Ripping HDCD audio

It just meant that the HDCD converters were used.

 

Right, just with everything disabled. Same goes for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More, With Feeling soundtrack.

In fact, the only HDCD I have that actually uses an HDCD feature (peak extension) is the Pet Sounds Sessions Box Set.

 

another possibility: that the mastering chain used a Pacific Microsonics box perhaps only for DtoD conversion, or to use a PM dither option in creation of the final 16/44 workproduct

for those following along, a simple explanation of the "unlabelled HDCD" or "HDCD light is on but foobar reports nothing etc etc" scenario can be found here courtesy of John Marks. Scroll down a bit more than halfway (just past the champagne...) to the header "About HDCD"

hth

 

With the following line I can make the statusbar show if HDCD is playing like "HDCD= yes ....." :

| HDCD = %__hdcd% | $if(%__hdcd%,'('PE: %__hdcd_peak_extend% LLE: %__hdcd_gain% TF: %__hdcd_transient_filter%')')

But then when I play a cd that is not HDCD it shows "HDCD= ?"
How can I make it read "HDCD= no"?

How should I edit the line to make it work how I like?

Thank you in advance!

 

I use this string for useful info:

Code:

$set_font(Segoe UI,11,bold;)%artist% - %title% '['[%playback_time% / ]%length%']'
$crlf()$set_font(Segoe UI,10,bold;)
Codec: $set_font(Segoe UI,10,)%codec% '('%bitrate% kbps[, %codec_profile%][, $caps($info(encoding))], %samplerate% Hz, %channels%$if(%__hdcd%,', HDCD, PE:' %__hdcd_peak_extend%', LLE:' %__hdcd_gain%', TF:' %__hdcd_transient_filter%')',')')
$crlf()$set_font(Segoe UI,10,bold;)
File Size: $set_font(Segoe UI,10,)%filesize_natural%
$crlf()$set_font(Segoe UI,10,bold;)
File Path: $set_font(Segoe UI,10,)%path%

In your version I think you just need to move the HDCD indicator completely inside the if statement like this:

Code:

%codec% | %samplerate% Hz | %channels% | [%playback_time% / ]%length% | %bitrate% kbps $if(%__hdcd%,'| HDCD (PE:' %__hdcd_peak_extend%', LLE:' %__hdcd_gain%', TF:' %__hdcd_transient_filter%')')

This removes the HDCD indicator completely for non-HDCD tracks. I also fixed your playback time showing as "?" when you stop playback. If you really want it to say "HDCD = no" then use this:

Code:

%codec% | %samplerate% Hz | %channels% | [%playback_time% / ]%length% | %bitrate% kbps $if(%__hdcd%,'| HDCD (PE:' %__hdcd_peak_extend%', LLE:' %__hdcd_gain%', TF:' %__hdcd_transient_filter%')','| HDCD = no')

 

Thank you very much DragonQ!

 

Been having a bit of a problem...I have a FLAC file that has HDCD encoding in it (as shown in the Foobar statusbar). When I edit said FLAC file in Audacity and export the file (I've used every possible option), the HDCD encoding is stripped away. How do I export a file from Audacity while maintaining the HDCD encoding?

 

You probably have dither enabled.

Preferences -> Quality -> High-quality Conversion -> Dither

Set that to "None".

 

That did that the trick! I appreciate it!!

 

Hey Brad! I'm just beginning to decode some of my HDCD discs, hijacking my wife's Windoze laptop. Does the above link contain what would be considered the latest/greatest versions of hdcd.exe and convert.cmd, or might have there been improvements/updates to either since this was posted over three years ago?

I just wanna do these once and be done with it, so I need to be sure these are the best (free) tools for me.

 

Yes, that link is it as the only version of HDCD.exe there is.

 

I've looked through this thread, which seems to be very helpful. I just want to check if I'm doing this right. My intent is to rip from HDCD encoded CD's and get the benefit of the HDCD peak extend but in a non-HDCD .wav file with the dynamics intact so I can burn those files to CD for the car. I'm using the Tom Petty "Playback" box set, which is HDCD and I assume has peak extend enabled. I found the option to rip from the CD using dbPowerAmp, selected HDCD from the DSP menu and UNCHECKED the box for the +6db boost. Is that the right way to do it? I first did it with the +6db box checked, and seemed to end up with a file just as if I'd ripped the track using EAC.

One odd thing I noted - the resultant file doesn't register if I try to run it throught he Dynamic Range Meter. It shows as a .wav file, but the DR Meter won't read it. I then used dbPowerAmp to convert the .wav file to a 44.1/16 .wav file, which shouldn't have done anything, but it did something and THOSE files can be read by the DR Meter. Anyone know what is going on here?

 

I don't want to retain the HDCD encoding (my car player doesn't decode HDCD), but I want the benefits of the additional dynamic range. Undecoded the files are often less dynamic. It makes sense that the DR meter wouldn't read the initial files, as tit only reads 16/44.1. So after ripping with dbPowerAmp I then need to convert those to regular 16/44.1 files (which is what I did) and I should end up with non HDCD encoded files that are as dynamic as the HDCD files decoded.

That's what I seem to be getting. I just wanted to check and see if I was understanding this correctly.

 

I haven't used the stand-alone TT Dynamic Range Meter. I always use the Foobar plugin version. The Foobar plugin version is easier to deal with since it handles more formats, like FLAC.

The stand-alone TT Dynamic Range Meter is only able to do 16/44.1 wave files. The DR analysis was originally planned for CDs and the stand-alone version of the meter was designed around that.

If you want to DR analysis of 24-bit files, or any file that isn't 16/44.1, you'll need to use the Foobar plugin. The Foobar plugin version can calculate DR values for 24-bit files and high-res files.

 

The TT DR meter measures my 24-bit ALAC files just fine. It returns a result and doesn't complain, so I assume that it's measuring them.

 

The Mac version is better then. The Windows version is limited to 16/44.1 WAV files only.

 

So I guess this is only if you have Windows? I have a Mac and have to use the stand alone version of TT DR. It's a bit of a pain converting to WAV first then deleting when done.......

 

I've never used the Mac version of the TT DR Meter. I don't know what its behavior or file format requirements are.

 

Ultimately, re-encoding a 24 bit / 44.1khz file back to 16 bit / 44.1khz will require either dither or truncation. IMHO, you're better off just reading the HDCD like standard Redbook and using the 16 bit material that's there.

 

The decoded version, even at 16 bit, will be more dynamic.

 

Well, it is still nice to have the extra dynamic range.

All this is very easy to do with Foobar. I left DBpowerAmp a long time ago.

 

So there is some level of confidence here that HDCD --> 24 bit / 44.1khz --> dither/truncate to 16 bits will be "more dynamic" that the existing Redbook (i.e., "un-decoded") material on the CD?

If you're staying in 24 bits, I can understand the claim. What I don't understand is the apparent confidence of some that their personal decode and dither method will trump the un-decoded (or Redbook) presentation on the physical CD. Seems like over the top OCD to me.

 

No, some discs have a "peak extend" feature, which augments the dynamic range when decoded. That's what we are talking about.

 

LLRE in particular is quite noticeable with un-decoded HDCD. I wondered for years why the tape hiss at the end of fades got louder.

Mild use of PE might not be a big deal, but more heavy use would probably be noticeable.

Decoding HDCD, even to 16 bit, is a more accurate representation of the original audio than the un-decoded original on CDs.