M4A Encode with fdk aac he v2 [#16491]

[theruan]

After a long research about current best codecs I found out that fdk aac was best in regards to portable media considering small size vs minimal loss, this encoder seems to be the best for it, the music files are playable in MM 4.1.13.1801 but the sound is very very bad, this doesn't happen in any other app i tried.

For some reason which i couldn't understand MM is recognizing the music as:
Codec: fdkaac 0.6.2, libfdk-aac 3.4.12, VBR mode 5
VBR: No
Channels:Mono
Sample: 22 050 Hz
The correct information would be:
VBR: Yes
Channels: Stereo
Sample: 44100 Hz

Tested on:
Winamp 5.666 Build 3516 (patched version found in Winamp forums)
Groove Music
MPC-HC 1.7.10.101 x64 Nightly(Lav Audio Decoder 0.67.0.142-git) from Klite codec pack
Windows Media Player

My system is Windows 10 10586.420 x64

Reading another post here I found out that MM uses Media Foundation to play aac, so I messed around in plugin folder and found that removing/renaming in_mfaudio.dll makes audio non playable return error stating that there is no codec, BUT the information regarding the audio details is still being found in the same way(mono, 22 050 Hz,...) which makes me wonder if the information is being read wrongly and then passed wrongly somehow to the media foundation codec.
Reading about Media Foundation Codec I found that the supposed codec to do this is MSAudDecMFT.dll which in my system is version 10.0.10586.0(actually there are x86 and x64 versions with different sizes but same details version).

I can't be sure if this is a MM bug, or if Media Foundation is the culprit, 'cause I don't know for sure if both Groove Music and Windows Media Player are also using that codec or not.
Installing MM Codec Pack fixes the issue, but I would like to be able to play without it, as I can't afford the Codec Pack at the moment.

[theruan]

Years have passed and the problem is still there, even in MM5, playing FDK aac files end up in very very very poor results in MM4, almost every information isn't displayed in properties or is wrong, the sound is terrible, to "fix" the issue I had to rename media foundation plugin, at least it sounds as it should, properties still are completely wrong.

http://www.mediamonkey.com/support/inde ... aac-tracks
Says MM4 should play aac using media foundation, yet it doesn't work as it should.
Almost every other program reads it just fine, except for quicktime.

Oh, and I have MM codec pack installed, which btw if installed using adm mode will not work when MM is loaded without adm mode, so I had to install it for the user only.

[Lowlander]

Does that mean you have QuickTime installed? It may mean that MediaMonkey relies on QuickTime when installed and it can't handle the file as you indicate.

[theruan]

Quicktime WAS installed when i posted a few minutes ago, but MM wasn't using it, quicktime(the app itself) reads badly too, I just removed it to be 100% sure it wasn't being used(its codec), atm MM can read the files fine(except for the properties) using the MM codec pack.

A music file as an example:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1svHjf ... FvkUW0e0xn

I'm not a music expert, but it seems to me that the higher frequencies are being cut off when played using default config.

I had to rename these files like this:
f_mfaudio_codec.dll.tmp
in_mfaudio.dll.tmp

The codec that works to listen correctly(except for properties):
f_aac_codec.dll(from codec pack adm mode in MM app folder)
If i rename this or uninstall the codec pack i'm unable to read/listen to the files resulting in error(unable to decode), so i'm certain this is the codec being used atm.

For some reason now it isn't necessary to install the codec pack as user too, even though the codec pack doesn't show as installed when loading MM without adm rights, i believe it should show.

Music properties print:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QREKIm ... sp=sharing
Correct information:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p2loaT ... sp=sharing

Also, i'm no longer using FDK aac from android, I'm using FhG FDK AAC encoder library 4.0.1 in/from POIKOSOFT which has a bit better result, cause android FDK was redesigned for mobile.

[Lowlander]

MediaMonkey tag screenshot shows the wrong tab, the Basic tab should've the correct tags.

Both MM4 and MM5 show the tags for the sample file and in both cases sound reasonable, VLC, WMP and Groove on the other hand sound highly distorted here. Neither has MediaMonkey Codec Pack and on Windows 10.

[theruan]

Tags yes(album, artist, music name,...) , but data stream properties, stereo, vbr, codec ... all wrong

Regarding sound, do you have a codec pack for the system? I have k-lite standard that might be the difference for the wmp, groove, vlc ...
I just tested on groove and it's fine, same for MediaPlayer classic, WMP has some issue when i use the slider to move ahead for about half a sec, after that it works fine, AIMP plays perfectly too.

Maybe try this one, this is a studio version and has a lot less noise:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1fMWaz ... V5RCTV51dq

[Lowlander]

Yep, K-Lite is installed here too.

[Peke]

Hi,
I added it as https://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=16491 we will see what can be done as it uses paid Converter software from POIKOSOFT.

[MiPi]

The file has wrong ESDS atom (Audio Specific Config - https://wiki.multimedia.cx/index.php?ti ... fic_Config). There is clearly set 22kHz mono with channel configuration "Center only". So the bug is on encoder side, we read this info correctly and according to MP4 file format documentation. So please report it to author of your encoder.
Decoders which decode this correctly probably decided to ignore this audio specific config, but this could lead to other problems. And Media Foundation codec uses it, that is why you experience wrong sound.

[Peke]

Hi,
I would suggest that you contact POIKOSOFT and report this due the fact it is Encoder obligation to correctly set the value.

I also tested on several Studio Quality sound editing software and all detect it as 22khz Mono.

[poiko]

MediaMonkey does not seem to recognize AAC+SBR or AAC+SBR+PS in MPEG-4 ISO file format when "EXPLICIT BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE" signaling is used (for the compatibility with the old AAC-LC-only decoders).

However, since there is no longer a need (for a long time) to be backward compatible with AAC-LC-only decoders, the signaling is set to "EXPLICIT HIERARCHICAL SIGNALING" in EZ CD Audio Converter 9.2 and newer.

Poikosoft

[Peke]

Hi,
Can you please open support ticket and supply two files (eg one with flags and one without), so that we can analyze and fix the issue.