curls

SonicStage 3.4 works fine so far on everything that failed before. Also decoding to wave before importing into SonicStage 4.0 or 3.4 works OK. If I just convert to atrac without transferring to MD in both versions, they play OK on the PC. However, even after converting first and *then* transferring in SS 4.0, then part of at least two of them is silence, so it would seem to be a SonicStage problem rather than a codec one, unless I am misunderstanding something along the way. I have no idea what is happening or why, but I seem to have a solution, albeit with an extra step, but since it doesn't happen every time, I'm happy.

I'm becoming more and more confused by the minute. I thought I'd take your tip and transcode them with Lame 3.97 - they were originally encoded with 3.91 - and reencode the originals and the new ones to see if I could see any difference in both the mp3's and the atracs. This time the originals play OK. Hmmph! I think this is going to be difficult to pin down. A440 has sent me a link to SS 3.4, so I am going to have a play with that and with transcoding and see if I can come up with something reliable. Looks like it's going to be mostly suck it and see though. Good job I have plenty of time on my hands. Thanks for the tip, and to all who replied to both threads, and if I come up with anything specific for the cause, I'll report back, but don't hold your collective breath.

I'm convinced that some of the problems I am having converting and transferring mp3 to my minidisc is happening whilst SonicStage is encoding to oma/atrac. The reason I don't think it is happening during decoding is because I have no problem playing the same mp3's in WMP, which surely uses the same codec. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong there.) For this reason, I would like to try an earlier version of SS in case the encoding engine has been changed at all. Basically, I am desperate enough to try anything, I have already done a new install of XP Pro SP2. Can anyone point me to where I can download a standalone version of 3.4, or any other version that transfers mp3's OK. Alternatively, does anyone have a copy they would be willing to email/ftp/whatever to me? Thanks.

This is getting stranger by the day. I have some mp3's ripped from CD or from vinyl as one big file as the tracks run into each other. Today I transferred 3 of them to minidisc using SS 4.0, and they are silent from about half way through. I then used the cue file, which was created when ripping them, to cut them into tracks. I imported and transferred the tracks and every single one plays OK. My first thought was that SS was having problems converting from mp3 to oma at the point where there is silence between the two halves of the album. However, I inserted 20 seconds silence into a different track and it converted and played OK. Trying to track down what is happening here is driving me mad. I even installed a basic version of XP Pro with next to nothing in it except my file manager and SS 4.0

Sorry Daijoubu, I'd missed your reply. I don't really know how to tell which filter is used. I had been using the K-Lite codec pack which installs ffdshow, but I removed that, so I imagine the Windows default is being used again. However, I have had the same problem when converting another track this morning. Also, when I was converting a track last night, the last minute or so of the track after conversion was silence. I deleted it from the library, deleted the oma file, and tried again. This time I got a message that I wasn't allowed to convert that track. The rest of the tracks from the same album are fine, and I can convert them as often as I want. Mysteriouser and mysteriouser. Edit: I downloaded a program called DirectShow Filter Manager and the entry for Mpeg Layer-3 Decoder says it's Fraunhofer.

Good guess, but wrong.

I've had 2 MP3's that when converted sound like a tape fast forwarding at high speed. In fact the tracks are over in seconds. This is when they are converted to *.oma and before they are transferred to minidisc. Both mp3's play fine on the computer and on my mp3 players - CD and flash memory based - and from DVD. There doesn't seem to be anything unusual about them, and they are encoded with Lame 3.96 at 192k. It's more of an annoyance than a problem as I generally have two copies, but I wondered if this has happened to anyone else.

Tom Petty - Highway Companion. I can't stop listening to it. Quite a change from my usual diet of space, psych and blues.

Unused, still packaged MZ-NHF800 from ebay for 52UKP so that I had a use for all my old unused 74 minute blanks. I long since got fed up of recording my LP's and CD's to minidisc in real time and only recently discovered Hi-MD. Sennheiser PX100's to replace my sadly deceased, in one side, Koss Sportapro's. I know the Koss 'phones have a lifelong guarantee, and I've had two new sets of foam covers from Koss, but since I replaced the cord myself and had to araldite the earpieces to the headband, I rather thought they may not honour the guarantee this time. I paid over the odds for the PX100's from Maplins in the UK, but I wasn't prepared to go a few days without music. That I picked such a great pair was pure luck as I'd had no chance to listen to them. Tiny mono microphone from ebay for 8UKP to make it easier for the missus to record herself at choir practice. The mic has no lead and plugs straight into the mic socket - obviously - but is very sensitive and picks up motor noise. Much more so on the NHF800 than on the 7 year old JVC XM-R70 that she's using. A rotovator for the missus' 50th birthday for her allotment. This last one may not mean much to anyone outside the UK.

I agree that it would be best to install seperate codec's, but sometimes easy is just, well, easy. I never had any problem before, which makes me wonder, is it a codec problem or a SonicStage problem? I've done plenty of transcoding - for mp3 player use - without anything untoward happening. Anyway, no matter, as I said it's been solved, plus I have my video working again, so I'm a happy camper. Thanks for the link Danny, though I had already found that page *after* I'd sorted it out.

I haven't tried importing a CD yet as I've only had the NHF800 for two days, but it's academic now as I've solved the problem. I installed a pristine copy of XP and found that conversion was clean as a whistle. I then started adding my usual software and the problem reappeared when I installed the K-Lite codec pack. I restored my Ghost backup of XP, uninstalled K-Lite and everything is hunky dory. Now all I have to do is find out which codec was causing the problem and get my video playing capabilities back. Thanks for the response.

Converting from lossy to lossy isn't the problem. Note that I said it also happens when converting from wav. The noise that is introduced is a buzzing noise with a lower ticking noise in the background. I recorded some silence and the noise is very plain there, but when I recorded again, then noise was no longer there. I transferred 6 CD's of mp3's to one minidisc and some conversions are affected whilst others aren't. This was with no other programs running and with SS 4.0 never closed down. XP Pro SP2, AMD XP3000+, 1 gig memory

I am having problems with SS 4.0 introducing noise into tracks that are converted, be it from wav or from mp3. It doesn't happen every time, so I am having difficulty tracking down the cause of it. I thought I would give SS 3.4 a try, but the link always gives an error. Is there somewhere else I can get it from? European (UK) version preferable.