strange issue, bad broken file?

[MrSinatra]

here's something that got me to thinking...

i have a file that has a decent id3v2 tag, and that plays properly in winamp. however, winamp says it has a length of " 00 " and the bitrate column is blank!

when i do "file info" on it, i got "payload size" in the format info box and thats it. i am assuming that this file has a bad lame header or something like that, (yet not bad enough to keep from playing, its a 160kbps 44 stereo file).

does anyone know how to scan for and fix such files? i am pretty sure i have seen other [less damaged] files in my collection that are basically empty in the format info box too, yet report mostly properly in the ML.

this is somewhat serious, b/c i think bad lame headers or things similar to this slow down the scanning process, and can cause trouble on portables.

any ideas? fixes? thx!

[DJ Egg]

Try VBRFix, maybe?
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/...howtopic=67076

Other versions
http://www.google.com/search?q=vbrfix

[MrSinatra]

that file is CBR actually, (as the vast majority of mine are) but does that matter?

[DJ Egg]

I think VBRFix can be configured to rewrite the headers even for CBR.
Not sure, because I haven't used it in ages....

[Koopa]

Scan the file with MP3Val for issues:

http://mp3val.sourceforge.net/

If the header of a mp3 file is corrupt, players won't show the correct bitrate or lenght anymore.

The tool also can remove garbage from the file.

[MrSinatra]

yeah, i'm using that now...

what do you think of Moonbases file from eggs first link? i'm not sure what it does that mp3val doesn't do?

but i'm getting closer! thx.

[Koopa]

The main advantage of VBRFix is, that you can force it to rewrite the header, while MP3Val only repairs things, which it has detected as wrong.

MP3Val can fix some more issues in the files, MP3Val also works with CBR files as well, I never tried VBRFix with CBR files, tbh.

Usually MP3Val does the main job for me. MP3Val is very fast and does a great job, though I had 4 or 5 files in the past, where I had to use VBRFix to force a rewrite of the header, because MP3Val wasn't able to find anything wrong.

The best you can do, is scanning files with MP3Val, and if it shouldn't fix the problem, you still can open your copy of VBRFix and force a rewrite of the header.

One thing I'd recommend is, that you always let MP3Val create backup files. If you've checked the fixed files, you then still can manually delete the backup.

[MrSinatra]

Originally Posted by Koopa

The main advantage of VBRFix is, that you can force it to rewrite the header, while MP3Val only repairs things, which it has detected as wrong.

MP3Val can fix some more issues in the files, MP3Val also works with CBR files as well, I never tried VBRFix with CBR files, tbh.

the link helps explain what it does, although in some cases i think it just masks the issue... meaning it says "fixed" but things might not be better:

http://mp3val.sourceforge.net/docs/manual.html

...still, it should address my primary concern, or so i hope, of making scans of files as fast and reliable as possible. and it did fix the one file i had in winamp that previously reported 00 length and no bitrate in the ML (but still played).

Originally Posted by Koopa

Usually MP3Val does the main job for me. MP3Val is very fast and does a great job, though I had 4 or 5 files in the past, where I had to use VBRFix to force a rewrite of the header, because MP3Val wasn't able to find anything wrong.

The best you can do, is scanning files with MP3Val, and if it shouldn't fix the problem, you still can open your copy of VBRFix and force a rewrite of the header.

One thing I'd recommend is, that you always let MP3Val create backup files. If you've checked the fixed files, you then still can manually delete the backup.

mp3val found a lot of files for me that needed fixing, mostly downloaded ones. i'd say of the "bad files" about 90% were downloaded, while only 10% were my own rips. thats significant, b/c of my 45k files, less than 10% are of the downloaded type!

now, here's the weird case...

i have a SRV albumwrap file that mp3val claims to have fixed, (different from the other 00 one i mentioned earlier) yet it STILL won't play in winamp, even though it WILL play in WMP. i find it shocking that WMP can play a file winamp can't. my friend has the same file, and i made him confirm that it won't play in his winamp either, but it does play in his WMP too.

so i don't know why that is, or how to fix it? i installed VBRfix, but i can't make heads or tails of the damn thing, and i'm not sure its even meant to screw with CBR files to begin with.

so basically, i want to know how to make this file work in winamp, AND how to use VBRfix, and if it can work on CBR files.

thx!

ps. more of the same:

http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=64323

[MrSinatra]

so it turned out the SRV file had some kind of RG/peak issue that was causing the issue. i think once the header was fixed and RG rerun, it helped it in winamp.

in any case, mp3val and moonbase's vbrfix are my go to's. however, found some interesting articles here:

https://raywoodcockslatest.wordpress...checking-mp3s/

https://raywoodcockslatest.wordpress.../06/mp3-diags/

https://raywoodcockslatest.wordpress...r-mp3-testers/

https://raywoodcockslatest.wordpress...3-diags-codes/

https://raywoodcockslatest.wordpress...1/mp3-testing/