Simple multi-track player Options

[chrisjj]

Can you recommend a simple WMA+FLAC+MP3 player for Windows that will let me:

1) drop up to four tracks into it
2) start play of the first track
3) on a single keypress seamlessly switch play to any other track at the same time position.

This is for audio comparison listening tests. Thanks.

Thanks.

This post has been edited by chrisjj: Jul 5 2012, 14:06

[Apesbrain]

foobar2000 with ABX component can do exactly what you want with TWO tracks. Not sure why for "audio comparison listening tests" you'd want to have more than two things being compared at any given time. If this is a test of encoders, one of the things being compared should be the source.

In any case, Audacity could do it with four tracks playing together or individually in any combination.

[chrisjj]

> foobar2000 with ABX component can do exactly what you want with TWO tracks.

Thanks. It fails on "seamless" here, usually issuing a click upon switch.

> Not sure why for "audio comparison listening tests" you'd want to have more than two things being compared at any given time.

Easier to sort more in order.

> If this is a test of encoders

No - test of programme material.

> In any case, Audacity could do it with four tracks playing together or individually in any combination.

It fails to meet the requirement for switch on single keypress, AFAICT.

This post has been edited by chrisjj: Jul 5 2012, 15:07

[RonaldDumsfeld]

Download the free trial versions of DAW software.

Ableton Live or Traktor come to mind.

[chrisjj]

Download the free trial versions of DAW software.

Ableton Live or Traktor come to mind.

Thanks. If anyone can confirm they do what's asked, I'll try them.

[eahm]

REAPER, FL Studio, Adobe Audition are worth the test as well but really any audio editor should do what you need:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of...l_audio_editors

[chrisjj]

really any audio editor should do what you need:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of...l_audio_editors

Thanks, but I see nothing there to suggest any audio editor will, and none of those that I have tried do.

[trout]

> In any case, Audacity could do it with four tracks playing together or individually in any combination.

It fails to meet the requirement for switch on single keypress, AFAICT.

Might the ''Solo'' buttons, found at the left of each track, fit your requirement for track switching?

Seems to me it should work, unless I've misunderstood what you need.

[chrisjj]

Might the ''Solo'' buttons, found at the left of each track, fit your requirement for track switching?

Can't see how. I find no keys to solo respective tracks.

[romor]

That player could be "simple" if it only provides this exact feature, as what you are looking for is application which would allow reading two consequent files from playlist in memory (relative to currently playing tracks) and provide programmable seek timer. I don't know of a such, and I guess you'll need to hire programmer if you need this exact feature

If your seek points can be fixed, you could write cuesheet and get seamless output from foobar

If seek points are arbitrary, then at best again with foobar you could use comserver component, which I tried now out of curiosity with this results on XP:

1. ASIO output (regardless playback output buffer) produces gap or 34ms
2. Kernel streaming with playback buffer of 50ms, produces ~ 21ms gap
3. DS has a biggest gap, but you could use some fader DSP component to make transition almost seamlees (not builtin fader which is tied to playback buffer and always produces gap)

If you are interested in this adventure, replay and I tell you simple details

[chrisjj]

what you are looking for is application which would allow reading two consequent files from playlist in memory (relative to currently playing tracks) and provide programmable seek timer. I don't know of a such, and I guess you'll need to hire programmer if you need this exact feature

Well, foobar2000 with ABX has this feature. Just that it doesn't work with full quality.

results on XP:

1. ASIO output (regardless playback output buffer) produces gap or 34ms
2. Kernel streaming with playback buffer of 50ms, produces ~ 21ms gap
3. DS has a biggest gap, but you could use some fader DSP component to make transition almost seamlees (not builtin fader which is tied to playback buffer and always produces gap)

Ah. Seems the task is trickier than one would think.

Thanks for the info.

This post has been edited by chrisjj: Jul 6 2012, 14:02

[db1989]

Well, foobar2000 with ABX has this feature. Just that it doesn't work will full quality.

In case anyone’s about to scream TOS #8 I presume this actually refers to this earlier post:

> foobar2000 with ABX component can do exactly what you want with TWO tracks.

Thanks. It fails on "seamless" here, usually issuing a click upon switch.

[chrisjj]

It does.