Flac Tagging destroys FLAC-Header

[Q-Brick]

Hello together!
I have a serious problem with the latest MM (2.5.5).
I rip my CDs with EAC to FLAC-files (using FLAC 1.1.3).
If I use MM to tag the files (or update the tags) the FLAC-files are corructed.
Although I use MM noe for many weeks, I noticed this error just today, because MM plays this files. But when I use flac.exe to decode the Files I get the following errors:

01.flac: *** Got error code 0:FLAC__STREAM_DECODER_ERROR_STATUS_LOST_SYNC
01.flac: *** Got error code 1:FLAC__STREAM_DECODER_ERROR_STATUS_BAD_HEADER
01.flac: *** Got error code 0:FLAC__STREAM_DECODER_ERROR_STATUS_LOST_SYNC
01.flac: *** Got error code 1:FLAC__STREAM_DECODER_ERROR_STATUS_BAD_HEADER
01.flac: *** Got error code 0:FLAC__STREAM_DECODER_ERROR_STATUS_LOST_SYNC

01.flac: ERROR while decoding data
state = FLAC__STREAM_DECODER_READ_FRAME

I have ripped over 400 CDs and now all of them are corrupted!
Shit!

Is this a know bug? Already fixed in 3.0?
Any suggestions what to do?

Desperately,
Q-Brick

[Miki]

"MM 2.5x only supports flac 1.1.2, newer flac version is to be updated with MM 3.0 when released. "

MM 3.0 - "2737 Updated FLAC to 1.1.3 "

I guess its updated in 3.0.

Mike.

[Q-Brick]

I think it has nothing to do with the flac-version which MM supports, because to encode the waves I use EAC.

But I tested it now with flac 1.1.2 and got the same error.

It seems that the flac-tagging in MM is not quiet correct.

Q-Brick

[Q-Brick]

Now I have compared some untouched and "tag-updated" Flac-files with a hex-editor and I think a have found out what is wrong:

When MM updates the Vorbis-Comments, the length of the padding was not calculated correctly.
In an example-file I see that the padding length was 4 bytes to long, so that the first 4 bytes of the header of first audio-frame were overwritten with zeros.
Notice that the legth of the Padding does not include the size of the METADATA_BLOCK_HEADER !!!

@the developers: can you confirm and fix this?

Thanks for help.

Q-Brick

[tbessie]

This would be truly HORRIBLE to me, since I have spent the last months ripping my CD collection in FLAC (some 1.1.2, some 1.1.3) and have done plenty of tagging on the FLAC files. If they are now corrupted (not for playing in MM, but elsewhere) then, if this is not correctable, I would not be happy, since the latest 2.* release of MM is *supposed* to deal with the FLAC tags just fine (at least, except for album art, and I'm not using album art in my FLAC files).

If what you say is true, I sure hope the MM dev team comes out with either a little "fix my FLAC files" app, or adds fixing of it into tagging in a quick maintenance release, so you can do a mass-tagging of all your FLAC files and this value will be recalculated.

- Tim

[Teknojnky]

Hi, this is a known problem, more info @ http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15124

There is a beta flac dll in the thread above, or you can go download the new 2.5.5.997 in the beta forum which also prevents this problem.

Unfortunately, it does not fix existing files that are having problems.

You can fix them by either using Tools > convert audio format > convert flac to flac replacing existing files, or you can use the flac commandline encoder to force re-encode them.

You do not lose any metadata by re-encoding flac to flac, and the stream it self is not corrupted, only the header/metadata that is.

I recommend using MM to re-encode all your existing flacs, this will encode them flac 1.1.2, then you can use this batch file script in that post to re-encode back to 1.1.3 or 1.1.4, which should save you some space over 1.1.2 that MM has.

Note also that the just released mm 3.0 alpha also supports 1.1.3, but you should test some of the files first before doing them all in case there are some issues with the alpha release (alpha = pre-beta, so there could be some problems yet).

[Peke]

@Q-Brick
That Should Be corrected in Both 2.5.5 and 3.0 Alpha FLAC need to check that Out again Will Post Beta test if I found that it is the Problem Also You can Use Version from 2.5.5.997 without problem, but it doesn't have AA support.

[Guest]

Hello together!
I have a serious problem with the latest MM (2.5.5).

When saying 'latest', the build number would help too. Was it 2.5.5.995 or 2.5.5.997?

[tbessie]

@Q-Brick
That Should Be corrected in Both 2.5.5 and 3.0 Alpha FLAC need to check that Out again Will Post Beta test if I found that it is the Problem Also You can Use Version from 2.5.5.997 without problem, but it doesn't have AA support.

Sorry, but what is "AA" support?
Is that a file format?

- Tim

[Peke]

AA = AlbumArt

here is new F_FLAC.DLL for MM 2.5.5
[Link removed fix included in 2.5.5.998]

MM 3.0 version will be included in next Alpha.

[tbessie]

AA = AlbumArt

here is new F_FLAC.DLL for MM 2.5.5


MM 3.0 version will be included in next Alpha.

I already installed the latest 2.5.5 version (2.5.5.997). If I did that, do I need to install that flac file? Or should I reinstall the *release* 2.5.5, and then drop that DLL in? Which would take care of the problem, AND have the most functionality?

By the way, when yo usay no "AA" functionality, you mean no FLAC AA functionality, correct? MP3 et. al. album art functionality still exists, right?

- Tim

[Teknojnky]

Flac 1.1.3+ adds album art support to FLAC files. However MM 2.5.x does not support album art with 1.1.3+ even tho the format itself does.

MM 3.x will support flac + embedded album art.

2.5.5.997 includes the updated flac dll.

Files with decoding errors unfortuatly will have to be re-encoded (flac to flac) via MM to get rid of the errors.

[tbessie]

Flac 1.1.3+ adds album art support to FLAC files. However MM 2.5.x does not support album art with 1.1.3+ even tho the format itself does.

MM 3.x will support flac + embedded album art.

2.5.5.997 includes the updated flac dll.

Files with decoding errors unfortuatly will have to be re-encoded (flac to flac) via MM to get rid of the errors.

Hi Teknoijnky...

Yes, I know all that about FLAC and AA support. What I meant was, does this updated FLAC dll merely fix the problems it was having, OR does it actually add FLAC 1.1.3 (w/album art) support to 2.5.5?

- Tim

[Teknojnky]

However MM 2.5.x does not support album art with 1.1.3+ even tho the format itself does.

2.5.x = no embedded flac album art

3.x = embedded flac album art

[tbessie]

However MM 2.5.x does not support album art with 1.1.3+ even tho the format itself does.

2.5.x = no embedded flac album art
3.x = embedded flac album art

Thanks!

- Tim