on the fly database

Archive mAirList 2.x (English)
1

Hi Torben, hope you can help with this.

In 1.41 when you build an On The Fly Database and search thorugh titles in the browser, durations for wav files show as 0 (mp3 durations display fine).

Loading a wav file into a player or playlist is OK too.

Kind Regards Tony

Just tried the latest version 2.1.44.490 All seems OK

2

What happens when you add the file to the bottom of the playlist without loading it into a player at the same time? Is the duration displayed correctly then?

A little background: mAirList has two ways of determining the duration of a file: (1) By looking into the file and analyzing its header. This is works for MP3, OGG and WAV and is always performed when adding a file to the playlist (or the OTF database, which uses a playlist internally). (2) By opening the file with BASS and asking BASS. This is done when you finally load the item into a player.

Also remember that WAV is a container format which can contain audio data in many different flavors. The most popular is linear PCM, and mAirList should be able to handle these. What format do your WAV files use? Could you perhaps send me a short sample?

3

Hi Torben, all seems to work OK in the latest download.

Loading a wav file into a player or playlist displays the duration as does using an On The Fly database.

We use wav files both uncompressed or as IDAPCM compressed 4:1. I will have to get some examples next time in the studio.

Kind regards Tony

4

I suspect that the library I use cannot handle IDAPCM but only plain PCM.

5

Hi Torben, strange this as any files compressed at the studio still suffer this. These files were compressed in wavelab sevral years ago.

New files compressed in Audition (at home) are fine.

Kind regards tony

6

If I recall correctly, there is more than one version of ADPCM. There is the MS IMA one which you mentioned, plus MS ADPCM (NOT the same!), and also G.726, and Dialogic (aka VOX).

I remember in the past being unable to edit some audio I’d compressed using the usual suspects (e.g. Sound Forge, MS Sound Recorder (!)). I think it was because I’d originally compressed it using a format that wasn’t installed on the PC I was using to edit it.

If you need to add these codecs there are some good instructions here:
http://www.free-codecs.com/guides/How_to_install_default_codecs_in_Windows_XP_2000.htm
… though you would probably want to check in your Hardware list what is/isn’t installed first!

Hope that helps?

BFN
CAD

7

It’s not a matter of codecs. The question is: is the “Audio Type Library” I’m using able to determine the duration of these files just by looking into the file (and not loading it into a player or using a DirectShow codec).

Here’s an excerpt from the source code:

function TWAVfile.FGetFormat: string;
begin
  { Get format type name }
  case FFormatID of
    1: Result := WAV_FORMAT_PCM;
    2: Result := WAV_FORMAT_ADPCM;
    6: Result := WAV_FORMAT_ALAW;
    7: Result := WAV_FORMAT_MULAW;
    17: Result := WAV_FORMAT_DVI_IMA_ADPCM;
    85: Result := WAV_FORMAT_MP3;
  else
    Result := '';
  end;
end;

I haven’t looked any closer, but possibly these are the sub-types the library is able to handle.

Tony, it would be very helpful if I you could send me one of the files affected.

Torben

8

Hi Torben, I will post something later direct to you.

Kind regards tony