somewhere. It's not on the FLAC copy. First I was applying a DSP effect: ReplayGain, while converting.. But then I converted without the effect and still had the same problem. I know you can't lose quality with lossless formats such was WAV and FLAC but I am gaining bad quality here, it's absolutely destroying the file. This sound is louder than the track, almost high-pitched and chirpy when it's at its shortest and sharpest, and when it's slightly longer it sounds a bit like that white noise sound. When I say longer it's not really long, it still only lasts a few hundreds of a second.

I won't really be able to understand too much of the technical lingo so be easy with me! Apologies at this point if I've created this thread in the wrong section.

I'm kind of in a rush to convert my library so I can play them this weekend at a party and I'm at a complete loss as to what is going on here and it's frustrating the hell out of me.

Please help. 

EDIT: My problem could be as basic a thing as possible, so please don't overlook the obvious problems here! It would also seem I am the first person in the history of dbpoweramp to have experienced this issue. I cannot find anything relating to my problem, I've searched high and low on Google, various forums etc., and still no joy. Maybe I'm just not phrasing the problem correctly?

Has anyone here ever had a sound appear in a converted file that wasn't in the orginal?!

FLAC to WAV - Big Problem

Reply #1 – 2011-05-27 10:29:03

Well, no.
It could be a symptom of various things: maybe your FLAC files are corrupt somehow. Maybe you overclocked the system and it's not as stable as you thought. Maybe your system memory is dying, so every now and then you get corrupt file. Maybe the filesystem on your source and/or destination drives is corrupt.

Please, verify original problem file by running integrity checker in foobar2000, I think that dBPowerAmp has some tool to do just that.

FLAC to WAV - Big Problem

Reply #2 – 2011-05-27 10:41:05

Yeah man, my system is really bad.. In fact it's pushing 100% CPU most of the time (w/o many programs running)..

That's the problem right there then is it?

Installing dbpoweramp on a more powerful system and converting might be better yeah?

FLAC to WAV - Big Problem

Reply #3 – 2011-05-27 12:28:48

If you have access to some other computer, try there.

FLAC to WAV - Big Problem

Reply #4 – 2011-05-27 12:30:22

When converting it does not matter what the system is (speed wise), as long as there is no fault with the system, ie the HDD is corrupted and cannot save the files.

FLAC to WAV - Big Problem

Reply #5 – 2011-05-27 12:36:50

There are some tracks that come out perfectly clean though, so wouldn't that rule out any of the corruption in the HDD you're referring to, Spoon? (I'm using a 1 TB external HDD btw)

I will have access to another computer soon, main computer in my home. So I'll see how it works out on that..

FLAC to WAV - Big Problem

Reply #6 – 2011-05-27 12:42:29

Also, Spoon, in relation to the post you made in the other thread. The noise is appearing at random times in tracks, the latest I checked was in the last 60-70 seconds of a 7 minute track. Some happen in the first minute, some half-way.. It doesn't happen at different parts when I play it again, same story when I use different player. But you say WMP works fine so I wouldn't expect it to give different results..

So that seems to indicate that's it's in the "writing" of the converted file? I'm not too clued up in terms of encoding and what problem may arise but is this sort of like it's writing the file and it 'skips a beat' so to speak?

FLAC to WAV - Big Problem

Reply #7 – 2011-05-27 13:26:56

First, what is the player which cannot play FLAC? There might be hacks around.

Second: Have you tried to verify file integrity? It can be done with foobar2000, or with Audiotester ( http://www.vuplayer.com/other.php ). Check a few FLAC files before conversion, to see if they are corrupt, and a few of the resulting WAV files.

Third: If you are using dBpoweramp for conversion, then I think there is an option to verify written audio after conversion.  In that case, it will write the file, and then read the file and compare the audio to the source.

FLAC to WAV - Big Problem

Reply #8 – 2011-05-27 13:51:38

Will test those ideas out man, thanks for the input.. Have just got on the other computer and converted a batch, listening back now to see if there's any problems still..

The decks/players are Cortex HDTT-5000 (Pieces of crap, but the only ones I got!) Don't think they play FLAC, it apparently supports WAV but I think they were originally intended to be for MP3's. They proves to be more low-end than I thought when they first came out..

FLAC to WAV - Big Problem

Reply #9 – 2011-05-27 14:34:22

I've now listened back through around 8 tracks from the batch of 4 albums I converted on the second PC. No errors so far and all seems to be okay. After encountering around 6 or so tracks with bad noise (3/4 of them from these 4 albums redone), the odds are looking better. Will of course have to listen to more or less all of them before being ready to go ahead with the rest of my library..

Hope that's the last of it, but thanks for all the help lads.