Help Needed Converting SACD ISO to FLAC

I've been using ISO2DSD to convert SACD ISO files to DFF, then dBpoweramp to convert to FLAC. However, I'm getting those clicks at the beginning of each track when played via VLC

I know this has been discussed before but would appreciate some help or if someone can point me to the thread?

Thanks

 

Sonore, the company that makes ISO2DSD, also makes a tool called DSD2FLAC that does the job perfectly.

Sonore - DSD2FLAC - converts DSD files to FLAC

 

Boy oh boy....wish they had that for computers. Only Macintosh and Linus versions. Drat....

CJ

 

I don't convert to my ISO files to FLAC. But if there are clicks at the beginning of track, I would just get a declick app and convert to WAV then convert to FLAC. I would probably just do this manually.

 

Thanks for the suggestion, unfortunately they don't have a Windows version. Cheers.

 

We are going to need more information because it depends on the source of the clicks.

Is the sound of the clicks coming from the DAC itself, meaning you hear the DAC clicking in the room? If so, this could be the normal sound of a relay switching inside your DAC. In this case, the DAC should mute itself before triggering the relay keeping the sound from being output to the amp and speakers.

Is the clicking sound coming through the speakers? If so, is there another DAC that you can use as a test of the tracks? Another option would be to load a file into Audacity (free) and look for spikes in the beginning of the file.

 

jRiver to WAV and Audiomuxer to down sample and convert to FLAC. I no longer convert but that worked for me in the past.

 

I haven't run these files through my DAC yet, it's just through my laptop headphone output (tried both my laptops - same issue).

I ran the file through Audacity and there is no obvious spike - although the click at the beginning of the track is still audible and is registering on the "playback level" meter in Audacity. However, if I maximum zoom in to the beginning of the waveform, there is "something" there.

As a side note, when I cut out the first few milliseconds of the file, there was no click.

Thanks!

 

I wish SACDs could've been converted directly to WAV / FLAC. It works great with Blu-ray and DVDs...
But instead you need an old Oppo SACD player to convert it to ISO and so on.

 

Since SACD is DSD and WAV / FLAC is PCM, you are wishing that DSD was never invented? DSD can be converted to PCM so it shouldn't be an issue in the long run.

 

Have you tried using foobar2000 with the SACD component plug-in? No need to create DSD files, you can go directly to PCM FLAC using the Convert function.

 

It is interesting that it goes away when the beginning of the track is removed. Can you post a screen capture of the beginning of the file zoomed in in Audacity?

In the 100 or so SACDs that I've ripped, I've never run into that.
My current process is to rip the SACD using ISO2DVD graphic interface to a DSF file.
JRiver to convert the DSF to FLAC (PCM).
Audacity to amplify the entire PCM (FLAC) as an album to -1db or zero peak. This step because most DSD albums are not -6db. Some are -5db, some are -7db.
Export out as FLAC (PCM).
Play.

 

Doesn't it only work with ISO files? I don't have the opportunity ripping my SACDs in ISO.

 

No, I meant the direct way of converting the hi-res content (which of course is DSD) to WAV. I don't have a SACD player to make an ISO from it.

 

I used Dire Straits - So Far Away because it's the first track and has a few seconds of silence before beginning. Having problem loading the pic, so here's the link to the image: Dropbox - waveform.jpg

 

I've thought about it, but as I'm not familiar with Foobar (and I heard it's pretty complicated setting up), I decided to use tools I'm familiar with first.

 

My ears perked up on this. Love to hear more about it.

 

Which version of dBpoweramp are you using? Maybe a newer version of dBpoweramp has fixed the DFF to FLAC conversion glitch?

I have never used dBpoweramp to convert DSD files to FLAC. So I'm not sure if it's converter has had glitches.

 

I'm using version 14.4 with the latest DSD Decoder installed

 

It's pretty simple. Just go into the Components tab in Preferences and click on the "Get more components" link. Or you could Google "foo_input_sacd" to find it. You install it like any other component.

 

Based on that it looks like it is on the PCM file. Wonder if it is there on the ISO or if DbPoweramp created the pop. I don't have that SACD to compare.

 

The best option is to select DSDIFF Edit Master as output in ISO2DSD, and you will get one dsf file and a cue file. Then when you convert dsf to flac you have one click only at the end which you can remove easily and then use cue file to split the tracks

 

TASCAM Hi-Res editor will export WAV and then you can use FLAC Front End, ffmpeg, foobar2000, dBpowerAmp or any other program to compress to FLAC.
TASCAM Hi-Res Editor | DOWNLOADS | TASCAM

Foobar2000 can convert straight to FLAC, just add in the SACD components and set things up as you want it.

 

Just to update everyone, I went the Foobar2000 route with the SACD component and, after a bit of trial and error, got it to work. Although I didn't do any "fine tuning" of the settings, the results seem fine, no click/pop in the tracks.

Thanks to all for your suggestions!

 

It does a good job but can only open one file at the time