GRW wrote:Latest driver is showing as Dec 05 so should be ok.

Here goes - can't believe I am going to say this - the problem seems to have gone (that will have done it!). Haven't really done anything different after the MAD plugin install but the problem appeared to have stopped shortly before that. I did notice that when the file monitor was working, it monitored VERy slowly. Maybe I have just had a slow PC at times causing the glitches.

I don't want to say its resolved, but the problem does seem to have ceased for the time being.

your not crazy i've done same types of posts when i was using the dell here as the main computer i think its something in the dell's os setup that does strange things on them. i'm not getting nearly as many strange errors now as i was then. but i'm using systems i put together now.

Latest driver is showing as Dec 05 so should be ok.

Here goes - can't believe I am going to say this - the problem seems to have gone (that will have done it!). Haven't really done anything different after the MAD plugin install but the problem appeared to have stopped shortly before that. I did notice that when the file monitor was working, it monitored VERy slowly. Maybe I have just had a slow PC at times causing the glitches.

I don't want to say its resolved, but the problem does seem to have ceased for the time being.

simple way of looking at it.

plugins like mad and mp3pro have different coding in them some times different mp3 files or other files have been coded with part of that code. and don't work on all decoders or encoders so getting one of those two plugins fix's them if they need that part of the code.

some times that extra code also fixes sound artifacts. which is only saying that it might work on your system but all systems are different. i've got 4 different systems here all are xp pro sp3, but all use different hardware, the jukebox has some strange errors on it and some normal first time install errors. which these other 3 systems don't have. so its down to the motherboard i think for some of the errors on my jukebox.
but they are caused by the operation system code's for different features, so its not just an motherboard issue.

so in knowing that you can see why everyone is trying to get you information that might fix your error each has prior knowledge of what they did with that same issue, and some have book learned coding that tells them what it normaly is. so the confusing is not done to be mean or uncaring that you don't understand, its just we all want you to have the best sound possible.

one thing i found out you might want to check on. is that my old sound card was not made to work with xp so it was messing up. try and see if that works with xp, if not then find the santa cruz turttle beach card. also i just remembered there were several updates to the sound card drivers on dell's website last year so maybe you do need a sound card driver update, if you are the first owner of that dell then go to their site and let it find the product number they use on your system and tell you what your computer should need in updates. look for sound card drivers. xp is so old of a system they might not show up on microsofts update site.

so this thread and it caught my eye -- i made this http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewto ... 27crack%27 bug report Aug. last year...

i'm still using MM 3.0.7.1191 and until v.recently, that had solved the 'static pop' i was getting at the start of some tracks. But then the issue resurfaced. I read this thread which made me reconsider what the hell i had done that could have brought it back.

Turns out 'the culprit' was an input plug-in as suggested here. But for me, it was AAC format pugin v1.06 (AAC/M4A Encoder / Decoder Plug-in 1.06). I can't remember why, but for some reason i thought was good at the time, I installed this a few weeks ago. I'd forgotten all about it, and certainly not paid for it after the 30day trail.

Anyway, I removed this, removed/re-synced the content, and all is well again, no static pops at the beginning of tracks...

Perhaps GRW you can check and see if you have this plug-in and kick it out if you have (although of course, it may not be the plug-in, just some other issue - perhaps two plug-ins vying to do the same job? or perhaps if you don't buy this plug-in, this is the result?)...

I do believe the right setup can sound better than normal cds. In my car, a 320kbps MP3 can sound fanstastic and the same song from the cd it came from not as good. I believe that the compression removes frequencies we cant hear but the speaker reproduces thus impacting on frequencies we can hear. I might be wrong but they do sound good!

I have downloaded the MAD plugin as suggested and might hopefully get a similar setup at home as the the one in the car. I will test this fully tomorrow. It shows in the input plugin options but the instruction said that the file in_dsmp3.dll had be renamed with off but it doesn't appear. I take it thats correct? Also it is set to 16bit, a standard inbuilt sound card can cope with that can't it?

Lets hope there is a better sound and NO pops now!

GRW wrote:Lowlander, the only reason I haven't tried it yet is that it says its an input plugin. Surely artifacts on sounds heard when playing is an output issue? Then I got really confused when it showed people saying things like "The bass is amazingly clean and tight. All my MP3s sound better when decoded with the MAD plug-in. This is how MP3s are supposed to sound" and the authors themselves stating it "provides superior sound for MP3 and other MPEG audio files".

Nohitter confirmed that this shouldn't alter much and wouldn't resolve my issue.

I am happy to give it a go and see what happens. Can you just clarify to 1 dozy pillock here what exactly this plugin is supposed to do. How can it alter ALL my MP3s if it is not an output one? How can it decode better a file already decoded to the HD. Or is it how it interprets the binary data into sound like a DAC does on a CD? If so, I thought that was an output and not an input.

I smell smoke! Brain on fire!!!!!

mp3 files are compressed. This means that the file must be decoded (or decompressed) in order for the computer to interpret the sound. So the process of the decompression (via mathematical algorithms, etc.) could technically change the sound. Some people claim to hear a difference, but I would guess that for a majority of people this is just a placebo effect. Certainly it can't hurt to try it and see if you notice any difference.

On the other hand, output plugins interpret the decompressed audio stream which the input plugin provides, and sends this data to your sound card, where you then hear the music.

Lowlander, the only reason I haven't tried it yet is that it says its an input plugin. Surely artifacts on sounds heard when playing is an output issue? Then I got really confused when it showed people saying things like "The bass is amazingly clean and tight. All my MP3s sound better when decoded with the MAD plug-in. This is how MP3s are supposed to sound" and the authors themselves stating it "provides superior sound for MP3 and other MPEG audio files".

Nohitter confirmed that this shouldn't alter much and wouldn't resolve my issue.

I am happy to give it a go and see what happens. Can you just clarify to 1 dozy pillock here what exactly this plugin is supposed to do. How can it alter ALL my MP3s if it is not an output one? How can it decode better a file already decoded to the HD. Or is it how it interprets the binary data into sound like a DAC does on a CD? If so, I thought that was an output and not an input.

I smell smoke! Brain on fire!!!!!

I advised MAD as I believe some users have reported that it solved the issue of sound artifacts. I might be wrong, but it probably wouldn't hurt to try.

GRW wrote:Aaah, so really a different plugin will just give different functions/options and not different sound. I would switch if there was a problem or conflict with one of them? So the MAD input plugin would have no bearing on my issue of hearing pops whilst songs are being played and therefore could not resolve the issue?

I wouldn't say that it CAN'T change the sound you hear, but I would say that it SHOULDN'T.

Just out of interest, the MAD input plugin will make ALL MP3s (both existing and ones still to be ripped) encode better and thus sound better? These confuse the hell out of me and people seem to assume users know what they are and provide no help with them!

Look here:
http://wiki.hydrogenaudio.org/index.php ... P3_Decoder

Basically what I'm trying to say (and what it says above) is that basically there are no real quality differences between modern mp3 decoders.

Aaah, so really a different plugin will just give different functions/options and not different sound. I would switch if there was a problem or conflict with one of them? So the MAD input plugin would have no bearing on my issue of hearing pops whilst songs are being played and therefore could not resolve the issue?

Rather annoyingly/satisyingly I have been listening for an hour or so and haven't been able to replicate the issue!!!! 1 day out 4 so hope it continues!

Just out of interest, the MAD input plugin will make ALL MP3s (both existing and ones still to be ripped) encode better and thus sound better? These confuse the hell out of me and people seem to assume users know what they are and provide no help with them!

GRW wrote:Would I be right in saying this wouldn't alter any problem with the sound being outputted? Or are you saying this will increase the quality of the MP3s being put on the HD?

No. Input plugins are simply the plugins which decode specific file types to get sound.

1 If I download the MAD input plugin would this alter the sound for NEW tracks only.

No, it will affect all tracks of that filetype.

2 If so, would I have to re-rip the existing ones meaning I start again for a THIRD time to get all my tracks sounding the same?

No. I have said it before, but let me say it again: input and output plugins have absolutely no bearing on CD ripping and burning!

3 If not, would all new and existing tracks sound better both being played and when being played from a burned MP3 data disc?

No.

4 How do the 2 standard MM output plugins differ if just using a PC with an standard inbuilt sound card? Are there any differences?

The sound should be the same. The main differences are in the features that each output plugin has (crossfading, buffer time, fading, etc.)

OK, here it goes, way too confused now. For reference I am a music enthusiast using MM to manage to music so I don't really know much about the systems etc.

I have tried using the 2nd output plugin (waveout). I cannot hear any diference in sound quality but more annoyingly neither outputs have replicated the pop! Lowlander, not sure (in your other post) that anything can be interfering with speakers as the same fault occurs on high quality hi-fi speakers and pc speakers (using the same jack though). I looked at the MAD link you sent but this states that its an input plugin. Would I be right in saying this wouldn't alter any problem with the sound being outputted? Or are you saying this will increase the quality of the MP3s being put on the HD?

1 If I download the MAD input plugin would this alter the sound for NEW tracks only.
2 If so, would I have to re-rip the existing ones meaning I start again for a THIRD time to get all my tracks sounding the same?
3 If not, would all new and existing tracks sound better both being played and when being played from a burned MP3 data disc?
4 How do the 2 standard MM output plugins differ if just using a PC with an standard inbuilt sound card? Are there any differences?

I would like the tracks to sound better when being played straight from the PC but not at any expense to the huge work I have just had to endure!

i answered in the other thread.

but here as i read this one, i seen your system i don't remember it in the other thread,.

but my dell dem.. has turtle beach sound card. and it too gets slight to very slight pops and clicks.
but the same files on these other computers don't get them.

so either an update from dell is needed i think on the computer or a update from windows. but then again i too am not using my dell much for anything as it started losing drivers and usb controllers and even won't burn some things proper on to cd's i got to get all the stuff off it soon i think its going to need a repair install on it.

As advised above try either MAD or switching output plugins.

The tracks each have 4 filepaths, 2 wrong and that have never been in the directory stated, 1 correct and 1 correct with wrong tags and no associated playlists etc. I had to quickly backup the HD as it was failing but didn't do it via MM and had to do the drive ID script. I am not too concerned here as a previous thread kind of confirmed that that was the only resolution and I am about 75% done now - providing no more shocks!!!!!! Something always seems to pop up on MM to surprise me lately!!!!

The tracks are popping on both. I might have a playlist playing in the background whilst editing the library, but it also occurred when no editing was being done and music was just playing as any player would do. I cant, it appears, reproduce the issue itself.