48 kbps AAC Encoders Test - Q1 2006 Edition Options

[guruboolez]

I also subbmited another problematic sample http://www.mytempdir.com/456921 before. I thought bug is produced only here. But I tested on  other PC. The same result.

I could confirm: the bug is the same. It occurs with Q1, Q8, Q9 & Q10. Encodings are corrupted.

[Ivan Dimkovic]

Bug is fixed - I will submit the updated version soon (30-40 mins)

[Ivan Dimkovic]

Here is a patch that fixes the bitstream issue - It does not change anything else (e.g. bit rate distribution, etc...).

To apply the patch, just replace the ndaudio.dll from the original distribution with the new one, and install the files as specified in the readme.

Hopefully, Gabriel will also replace original ndaudio.dll with the current one (patched)

@Edit - just to make sure that there was no tuning of the encoder for any of the sample: bugfix was merely adding two lines of the code - everyone is free to verify that the encoder behaves the same by doing difference-spectral analysis on any test samples, except of course - the items from Guru and IgorC that shown buggy behavior.

This post has been edited by Ivan Dimkovic: Feb 17 2006, 00:17

Attached File(s)

 ndaudio_vbrpatch.zip ( 543.78K ) Number of downloads: 428

 

[guruboolez]

Verified. Sound is slightly warmer with vbrpatch; medium are clearly more defined but bass are less enj...

No, I'm joking Bug is fixed and other files are bit-to-bit identical (tested at least on one complete track).
Service is fast nowadays.
How many time for fixing the gapless issue? My chrono is running!

Thank you Ivan.

[Ivan Dimkovic]

Gapless issue won't be fixed before we release the new encoder - because the new release will come with quite a big change in how the encoder is actually being used and deployed.

Currently, it is "patched in" into the old AAC plug-in as a DLL, and that breaks the gapless support. The version which will be released will be quite different

[Gabriel]

As long as it produces identical results on my tracks, I am fine with this fixed version.

[IgorC]

It's good to hear that there will be new Nero AAC encoder however it's not a first time.
Just out of curiosity. Why min. bitrate of Nero AAC is aprox. 3 kbits/s while Itunes 2 kbit/s? Is it specification standard limits (mp4 container, streaming etc.)?
I invistigate OGG bitrate distribution. It's very agressive. On silence min. bitrate is something like 0.6 kbit/s while max. peak bitrate is higher than 200 kbit/ (on hard to encode moments) for VBR q4.25 (approx average 128 kbit). While AAC encoders have more constant distribution.

[Ivan Dimkovic]

@IgorC - New encoder is in fact in ndaudio.dll - but we mapped the old plug-in to the new encoder, however we are using ABR modes for all non-CBR profiles ATM, hence the smaller bit rate distribition.

It's good to hear that there will be new Nero AAC encoder however it's not a first time. tongue.gif

Indeed - but this one is a completely rewritten one I would say

Just out of curiosity. Why min. bitrate of Nero AAC is aprox. 3 kbits/s while Itunes 2 kbit/s?

I have no info about it - will investigate.

[IgorC]

Indeed - but this one is a completely rewritten one I would say

Yes. It's simple to see. Now lowpass is more "adaptive". Something like adaptive quantization. New psycoacustic system?

This post has been edited by IgorC: Feb 17 2006, 16:59

[dimzon]

New encoder is in fact in ndaudio.dll - but we mapped the old plug-in to the new encoder, however we are using ABR modes for all non-CBR profiles ATM, hence the smaller bit rate distribition.

Is it possible to public ndaudio.dll API? Maybe I can write command-line frontend for it to provide all features for testing?

Seems like there are at least 2-pass encoding - related API (aacenc_firstpass_open, aacenc_secondpass_open)

This post has been edited by dimzon: Feb 17 2006, 17:06

[IgorC]

new patched dll is already here. Look in this topic

[dimzon]

new patched dll is already here. Look  in this topic 

I'm asking not dll itself but it's API (ie - function prototypes) to be able call them from command-line frontend

[IgorC]

new patched dll is already here. Look  in this topic 

I'm asking not dll itself but it's API (ie - function prototypes) to be able call them from command-line frontend

My mistake. It would be interesting to see 2 pass.

[dimzon]

My mistake. It would be interesting to see 2 pass.

I believe every AAC fanatic (like I am) will be happy to play with new (even alpha) Nero AAC encoder and check every it's feature ASAP

[dimzon]

@Ivan Dimkovic

Dear Ivan
IgorC told me via ICQ that Nero approved it's beta AAC encoder dll redistribution for 3 month (for testing puposes). Unfortunally IgorC can't find this post. Is it true? Can You point me this post?

Thanx!

This post has been edited by dimzon: Feb 17 2006, 17:44

[IgorC]

I can´t remeber and maybe I interpretated badly the info from here http://www.mp3-tech.org/content/?48kbps%20...20public%20test.
But certainly without ilegal tents .

[Ivan Dimkovic]

I'm asking not dll itself but it's API (ie - function prototypes) to be able call them from command-line frontend

Well... let me put it in this way, I sincerely hope there won't be a need for the API's in order to use the new encoder in the most configurable way. For the rest, I am afraid you will have to wait for the release to figure out

IgorC told me via ICQ that Nero approved it's beta AAC encoder dll redistribution for 3 month (for testing puposes). Unfortunally IgorC can't find this post. Is it true? Can You point me this post?

Actually, not really - We gave right to Gabriel to put the encoder online, and to allow users to download it (intended for the test evaluation purposes actually) - there is a disclaimer that it is a beta product and no warranty of any kind is given for it.

People should not "redistribute" these binaries - because they are beta and considered as very unstable and also they are part of unfinished product - so using is solely at user's own risk.

[dimzon]

I sincerely hope there won't be a need for the API's in order to use the new encoder in the most configurable way.  For the rest, I am afraid you will have to wait for the release to figure out

thanx anyway

[IgorC]

Seems like We take some extra acitivity

[Woodinville]

Try "Just the two of us" by Bill Withers, the first 40 seconds or so. Enjoy the organ.