Synch Auto-Conversion failing (no error msg)

[speleo]

Just purchased a lifetime licence for MM so that I can use the Auto-conversion function while synching to an iPod.

BACKGROUND: I've got a 40GB iPod and around 14k tracks I want to synch onto it. I ripped all my CDs at the highest bitrate so the files are big. (After all in a few years there'll be TB pods...). So I set a Auto-Conversion Rule to resample everything over 96Kbps down to 96Kbps. All my files are mp3 and the rule will resample everything to 96kbps MP3.

Start the synch and get a msg about "There isn't enough space on the device to synchronize the selected tracks. Would you like to continue". Answer yes. This will synch the first 1045 tracks.

ERROR: MM display "(Copying 1 of xxxxxx (Converting to MP3): Artist - track name)" but will not progress. If left overnight the process will terminate without any error message.

Looking in the Windows Task Manager I can see the decoder.exe constantly starting, run for a couple of seconds and then restart.

What I've tried: OK this is what I've tried.

1. Searched forum for a solution. (can't see anything related to this)
2. Scanned iPod drive for errors (hw + filesystem)
3. Copied several very large files onto the pod to test if it is a hardware writing error. (Copies work fine)
4. Removed track being converted from the MM library and let it go with other tracks. (No difference)
5. Changed the settings in conversion rule. (No effect)
6. Looked for MM log files (can't see any)

Any ideas? Thanks in advance...

[speleo]

Update
I've downloaded and installed the debug version of MM and surprise, surprise, it is working again. I've no idea what caused the issue in the first place and am monitoring to see if I run into issues again.

One error that DebugView idenifies is this:

Delphi Exception, type EFOpen Error, message: Cannot open file C:\WINDOWS\CDPlayer.ini


I get the impression that CDPlayer.ini was an early type of local CDDB and is not really used anymore. Any ideas?

[speleo]

Broken Again

OK the process is broken again. In the DebugViewer I get the following line repeating for the exact number of files to process. Looks like it is processing the list, decoder hits a problem and then reloads to tackle the next file, etc.

CImageInformation::Initialize(C:\Program Files\MediaMonkey\Decoder.exe)

Does anybody actually read these posts?

[Steegy]

Does anybody actually read these posts?

No. Ha, just kidding .

Are the tracks you want to auto-convert accessible (playable) in MediaMonkey?
Are they maybe protected by some DRM (e.g. from WMP or iTunes) that doesn't allow convertion, synchronisation or such?

Maybe this FAQ article (or others) can help you too.

Protable devices 'stuff' can be complicated, and only a few people know a lot about it (which may explain the answer delay). I for one am a total n00b for that .
You might want to send a debug report (explanation + debug log) to the developers at the support email address.

But I'm afraid this post might not help you very much. Maybe more helpful are other forum posts about Decoder.exe (use forum search with "Search for all terms" selected).

[speleo]

Hi Steegy,

The tracks play fine in MM and there is no DRM. I've reset my iPod, rebooted PC and run with debug version again. This is the relevant output:

00050165 736.49700928 [3488] Synchronize: Copying tracks
00050166 736.49743652 [3488] Thread has started 5368
00050167 736.49755859 [3488] Thread registered, going to initialize 5368
00050168 736.49865723 [3488] Thread initialized 5368
00050169 736.61016846 CImageInformation::Initialize(C:\Program Files\MediaMonkey\Decoder.exe)
00050170 736.62597656 [3488] WA Decode, Waiting for init.
00050171 736.70764160 [3488] WA Decode, decoder started.
00050172 736.75830078 [3488] Winamp sim - WM_USER message 9800
00050173 736.75836182 [3488] Locking file: G:\My Music\Unknown\Unknown\08 - Walou.mp3
00050174 736.75854492 [3488] Locked file: G:\My Music\Unknown\Unknown\08 - Walou.mp3
00050175 736.75915527 [3488] Winamp sim - WM_USER message 9801
00050176 736.75927734 [3488] Unlocking file: G:\My Music\Unknown\Unknown\08 - Walou.mp3
00050177 736.91857910 [3488] WA Decode, Initialized.
00050178 736.92602539 [3488]
00050179 736.92602539 [3488]
00050180 736.92602539 [3488] Lame_enc configuration options:
00050181 736.92620850 [3488] ==========================================================
00050182 736.92639160 [3488] version =1
00050183 736.92651367 [3488] Layer =3
00050184 736.92669678 [3488] mode =
00050185 736.92700195 [3488] Joint-Stereo
00050186 736.92712402 [3488] Input sample rate =44.1 kHz
00050187 736.92742920 [3488] Output sample rate =44.1 kHz
00050188 736.92761230 [3488] bitrate =96 kbps
00050189 736.92773438 [3488] Quality Setting =5
00050190 736.92791748 [3488] Low pass frequency =15100
00050191 736.92834473 [3488] Low pass width =-1
00050192 736.92852783 [3488] High pass frequency =0
00050193 736.92883301 [3488] High pass width =-1
00050194 736.92895508 [3488] No short blocks =0
00050195 736.92944336 [3488] Force short blocks =0
00050196 736.92962646 [3488] de-emphasis =0
00050197 736.92974854 [3488] private flag =0
00050198 736.93005371 [3488] copyright flag =0
00050199 736.93023682 [3488] original flag =0
00050200 736.93035889 [3488] CRC =off
00050201 736.93054199 [3488] Fast mode =enabled
00050202 736.93072510 [3488] Force mid/side stereo =disabled
00050203 736.93090820 [3488] Padding Type =2
00050204 736.93115234 [3488] Disable Reservoir =0
00050205 736.93133545 [3488] Allow diff-short =0
00050206 736.93151855 [3488] Interchannel masking =0.000600
00050207 736.93170166 [3488] Strict ISO Encoding =No
00050208 736.93188477 [3488] Scale = 0.95
00050209 736.93237305 [3488] VBR =disabled, VBR_q =4, VBR method =
00050210 736.93255615 [3488] vbr_off
00050211 736.93273926 [3488] Vbr Min bitrate =96 kbps
00050212 736.93292236 [3488] Vbr Max bitrate =96 kbps
00050213 736.93353271 [3488] Write VBR Header =Yes
00050214 736.93371582 [3488] VBR Hard min =0
00050215 736.93389893 [3488] ATH Only =0
00050216 736.93414307 [3488] ATH short =0
00050217 736.93432617 [3488] ATH no =0
00050218 736.93450928 [3488] ATH type =4
00050219 736.93469238 [3488] ATH lower =1.000000
00050220 736.93481445 [3488] ATH aa =-1
00050221 736.93518066 [3488] ATH aa loudapprox =2
00050222 736.93536377 [3488] ATH aa sensitivity =0.000000
00050223 736.93554688 [3488] Experimental nspsytune =1
00050224 736.93572998 [3488] Experimental X =9
00050225 736.93615723 [3488] Experimental Y =0
00050226 736.93695068 [3488] Experimental Z =0
00050227 739.19683838 [3488] Forms: Received WM_ACTIVATEAPP
00050228 739.19683838 [3488] Forms: Accepted WM_ACTIVATEAPP -
00050229 739.19708252 [3488] Forms: NormalizeTopMosts: Level: 0
00050230 739.19787598 [3488] Winamp simulation window received messsage 28
00050231 739.19805908 [3488] Winamp sim - ignoring.
00050232 739.19824219 [3488] Winamp sim - ignoring.
00050233 750.90496826 [3488] Winamp simulation window received messsage 49578
00050234 750.90887451 [3488] Winamp sim - message left to the default processing
00050235 750.91009521 [3488] Winamp sim - message left to the default processing
00050236 752.61401367 [3488] Forms: Received WM_ACTIVATEAPP
00050237 752.61425781 [3488] Forms: Accepted WM_ACTIVATEAPP +
00050238 752.61444092 [3488] Forms: RestoreTopMost: Level: 1
00050239 752.61468506 [3488] Forms: RestoreTopMost: Starting
00050240 752.61486816 [3488] Winamp simulation window received messsage 28
00050241 752.61511230 [3488] Winamp sim - ignoring.
00050242 752.61602783 [3488] Winamp sim - ignoring.
00050243 752.91168213 [3488] --------------------------------------------------------
00050244 752.91168213 [3488] New exception:
00050245 752.91168213 [3488] Exception code: 2460516
00050246 752.91168213 [3488] Exception flags: 1677721600
00050247 752.91168213 [3488] Number of parameters: 1360477
00050248 752.91168213 [3488] (no debug info) Find error: E58B0000
00050249 752.91168213 [3488]
00050250 752.91668701 [3488] --------------------------------------------------------
00050251 752.91668701 [3488] New exception:
00050252 752.91668701 [3488] Exception code: 2460516
00050253 752.91668701 [3488] Exception flags: 1677721600
00050254 752.91668701 [3488] Number of parameters: 1360477
00050255 752.91668701 [3488] (no debug info) Find error: E58B0000
00050256 752.91668701 [3488]
00050257 752.91839600 [3488] An error occured during file conversion: Access violation at address 7C91142E in module 'ntdll.dll'. Read of address AAAAAAAA
00050258 752.91870117 [3488] WA Decode, Destroying.
00050259 752.91876221 [3488] WA Decode, Going unmap memory file.
00050260 752.91894531 [3488] WA Decode, Destroyed.
00050261 752.94122314 CImageInformation::Initialize(C:\Program Files\MediaMonkey\Decoder.exe)
00050262 752.96069336 [3488] WA Decode, Waiting for init.
00050263 752.96081543 [3488] WA Decode, decoder started.
00050264 753.01885986 [3488] Winamp sim - WM_USER message 9800
00050265 753.01916504 [3488] Locking file: G:\My Music\Pearl Jam\Alive\01 - Alive.mp3
00050266 753.01965332 [3488] Locked file: G:\My Music\Pearl Jam\Alive\01 - Alive.mp3
00050267 753.02026367 [3488] Winamp sim - WM_USER message 9801
00050268 753.02038574 [3488] Unlocking file: G:\My Music\Pearl Jam\Alive\01 - Alive.mp3
00050269 753.18304443 [3488] WA Decode, Initialized.
00050270 753.18395996 [3488] --------------------------------------------------------
Errors repeat as above

I've no idea what these error mean but it is giving an error. Unless anyone knows I'll continue googling...

Many thanks, Speleo

[Steegy]

Are you using WindowsXP? (Windows Vista may cause problems, as also OS'es older than Win2000)

Try searching the forum for ntdll.dll (with "Search for all terms" selected). There are some similar errors reported, so these posts might help you.

Anyway, I think that it's a problem with the encoder/decoder plugin, so you might want to ask the developers directly through email (they are quite busy with MM3 now, so I don't know how soon they'll read this message).
You could also try with different mp3 input plugins first (MM's plugins, in_mpg123, in_mad) as Jiri (developer) also suggested on some other thread (see also the FAQ on how to do it). When you've made some change in the plugins directory, you have to restart MM for changes to be noticed.

[speleo]

Dang! I just loaded MM3 which wiped my library listing. No big deal I thought, just rescan it. No problem there. However when I went to synch again it started wiping my ipod.

since I'd got around 10K tracks loaded which have mostly been resampled was not too happy about this. Pulled the synch cable, stopped the process and rebuilt the ipod DB. Managed to save 9.5K tracks but it looks like I'll have to rebuild the whole damn thing which is a multi day process.

The decoder.exe file for MM3 is 29K vs MM2 25K. Since I'm not having much fun with MM2 with this feature I might just as well try MM3 at this.

Scary stuff. I'll make sure I've got backups!!! It's more a time thing.

[Steegy]

The MM2 database should still be as it was before (with all information in it) at it's normal location.
MM3 uses a new database engine/format, but because it's specs aren't finished yet, their's not yet a converter to convert the MM2 database to MM3 format. So MM3 just starts with a new database file (located somewhere else) and shows an empty library. MM2 still has all the tracks however.

[speleo]

That's not what I found when I installed MM3 alongside MM2. It did wipe my db.

[Peke]

MM do not wipe anything without question from user.

What version of MM3 you have installed?
Anyway you can check if MM3 has accidentally(I think that there was issue with first Alpha do that sometimes) copied your library to \documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\MediaMonkey\Mediamonkey.mdb and copy(not move) back to MM2 location <My Documents>\My Music\MediaMonkey\Mediamonkey.mdb

This should solve your problems.

[Steegy]

In case that Speleo really installed an old Alpha version, this is maybe a sign that the MediaMonkey 3.0 Testing thread isn't obvious enough.

Therefore I'd suggest a developer/moderator to change the bolded text in the testing thread to:

The most recent 3.0 build will always be posted at the end of this thread. To be notified of future development builds, just subscribe to the thread.

[speleo]

I installed MediaMonkey_3.0.0.1034_Debug.exe on XP.

The only mediamonkey.mdb I've got is located in my_documents\my music\

When MM2 reloaded it's db and then tried to synch with my iPod it started removing the current content. Can't remember the exact message was too busy trying to stop it!

It's not the end of the world but since it had taken the best part of a week to get the tracks resampled onto the damn thing I was a bit miffed. Such is life!!

Do you reckon the issue is something to do with my lame encoder? I read somewhere that MM2 comes with a time expring copy of LAME.

Otherwise MM2 is the mutts nuts. the only wish I have is that it used the Gracenote CDDB.

[john-nicholas]

speleo,

I had the same problem you describe. I tried to condense my 90gb library (13402 mp3 files), primarily 192-320 kbps mp3s, by auto-converting them to 128 kbps using auto-synchronization, yet the auto-synchronization would halt at about 3000 files, and no action that I would take other than converting these files at 192 kbps or greater would work to sync to my iPod.

That is, until I replaced my MP3 input plugins, in_wmp3.dll and in_dsmp3.dll, with an alternative MP3 decoder, in_mpg123.dll (2.07), found on the MM downloads page. Now I am able to convert every mp3 to 128 kbps as I auto-sync-- problem solved!

Regards,
John

[Guest]

Hey John,

Thanks for the heads up on this. I'd given up till now as it is a real slow process to do the conversion. I'll give it a try!!

Cheers.