My friend Tod has discovered (as mentioned and confirmed in the Bug Reports section) that the empeg 2.0 player software has some decoder bugs when dealing with certain WMA files.

The reason he was encoding as WMA was because he uses Windows Media Player 9 on his PC and it's brain-dead easy to insert a disc and have WMP9 do all the work of encoding the file, tagging it, and putting it into his library. Basically he just sticks in the disc and WMP9 does everything else.

However, it seems that this file format is disliked by the empeg's WMA decoder.

Now, Tod hates dealing with new pieces of software and really doesn't feel like setting up and dealing with EAC. He'd rather use the "stick it in and forget it" WMP9 software that he's already using. Besides, he uses the WMP9 library features and wants to continue using them.

So, is there any way to make WMP9 use an MP3 encoder by default, perhaps some build of LAME that's easy to insert and install? When I look at the WMP9 options, it only offers WMA and WMA Variable Bitrate.

Note: His operating system is Windows 2000.

i was confused by that too, especially because of the link 'learn more about mp3 formats' next to the two codecs you mentioned. i wasnt confused enough and dint care enough to figure out if i could change it though.
i will admit ive never clicked that link. again, not caring.

I forgot to clarify... Microsoft links plugins from that screen, but they're all retail. Anyone know of a LAME plugin for that?

You're supposed to be able to install a LAME acm file and make it happen, but I've not tried it and I've seen a lot of problem reports. Regardless, google for "lame acm" and see what pops up.

Doesn't WMP9 encode in 5.1?
Could this be the problem?

Oooh, thanks, working on that now.

Surprisingly hard to find the necessary ACM+XML+INF binary package all by itself for the latest LAME...

In fact, I can't find a compiled binary of either LAME 3.93 or 3.93.1 in the ACM format at all. Anyone?

The XML and INF files are in the source code distro, but I don't have the DDK to compile the necessary ACM file. Anyone?

http://rarewares.hydrogenaudio.org/mp3.html

Wait, no, ACM isn't in there... try this.

Grabbing now! THANK YOU!!!

The first link, there is a working link to the ACM version 3.92 which should be fine for our purposes.

The Doom9 link gives me an "illegal leech access" page, so I can't get the 3.93.1 version from that site.

Oh, and FYI, from the ACM readme:

In order to build this codec, you need the Windows98 DDK from Microsoft. It can also work
with the Windows2000/ME DDK :

http://www.microsoft.com/ddk/
http://www.microsoft.com/ddk/ddk98.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/ddk/W2kDDK.asp

Alternatively, the required headers are also available in CYGWIN+w32api, MINGW32 or Wine :

http://www.cygwin.com/
http://www.mingw.org/
http://www.winehq.com/

---------------

Define ENABLE_DECODING if you want to use the decoding (alpha state, doesn't decode at the
moment, so use it only if you plan to develop)

---------------

To release this codec you will need :
- lameACM.acm (result of the build process)
- lameACM.inf
- lame_acm.xml (where the initial configuration is stored)

Well, hell. Here.

Hm. Right-clicked on the INF file and hit "install", that seemed to work.

In my Add/Remove programs panel I now have a "LAME ACM MP3 Codec" entry, so everything seems to be in order.

However, none of the options in Windows Media Player 9 have changed, I don't see it in the plug ins or anything.

Thanks for the download, Donato. I now have ACM versions of 3.92 and 3.93.1. Both seem to install/uninstall fine. The only trick is getting Windows Media Player to offer them to me as an option after they've been installed. Anyone have any tips on that last step?

XP? Or, no?

Edit:
Oh, 2k. I really should read posts completely. Probably pretty much the same steps; worth a shot at least.

He and I are both running Windows 2000, I'll look at that article and see if it applies.

Seems to be working with those registry settings. Haven't listened to any encoded results yet, but WMP9 is churning away happily at an audio CD right now, saving to MP3 format using the LAME encoder.

Wow, what a pain to put together, but now I've set it up into something relatively painless for Tod.

THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!

I know this dosen't really solve the problem of his existing collection, but in the future for new users, toss them towards iTunes instead. A quick visit to the encoding preferences will allow them to change from the default AAC to MP3, without having to install a seperate MP3 encoder.

I have rippede all of my CD's using WMP via XP. The only problem I have had with the empeg decoding this was when i set the bit rate above 190ish. I was getting many artifacts (skipping, pops) and thought there was something wrong with the HU, but when I played this bit reate on my portable player (Compaq) there was no problem. I re-ripped the cd at 128 and there was absolutely no problem with the playback. As your friend, its just too easy to encode as a WMA file to need to change to MP3. Plus, on your hard drive, WMP places as the Icon the cd cover!

Ed

Thanks, Ed, that was important information. I will relay this to Tod.

The LAME plug-ins for Windows Media player failed utterly. They seemed to work but produced files which only marginally resembled MP3s. Mostly noise with only a few frames of actua music.

So it seems as though he only needs to reduce his bit rate. Sounds like a plan. Thanks!

Hi Tony-

I am trying to accomplish the same things with the media player. I have downloaded LAME and have what I believe are all the files. I am familiar with RegEdit but am hesitant at this point to actually edit the registry, the article with the changes is a little cryptic to me. I am not sure what to add.

Can you give me a quick once over of the changes you made before I try mine and dork something up?

Don't bother.

At one time, I had an actual constructed ".reg" file that I could have sent you. However the results were so poor that I completely deleted the work I'd done. There was no point.

The compiled LAME ACM binaries do not in any way function correctly with media player. They flat out do not work. They create files that are mostly garbage, full of noise frames.

Thanks. I guess I will not waste my time.

Hi,

I've allways used AudioCatalyst - Works like a cham, saves into regular mp3 files sorted ang tagged like you want it to. No hassles.

Just wanted to share.

\\Kaare

He's used other MP3 rippers in the past, and I could easily have set him up with anything (Audiocatalyst, Audiograbber, EAC, whatever). He just had his reasons for wanting to keep using Windows Media Player. And it looks like, as long as he keeps the bitrate down to 160, he'll be fine with it.