mp3 converter updates?

[Warlock]

Is there any way we can do something to allow for modern mp3 compression agents? I ran into a huge issue with my OldBen skin trying to add sounds from the Lucasflm sounds that Circa posted up. The reason wasn't simply because they needed to be made mono-channel 44.1KHz files. The issue seems more to be that even using Goldwave to convert them, JA just doesn't want to recognize the LAME compression anymore. My fear is that mp3 compression has reached a point that it is no longer recognizable by the JA software.

 

Is there something we can do in OpenJK to add support for newer compression? The reason I ask this, isn't because I think texture artists and modelers should not try to make their sounds support the base game. However, it WOULD remove TONS of skin errors when people add unsupported sounds (which you know they will continue to do) to their models/skins. I think this would just be a blessing for players who are plagued by constant red-line unsupported sound messages when their friends connect with their broken skins...not to mention it would benefit the amateurs in that their sounds might actually play. 

 

 

Edit: Though I guess to be fair, to remove the redline messages you'd have to support other sizes entirely than 44.1, because I had no error messages, just no sound playing at all. Though when I loaded the NPC the error became apparent that JA felt the 44.1KHz mono files were "unsupported" sound types.

[Link]

A simple program to convert audio files into a format that makes them useable in JKA would be really handy, although I have no idea who could make something like that.

[Circa]

I've always had issues with that, even back when JA came out. I use Audacity, and usually after the second try, it works.

 

And it usually stems from the files actually being stereo, even though they were set to mono. Or vice versa.

 

[eezstreet]

As a general rule, music is in stereo, sound effects are in mono. That's the only distinction between them. Stereo .wavs aren't supported at all (not even for music I don't think)

 

MP3 code is a bit of a touchy subject as you technically have to pay for a license to use the format (it's proprietary). I don't know how the general sound code works however, so I can't really comment on this issue.

[Raz0r]

The reason they have to be mono, is it makes no sense for it to be stereo - it's played at a point in 3d space and spatialised based on where your camera is.

It doesn't make sense for it to be a stereo file when it's potentially only played in one ear.

[Warlock]

I see a lot of people talking about the mono channel thing.  These files WERE in mono (I wasn't using Audacity for the very reason Circa discussed, they kept reverting to stereo - that's why I was using Goldwave) and they were 44.1KHz and they still were not working. This is an issue with compression. As I said, I fear that the compression agency used by the more recent versions of LAME is no longer compatible with JA. I suppose we can start using older converters or something, or we're going to be stuck going back to WAV files, which means not really any compression at all!

[Circa]

Yeah, just use WAV. It's better quality anyway, since it has no compression.

[Warlock]

But the filesizes! How will they fit on our 100MB hard drives?!  xD

[eezstreet]

I ought to write a tutorial for this using Audacity. I've never had a problem with this.

[Warlock]

I never have either, until this time around...

[Pande]

Mp3 compression algorithm has not changed I can assure you, try different tools. Goldwave is definitely not a program I'd trust for this. 

[Circa]

I tutorial wouldn't hurt. Though, like Pande said, I wouldn't use Goldenwave. Audacity usually does the trick. In fact, I recant my previous statement about it not working before. I just realized I had used a different program, only to revert back to Audacity to fix it.

 

Audacity has an ugly UI, but it gets the job done. 

[Omicron]

Audacity is good, it's what i always use for this sort of thing.

[Warlock]

I have always used Audacity, but it was Audacity that failed me this time around. Goldwave let me batch convert them all to wav at least. I generally have always trusted Audacity. Maybe I just screwed something up.

[Mechami]

But the filesizes! How will they fit on our 100MB hard drives?!  xD

 

Could possibly add support for FLAC to solve that problem.

[Circa]

Wouldn't make that much of a difference. FLAC all well and good but doesn't save space as well as some people believe.

 

[ensiform]

In many cases FLAC is unjustly larger than WAV, even.

[eezstreet]

ogg plz

is good free software

open format free for all 2 use

is good I swear

[eezstreet]

Upon examining the code further, the limit of 44100khz sample rate is indeed an arbitrary number. However using the proper sample rate might be a bit of a drastic overhaul of the code, and it's not something that's easily done. Also this could potentially break compat of a few commands, but nothing seriously major in that regards.

[Circa]

44100khz is the most common, and is the standard for CD's. I also believe it's what analog audio is recorded at. So it probably wasn't arbitrary, but I see what you're saying.