I have a mp3 audio music file that Liquid won't import.

It is a MPEG Layer-3 audio file, 44.1 Khz sampling @ 128 kbps.

I had to use a 3rd party converter to turn it into a .wav file. I know that Liquid should handle .mp3, but are the properties of this track a problem?

There has always been issues with 44khz sampling. 48khz 16 bit has been the recommended audio property. Nothing new here.

Hi John,

Just going by the reference manual:

 

Audio File Formats:
􀂊 *.wav (PCM uncompressed)
􀂊 *.mpa, *.mp3 (MPEG-1 Layer 2 Audio)
􀂊 *.m4a (MPEG-4-Audio)
􀂊 *.wma (Windows Media Audio)
􀂊 *.ac3
Valid audio sample rates for import are: 11025 Hz, 22050 Hz, 32000 Hz, 44100 Hz, 48000 Hz. Sample
rates in between can not be imported.

That manual was written 4 or 5 years ago, things happens with media during the years, Liquid is no longer developed, you might try to sue Pinnacle - Avid , I doubt that you will win

John,

I suspect that the audio file is not 16-bit but 32-bit. Liquid can't import 32-bit audio files. Liquid can import a 44.1K 16-bit MP3 without any problems.

It's 16 bit according to the properties of the file

Could I send it to you Dave to try?

What was the source of the original mp3 file?? There are mp3 files (such as those downloaded from Amazon) that will not work in Liquid. It is probably a function of what is embeded in the header.

Hi Lew,

It was a purchase from a copyright free music website:

http://www.akmmusic.co.uk

I have spoken to them, but they are not that familar with Liquid.

As I said, I got round the issue by converting the file to a WAV, but I didn't know if the issue was with the track, or Liquid.

Sure. If it's small enough, Email it to me. If it's too large, let me know and I'll PM you an upload link to my website.

John,

I've got the file and it imports into Liquid without any problems on my system. I suspect you've got a CODEC problem on your system. Please download GSpot (if you don't already have it), open the file with GSpot, and at the bottom of the GSpot dialog screen click in the Proposed Codec Solutions section click on the number 1 under GSpot Aud, save the text shown in the box on the right, and then on the number 1 under MS A/V. At least 1 of the filter graphs should be green, and perhaps more than 1. Which ones are green?

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the testing.

I didn't have GSpot, but have now downloaded version 2.70a. I followed your instructions, but don't quite know what you mean "save the text". Where and how?

Also don't know what you mean by filter graphs? Could you give me more help please?

As it turns out, GSpot can't save the text for what I need to see.

Filter graphs are how audio and video processing works on Windows. When you open an A/V file, the application has to build a set of filters to open the file, read the data, decode the data, and pass it to the output. Each of these is called a Filter, and the Filter Graph is a chain of filters (the output of one filter becomes the input to the next).

At the bottom of the GSpot dialog screen, you'll see a  [click to view image]section marked Proposed CODEC solutions and tests. There are two columns of numbers on the left, and a text box on the right. The first column is marked GSpot and has subcolumns for Video and Audio. The column to the right is marked MS A/V. Pressing the number 1 in the audio column (for GSpot) or the A/V column for Microsoft will show you a proposed filter graph. If it's shaded in Green then it means the filter graph is good and can be used to render the media. Pressing 2 will actually render the media and pop up a media player. If you don't see a good solution after pressing 1, then press 2 in that column and you'll get more information (either that, or it will find a way of rendering and playing the media).

 What I need to see is what filter graph is being used. It's possible that there's more than 1 solution. Liquid can't necessarily use any particular CODEC for decoding media, so I'm trying to figure out if you've got a CODEC in the way. 

The attached file shows the output on my system for your file. You can see that for the GSpot solutions, none were found, For the MS A/V solution, one was found using FFDShow. In this case, it's possible that I'm able to open the file only because I have FFDShow installed and not because you have a bad CODEC.

Hi Dave,

Thank you for the help.

I am attaching 2 screenshots of the GSpot info. Perhaps you can explain if this is correct?

Oops, only 1 file attached, so here is the 2nd one:

According to what you've posted, Liquid should be able to import and decode the file. I think your installation may be corrupt.

Hi Dave,

So do you think re-installing Liquid should solve the problem?

It's unclear to me why you can't import this MP3. Re-installing Liquid won't hurt and might help. Or not. But it won't hurt. If it were me I'd re-install Liquid over itself just to see if that fixes it.

And if re-installing Liquid doesn't solve it, download and install AC3Filter (which you probably should install regardless). Besides AC3 decoding, it also decodes MP3.

I will try a re-install of Liquid, but I also forgot that I have an issue with Sonicfire Pro 5.

This also relates to mp3 playback. If I use the Express Track feature to preview music from the SmartSound store, I don't hear anything. SmartSound asked me to see if the previews, which are mp3s, were downloaded to a folder. They exist and can be played when double clicked, but do not work within the program.

So that is two software programs now that cannot access mp3 tracks.

I can play mp3s using Sound Forge or Quicktime, so I don't know what is the issue.

Any further help please? 

It's a tough thing to diagnose. There's a generic way of opening a sound file and playing it, in which case the system makes a default filter chain and runs the audio file through it. Liquid doesn't use the default mechanism as it uses ASIO for sound output, so it makes it's own filter chain. I don't know about SmartSound. Sound Forge analyzes the audio files and can probably figure out a way of playing almost anything for which it can open. Quicktime tends to use it's own built-in processing for decoding and playing files.

Sucess!!

I Googled mp3 codec, and downloaded the Fraunhofer codec. It worked and now Liquid can open the mp3 file.

I still have a problem with SonicFire pro though.