unable to decode flac files on mac

[daddaj]

I am trying to convert 24-bit files from this thread which is now inactive
http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=74548
The seeder has a 16-bit recording of the same show,
and I can decode the 16-bit version successfully.

I have tried MacFlac (v2.2.1), xAct (v1.58), XLD (v117.0).
I am using Mac OS X v10.3.9.

I get this error from MacFlac
ERROR while decoding data
state = 6:FLAC__STREAM_DECODER_UNPARSEABLE_STREAM
xAct uses MacFlac code, so it gives the same error.
XLD freezes without finishing or giving an error.

Another person on this thread got the same error I did,
and corrected the problem by decoding with Trader's Little Helper,
which is not available in a Mac version.

This is the first time I have had conversion problems with the software I use.
Is the problem because of trying to convert 24-bit files?
Are there any other Mac conversion programs?

Thanks so much!

[direwolf-pgh]

MAX for OSX has received excellent reviews

http://sbooth.org/Max/

[daddyray]

MAX is good but if xAct says there is trouble then I am gonna guess the files are corrupt some way. I use xAct 2.0.6 and that seems very robust

[AAR.oner]

i didn't think xACT could handle 24-bit files :hmm:

after years of using xACT, i switched to XLD last year...much better program imo, and should do the trick on yer 24-bit fileset

http://tmkk.pv.land.to/xld/index_e.html

[tonebloke]

Convert the files on a friends non-Mac PC !

[AAR.oner]

^^sounds great! too bad we all can't use that unstable, heebee jeebee infested, bloatware OS, right? :lol:


to the original poster -- XLD seems to have been kept up with by its developers better than xACT...i don't think much was done to xACT for a long while [heard Scott is back upgrading it again tho, but the new version doesn't run on Tiger, which i'm still using]

XLD is well worth tryin out imo, i actually like it better in a lot of way, and it has a few features that we've tested and feel are superior to xACT

[scb]

^^sounds great! too bad we all can't use that unstable, heebee jeebee infested, bloatware OS, right? :lol:


to the original poster -- XLD seems to have been kept up with by its developers better than xACT...i don't think much was done to xACT for a long while [heard Scott is back upgrading it again tho, but the new version doesn't run on Tiger, which i'm still using]

XLD is well worth tryin out imo, i actually like it better in a lot of way, and it has a few features that we've tested and feel are superior to xACT

xld still doesn't do shntool stuff, though!

to the original poster, try this:
http://xact.scottcbrown.org/xACT%201.72.zip

That's the last version that's not 10.6-only. I think it'll still work on Panther, though I suggest upgrading to 10.4 or 10.5. You're machine will gain new life...

and to AAR.oner, xACT has handled 24 bit files since the beginning

[AAR.oner]

hmmmm, maybe it just wouldn't handle the 24-bit files i tried to process, been a long time...good to know tho, thanks :thumbsup

[tonebloke]

that unstable, heebee jeebee infested, bloatware OS, right? :lol:


I take it you don't like W ? Don't hold back. :D

[daddaj]

Thank you so much for your responses (even the windows one).

Can't use MAX - need 10.4 (I have 10.3)
Can't use xACT 2.06 - need 10.6
Can't even use xACT 1.72 :confused: got this error:
song.flac: dyld: flac version mismatch for library: /usr/lib/libiconv.2.dylib (compatibility version of user: 7.0.0 greater than library's version: 5.0.0)

I tried XLD again, and let it run for almost an hour, and it finished this time.
Not sure why it took so long, maybe because my hard drive doesn't have much free space.

scb, you are correct - I used xACT 1.58 to convert 24-bit files from here:
http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=74611

But xACT 1.58 gives this error for the files I can't convert:
song.flac: ERROR while decoding data
state = FLAC__STREAM_DECODER_UNPARSEABLE_STREAM
The FLAC stream may have been created by a more advanced encoder. Try
metaflac --show-vendor-tag song.flac
If the version number is greater than 1.1.2, this decoder is probably
not able to decode the file.

I really need to upgrade my os!!!

[scb]

Can't even use xACT 1.72 :confused: got this error:
song.flac: dyld: flac version mismatch for library: /usr/lib/libiconv.2.dylib (compatibility version of user: 7.0.0 greater than library's version: 5.0.0)


Hmm, maybe 1.72 doesn't work with 10.3 anymore. I thought it might, but I haven't had a 10.3 machine to test on in forever


I tried XLD again, and let it run for almost an hour, and it finished this time.
Not sure why it took so long, maybe because my hard drive doesn't have much free space.

scb, you are correct - I used xACT 1.58 to convert 24-bit files from here:
http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=74611

But xACT 1.58 gives this error for the files I can't convert:
song.flac: ERROR while decoding data
state = FLAC__STREAM_DECODER_UNPARSEABLE_STREAM
The FLAC stream may have been created by a more advanced encoder. Try
metaflac --show-vendor-tag song.flac
If the version number is greater than 1.1.2, this decoder is probably
not able to decode the file.

I really need to upgrade my os!!!

Are you on a PPC machine or Intel? xACT 1.58 was using flac 1.1.2 on Intel machines but 1.1.1 on PPC machines. So if that Steely Dan show was encoded by 1.1.2 on an Intel machine but you're using a PPC machine, that could explain the incompatibility. It was fixed in 1.59 and later. I can try to hook you up with the last version that worked on 10.3 if you still use xACT for some things. I could just send you a bunch of versions after 1.58 and you could see which still worked. 1.59 updated flac to 1.1.3 and 1.60 updated it to 1.1.4. I think 1.61 or 62 updated flac to 1.2.1

[scandy]

Thanks for this. I downloaded XLD and it works great on my MPB :)