RFI: clicks and pops in ripped/converted audio tracks

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This is a notorious problem with tracks ripped from CDs. Has anyone ever found it happening during the process of converting a track from one format to another (mp3 to m4a, ogg to mp3, that sort of thing)? In other words, has anyone found clicks/pops/skips appearing in a format-converted track that weren't present in the original rip?

― M. V. (M.V.), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 17:32 (nineteen years ago)

they are the patina of time as it unfolds

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 17:35 (nineteen years ago)

Let me tell you, I know from patina.

― M. V. (M.V.), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 17:40 (nineteen years ago)

you need a new sound card

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 17:41 (nineteen years ago)

Meh.

― M. V. (M.V.), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 17:42 (nineteen years ago)

or you need to change the latency settings on your current sound card. those sounds are the sounds of dropped samples meaning your sound card just can't keep up with the conversion process.

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 17:44 (nineteen years ago)

But isn't that why ripping occurs at variable speed? Shouldn't the software throttle the rate to whatever it can process?

― M. V. (M.V.), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 17:50 (nineteen years ago)

Actually, you were talking about conversion, not ripping. Sorry.

― M. V. (M.V.), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 17:52 (nineteen years ago)

i think the variable rate thing tries to account for available cpu and ram, not available sound card cycles.

also, ripping is just another kind of conversion.

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 17:53 (nineteen years ago)

Sound cards don't have anything to do with ripping/converting, unless you are recording vinyl. Transcoding between lossy formats can/will introduce artifacts that weren't in the original, but you shouldn't have skips. Clicks/pops might happen if the original file clips when decoded. Try what you are doing on a different computer to see if you get the same results.

― todd (todd), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 23:28 (nineteen years ago)

This problem appears to have nothing whatsoever to do with CDs: More than likely, your transcoder sucks. Try adding an intermediate step: see if the pops appear in the WAV/AIFF file. If not, see if those files compress to MP3 OK. If they're defect-free, then stop using that shitty xcoder.

― Shoes say, yeah, no hands clap your good bra. (goodbra), Thursday, 16 November 2006 15:08 (nineteen years ago)

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