When I play shn files in winamp, there is a loud "click" noise between songs. This doesn't happen in foobar2000, but I'd like to fix the problem in winamp if I could. I think I once read on easytree that the noise was due to the tag info at the end of the track. If anyone could offer help, it would be much appreciated.

Shorten files should have no tags at the end of the file, since the format supports no tags. Unless the end of the files got corrupted somehow, the decoder should still ignore them during playback. The most likely reason however is the lack of gapless playback in Winamp (as opposed to foobar2000).

I don't know the details about workarounds for gapless playback in Winamp. It might be restricted to certain input plugins that support it or you might have to use some kind of crossfader. A search here or on the Winamp forum might turn up some useful information.

Winamp (my winamp anyway) supports gapless playback of flac files, and I have the in_mpg123.dll that gives me gapless mp3 playback, so it's just annoying that there is no gapless playback of shn files. I know that the files aren't corrupt since they play back perfectly in foobar2000, so I honestly have no idea what the problem could be.

if it doesn't happen on all shn files, it's likely related to this shortcoming of the winamp plugin: shnamp or whatever the winamp shn plugin was called tries to play all kinds of stuff as audio data that's neither part of the shorten header data nor part of the canonical wav header. this means in addition to the actual audio data chunk it tries to play crap like auxiliary riff chunks containing padding or cue information from audio editors back as actual audio data as well, which manifests itself as a nice loud *click*.


if that's all greek to you: problem is on shnamp's end and unfixable unless someone who's still interested in both winamp and shorten (lol?) bothers to fix the decoder backend behind the plugin.

That's exactly what I needed to hear. I had kinda figured it was something to that effect. I guess it'll be foobar2000 for me, then. Trying to listen to a concert and hearing a pop between songs is more than enough to drive me crazy. Thanks a bunch.

What about the DirectSound output settings?
[img=http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/6408/dsout6xg.th.png]

That probably won't help, if the problem is that the decoder is sending non-audio data to the output.

Not a big fat chance I guess; ShnAmp haven't been updated since spring 2002, and there's no sources to be found, as far as I can see..... Well, well, even these people (etree.org) are slowly changing to a modern format; FLAC.

go to the winamp fourms and search for directsound tweeks

or you could make a back up of the winamp.ini file store it somewhere and then delete the ini file in the winamp directory start winamp, winamp will automatically replace the ini file with defualt settings including the directsound settings and see if the problem persists. you can then edit the saved ini file with the defualt settings changing only the directsound entrys and then the rest of your winamp settings wont of been effected.

Excuse me beforehand if I'm misinterpreting what you've said!
Are you saying to edit the winamp.ini DSout settings file via a text editor? If so the .ini file looks like a mess that's much easier to customize via the Winamp output plug-ins GUI within Winamp itself.

yes i am, only if removeing the ini file from the winamp directory first, fixes the problem. removeing the ini file from the winamp directory will change all user prefrences back to defult. if this works then use a text editor to change the new ini file that winamp has made its self in the winamp directory and do a serch for [out_ds] you will find somthing like below. if you replace this with the defualt settings then load the orignal ini file that you backed up you will efectially have all your prefrences intact but have defualt directsound out settings. this isn't that hard if you yould like me to put it in to a step by step list i will. but if this sounds to hard like i said before you can go to the winamp fourms an search for directsound tweeks or go here http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=36850

i also jus remberd there is a button in the direct sound output settins that says reset all you coud go along each of the tabs and click that button it won't be as extensive as replacing the ini file but worth a try to start of with

[out_ds]
cfg_total_time=737D241F0100000034
cfg_fade_stop.usedef=1
cfg_fade_stop.time=333
cfg_fade_stop.on=0
cfg_killsil=0
cfg_trackhack=400
cfg_sil_db=400
cfg_prebuf2=200
cfg_buf_ms=400
cfg_status_update_freq=50
cfg_dev2=0000000000000000000000000000000000
cfg_hw_mix=0
cfg_createprimary=1
cfg_autocpu=1
cfg_def_fade=333
cfg_fade_start.time=333
cfg_fade_start.on=0
cfg_fade_start.usedef=1
cfg_fade_firststart.time=333
cfg_fade_firststart.on=0
cfg_fade_firststart.usedef=1
cfg_fade_pause.time=333
cfg_fade_pause.on=0
cfg_fade_pause.usedef=1
cfg_fade_seek.time=0
cfg_fade_seek.on=0
cfg_fade_seek.usedef=0
cfg_oldpause=0
cfg_wait=1
cfg_volume=1
cfg_fadevol=1
cfg_volmode=0
cfg_logvol_min=100
cfg_logfades=0
cfg_override=0
cfg_override_freq=44100
cfg_override_bps=16
cfg_override_nch=2
cfg_refresh=10

Foobar2000 has become more and more attractive recently. I appreciate everyone's help, but I think fb2k has become my music player of choice. No clicks, and the more I play with it, the more I love it.

at the very least do a clean install of winamp into a new directory open that instance of winamp and see if that works. even if you use foobar it would be nice to have winamp working properly.

Repeat, it's kind of hard to have "Winamp working properly" if the problem is with shnamp.

You can easily test that by using the diskwriter output, then opening it with a hex editor. Check for a second RIFF WAV header in the start of the data chunk, or INFO or other such chunks at the end of the file.

Slightly off-topic, somebody shoot whoever mastered the PC version of Rayman. Not only did they unnecessarily crunch all of the dozens of background music tracks and ambient tracks into single whole-world medley mess, they mastered the tracks with RIFF INFO chunks on the ends, so one loud *snap* pop every time they repeat. Whoever let that go to release and mastering stage fails for not testing thoroughly.