Adobe Audition 3.0.1

Comments

• TMTGTR

  October 20 edited October 20

  It's come to my attention that there is a difficulty downloading the loopolgy.7z file on the link at archive dot org above.
  I never used that link.
  Firstly, the Sound FX files are available here:
  https://www.adobe.com/products/audition/offers/adobeauditiondlcsfx.html
  
  You can also go here for everything else (and the Sound FX):
  https://archive.org/details/20210210_20210210_1306
• TMTGTR

  October 20

  I'll be making this thread all about Audition 3.0.1 and sharing my exhaustive research.
  
  I’ll be covering a vast amount of DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) utilities, plugins and filters all aimed at working on a Windows XP system running Adobe Audition 3.0.1 at the heart of it. I’ll also be explaining techniques applied using all of this software to get an optimal result and to give tips avoiding pitfalls.
  
  The Hardware is legacy hardware not modern hardware with a virtual Windows XP. IOW I don't have access to trouble shoot VM issues.
  
  Many of the program/app downloads I’ll link too have IMO, too bloated or even intrusive setup exe files.
  I will at times reference bypassing the setup execution where I un-pack them.
  
  Here is a link to an un-packer program I use that is to the best of my experience, the last version for XP:
  
  UniExtract (AKA Universal Extractor v 2.0 RC 4) for XP
  Last UniExtract (AKA Universal Extractor v 2.0 RC 4) for XP, Timestamp (See properties tab) 29.01.2023.
  web.archive.org/web/20230603051322/https://update.bioruebe.com/uniextract/files/nightly.zip
  
  If you have not used UniExtract it can make life easier. Just apply it to a setup.exe file, wait a few seconds and then grab what you need bypassing the setup process; kinda like making it ‘’Portable’’.
  However, UniExtract does not always work or you really do need to run the setup exe for the application to work properly (i.e. registry and system file additions).
• TMTGTR

  October 21

  
  Set Up Audition 3 Audio Hardware Drivers​
  
  https://helpx.adobe.com/audition/desktop/kb/set-audition-3-audio-hardware.html
• TMTGTR

  October 21 edited October 22

  
  Adobe Au's Icons are a little bland for me.
  For session files (.ses), wave files (.wav) and peak files (.pk)
  I like the old Cool Edit Icons
  (Ok so .pk file uses standard windows 98 system icon)
  
  Here's a zip with the included icons. I Also included some icons for other audio file types I use; either for the file, the folder or both.
  
  Tools-> Folder options-> File types-> Scroll to extension (e.g. .ses)-> Advanced-> Change Icon.
  
  I like to keep the Icons in C:\Windows.
  

  My Icon ADD ONS for DAW.zip 272.5K
• TMTGTR

  October 22

  Installing Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributables For XP​
  If you do not already have them installed, you're going to need the C++ libraries for XP. They are needed for many DAW plug-ins.
  
  For XP the following is a step by step process to insure you have all final C++ libraries for XP (32+64bit).
  
  1] Create a folder to work in, then go to:
  https://techpowerup.com/download/visual-c-redistributable-runtime-package-all-in-one/
  ->On Left side select ''Show older versions''
  ->Scroll to August 2020 and select download, make sure next page says ''File name: Visual-C-Runtimes-All-in-One-Aug-2020.zip''
  ->Select any server and download to your working folder.
  
  2] Extract all files
  
  3] Start Windows Installer Service (otherwise some files will not install)
  
  4] Run install_all.bat
  After install is complete, I like to re-boot
  
  You're done. Keep this file; if you get any kind of C++ corruption, you'll want to re-install C++ this way. Just run the .bat again. Otherwise you might encounter problems trying it by hand.
  
  Now if you MUST have the FINAL C++ version for XP (vcredist2019_x86.exe v14.28.29213.0 (Last version compatible with Windows XP- Later vcredist2019 versions will install but not function correctly.):
  
  You can update with:
  32bit
  https://download.visualstudio.microsoft.com/download/pr/566435ac-4e1c-434b-b93f-aecc71e8cffc/0D59EC7FDBF05DE813736BF875CEA5C894FFF4769F60E32E87BD48406BBF0A3A/VC_redist.x86.exe
  
  64bit
  https://download.visualstudio.microsoft.com/download/pr/566435ac-4e1c-434b-b93f-aecc71e8cffc/B75590149FA14B37997C35724BC93776F67E08BFF9BD5A69FACBF41B3846D084/VC_redist.x64.exe
  
  I rename VC_redist.x86.exe to vcredist2015-2017-2019_x86.exe and replace the old one in the zip. The .bat file installs it fine.
  ***************
  Question: Wouldn't the techpowerup.com site have the package with the last XP compatible C++ 2019?
  Answer: No, the next package skips over v14.28.29213.0, the Jan 2021 package contains v 14.28.29325.2
  The August 2020 c++ v is14.27.29016.0 Which frankly is ''Good Enough''
  
  FYI Microsoft (with rare exception) does not want anyone having access to their older system files. Finding links is A LOT OF WORK!
  On MS Forums the ''moderators'' will NOT supply links even when asked for specific versions.
  Thankfully their are industrious people whom work to find what is needed.
• TMTGTR

  October 22

  
  WavPack Filter for Au301 and WavPack Command-Line Front-End
  
  Adobe Audition 3.0.1 (Au301) uses the extension .flt for filters.
  Filters allow the import and export of different type audio files (e.g.AC3, WavPack, M4a etc.)
  There are a few filter files available for Au301 and I’ll be listing them in this thread.
  
  The first filter I want to highlight is the WavPack filter by David Bryant.
  Regarding Wavpack in general, I used to use zip and rar for storage/archiving of wav files but using wavpack is a game changer:
  1) Decompression of .wav 32 bit 192kHz is bit perfect to original as are all other traditional formats (16, 24 bit & 44.1, 48, 96 kHz)
  2) Much better compression ratio than zip, rar or 7z, gains you more free storage space.
  3) You can quickly preview the audio (without opening a DAW editor) in many media players without first decompressing to .wav as you must in rar, zip, 7z, etc.
  4) There is an available filter specifically for Au3.01 by David Bryant.
  5) WavPack Command-line and .flt accommodate with special attention the proprietary Au/CoolEdit 32-bit Normalized ((type 3) type .wav file.
  
  And that's just the tip of the iceberg of the many different things WavPack can do (excellent lossy algorithms, plugins for other programs, tagging etc.)
  
  The plugin for Adobe Audition 3.0.1 is the WavPack cool_wv4.flt filter.
  
  There are two variations to this filter:
  
  1-For people using Audition 3.0.1 on modern hardware using multi-thread CPUs:
  Filter for Cool Edit and Audition 1.0 - 3.0
  https://wavpack.com/downloads.html
  
  2-For people using Audition 3.0.1 on legacy hardware using single-thread CPUs:
  David Bryant, author of WavPack compiled this mod in reply to my request, which I attach here:
  Filter for Cool Edit and Audition 1.0 - 3.0 Version 4.4 (Special XP MOD).zip with PDF
  (Thanks again David Bryant!) (+)
  
  WavPack For Archiving Usage:
  I do not use the cool_wv4.flt for archiving because Adobe (and presumably all DAW) rendered files will be saved with the current date time stamp. One would have to manually reset the time stamp.[*]
  
  For Archiving purposes I use WavPack for Windows - XP Command-line programs for Windows XP
  and WavPack front-end Simple GUI application for WavPack on Windows.
  https://wavpack.com/downloads.html
  
  On the front-end GUI I use options: Lossless/High, COPY TIME STAMP, Extra options switches:
  -a -hh -x6 -t -v
  Definitions (Yes I’m redundant on copy timestamp):
  -a = Adobe Audition (CoolEdit) mode for 32-bit floats
  -hh = very high quality (best compression in all modes, but slowest)
  -t = copy input file's time stamp to output file(s)
  -v = verify output file integrity after write
  -x[n] = extra encode processing (optional n = 0-6, 1 = default)
  If speed is not a factor for you, I use 6 to squeeze the very last bit (Pun) of compression.
  From the Author:
  ‘’ WavPack has an option to work ‘‘asymmetrically’‘, so that extra processing can be done during encoding to provide better compression, but with NO corresponding cost to decoding performance!
  
  This is enabled with the -x option and provides an average improvement in CD music compression of about 1% in ‘‘fast’‘ mode, about 0.5% in the normal mode, and still less in the higher modes. Because the standard compression parameters are optimized for ‘‘normal’‘ CD music audio, this option works best with ‘‘non-standard’‘ audio (synthesized sounds, non-standard sampling rates, etc.) where it can often achieve enormous gains. The default level (n=1) provides a decent improvement with little cost in encoding speed and is recommended for all but the most time critical encoding. Higher levels provide some marginal improvement with an increasing cost of encoding speed. The highest levels (n = 4-6) are extremely slow but can provide significant improvement in special situations (i.e. synthesized sounds).’’
  
  The command-line options are very straightforward and the GUI makes it a breeze. Read wavpack_doc.html for switch options/details. (Not hard for command-line newbies like me!) And important, read-> front-end readme.txt.
  
  That said, I'm using the WavPack cool_wv4.flt filter in adobe Audition 3.0.1 to preview and decompress within the DAW before new edits or to put a .wv file in a multitrack to compare with a newer edit in .wav (Au301 will play both without need to first decompress the .wv file.
  
  Note: A .wav file compressed to .wv with Command-line or GUI Front-end and a .wav file compressed to .wv within Au301 when bit compared will have differences:
  Quoting David Bryant:
  ‘’ Even with identical parameters there are other reasons that the compressed files can be different.
  The header information is the most common reason. ‘’
  When uncompressed to .wav the files are bit identical to each other (And the original).
  *********
  A handy little utility for wavpack users is this ‘‘CheckWavpackFiles’‘ v2.0 program. It is rather old (WavPack Code 4.5) but will give a response if a .wv file is corrupted.
  https://wavpack.gl.tter.org/CheckWavpackFiles/
  
  A handy little utility for wavpack users is this ‘‘CheckWavpackFiles’‘ v2.0 program. It is rather old (WavPack Code 4.5) but will give a response if a .wv file is corrupted.
  https://wavpack.gl.tter.org/CheckWavpackFiles/
  
  I've posted here my own registry/shortcut ‘’Hack’’ to Enable/Disable the right click context menu.
  CheckWavpackFiles Context Menu Hack.zip
  
  The front-end GUI has a decompress-> ‘’Verify only’’ option which is as good, if not better.
  
  Emails for CheckWavpackFiles got ‘‘Undelivered Mail Returned to Sender’‘
  Abandonware? Wish I could Code... No source offered even if I could.
  *********
  Wavpack on Windows 98/Me:
  
  Last version to work on the 9x platform is Release 4.60.1 - November 29, 2009
  web.archive.org/web/20100124115020/http://wavpack.com/downloads.html
  
  CoolEdit filter plugin:
  Attached here:
  Filter for Cool Edit and Audition 1.0 - 3.0 Version 4.4 (Special XP MOD).zip with PDF
  
  Front-end GUI works in 98/Me but you might need to install Visual Basic 6 Runtime
  web.archive.org/web/20060526123650/http://download.microsoft.com/download/vb60pro/Redist/sp5/WIN98Me/EN-US/vbrun60sp5.exe
  
  ‘’CheckWavpackFiles’’ program v1.1 for Windows 98/Me
  https://wavpack.gl.tter.org/CheckWavpackFiles/
  *********
  
  (+) More detail regarding Filter for Cool Edit and Audition 1.0 - 3.0 Version 4.4 (Special XP MOD). here:
  https://hydrogenaudio.org/index.php/topic,129179.0.html
  
  [*] If needing to reset time stamps I use a very convenient and tiny program:
  JoneSoft Time Stamp Modifier Version 1.1.1.7
  web.archive.org/web/20010603005045/http://members.ozemail.com.au/~jaesenj/software/software.html
  To the best of my knowledge this is the final version.
  Cool thing is it has an easy switch to add or remove from right click context menu anytime.
  

  Filter for Cool Edit and Audition 1.0 - 3.0 Version 4.4 (Special XP MOD).zip 214.2K

  CheckWavpackFiles Context Menu Hack.zip 1.9K
• TMTGTR

  October 23

  
  AC3 Filter for Adobe Audition 3.0.1 by Alexander Vigovsky
  ac3filter.flt by Alexander Vigovsky
  "AC3Filter Audition plugin allows CoolEdit /Adobe Audition to read AC3 and DTS files and write AC3 files"
  Audition plugin 0.2a
  Released: 2009-08-11 Uses AC3Filter 1.62b code
  
  Details:
  http://web.archive.org/web/20120406072634/http://ac3filter.net/wiki/Audition_plugin
  
  Download:
  http://web.archive.org/web/20120405154542/http://ac3filter.net/wiki/Download_Audition_plugin
  
  
  I’d also recommend using Alexander Vigovsky’s AC3 Filter plugin for media players:
  http://web.archive.org/web/20120419005816/http://ac3filter.net/wiki/AC3Filter:Main_page
  
  Download:
  http://web.archive.org/web/20120605032523/http://ac3filter.net/wiki/Download_AC3Filter
  What's the difference between AC3Filter editions?
  AC3Filter Full Recommended for everybody. Can be installed on both x86 and x64 platforms.
  AC3Filter Lite Say NO to fat software! Only the codec itself. Install this version if you do not need translations, 64bit version and ACM codec (used rarely, in programs like VirtualDub).
  
  NOTE: The OpenCandy module shows at maximum one ad and only during the installation. AC3Filter application itself does not contain OpenCandy and does not show any ads. Don't worry about Open Candy on install. just don't accept it.
• TMTGTR

  October 25 edited October 25

  
  APE Filter for Adobe Audition 3.0.1
  
  A filter that you can add to the Adobe 3.0 program directory for Monkey's Audio (.ape extension).
  
  I don’t use Monkey Audio compression, as I am very content with WavPack.
  One problem with Monkey’s is it will truncate (or dither?) 32-bit float to 24-bit when compressing.
  When comparing 24-bit/96 kHz compression, WavPack is slightly better in size.
  Since I save my working files in 32-bit float and only render to 24-bit for final DVD-A, this does not work for me.
  However if I get an .ape file, I can easily open it in Au301.
  
  The APE filter is constantly being updated.
  To get it:
  Download latest package here:
  https://monkeysaudio.com/download.html
  Extract APE.flt using 7-Zip (Recommended) from MAC_1xxx.exe
  and place in Au301 program folder.
• TMTGTR

  October 25 edited October 26

  
  AAC Filters In Adobe 3.0.1
  
  AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) audio can be contained within many file extensions, most popular are:
  .aac
  .mp4
  .m4a
  .m4b
  There are two filters (.flt) available for Au301 to save .wav files to AAC that I am aware of.
  
  1- cool_faac-1.28 Filter from rarewares.org
  This CoolEdit Pro/Adobe Audition plugin does encoding and decoding of AAC/MP4 streams, using FAAC 1.28 and FAAD2 2.7. Unzip the file to CoolEdit/Audition's folder.
  https://www.rarewares.org/aac-encoders.php#audition-aac
  web.archive.org/web/20260818125524/https://rarewares.org/files/aac/cool_faac-1.28-2.7.zip
  
  2- Ahead neromp4.flt
  This CoolEdit Pro/Adobe Audition plugin does encoding. This filter is notorious because it will not work without Nero burning software installed on the same machine. The encoding process is called on DLL files in the Nero Program. the extension will be .mp4 but you can change it to .m4a, .aac etc.
  This can be remedied by installing a few files and writing to the registry.
  You’ll need Nero installed to get this filter to even open.
  Or
  You can just install the necessary files and reg entries:
  
  1) Create Ahead Folder here:
  C:\Program Files\Common Files\Ahead
  
  2) Create these two sub directories:
  C:\Program Files\Common Files\Ahead\AudioPlugins
  C:\Program Files\Common Files\Ahead\Lib
  
  3) In C:\Program Files\Common Files\Ahead\AudioPlugins Place:
  Aac.dll
  aacenc32.dll
  
  4) In C:\Program Files\Common Files\Ahead\Lib Place:
  AdvrCntr.dll
  apreg.dll
  DriveLocker.dll
  NeroCBUI.dll
  NeroIPP.dll
  
  5) In registry create Key:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Ahead\Shared
  Create WORDs:
  "NeroDriverComponent"=dword:000003e8
  "NeroCheckComponent"=dword:000003e8
  "CoverDesignerComponent"=dword:000003e8
  "ResourceCounter"=dword:00000000
  Create String Values:
  "AudioPlugIn"="C:\\Program Files\\Common Files\\Ahead\\AudioPlugins"
  "DriveLocker"="C:\\Program Files\\Common Files\\Ahead\\Lib\\DriveLocker.dll"
  "Lib"="C:\\Program Files\\Common Files\\Ahead\\Lib"
  
  6) Place neromp4.flt in Adobe Audition 3.0 program Folder.
  
  Note: The Nero filter only encodes. The FAAC filter will encode and decode and will be called when you open an AAC file with Au301. The Nero encoder might be a preferable encoder vs. FAAC. There are grayed out sections in the Nero filter (Fit to size and Calculate) which I can’t get to work on a machine with Nero installed.
  Free online AAC bitrate calculators are all over the Internet.
  I attach the old Telos Systems bitrate calculator and more concise instructions.
  
  If your Au30I preference is to open all .wav files in 32-bit float, you should change this when opening your 16-48/16-44.1 file before encoding.
  
  That said, I’ll be following this post with a concise AAC/M4a post using QAAC which is my preferred AAC encoder; using Fraunhofer ibfdk-aac in ffmpeg and the command-line Nero encoder with GUI.
  

  Au301_Filter_01.zip 920.8K

  Au301_Filter_02.zip 463.1K

  Au301_Filter_03.zip 813.4K
• SomeGuy

  October 25

  Big Adobe Audition fan?
  
  This is an oddly large lot of stuff. If anyone sees any issues with it, please let me know.
• TMTGTR

  October 26 edited October 26

  I'm re-creating what I had on XPforums. It got 12k views in 6 1/2 months (TalkOrBell can confirm). No complaints from Admins but they seemed absent. Anyhow Just do what you got to. All future attachments definitely freeware or 100% abandon ware. (I think the pictures at each beginning appeal to certain people's predilections)/
• SomeGuy

  October 26

  Ok, cool. Thanks for the explanation. By all means, feel free to discuss shareware, freeware, or any software that is relevant.
  
  A lot of forums have come and gone over the years, and a lot of valuable information disappears, so by all means try and keep it out there.
• TMTGTR

  October 26 edited October 26

  Thanks, I like the stability of this forum and what it stands for. I really would like to contribute. Audio is my thing, and pursuing it on w98 and XP I did a lot of O/S modding which led me to learning other XP O/S modding and then I was working for people. But that was a long time ago. Now I just do music/audio engineering. (And maintain my 7 XP and 2 Me machines).
  
  I started with CoolEdit and when they sold to Adobe many people were saddened. I stayed with CoolEdit but when Adobe Audition 3.0.1 came out for free... Oh well. Still use CoolEdit at times.
  
  That previous post I made is unique. Back in the day people were pissed because of the ''Bait and Switch'' implications of releasing that ''Free'' filter only to have it not work w/o a commercial investment. I thought it unjust. I have nothing else along those lines.
  
  Ironically I don't use it and know of no one who does since it's deprecated, Nero released a better commnd-line freeware and Fraunhofer is better while Apple is best IMHO (and everyone else). That's the next post.
• TMTGTR

  October 27 edited October 28

  
  AAC ENCODING FOR XP (And Others)
  
  This next post diverges a bit off the main topic of Au301 directly, but I believe it essential for audio engineers to have the best AAC/m4a Encode/Decode option available. Thankfully it’s available for XP!
  
  I'm going to discuss using AAC For Windows XP but the links are applicable to any Windows system.
  
  Nerd Stuff (Apologies to the original author(s) of the following; I can’t find where I got this.):
  
  What is the difference between *.MP4 and *.M4A?
  ’’Besides the extension, absolutely nothing, Apple came up with extension to distinguish between files with Video and Audio (the MP4 extension) and files with Audio only (the M4A extension). As far as the internal structure of the file, nothing is different.’’ This is also true for .AAC files.
  
  Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) is the successor format to MP3, and is defined in MPEG-4 part 3 (ISO/IEC 14496-3). It is often used within an MP4 container format; for music the .m4a extension is customarily used. (Ahhh… but MP3 has it’s own… ‘’Sound’’)
  
  Definitions
  AAC LC: Low Complexity (The basic profile of AAC)
  AAC-HE: High-Efficiency AAC Version 1
  AAC-HEv2: High-Efficiency AAC Version 2
  ALAC: Apple Lossless Audio Codec
  LPCM: Lossy PCM
  
  As with MP3, the codec has mostly remained unchanged for a long time.
  Quote from: nu774 (Author of QAAC) on 2024-12-22 04:03:38
  “The AAC codec is supposed to have changed a couple of times in the sense that they produce non-identical bitstreams, but I doubt that there was any meaningful quality improvement since 2012.”
  
  I did a "Shootout" Between 5 AAC./m4a encoders Using media Player Classic as my Decoder:
  
  ENCODERS (†):
  1-QAAC AAC v2.82 CoreAudioToolbox v 7.10.9.0
  2-FHG FDK AAC v2.03
  3-FHG AAC 2015, with libsndfile v1.2.2, Winamp 5.666 Build 3516 files
  4-NERO AAC v1.54
  5-FAAC v1.40
  
  The .wav files I used were 16bit-48kHz, 37 seconds long. Guitar Bass Drums Keyboards and Vocals. I used VBR (Variable Bit Rate) as opposed to CBR (Constant Bit Rate), I only used FAAC v1.28 but it is up to v 1.40 and is still in development.
  
  After doing A/B comparisons of the files I concluded IMHO that the Apple AAC (.m4a) codec using QAAC, is the best sounding. (Check other listening shootouts on the web. Many others have drawn the same conclusion).
  
  I’ll discuss the easiest and lightest install of QAAC that I know of. And show the command-lines I use. QAAC is A command-line program but fairly easy IMO.
  I’ll also discuss Fraunhofer AAC which I sometimes use for a specific purpose, and Nero AAC.
  
  Keep in mind there is no GUI Front End (That I know of) at this time with the exception of Foobar 2000. If command-line operations are not your thing, Foobar2000 is a GUI for QAAC (Though I have not tried it.) You will also need the foobar2000 Free Encoder Pack.
  However even with Foobar2000 and (QAAC in the foobar2000 Free Encoder Pack), you'll be instructed to install apple i-Tunes or at the very least AppleApplicationSupport. Both are rather big installs for needing only 10 files. If you do choose to go with foobar2000/Free Encoder Pack you'll still want to download {2} below (XP Users: Foobar2000 website: "Final for Windows XP & no-SSE CPU: v1.5.12")
  
  QAAC by nu774
  1} Get QAAC From Here:
  https://github.com/nu774/qaac/releases
  (Note: qaac_2.84_LAST XP)
  
  2} Get the needed Apple Application Support files here:
  https://github.com/AnimMouse/QTFiles/releases
  12.x.x.x QTfiles.7z
  (Note: v12.9.2.6 is last to support XP)
  
  3} Create a directory (e.g. E:\Audio_Tools\QAAC)
  Extract qaac_2.xx zip files directly into Folder
  qaac_2.85\x86\qaac.exe
  qaac_2.85\x86\refalac.exe
  qaac_2.85\x86\libsoxr.dll
  qaac_2.85\x86\libsoxconvolver.dll
  (Libsox is a sample rate converter held in high regard that can be used inside QAAC. I’ll be presenting an in-depth post about sample rate conversion (SRC) and Dither using two different programs, which I prefer, and have “Tweaked”, after this post.)
  
  4} Extract QTfiles.7z files directly into same Folder
  objc.dll
  msvcr100.dll
  msvcp100.dll
  libicuuc.dll
  libicuin.dll
  libdispatch.dll
  icudt55.dll
  CoreFoundation.dll
  CoreAudioToolbox.dll (this is CoreAudioToolbox v7.10.9.0!)
  ASL.dll
  
  5} Create a command-line shortcut:
  ->C:\Windows\Systm32\cmd.exe -> Right click, create shortcut
  -> Cut/Paste shortcut in (e.g. E:\Audio_Tools\QAAC)
  I customize this shortcut: (Right click -> properties)
  Target: %SystemRoot%\system32\cmd.exe /k
  (/k takes away (c) Microsoft etc.
  Start in: "E:\Audio_Tools\qaac" (Your path may be different)
  Colors Tab/Screen text, Yellow
  I then create a blank text file to write my commands in. Then it’s just a copy/paste execution.
  
  Keeping in mind that I am using command-line, here are my default settings for (My opinion) the best quality AAC/m4a I can make in my studio:
  
  When the QAAC prompt comes up it should look something like this:
  E: \Audio_Tools\QAAC> or C:\Program Files\Audio_Tools\QAAC> etc.
  
  I paste:
  qaac --tvbr 127 -i "Song.wav" -o "Song_TVBR127_.m4a"
  
  So my prompt looks like this:
  E: \Audio_Tools\QAAC> qaac --tvbr 127 -i "Song.wav" -o "Song_TVBR127.m4a"
  
  Definitions:
  --tvbr = AAC True VBR mode
  127 = Quality (Can be set 0-127)
  -i = Assume WAV input and ignore the data chunk length.
  -o = Specify output filename
  
  So that is what I generally use for best quality. There are many other options as well. But I do all editing on the wave before encoding and do not use options like gain adjustment, limiter or lowpass in QAAC.
  Regarding CoreAudioToolbox.dll, lowpass Cutoff (The cutoff frequency above which high frequency content rolls off, in hertz) the default value is 15000 Hz
  https://developer.apple.com/documentation/avfaudio/avaudiounitdelay/lowpasscutoff
  
  nu774 (QAAC Author) on Sep 26, 2020:
  “—lowpass (QAAC option) has nothing to do with the Apple encoder's bandwidth.
  If you want to know encoder's bandwidth, just try encoding and inspect the output yourself. There's no way to control the bandwidth of Apple's encoder.
  --lowpass(QAAC option) will just filter signal before passing it to the encoder. So, it is an additional layer provided by qaac, and you can just make bandwidth narrower than the encoder's default.”
  https://github.com/nu774/qaac/issues/70
  
  Unfortunately, I cannot find a lowpass option in the Apple encoder itself. That said I still prefer QAAC/Apple AAC. If you MUST have that lowpass option on the encoder, Fraunhofer libfdk-aac can extend the cutoff to 20k. I’ll discuss this further down.
  
  To iterate, I do not use SRC (Sample Rate Conversion) or Dither in QAAC (Sox). If you encode anything besides 16bit/44.1kHz or 16bit/48kHz, Sox will take over and apply SRC and/or Dither as needed. Though Sox is very good, I recommend a different application(s) in the next post.
  
  This (QAAC) is the program that made me dive into command-line; being that it did not have too many command-line options, and much of it was audio related, I took the plunge.
  
  A good start is to read the “manual”
  https://github.com/nu774/qaac/wiki
  https://github-wiki-see.page/m/nu774/qaac/wiki_index
  
  Command-line Options
  https://github.com/nu774/qaac/wiki/Command-Line-Options
  
  Last But Not Least There Must Be A Mention About An Issue With The Apple Library CoreAudioToolbox.dll
  
  To quote the author nu774:
  “It turned out that CoreAudioToolbox 7.9.8.x or greater (up to 7.10.9.0, the latest version at the moment) can produce glitches on the encoded result.
  The issue is only found on AAC CBR mode.
  CoreAudioToolbox 7.9.7.x is OK, but you need very old iTunes installer for that version (it's released on 2012).”
  https://github.com/nu774/qaac?tab=readme-ov-file#readme (Scroll Down)
  
  The details are found here:
  https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php/topic,85135.msg1056191.html#msg1056191
  
  I keep a separate CoreAudioToolbox.dll v7.9.7.9 handy in case I want to use a CBR option in QAAC. Just swap CoreAudioToolbox v7.10.9.0 with CoreAudioToolbox v7.9.7.9
  Last CoreAudioToolbox v7.9.x version is 7.9.7.9
  
  To get your own copy of v7.9.7.9:
  
  1} Download (Clean) iTunes 10.6.3.exe from archive (dot) Org https://archive.org/download/Complete_iTunes_Archive/iTunes for Windows/32 Bit/iTunes 10/iTunes 10.6.3.exe
  
  2) Using 7-Zip (Recommended) or WinRAR, open iTunes 10.6.3.exe and extract AppleApplicationSupport.msi
  
  3) Using 7-Zip or WinRAR, open AppleApplicationSupport.msi and extract CoreAudioToolbox.dll
  
  CBR Bitrates (According to the AAC Spec)
  8–529 kbit/s (stereo, 44.1 kHz)
  8–576 kbit/s (stereo, 48 kHz)
  -> QAAC maximum kbit/s is 320
  
  For CBR I could do this (After swapping CoreAudioToolbox v7.10.9.0 with v7.9.7.9!):
  qaac --cbr 320 -q 2 -i "TEST.wav" -o "Song_CBR320_.m4a"
  
  Definitions:
  --cbr 320 = Constant bitrate of 320
  -q 2 Quality level 2 (Highest)
  -i = Assume WAV input and ignore the data chunk length.
  -o = Specify output filename
  
  I’d also recommend using the QAAC decoder for studio listening [--play] (Not needed if you have an Apple I-Tunes or Quicktime installed)
  I attach a text file with recommendations for installing with Foobar 2000 which I have not tested. ‘’To Lite Install QAAC in Foobar2000.txt’’
  ************************************************
  Fraunhoffer fdk AAC
  As stated QAAC is my preferred encoder for AAC.
  After doing your own listening tests you might prefer libfdk-aac to QAAC (Many do).
  I use Fraunhofer libfdk in rare instances for a specific purpose: libfdk-aac maximum Constatant or Variable kbit/s is 576, High Pass max 20 kHz (Recommended if AAC file must be converted back to .wav)
  
  To get Fraunhofer libfdk-aac Running on XP (You must use it inside ffmpeg for v2.03):
  (A command-line v 2.02 is at bottom of this section)
  
  1) Download ffmpeg-6.2-609-238f9de-win32 For XP (MOD) I use the Static build. (Otherwise use the current build for you O/S).
  http://web.archive.org/web/20250121092625/https://rwijnsma.home.xs4all.nl/files/ffmpeg/ffmpeg-6.2-609-238f9de-win32-static-xpmod-sse.7z
  If you want the Shared or dev packages or to browse the collection:
  http://web.archive.org/web/20250121092625/https://rwijnsma.home.xs4all.nl/files/ffmpeg/?C=M;O=D
  Or
  https://reino.synology.me/ffmpeg/ffmpeg-6.2-609-238f9de-win32-static-xpmod-sse.7z
  https://reino.synology.me/
  
  Don’t get the next XP (MOD) versions 7.1 since they are incompatible with the following Fraunhofer libfdk-aac XP (MOD)
  (Note: The developer has stopped updating ffmpeg for XP)
  
  2) Download libfdk-aac-2.0.3 for XP (MOD) (Otherwise use the current libfdk-aac build for you O/S)
  http://web.archive.org/web/20250108182201/https://rwijnsma.home.xs4all.nl/files/ffmpeg/libfdk-aac/libfdk-aac-2.0.3-win32-xpmod-sse.7z
  Or
  https://reino.synology.me/ffmpeg/libfdk-aac/libfdk-aac-2.0.3-win32-xpmod-sse.7z
  (Note: The developer has stopped updating libfdk-aac for XP)
  
  The above libfdk DLL is labeled ‘’libfdk-aac-2.dll’’ this is correct and the command switch ‘’ c:a libfdk_aac’’ works.
  
  Using command-line inside ffmpeg.
  Notable switches to use:
  Apologies to the original author(s) of the following; I can’t find where I got this.
  
  -afterburner
  ’’Afterburner is ‘a type of analysis by synthesis algorithm which increases the audio quality but also the required processing power.’ Fraunhofer recommends to always activate this feature.’’
  Enable Afterburner. 0=Disabled, 1=Enabled” (recommended).
  
  –cutoff
  I (TMTGTR) have tested –cutoff, allowable cutoffs are between 173Hz and 20000Hz. Otherwise there’s an error message.
  
  CBR
  CBR Bitrates (According to the AAC Spec)
  8–529 kbit/s (stereo, 44.1 kHz)
  8–576 kbit/s (stereo, 48 kHz)
  
  So a typical command I could use for a CBR 192kbps is:
  ffmpeg -hide_banner -i audio.wav -c:a libfdk_aac -vbr 0 -cutoff 18000 -afterburner 1 -b:a 192k audio.m4a
  Some bitrates encode exactly; while other bitrates (on 96 I get 101, on 128, I get 132) are decided by the program…
  I think.
  When knowing the file must be re-encoded to .wav:
  I’ll with a 16bit-48kHz .wav
  ffmpeg -hide_banner -i audio.wav -c:a libfdk_aac -vbr 0 -cutoff 20000 -afterburner 1 -b:a 576k audio.m4a
  I now have the ‘’Fattest’’ AAC I can make.
  
  VBR
  Target a quality, rather than a specific bit rate. 1 is lowest quality and 5 is highest quality.
  -vbr 0 - Setting VBR (variable bitrate) to 0 means libfdk_aac sets the maximum available CBR
  
  (Available VBR Modes) Stereo
  1 VBR 20 kbps LC, HE, HEv2
  2 VBR 32 kbps LC, HE, HEv2
  3 VBR 48 kbps LC, HE, HEv2
  4 VBR 64 kbps LC
  5 VBR 96 kbps LC
  
  E.g.
  ffmpeg -hide_banner -i audio.wav -c:a libfdk_aac -vbr 3 -cutoff 18000 -afterburner 1 audio.m4a
  ffmpeg -hide_banner -i audio.wav -c:a libfdk_aac -vbr 5 -cutoff 20000 -afterburner 1 audio.m4a
  
  Streaming and AAC Player Compatibility
  *By default when encoding AAC files using libfdk_aac the metadata ('moov' atom) is written after the audio stream ('mdat' atom) at the end of the file. In order to enable streaming of the encoded file the 'moov' atom has to be moved before the 'mdat' atom. In addition some AAC player implementations have issues decoding such files.
  
  *FFmpeg offers the option '-movflags +faststart' covering that functionality which can be used during encoding:
  ffmpeg -i input.wav -c:a libfdk_aac -movflags +faststart output.m4a
  
  Existing m4a files can be modified with the "qt-faststart' program which is distributed with FFmpeg in the 'tools' directory.
  
  There is an XP friendly command-line version of fdk aac v2.02
  fdkaac-v1.0.5
  2022-02-16
  fdkaac-1.0.5 built against fdk-aac 2.0.2. VC-2015 compiles, Win32 version is 'XP' friendly.
  https://www.rarewares.org/aac-encoders.php
  
  I don’t use it but presumably all the above switches should work
  ************************************************
  FhG AAC
  From Hydrogenaudio:
  “The licensed Fraunhofer AAC codec included in Winamp (often called FhG AAC) is not the same as the FDK AAC codec. While they use the same approach, they are developed by different teams, and target different platforms. The FDK library is built around fixed-point math and originally targeted low-delay communication on mobile devices.”
  
  A note on Fraunhofer AAC codec: As far as I can tell, the two switches: -cutoff & -afterburner cannot be applied.
  
  To get Fraunhofer AAC:
  Create a directory (e.g. C:\Program Files\Audio_Tools\FhG AAC)
  
  1) Download foobar2000 Free Encoder Pack
  https://www.foobar2000.org/encoderpack
  Using 7-zip or winrar right click exe and extract fhgaacenc.exe into directory
  
  2) Get a copy of sndfile.dll v 1.2.2.0
  https://github.com/libsndfile/libsndfile/releases#release-1.2.2
  This is the updated 2023 file, Winamp ships with the older 2013 file libsndfile.dll
  Extract sndfile.dll into directory
  
  3) Get a copy of Winamp 5.666 Build 3516, (5.6.6.3516) - Dec 12 2013
  http://www.winamparchive.org/
  Using 7-zip or winrar right click exe and extract
  enc_fhgaac.dll (Plugins folder)
  nsutil.dll
  libmp4v2.dll
  Into directory
  
  At command-line you could try (e.g.):
  fhgaacenc.exe --cbr 576 --lc xyz.wav xyz.m4a
  
  Command Line Options
  
  fhgaacenc.exe [options] infile.wav [outfile]
  
  --cbr : encode in CBR mode, bitrate=8..576
  --vbr : encode in VBR mode, preset=1..6 [default]
  --profile : choose AAC profile (only for CBR mode)
  --auto : automatically choose the optimum profile according to the bitrate [default]
  --lc : force use LC-AAC profile
  --he : force use HE-AAC (AAC+SBR) profile
  --hev2 : force use HE-AAC v2 (AAC+SBR+PS) profile
  --adts : use ADTS container instead of MPEG-4
  --ignorelength : ignore the size of data chunk when encoding from pipe
  --quiet : don't print the progress
  NOTE! fhgaacenc.exe Automatically overwrites without prompt!
  ************************************************
  Nero AAC
  This is command-line and probably better than the CoolEdit/Au301 filter from a previous post.
  To get it:
  https://archive.org/details/nero-aaccodec-1.5.4
  
  Front-end GUI Here:
  https://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Audio/Audio-Editors-Recorders/Simple-NeroAACEnc-GUI.shtml
  ************************************************
  FAAC
  This is command-line and probably better than the CoolEdit/Au301 FAAC 1.28 filter from a previous post.
  To get it (For XP):
  FAAC v1.40 Binary for Win32 by John33
  2026-03-22
  FAAC is a command line AAC/MP4 audio encoder for Win32. This is the latest version and should be 'XP' friendly.
  https://www.rarewares.org/aac-encoders.php#faac-win
  
  This encoder also will allow a low pass filter up to 1/2 the sample rate (i.e. 44.1 = 22050 Hz 48 = 24000 Hz)
  
  So To get the best quality I’d try on a 16bit –48 kHz wav):
  faac -q 5000 -c 24000 audio.wav -o audio.m4a
  
  Definitions
  -q Constant quality, 1..5000, default 100 (VBR).
  -c Cut the audio off above Hz.
  -o output file. Here you can select the extension .aac is default.
  
  -b bitrate up to 500 (you are supposed to use either -q, or -b, but not both) a –q of 5000 can exceed 500 kbits/s.
  
  FAAC is up to v2.2 and in current development (Have to wait for John33 to update his FAAC builds for XP)
  From the developer:
  ‘’To clarify, competing with Apple AAC or FDK-AAC on pure archival transparency isn't the goal of FAAC 2.0’’
  https://hydrogenaudio.org/index.php/topic,129764.msg1084856.html#msg1084856
  However, v2.2 claims to encode up to 96 kHz which I can’t try.
  
  More info:
  https://freewareadvancedaudio.github.io/
  https://freewareadvancedaudio.github.io/docs/faac-cli
  ************************************************
  FFMPEG AAC
  This is command-line, I have never used it. All research shows it scores last in listening shootouts.
  For XP (MOD):
  http://web.archive.org/web/20250121092625/https://rwijnsma.home.xs4all.nl/files/ffmpeg/ffmpeg-7.1-2362-6aafe61-win32-static-xpmod-sse.7z
  http://web.archive.org/web/20250121092625/https://rwijnsma.home.xs4all.nl/files/ffmpeg/?C=M;O=D
  Or
  https://reino.synology.me/ffmpeg/ffmpeg-7.1-2362-6aafe61-win32-static-xpmod-sse.7z
  https://reino.synology.me/
  (Note: The developer has stopped updating ffmpeg for XP)
  ************************************************
  For Tagging, I use Tagscan 6.1.7 (Last XP version).
  https://www.videohelp.com/software/TagScanner
  https://www.videohelp.com/download/tagscan-6.1.17.zip
  
  I have also used kid3-3.8.7 (Last XP) for tagging.
  https://www.videohelp.com/software/Kid3
  https://sourceforge.net/projects/kid3/files/kid3/3.8.7/kid3-3.8.7-win32.zip/download
  
  

  To Lite Install QAAC in Foobar2000.zip 1018B
• TMTGTR

  October 29

  
  Sample Rate Conversion (SRC) And A Particular Application Method (WinXP Friendly)
  I have conducted many SRC tests over the past 15+ years; both freeware versions and many commercial versions including but not limited to:
  
  FinalCD (SRC)
  smarc (SRC)
  R8brain by Voxengo Labs (SRC)
  Erik de Castro Lopo's "Secret Rabbit Code" (SRC)
  SoX (SRC)
  Cool Edit/Adobe Au (SRC)
  Steinberg Labs (SRC)
  
  After years of using some of these different programs, I've settled on a combination that I believe is the best for me.
  
  I usually record in 24bit/96kHz for final publishing or 24bit/48kHz for demos, references etc.
  I will upsample to 32bit/192kHz for mastering and of course downsample to 44.1kHz, 48kHz, and 96kHz rates using a method I’ll explain further.
  
  For Sample Rate Conversion from 192 kHz or 96, kHz to 48kHz/44.1kHz, I use Sonic Illusions FinalCD v0.29 by Tom Browne but I "tweak" it in a unique way by first passing the intended wav through a VST ultrasonic filter in Adobe Au.
  (My previous SRC was smarc with command-line switches. (†) Before smarc I used R8brain free.
  
  FinalCD
  http://www.sonicillusions2.co.uk/finalcd.htm
  http://sonicillusions2.co.uk/
  This is simple command line. In fact the simplest command line program I have ever seen in audio.
  I'll show you what I use in this post.
  There is a GUI on the downloads page which requires .NET Framework 3.5
  There is a modern GUI for amd64 systems https://github.com/jbrander/batch-finalcd
  
  Download FinalCD and unpack to it's own directory e.g. C:\Program Files\Audio_Tools\FinalCD
  Create a command line shortcut:
  ->C:\Windows\Systm32\cmd.exe -> Right click, create shortcut
  -> Cut/Paste shortcut in (e.g. C:\Program Files\Audio_Tools\FinalCD)
  I customize this shortcut: (Right click -> properties)
  · Target: %SystemRoot%\system32\cmd.exe /k
  (/k takes away (c) Microsoft etc.
  · Start in: "C:\Program Files\Audio_Tools\FinalCD" (Your path may be different)
  · Colors Tab/Screen text, Yellow
  Here's where I change the cmd line shortcut Icon, See above post to get a FinalCD.ico. I customize the folder Icon with it too.
  I then create a blank text file to write my commands in. Then it’s just a copy/paste execution.
  
  The FinalCD "tweak" requires first applying an Airwindows VST ultrasonic filter named "Ultrasonic".
  https://www.airwindows.com/
  ->Download the full plugin collection zip to get latest Airwindows plugins.
  Not to be confused with "Ultrasonic Lite (and Medium)", "UltrasonX", "Hypersonic" or "HypersonX" Which have been tested for this application. (Remember
  The Plugin has no parameter controls. Just apply.
  
  Here's the process I use to convert a .wav file sample rate from 32bit/96kHz to 16bit/48kHz:
  
  1) In Adobe Au open a 32bit/96kHz or (24bit/96kHz) .wav e.g. "Song_32-96.wav" (Au 301 32 bit DAW will automatically convert a 24bit integer file to 32bit float with the option to save as 32 bit or 24 bit).
  
  Song_32-96.wav process with Airwindows Ultrasonic VST
  Save as 32bit float Songu_32-96.wav
  
  2) SRC FinalCD Command line
  FinalCD.exe /32 /f0 /d0 /o48000 Songu_32-96.wav Songu_32-48.wav
  
  Definitions
  /32 keep file as 32 bit (/32 output 32-bit wordlength)
  /f0 Brickwall “Sharp” Filter
  /d0 No Dither (Important)
  /o48000 Convert to 48kHz
  
  For 44.1kHz
  SRC FinalCD Command line
  FinalCD.exe /32 /f0 /d0 Songu_32-96.wav Songu_32-44.wav
  
  Definitions
  /32 keep file as 32 bit (/32 output 32-bit wordlength)
  /f0 Brickwall “Sharp” Filter
  /d0 No Dither (Important)
  The /o switch is not needed since FinalCD defaults to 44.1kHz
  
  3) Open Songu_32-XX.wav in Au301
  
  FinalCD renders all files as 4-byte PCM 32bit!
  On a 192kHz .wav, 4-byte PCM 32bit could BSOD your windows when you hit play; it does on mine!
  (Save -> Options)
  
  After down sampling most times the next step is dithering. I’ll discuss dithering in the next post.
  
  I Attach a PDF of the tests I conducted to come to the above Filter-> SRC method:
  FinalCD SRC With & Without Ultrasonic Filtering-Log.zip
  *****************************
  SRC Research Resources
  I got my start with a paper published by BIAS inc. software: ‘’ peakResamplingWhitePaper.pdf’’
  And back then BIAS had the test tones for download.
  I attach all of those files:
  logsweep44.wav.zip
  logsweep48.wav.zip
  logsweep96.wav.zip
  peakResamplingWhitePaper.zip
  
  If you want to get into SRC comparison yourself as a newbie:
  I recreated the tests described in the paper, which was surprisingly simple since it was all new to me.
  I used the program RMAA 5.5 by Alexey Lukin
  http://audio.rightmark.org/download.shtml
  
  One invaluable resource in understanding and comparing SRC programs and often referred to is the infinitewave website. Unfortunately the owner has some political issues and the site can not be directly accessed. It can be seen/used here:
  http://web.archive.org/web/20261017003844/https://src.infinitewave.ca/
  The archive page is a little buggy and the latest data on some SRCs does not show up.
  It’s advised to read this page first to understand the graphs:
  http://web.archive.org/web/20260804101954/https://src.infinitewave.ca/help.html
  Unfortunately the SRC version I’ll be discussing (FinalCD v0.29) is corrupted on the above page but v0.16 (Sharp) is the same algorithm in v 0.29 for .wav pcm conversion.
  For more advanced SRC comparison:
  On the FAQ page there is a link to get the test files used by infinitewave:
  http://web.archive.org/web/20250328090720/https://src.infinitewave.ca/faq.html
  http://web.archive.org/web/20250328090720/http://src.infinitewave.ca/TestSignals.zip
  I presume they use RMAA v 6.4.5
  http://audio.rightmark.org/download.shtml
  *****************************
  (†) smarc command-line switches:
  96 kHz -> 48 kHz:
  smarc.exe -r 48000 -b 0.98 --rp=0.004 --rs=147 song.wav song48.wav --verbose
  
  96 kHz -> 44.1 kHz (Also 48 kHz -> 44.1 kHz) :
  smarc.exe -r 44100 -b 0.98 --rp=0.01 --rs=143 song.wav song44.wav --verbose

  FinalCD SRC With & Without Ultrasonic Filtering-Log.zip 10.4K

  peakResamplingWhitePaper.zip 919.4K

  logsweep44.wav.zip 255.9K

  logsweep48.wav.zip 278.5K

  logsweep96.wav.zip 556.7K
• TMTGTR

  October 30

  
  Dither (XP Friendly)
  I have conducted many dither tests over the past 15+ years; both freeware versions and many commercial versions including but not limited to:
  
  Waves
  Airwindows
  iZotope MBIT+
  Cool Edit/Adobe Au301
  SoX
  FinalCD
  POW-r
  Steinberg Labs
  DBX Quantum
  
  The best dither I have heard is IDR by Waves in their L3-16 plugin but this is a rather expensive commercial product. I was able to compare it to the next newer Waves version, L3-LL but was surprised to hear a noticeable lesser quality in the newer dither IMO.
  
  For 16bit/24bit Dither, I have decided on Airwindows "Dark" VST plugin by Chris Johnson. I tested "Dark" against Airwindows NJAD (My previous go to dither which I feel exceeded my previous MBIT+ dither) and other Airwindows dithers (Beam, Dither Me Timbers,)
  
  The other Airwindows dither of note is PaulWide, which might be preferable. It’s more adept to avoid random mono dither noise.
  
  https://www.airwindows.com/dark/
  
  https://www.airwindows.com/paulwide/
  
  Dark comes with a second control called ‘’DerRez’’. It is a bit reducer. I have never used it and always keep it to zero. It can be applied to get retro sounding material. https://www.airwindows.com/dark-redux/
  However there is now a DeRez 5 which has more options. https://www.airwindows.com/derez5/
  
  An important tip about downloading Airwindows plugins is to always download the full plugin collection zip to insure getting the latest build of a particular plugin. The description pages many times have older downloads.
  
  Applying Dither And Making The Cut
  1) After applying dither, If working on 44.1kHz for CD, here is where you want to cut or add CD frames for a perfectly sized file for CD burning. Au301-> Edit View ->view-> Display Time Format-> Compact Disc 75fps –> cut to the closest end frame.
  e.g. If song is 00:04:33:27 you need to either cut it to 00:04:33:00 or add 1 second of silence making it 00:04:34:27 and cut to 00:04:34:00. (Otherwise the CD burning software will decide where to cut the frame...)
  After making your cut ->Check the stats, very rarely the stats can show a small DC Offset! It could mean you cut the file too sharp. If that’s the case, add a second of silence and cut at the rounded CD frame and check again.
  
  [I do this on my 48kHz, 96kHz and 192kHz files for convenience if one wanted to transfer the audio to a CD for some reason; it also insures all versions read the same exact time minimizing the perception that they may be different versions beyond the format.
  File compression (e.g. Mp3, M4a, WavPack etc., These are my 16-48files) and DVD-A Spec do not require Frame cutting AFAIK.]
  
  2) Truncate wordlength from 32bit to 16bit (Adobe Au F11 key)(+)
  Make sure Dither is unchecked!
  Select 48000 (or 44100 for CD audio)
  Sample rate (Pre/Post Filter should be grayed out)
  Resolution is 16bit
  
  3) Save as 16bit/48kHz file e.g. Songu_16-48.wav
  Or Save as 16bit/44.1kHz file e.g. Songu_16-44.wav
  
  File ready for AAC, MP3, Opus, ogg, FLAC etc. or CD if using 44.1kHz.
  
  (+}To truncate 32 bit to 24 bit integer you must use the ‘’Options’’ button in the Save as dialog in Au. And select 24-bit packed int (type 1, 24-bit) Make sure Enable Dithering box is UNCHECKED.
  Save as 24bit/96kHz file e.g. Songu_24-98.wav
  
  I save my 32-bit masters as 32 bit.
• TMTGTR

  November 1

  
  iZotope Dithering Guides
  iZotope published many pdfs on dithering, very good explanations.
  They also published example audio files.
  
  Dithering with Ozone guide
  Dithering with Ozone
  Download the Dithering with Ozone sound files 4.14 MB
  
  These PDFs are slightly different. All authored by iZotope.
• TMTGTR

  November 3

  
  MP3 In Au301 with DAW Utilities (And MP2)
  The MP3 filter in Au301 is serious and the only one I use:
  Fraunhofer Codec
  CBR and VBR options up to 320 kbp/s
  Quality/speed options
  Adjustable 4 kHz to 24 kHz lowpass-filter
  Stereo options
  Bit options
  Padding options
  Preset management
  
  
  Audioactive MP3 Player
  I got this freeware FhG ( Fraunhofer) Mp3 decoder a while ago from the original site and have used it ever since. Compared to LAME decoders it sounds better. I use it as a second playback (After Au301) to hear my authored Mp3's.
  
  v2.08 is the last version I know of. I stream classical music on this program to this day. Basically audioactive freeware became abandonware. If you search the web you can find v2.06c or earlier, and the only other place I saw 2.08 was on a Russian software website somewhere.
  
  I attach a copy here: Audioactive v2.08.zip
  
  
  MP3/AAC Direct Cut by Martin Pesch
  https://mpesch3.de/index.html
  
  This is a great utility and also works on AAC files (.m4a)
  
  From the author:
  ‘’ mp3DirectCut is a fast and extensive audio editor for encoded MP3 and AAC. Without re-encoding directly cut, crop, split and join your tracks, create fades on MP3 and much more. Direct lossless editing saves encoding time and preserves the audio quality of encoded tracks….’’
  
  The key here is to be able to encode lossy files without re-encoding.
  
  For AAC work you will also need:
  libfaad2.dll (32 bit)
  https://www.rarewares.org/aac-decoders.php#faad2_dll-win and put it in the program's folder.
  
  For MP3 work you will need:
  MP3 ACM codec (Present in Windows)
  Or
  mpglib.dll
  https://mpesch3.de/misc.html
  
  The tutorial page is important:
  https://mpesch3.de/tutcrop.html
  
  The download is an .exe file but you can extract with 7-Zip into it’s own directory.
  Manual is included in the .exe
  
  
  MP2 Encoding/Decoding
  Firstly there is an MP2 filter that I tried in CoolEdit But did not try in Au301 (Presumably it will work but there are caveats).
  One problem is that after installing the filter, opening an MP2 file crashes CoolEdit.
  One can encode a wav with the filter (That will play in other media players) but then trying to re-open the mp2 in CoolEdit, it crashes. The only way to make an MP2 that will be CoolEdit/Au301 friendly is to use the “De-emphasis for decoder” option-> 0/15 microseconds. Then the file can be opened in CoolEdit/Au301 and play on media players. Unfortunately other MP2 Encoders do not have a de-emphasis option. But it wouldn’t matter since the audio quality is not as good in this filter compared to MP2enc.
  To test it out yourself download coolmp32.zip from:
  https://rarewares.org/rrw/coolflt.php
  
  After trying other MP2 encoders (tooLame and BeSweet; these introduce a click at the beginning of an encoded file), I found a command-line encoder that works well and is XP friendly:
  MP2enc
  https://www.rarewares.org/rrw/mp2enc.php
  
  There is also a (non-VBR) fork of the same with added support For digital compact cassette encoding, which I am not acquainted with.
  https://github.com/DigitalCompactCassette/DCCSE/releases/tag/mp2enc2022-1
  
  I attach a file with a Usage text and an icon file.
  MP2Enc_Command-line Usage+Icon.zip

  Audioactive v2.08.zip 966.5K

  MP2Enc_Command-line usage+Logo.zip 12.3K
• TMTGTR

  November 3 edited November 4

  
  Opus Audio Compression in XP
  In terms of lossy audio compression, IMO Opus is the best.
  
  Sampling rates from 8 to 48 kHz
  Bit-rates from 6 kb/s to 510 kb/s
  Support for both constant bit-rate (CBR) and variable bit-rate (VBR)
  Audio bandwidth from narrowband to full-band
  Support for speech and music
  Support for mono and stereo
  Support for multichannel (up to 255 channels)
  Frame sizes from 2.5 ms to 60 ms
  Good loss robustness and packet loss concealment (PLC)
  Floating point and fixed-point implementation
  
  To get the latest command-line builds that run on XP:
  
  1) Create an Opus folder (I attach .ico file to customize the folder look and command prompt shortcut)
  
  2) Download Opus 1.6.1 opusenc.exe and opusinfo.exe compiled 2026-03-30 by John33:
  https://www.rarewares.org/opus.php#opus-tools
  
  3) Extract opusenc.exe and opusinfo.exe
  (Not opusdec.exe Unfortunately for me, opusdec does not work resulting in the error popup:
  "The procedure entry point acquireSRWLockExclusive could not be located in the dynamic link library
  KERNEL32.dll {+})
  
  4) Download opus-tools.2023-12-11.zip
  https://sourceforge.net/projects/muldersoft/files/Opus Tools/
  
  Extract opusdec.x86-sse2.exe (Opus 1.4.9) and rename opusdec.exe
  Remember, to initiate playback use quotes: e.g. opusdec "Song.opus"
  
  5) You can use command-line in the prompt OR download Opus Front End v 1.0.1 by Michael Bailey:
  http://www.mediafire.com/file/ouyhs5eobu7oyaz/OpusFE.7z
  (Also attached here)
  
  6) Opus command line usage
  For some reason the opus wiki FAQ page is now gone and has to be found on Wayback Machine.
  http://web.archive.org/web/20261018233921/http://wiki.xiph.org/OpusFAQ
  
  I printed the usage info in the binaries themselves for quick reference and attach PDF.
  
  Note: Opus accepts many different sampling rates but will internally re-sample to 48 kHz. If you have a wav with a different sampling rate I'd advise you use FinalCD SRC first on the wav.
  
  A good newbie guide:
  https://salivity.github.io/opus/article/best-opus-settings-for-music-encoding
  Opus FAQ Page:
  
  Coding Info:
  https://opus-codec.org/docs/opus_api-1.6/topics.html
  
  {+} From my email with John33:
  "...Unfortunately, as you discovered, the win32 compiles are not XP compatible. 'm-ab_s' uses mingw for compiling but a special version of mingw would be required for compiling {opusdec.exe} XP compatible binaries and utilising that version within 'm-ab_s' is not an option.
  I believe there exists software to patch binaries to work in XP, but I have no particular knowledge of this."

  Opus Extras.zip 1M
• TMTGTR

  November 5 edited November 6

  
  This thread and all attachments are backed up on WayBack machine:
  
  http://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://forum.winworldpc.com/discussion/16258/adobe-audition-3-0-1
  
  More information than anyone needs :
  For me, WayBack Machine has an issue with quote marks "_" and renders closing quote marks corrupted(?), that's why I always use double apostrophes ''_'' instead in my posts.
  
  If you save a page on WayBack Machine and it has attachment zips, pdfs etc. You have to back them up separately as Wayback does not automatically include attachments when backing up a page. Copy attachment link address and then Back up on Wayback.
  
  If you click a link on a WayBack Machine page that gives a 'File not Archived' type message, copy the link to a text, remove the web.archive.org address, and then search wayback with the cropped address. I’ve found a few files that way.
• TMTGTR

  November 6 edited November 7

  My Essential Utilities Part 01
  I’ll be posting audio utilities that I have resident with every XP DAW I build. Most are applicable to any Win O/S but emphasis is on final XP supported builds.
  
  V-B Audio Signal Generator
  
  vincent.burel.free.fr/download/
  
  V-B VST Scanner v1.042
  
  http://web.archive.org/web/20170903...e.fr/us/resources/vst_scanner/vst_scanner.htm
  This is really only for people using XP and on legacy hardware. I find it is very helpful if I want to investigate a VST plugin BEFORE I install it in Au301 etc.
  
  Wavosaur 1.8.0
  
  https://www.wavosaur.com/
  I’m very skittish when adding any VSTs to my DAW Programs. Let’s face it; Au301 is finicky with plugins and a bad plugin (VST or DX) can crash the system and you lose all your presets.
  
  I first use V-B VST ScannerV1 042 to check on a plugin before installing then I call up Wavosaur (it loads super fast) and test the VST plugin in a ‘’Sandbox’’. My Wavosaur folder has a VST folder, and a 16bit-48kHz wav for testing.
  
  I’m using the latest Wavosaur v 1.8.0 and it has a bug in that when you close it you get an error message, which I have never found to be applicable to my use. But then again I do not edit in Wavosaur. All tools are already resident in Au301 or 3rd party VSTs. However, v1.8.0 was up scaled from previous versions especially to give more VST functionality.
  
  If you find it too buggy and want to try the previous edition:
  https://www.wavosaur.com/download/files/Wavosaur.1.7.0.0-x86.zip
  
  AnalogX "freq" Frequency Converter
  
  http://analogx.com/contents/download/Audio/freq/Freeware.htm
  Calculates frequencies more exacting and to more decimal points than anything else I have.
  (Bloated install in my opinion. After I installed, I backed up the .exe and then uninstalled. I keep all my AnalogX apps this way). UniExtract cannot extract.
  
  AnalogX TapTempo
  
  http://analogx.com/contents/download/Audio/taptempo/Freeware.htm
  (Bloated install in my opinion. After I installed, I backed up the .exe and then uninstalled. I keep all my AnalogX apps this way). UniExtract cannot extract.
  
  Lacinato ABX/Shootout-er blind testing audio software
  
  A very high quality and feature rich program to do blind AB testing.
  Final XP Version is 2.40. However, The bug fix in v2.41 may not be needed.
  
  From my e-mail with author Casey Connor:
  ''…you may not need to worry about the WAV/MP3 fixes that came with 2.41. They were file loading issues, not glitches in the decoding per se. Meaning, if you are opening files in 2.40 and they are able to play, then there is no advantage to a later version for you. (If they won't open at all, then you would need a later version.)
  
  I don't recall what kinds of MP3 and WAV files don't work in 2.40, but they were somewhat rare -- most people used it without issue, and only when someone wrote in with the issue with a particular file did I learn of it. Some nuance of the compression engine used to make the file, or perhaps non-PCM data in the WAV container, etc. It was relatively obscure, but again, if files open and work then you don't have to worry about it.''
  
  Getting Version 2.40 for XP is a little tricky. Archive (DOT) org does not have a copy with ABX.exe 2.40.
  To get a 2.40 version:
  1) Download a copy of ABX_win32.zip (V2.37) http://web.archive.org/web/20161002044541/http://caseyconnor.org/pub/abx/ABX_win32.zip
  2} I attach a copy of the 2.4.0 ABX.exe here: ABX.exe v2.40.zip Just overwrite ABX.exe
  
  AxiomX MasterLister 2.2
  
  http://axiomx.com/masterlister.htm
  Doing image backups has never been my thing though I should get around to it. A quick and easy way to make lists of my installed plugins in their directories for backup is AxiomX MasterLister 2.2.
  
  I keep a list of my VST plugins directory, SpinAudio VST_DX Wrapper Instances directory, Audio_Tools Program Files directory, and the Au Program directory E.g.:
  
  C:\Program Files\Audio_Tools\VST Plugins
  C:\Program Files\Audio_Tools\SpinAudio VST_DX Wrapper\Instances
  C:\Program Files\Audio_Tools
  C:\Program Files\Adobe\Audition
  
  I also keep a backup of my current Adobe Au 3.0.1 customized settings:
  C:\Documents and Settings\YOUR USER NAME\Application Data\Adobe\Audition\3.0
  I’ll update these lists about once a month or if I make any changes.
  Of course you can backup any directory of your choosing. AxiomX MasterLister is a great system app.
  
  The MasterLister 2.2 app comes with a bulky setup install. I use UniExtract
  Just apply UniExtract to the setup.exe file, wait a few seconds and then just take the ''Main'' Folder, and rename to AxiomX MasterLister or something and you have it ''Portable''.
  
  WAV Properties Extension
  
  Shows an extra tab of information when you right-click a .WAV file in Explorer and select "Properties".
  Author is Paul.Kellett of MDA-VST.
  All links to it are dead now. I attach a copy here: wav-info.zip

  ABX.exe v2.40.zip 439.6K

  wav-info.zip 57K
• Retrogusto

  November 8

  Excellent compilation for this amazing program. Thanks for sharing!
• TMTGTR

  November 8 edited 3:24AM

  My Essential Utilities Part 02
  
  MediaInfoLite (And Last XP v21.03)
  
  MediaInfoLite is a really convenient app to have in the right hand context menu of a DAW.
  Final version for XP is v21.03.
  I find the installer does not work for XP. To get a working 21.03 with right-click context menu (a must for me):
  
  1) Install MediaInfoLite1904.exe (Last Official XP) https://www.videohelp.com/software?d=MediaInfoLite1904.exe
  
  2) Download MediaInfoLite2103.exe
  https://www.videohelp.com/download/MediaInfoLite2103.exe?r=RWXqNzPgqtf
  You’ll have to extract MediaInfo.dll 21.03 using a program like Uniextract and overwrite. (Also works for other MediaInfoLite Programs like Media Player Classic). Or I attach an extracted MediaInfo.dll 21.03, MediaInfo.rar
  
  If you want to browse the archive:
  https://www.videohelp.com/software/MediaInfo/old-versions
  
  AP Guitar Tuner
  
  https://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Audio/Other-AUDIO-Tools/AP-Guitar-Tuner.shtml
  This is my default DAW guitar tuner. It works well and is quite precise.
  It comes with a helpful one-page manual. It is especially handy for people who use alternate tunings or want to learn alternate tunings.
  
  Audio Phonics Inc. Is long gone. More info here:
  http://web.archive.org/web/20010811235938/http://www.audio-phonics.com/moreguitar.html
  http://web.archive.org/web/20011202023247/http://audio-phonics.com/moreguitar.html
  
  In my DAW setup I have a dedicated soundcard with 2 channels S/PDIF I/O, 2 channels analog I/O and MIDI I/O; the analog I/O goes to a patch bay. For me, patching into this tuner program can be cumbersome if my channels are all assigned and Adobe Au is open.
  
  I assign this tuner program from its options menu to the default sound driver on the motherboard (e.g. Realtek) and plug into the microphone jack on the computer.
  
  I’ve made a patch cable with a mono tip/sleeve 1/4’’phone plug on one end, and a mono tip/sleeve 1/8’’ phone plug on the other end.
  
  I constructed this cable by taking a shielded cable with a molded RCA plug on one end, and soldiered a 1/4’’ plug on the other. Then I put an RCA female jack to 1/8’’ male phone plug adapter on the RCA male end.
  
  Now doing a quick tune-up in a recording session is a breeze.
  
  AP Instrument Tuner
  
  Billed as the ‘’Cousin’’ of AP Guitar Tuner, this is basically the same program without the dedicated guitar templates. I also have this in my DAW.
  
  More info here:
  http://web.archive.org/web/20010807010859/http://audio-phonics.com/moreinstrument.html
  http://web.archive.org/web/20020202233155/http://www.audio-phonics.com/moreinstrument.html
  
  Unfortunately it seems AP Instrument Tuner has vanished from the Internet.
  I attach a copy here:
  APInstSetup.zip
  
  I also attach zip files of the user .htm manuals which are also in the installation .exe:
  APGTHelp.zip
  APITHelp.zip
  
  SD Card/MP3 File Sorter & Printer
  
  http://vwlowen.co.uk/otherprogs/files.htm
  I mix and master audio on a variety of audio monitors (8’’, 6’’, and different headphones)
  The final listen is on Walkman type and ear bud type headphones on a cheap mp3 player (And is usually the most revealing).
  
  This utility is used to set up the file order on such (SD card) devices for desired playback order. It also supports FLAC, OGG and WMA.
  
  From the author John Owen:
  ‘’If you use Windows Explorer to create an MP3 compilation on an SD Card or your MP3 player, you've probably noticed that the tracks don't play in the same order as they appear in Explorer.
  
  This is because Explorer displays the files in alphabetical order whereas the MP3 player plays them in the order they were saved to the flash card. The latter is more sensible because the tracks are played in the order the original album producer intended.
  
  If you copy a group of files using Explorer, the order they're stored on the flash card is completely unpredictable. Again, this makes it difficult to organize the tracks to play in the order you want them to play in.’’'
  
  With this utility you can set the order when you first transfer the files, or reorder from the device itself.
  
  Before I add more audio utilities, here are utilities that are applicable to more program types than just DAWs:
  
  USB Device Tree Viewer
  
  https://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbtreeview_e.html
  Final XP Version is 4.6.4
  USB Device Tree Viewer is a great utility in so many ways. For instance when ejecting a USB device, if you’ve ever encountered the popup ‘’Problem Ejecting USB Mass Storage Device! The device ‘Generic volume’ cannot be stopped right now''… and you have closed all files/directories, you might be able to restart explorer.exe and then eject. If you still cant, open USB Device Tree Viewer-> select the offending device and right click-> Restart Port. It is like re-plugging the USB device.
  
  Phlox (BIG TIME SAVER!)
  
  https://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Other-Desktop-Enhancements/Phlox.shtml
  This is for XP O/S only; not needed for newer O/Ss.
  ''Phlox is a system tray application that provides Windows Vista style file renaming to your Windows XP. Phlox replaces classic F2 function on desktop and explorer windows. It selects only filename; not with extension.''
  
  Portable Taskbar Shuffle
  
  ''Portable Taskbar Shuffle is a freeware application that can be used to quickly reorganize System Tray and Taskbar buttons.''
  
  Portable Taskbar Shuffle (I use this)
  https://www.softpedia.com/get/PORTA...m-Enhancements/Portable-Taskbar-Shuffle.shtml
  
  Taskbar Shuffle (Full install)
  https://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Other-Desktop-Enhancements/Taskbar-Shuffle.shtml
  
  http://web.archive.org/web/20120223001338/http://nerdcave.webs.com/faq.htm
  
  Moffsoft FreeCalc
  
  https://www.moffsoft.com/freecalc.htm
  An essential utility for me. For example if I need to attack a frequency range and I want to find the center frequency from where to apply the filter before setting the Q. The tape function is very handy and a ton of other options superior to the standard Windows calculator (calc.exe). I have backed up calc.exe and renamed MoffFreeCalc.exe to calc.exe and placed it in C:\WINDOWS\system32 so my calculator key on my keyboard opens it up.
  
  V-B TimeCalc
  
  https://vb-audio.com/OldFreeware/index.htm
  Does what it says. Three size options.
  
  AptDiff Binary File Compare
  
  https://www.softpedia.com/get/System/File-Management/AptDiff.shtml
  
  http://web.archive.org/web/20110712172852/http://www.aptedit.com/comparetwo.htm
  
  AptDiff is a visual text / binary files comparison and merging utility for Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista.

  MediaInfo.rar 1.6M

  APInstSetup.zip 814.1K

  APGTHelp.zip 4.1K

  APITHelp.zip 4.2K