EAC: The external compressor returned an error! Options

[skywalka]

Hi guys.

My first post!

I signed up hoping someone may be able to help me since the search funtion on this forum is totally useless! When trying to search for the phrase"The external compressor returned an error" the error returned was:

One or all of your search keywords were below 4 characters or you are searched for words which are not allowed, such as 'html', 'img', etc, please go back and increase the length of these search keywords or choose different keywords.

Anyway, I am trying to use the guide http://users.pandora.be/satcp/eac-qs-en.htm to setup EAC 0.95b3 & LAME 3.97 beta 2 (I can't find beta 1).

EAC is displaying this error message after any attempt at compressing a wav.
---------------------------
Warning
---------------------------
The external compressor returned an error!

Options : -V 2 --vbr-new --add-id3v2 --pad-id3v2 --ta "Sun Don't Shine In The Hood" --tt "The Furious Five" --tl "Raiders Of The Lost Art" --ty "" --tn "02" "C:\Playlist\Raiders Of The Lost Art ()\0tmp660-!.wav" "C:\Playlist\Raiders Of The Lost Art ()\0tmp660-!.mp3"

File : C:\Playlist\Raiders Of The Lost Art ()\02. Sun Don't Shine In The Hood - The Furious Five.wav
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

I've been working on this for a whole day. I do like a challenge but I also like spending my time wisely!

Thanx 4 looking.

[hyper84]

Weclome, skywalka!

Maybe lame tagging is getting in the way of EAC tagging.

Your lame options show that it is adding the id3 tags, so maybe unchecking the id3 tags options in EAC (both in the "external compressor" and "ID3 Tag" tabs) will do the trick.

Alternitavely, you could make your lame options into

CODE

-V 2 --vbr-new %s %d

and let EAC do the id3v1 and v2 tagging by leaving those boxes checked.

That's just my first guess. If that doesn't work the real experts will answer you soon enough .

This post has been edited by hyper84: Jan 5 2006, 09:04

[Madrigal]

...the search funtion on this forum is totally useless!  When trying to search for the phrase"The external compressor returned an error" the error returned was:

One or all of your search keywords were below 4 characters or you are searched for words which are not allowed, such as 'html', 'img', etc, please go back and increase the length of these search keywords or choose different keywords.

How can you possibly claim that the search function is "useless", when it:
(a) told you exactly what the problem with your input was, and
(b) told you exactly how to fix it

All you had to do was omit the words "the" and "an" from your search string.

Maybe it's you that's coming across a bit useless.

Regards,
Madrigal

[skywalka]

...the search funtion on this forum is totally useless!  When trying to search for the phrase"The external compressor returned an error" the error returned was:

One or all of your search keywords were below 4 characters or you are searched for words which are not allowed, such as 'html', 'img', etc, please go back and increase the length of these search keywords or choose different keywords.

How can you possibly claim that the search function is "useless", when it:
(a) told you exactly what the problem with your input was, and
(b) told you exactly how to fix it

All you had to do was omit the words "the" and "an" from your search string.

Maybe it's you that's coming across a bit useless.

Regards,
Madrigal

The length of a word isn't neccesarily proportional to it's relevance. So, words like CPU, ATA or IDE should be able to be searched but can't be.

Anyway, because I was searching for an exact phrase by using quotation marks it is imperative that all words within that phrase can be searched.

So while the error message did inform me of the problem, there is no way to fix it because I am not the forum software designer.

So please, either tell me how to search for the exact phrase or, in future, try to refrain from hijacking my thread with your USELESS timewasting.

[skywalka]

Weclome, skywalka!

Maybe lame tagging is getting in the way of EAC tagging.

Your lame options show that it is adding the id3 tags, so maybe unchecking the id3 tags options in EAC (both in the "external compressor" and "ID3 Tag" tabs) will do the trick.

Alternitavely, you could make your lame options into

CODE

-V 2 --vbr-new %s %d

and let EAC do the id3v1 and v2 tagging by leaving those boxes checked.

That's just my first guess.  If that doesn't work the real experts will answer you soon enough .

Hi hyper84.

Thanx 4 your help.

I did have all those mp3 tagging options unchecked. It was stipulated in the guide I was following.

I tried the method you suggested also but to no avail.

Thanx anyway.

I probably should have mentioned above that when it comes time to compress the files it appears a DOS box is being opened but closing straight away. I can't see any text within this box but this could be due to lag on my video card or memory.

[Andavari]

It may be useful if you post (in text) what "Additional command line options" you're using in EAC.

Something like this is valid:
-V 2 --vbr-new %s %d

This however isn't because it's missing %s (source) %d (destination) at the end:
-V 2 --vbr-new

[skywalka]

It may be useful if you post (in text) what "Additional command line options" you're using in EAC.

Something like this is valid:
-V 2 --vbr-new %s %d

This however isn't because it's missing %s (source) %d (destination) at the end:
-V 2 --vbr-new

Oops!

Yeah I should have because there are different options on that page. I am using the recommended settings.

-V 2 --vbr-new --add-id3v2 --pad-id3v2 --ta "%a" --tt "%t" --tl "%g" --ty "%y" --tn "%n" %s %d

Thanx 4 your help.

[hyper84]

I don't know what to tell you. I just tried:

CODE

-V 2 --vbr-new %s %d

and that worked. I am on "use defined encoder", extension ".mp3", pointing to the correct location of lame, used the above encoding options, set bitrate to 224, and selected "delete wav after compression" and "add ID3 tag" only and selected "high quality".

In the offset tab, I have "write freedb id into id3 tag" checked. In ID3 tab, the first two and the last option are all selected.

If you are getting an error, it has to be that you are not pointing to the correct location of lame.exe, or the lame.exe you have is a bad download. The one I am using is from rarewares, the "bundle" version.

[skywalka]

I don't know what to tell you.  I just tried:

CODE

-V 2 --vbr-new %s %d

and that worked.  I am on "use defined encoder", extension ".mp3", pointing to the correct location of lame, used the above encoding options, set bitrate to 224, and selected "delete wav after compression" and "add ID3 tag" only and selected "high quality".

In the offset tab, I have "write freedb id into id3 tag" checked.  In ID3 tab, the first two and the last option are all selected.

If you are getting an error, it has to be that you are not pointing to the correct location of lame.exe, or the lame.exe you have is a bad download.  The one I am using is from rarewares, the "bundle" version.

Thanx Hyper.

I am using the exact same settings as you. I was using the rarewares bundle of LAME. I tried redownloading it but that shouldn't be the problem as the zip would have been corrupt & I wouldn't have been able 2 extract the lame.exe anyway.

In the DosBox that is opening I have since noticed "file not found" error messages sometimes for the temp wav & sometimes for the renamed wav. The problem may be my system.

[Nagarjuna]

The problem might be an incorrect genre from whatever db you're using. It seems LAME dosent like that, hence why you arent able to encode, but can rip to wavs fine. The problem that I had with one CD was that it was considered "misc" by freedb and that was not valid.

Just go to Database>edit CD information and pick a fitting genre.

[odious_m]

I am using the recommended settings.

-V 2 --vbr-new --add-id3v2 --pad-id3v2 --ta "%a" --tt "%t" --tl "%g" --ty "%y" --tn "%n" %s %d

Try adding . . .

--ignore-tag-errors

. . . . just a guess.

[msobetzko]

So I just setup a new computer. I have EAC, LAME, FLAC, etc setup and working well on my old PC. And BAM I got the same error as below:

Both LAME and FLAC send the error.

I could not find a final solution in this thread, I did try everything stated.

---------------------------
Warning
---------------------------
The external compressor returned an error!

Options : -V 2 --vbr-new --add-id3v2 --pad-id3v2 --ta "Sun Don't Shine In The Hood" --tt "The Furious Five" --tl "Raiders Of The Lost Art" --ty "" --tn "02" "C:\Playlist\Raiders Of The Lost Art ()\0tmp660-!.wav" "C:\Playlist\Raiders Of The Lost Art ()\0tmp660-!.mp3"

File : C:\Playlist\Raiders Of The Lost Art ()\02. Sun Don't Shine In The Hood - The Furious Five.wav
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

I've been working on this for a whole day. I do like a challenge but I also like spending my time wisely!

Thanx 4 looking.

[msobetzko]

So I just setup a new computer. I have EAC, LAME, FLAC, etc setup and working well on my old PC. And BAM I got the same error as below:

Both LAME and FLAC send the error.

I could not find a final solution in this thread, I did try everything stated.

In looking at my old system I had version 95.4 installed. I installed this older version onto my new PC and the MP3 rip was without problem. The FLAC rip went OK until the last step where EAC renames the converted file to the "proper" song title. The file stays named based on the temp name EAC gives it. The file plays well and is tagged. Very strange. I believe all these issues revolve around the naming of the file and (in the case of the new releases) the external encoders ability to see the file based on the name.

Any thoughts?

[msobetzko]

Come on folks. What am I missing (see above post)

[Synthetic Soul]

Are you using Vista?

[msobetzko]

Are you using Vista?

No, Windows XP SP2

[collector]

....when it comes time to compress the files it appears a DOS box is being opened but closing straight away. I can't see any text within this box but this could be due to lag on my video card or memory.

That dosbox can be opened with alt-tab. It's an action in the background while EAC is ripping another track.
In EAC's statusbar threre is a message about the number of tasks pending

[greynol]

That dosbox can be opened with alt-tab.

Not when it's already finished and returned an error.

@msobetzko and anyone else complaining about this type of error:
You are wasting our time if you don't provide a header from a log file and tell us exactly how you have the External Compression tab in the Compression Options configured. It seems all you did here was copy and paste what was written by skywalka which wasn't enough information to begin with. I can't speak for anyone else, but it's gotten to the point where I'm starting to ignore threads rather than ask people to provide more information.

[msobetzko]

That dosbox can be opened with alt-tab.

Not when it's already finished and returned an error.

@msobetzko and anyone else complaining about this type of error:
You are wasting our time if you don't provide a header from a log file and tell us exactly how you have the External Compression tab in the Compression Options configured. It seems all you did here was copy and paste what was written by skywalka which wasn't enough information to begin with. I can't speak for anyone else, but it's gotten to the point where I'm starting to ignore threads rather than ask people to provide more information.

My intent certainly was not to waste your or anyones time. The OP had the same issue that I have/had so I added to the thread. It's hard to tell for a novice such as myself, what information is necessary to assist in these situations.

As it turns out, at least for version .95b4 (which I'm happy to continue using), you're request for the log has aided me in solving my problem. When I went looking (not knowing where to find the log info) in the compression section, I noticed that for my FLAC profile I still had .MP3 as the file extension. Changing this to .FLAC seems to have worked and now the compressed file is named correctly.

I will not be installing the current EAC version, as I had a whole different degree of problem in that the external processor never returned a functional file (either MP3 of Flac)

[greynol]

My intent certainly was not to waste your or anyones time. The OP had the same issue that I have/had so I added to the thread. It's hard to tell for a novice such as myself, what information is necessary to assist in these situations.

Maybe a sticky at the top of the forum would be in order.

With any luck maybe people will read it before asking for help with a ripping or encoding problem.

Glad to see you were able to fix your problem.

[quantumtigger]

I was having the same problem. The genre fix did it for me. It turns out 'Alternative Rock' is not a valid genre. It has to be 'Alt. Rock'.

[Sylph]

I started having this error.

What do I need to post — EAC's log?

[pdq]

Could you provide more info on what you did and how you did it? EAC's log probably won't provide any more information about why an external compressor returned an error.

[greynol]

An EAC log will show the program used for compression, the parameter passing scheme as well as exactly what was used for the additional command line options.

[Sylph]

Look here, that's why I had problems.