LameXP/doc/FAQ.html

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<h3>LameXP - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)</h3><br>

<a name="127191f3"></a><b>Table of contents:</b><br>
<ul>
<li><a href="#6a0b023d">What is LameXP ???</a>
<li><a href="#be0a8459">What platforms does LameXP run on?</a>
<li><a href="#29065b86">What output formats (encoders) does LameXP support?</a>
<li><a href="#4e398a46">What input formats (decoders) does LameXP support?</a>
<li><a href="#96205e91">My anti-virus program raises an alarm when I try to download, install or launch LameXP. Why is that?</a>
<li><a href="#fd53d98a">Who created LameXP?</a>
<li><a href="#de1c5e44">What license is LameXP released under?</a>
<li><a href="#303e5fa7">Do I have to pay for LameXP? / How can I donate to the authors of LameXP?</a>
<li><a href="#e75ad4ac">Why is the thing called "LameXP" although it does so much more?</a>
<li><a href="#054010d9">MP3, AAC/MP4, Vorbis, FLAC or Opus - What is the best audio format?</a>
<li><a href="#411d1257">What is the difference between the CBR, VBR and ABR rate control modes?</a>
<li><a href="#71a113b0">How do I enable AAC/MP4/M4A output (encoding) in LameXP?</a>
<li><a href="#126abc5a">Is there a way to output ".m4a" or ".aac" files with LameXP?</a>
<li><a href="#ebf016ab">How do I enable WMA input (decoding) in LameXP?</a>
<li><a href="#9fd53558">How can I use LameXP as a "portable" application?</a>
<li><a href="#3d6684e9">Is there a way to use custom tools (binaries) with LameXP instead of the "built-in" ones?</a>
<li><a href="#df406578">The LameXP startup (splash screen) takes very long on my system. What can I do?</a>
<li><a href="#a923d407">Why is there a time limit (expiration) in my version of LameXP?</a>
<li><a href="#900a2a6c">Is there a way to hide/show the LameXP console ("DOS Box") window?</a>
<li><a href="#9b0a5c32">Why does application 'xyz' not open the Wave files created by LameXP?</a>
<li><a href="#89cbd3d0">Why does LameXP run (only) N instances/threads in parallel on my computer?</a>
<li><a href="#454e51dd">Why does LameXP try to connect to the web-server at 'xyz.com' secretly?</a>
<li><a href="#12d077d5">How can I force LameXP to create ID3 version 2 (ID3v2) tags?</a>
<li><a href="#d83ab3c6">Why does LameXP use LAME v3.99 rather than v3.98?</a><br>
<li><a href="#4213adbc">Can LameXP be used to convert/extract tracks from an Audio CD?</a>
<li><a href="#434f2578">Why is the maximum normalization level limited to -0.5 dB?</a>
<li><a href="#9f8ff13a">What do the different 'Equalization' modes do?</a>
<li><a href="#c6d9dfed">Why does my encoded file come out slightly longer than the original?</a>
<li><a href="#ed4d30ed">Why is the Hibernation option disabled (greyed out) on my system?</a>
<li><a href="#54150e92">Why do random files fail with "Not Found!" or "Failed!" status?</a>
<li><a href="#3e999f02">Why is "Convert this file with LameXP" missing from the Explorer context menu somtimes?</a>
<li><a href="#e7c9ae2b">Why do I get the error 'Executable doesn't support Windows compatibility mode' on startup?</a>
<li><a href="#328b0a18">Why do I get the error 'Executable requires Windows XP or later' on startup?</a>
<li><a href="#3ffe490e">Why do I get the error 'The procedure entry point De/EncodePointer could not be located' on startup?</a>
<li><a href="#01922741">Why do I get the error 'LameXP.exe is not a valid Win32 application' on startup?</a>
<li><a href="#491aaad9">Why do I get the error 'A device attached to the system is not functioning' on startup?</a>
<li><a href="#a0fd5ae8">Why do I get the error 'File &acute;tool_foobar.exe&acute; could not be locked!' on startup?</a>
<li><a href="#f35cfa24">How can I translate LameXP to my language or improve an existing translation?</a>
<li><a href="#8dba381f">Where can I download the latest version of LameXP?</a>
<li><a href="#9c2e273d">Where can I submit bug reports or feature requests?</a>
<li><a href="#e5694e3e">What programming language is LameXP written in?</a><br>
<li><a href="#982cf1c0">Where can I find the LameXP source code?</a>
<li><a href="#a0c1e92b">What are the prerequisites to build LameXP from the sources?</a></ul>

<br><br>

<a name="6a0b023d"></a><b>What is LameXP ???</b><br>
<br>
LameXP is a graphical user-interface (front-end) for various of audio encoders: It allows you convert your<br>
audio files from one audio format to another one in the most simple way. Despite its name, LameXP is NOT only<br>
a front-end for the LAME encoder, but supports a wide range of output formats, including MP3, Ogg Vorbis,<br>
AAC/MP4, FLAC, AC-3 and Wave Audio. The number of supported input formats is even bigger! Furthermore LameXP<br>
does NOT only run on Windows XP, but also on Windows Vista, Windows 7 and many other operating systems.<br>
<br>
As all the encoders and decoders used by LameXP are already "built-in" (with one exception), you do NOT need<br>
to install any additional software, such as "Codecs", "Filters" or "Plug-ins", on your computer. Everything<br>
works "out of the box"! You can even use LameXP as a "portable" application, e.g. run it from your USB stick.<br>
Moreover LameXP was designed for batch processing. This means that you can convert a huge number of audio<br>
files, e.g. a complete album or even your entire music collection, in a single step. And, as LameXP is able<br>
to process several audio files in parallel, it takes full advantage of modern multi-core processors! However<br>
LameXP is NOT only optimized for speed, it also provides excellent sound quality by using the most<br>
sophisticated encoders available and by giving the user unrestricted control over all encoding parameters.<br>
<br>
In addition to that, LameXP provides full support for metadata, including cover art. So when converting your<br>
audio files, LameXP will retain existing meta tags. But there also is an easy-to-use editor for adding or<br>
modifying metadata. LameXP supports Unicode for both, meta tags and filenames, so there won't be any problems<br>
with "foreign" characters. And, thanks to our translators, the user-interface of LameXP is available in<br>
multiple languages. Last but not least, LameXP supports a number of post-processing filters, including sample<br>
rate conversion, normalization (gain), tone adjustment and downmixing of multi-channel sources.<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="be0a8459"></a><b>What platforms does LameXP run on?</b><br>
<br>
LameXP is currently being developed on the following platforms:<br><ul>
<li>Microsoft Windows 7 (32-Bit and 64-Bit editions) with <a href="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/gg635126" target="_blank">Service Pack 1</a>
<li>Microsoft Windows XP with <a href="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/bb794714" target="_blank">Service Pack 3</a></ul>
<br>
The following platforms should work too, but aren't tested extensively:<br><ul>
<li>Microsoft Windows 8 (32-Bit and 64-Bit editions)
<li>Microsoft Windows Vista (32-Bit and 64-Bit editions) with <a href="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/dd262148" target="_blank">Service Pack 2</a>
<li>Microsoft Windows XP x64 Edition with <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=17791" target="_blank">Service Pack 2</a>
<li>Microsoft Windows 2000 with <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=4127" target="_blank">Service Pack 4</a>
<li>Microsoft Windows Server 2008 with <a href="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/dd262148" target="_blank">Service Pack 2</a>
<li>Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 with <a href="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/gg635126" target="_blank">Service Pack 1</a>
<li>GNU/Linux (e.g. Ubuntu 12.04) using <a href="http://www.winehq.org/" target="_blank">Wine</a> v1.4+, native Linux version planned</ul>
<br>
The following "legacy" platforms are NOT supported any longer:<br><ul>
<li>Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
<li>Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (*)
<li>Microsoft Windows 98 (*)
<li>Microsoft Windows 95</ul>
<br>
(*) Some people claim that LameXP can run on Windows 98 SE or Millennium Edition with the help of <a href="http://sourceforge.net/projects/kernelex/" target="_blank">KernelEx</a>.<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="29065b86"></a><b>What output formats (encoders) does LameXP support?</b><br>
<br>
Currently the following output formats are supported by LameXP:<br><ul>
<li>MPEG Audio-Layer III (MP3), using the <a href="http://lamexp.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">LAME</a> encoder [built-in]
<li>Ogg Vorbis, using the <a href="http://www.xiph.org/vorbis/" target="_blank">OggEnc2/libvorbis</a> encoder with <a href="http://www.geocities.jp/aoyoume/aotuv/" target="_blank">aoTuV</a> [built-in]
<li>Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), using <a href="http://www.audiocoding.com/nero_aacenc.html" target="_blank">Nero AAC</a> encoder [separate download!]
<li>ATSC A/52 (aka "AC-3"), using the <a href="http://aften.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">Aften</a> encoder [built-in]
<li>DCA, using the <a href="https://gitorious.org/dtsenc" target="_blank">DCA Enc</a> encoder (still experimental) [built-in]
<li>Free Lossless Audio Codec (<a href="http://flac.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">FLAC</a>) [built-in]
<li>Opus Audio Codec, using the <a href="http://www.opus-codec.org/" target="_blank">Opus-Tools</a> by Xiph.org/Mozilla [built-in]
<li>Uncompressed PCM / Waveform Audio File (WAV/RIFF)</ul>

<br><br>

<a name="4e398a46"></a><b>What input formats (decoders) does LameXP support?</b><br>
<br>
Currently the following input formats are supported by LameXP:<br><ul>
<li>AC-3 (ATSC A/52), using Valib decoder [built-in]
<li>Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), using FAAD decoder [built-in]
<li>Apple Lossless (ALAC)
<li>Apple/SGI AIFF
<li>Avisynth, audio only [requires Avisynth 2.5.x to be installed]
<li>Digital Theater System, using Valib decoder [built-in]
<li>Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC)
<li>Microsoft ADPCM
<li>Monkey's Audio (APE)
<li>MPEG Audio-Layer I (MP1), using mpg123 decoder [built-in]
<li>MPEG Audio-Layer II (MP2), using mpg123 decoder [built-in]
<li>MPEG Audio-Layer III (MP3), using mpg123 decoder [built-in]
<li>Musepack
<li>Opus Audio Codec
<li>Shorten
<li>Speex
<li>Sun/NeXT Au
<li>The True Audio (TTA)
<li>Uncompressed PCM / Waveform Audio File (WAV/RIFF)
<li>WavPack Hybrid Lossless Audio
<li>Windows Media Audio (WMA), using wma2wav [built-in]</ul>

<br><br>

<a name="96205e91"></a><b>My anti-virus program raises an alarm when I try to download, install or launch LameXP. Why is that?</b><br>
<br>
Occasionally your anti-virus program may mistakenly(!) detect malware ("virus", "trojan horse", "worm", etc.)<br>
in LameXP. This is called a "false positive" and the file is actually innocent/clean. It's an error in your<br>
specific anti-virus software. So in case you encounter such problems, please use <a href="http://www.virustotal.com/" target="_blank">http://www.virustotal.com/</a>,<br>
<a href="http://www.virscan.org/" target="_blank">http://www.virscan.org/</a> or a similar online-service to check the file in question with multiple(!) anti-virus<br>
engines. Especially take care with heuristic scan results like "suspicious", "generic" or "packed". Such<br>
results are NOT confirmed malware detections - they are speculative and almost always can be ignored safely!<br>
<br>
Apparently anti-virus programs tend to suspect installers or uninstallers created with <a href="http://nsis.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">NSIS</a>. Furthermore some<br>
anti-virus programs blindly suspect ALL "packed" executables of being malware. Obviously that is a stupid<br>
generalization, because "EXE packers" are commonly used by legitimate software (inlcuding a large number of<br>
OpenSource tools), so please ignore these nasty warnings! Last but not least: Always keep in mind that LameXP<br>
is free software. If you don't trust the pre-compiled LameXP binaries that we provide, simply download the<br>
<a href="#982cf1c0">source codes</a>, search the code for "malicious" functions (you won't find any ^^) and <a href="#a0c1e92b">compile</a> LameXP yourself!<br>
<br>
Another important fact to consider is that for the creator of LameXP, it is impossible to know WHY a specific<br>
anti-virus program is failing on our software. That's because anti-virus programs usually are proprietary<br>
ClosedSource applications, so we cannot know what's going on "behind the scenes". Consequently any attempt to<br>
guess what "aspect" of LameXP the anti-virus software is misinterpreting as malware would be pure speculation<br>
and might even change with the next anti-virus update. Only the developer of the anti-virus program can fix<br>
bugs inside the anti-virus program. So please report these bugs to the developer of your anti-virus program!<br>
<br>
Finally, be aware that we are NOT liable for any files (downloads), except for those that are directly linked<br>
on the official LameXP web-site or on one of the <a href="#8dba381f">official mirros</a>. Other web-sites may be redistributing our<br>
software, but we are NOT affiliated with or funded by any of these web-sites. So while the license of LameXP<br>
allows redistribution, there is absolutely NO guarantee that binaries offered by third parties are genuine!<br>
<br>
Conclusion:<ul>
<li>IN CASE YOU HAVE A CONFIRMED INFECTION, RE-DOWNLOAD THE FILE FROM ONE OF THE *OFFICIAL* MIRRORS!
<li>DO NOT SEND US VIRUS REPORTS, UNLESS YOU HAVE VERIFIED THE INFECTION WITH MULTIPLE ANTI-VIRUS ENGINES!
<li>PLEASE REPORT "FALSE POSITIVES" TO THE DEVELOPER OF YOUR ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE. WE CANNOT FIX THEM!
<li>THERE ARE PLENTY OF ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAMS TO CHOOSE FROM. YOU DON'T NEED TO STICK WITH A NEUROTIC ONE!</ul>

<br><br>

<a name="fd53d98a"></a><b>Who created LameXP?</b><br>
<br>
LameXP was written from the scratch by <a href="mailto:mulder2-nospam&#64;gmx.de">LoRd_MuldeR &lt;MuldeR2&#64;GMX.de&gt;</a>. However it has to be noted that LameXP<br>
uses a number of third-party tools, which have been created by the individual authors. Moreover various<br>
people have contributed LameXP translations. Please see the "About" dialog for details! Also please do NOT<br>
send e-mail to LoRd_MuldeR directly, if the problem or suggestion can be discussed in the <a href="#9c2e273d">support</a> forums!<br>
<br>
More OpenSource projects by LoRd_MuldeR available at <a href="http://mulder.at.gg/" target="_blank">http://mulder.at.gg/</a> or <a href="http://mulder.googlecode.com/" target="_blank">http://mulder.googlecode.com/</a>.<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="de1c5e44"></a><b>What license is LameXP released under?</b><br>
<br>
LameXP is free software. You can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public<br>
License (GPL) as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your<br>
option) any later version. This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY<br>
WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.<br>
<br>
The licenses for most software and other practical works are designed to take away your freedom to share and<br>
change the works. By contrast, the GNU General Public License is intended to guarantee your freedom to share<br>
and change all versions of a program &#45; to make sure it remains free software for all its users.<br>
<br>
Please see the <a href="http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html" target="_blank">GNU General Public License</a> for more details!<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="303e5fa7"></a><b>Do I have to pay for LameXP? / How can I donate to the authors of LameXP?</b><br>
<br>
LameXP is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software" target="_blank">free software</a>, so you may use it for free and for any purpose. Moreover the authors of LameXP<br>
currently do NOT accept any donations. Therefore you should NOT pay or donate any money in order to obtain<br>
LameXP! However it was brought to our attention that some dubious third-party web-sites offer "payed"<br>
downloads of LameXP and/or include Adware into the LameXP download. We do NOT cooperate with any of these<br>
sites. So if you pay for the LameXP download, the authors of LameXP will not get a single cent! Instead you<br>
should save your money and download LameXP from the official mirrors (<a href="#8dba381f">see below</a>), which is 100% free.<br>
<br>
If you want to support the development of LameXP, you can do so by contributing translations or code :-)<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="e75ad4ac"></a><b>Why is the thing called "LameXP" although it does so much more?</b><br>
<br>
LameXP was created as a (very simple!) GUI front-end to the LAME MP3 encoder, back in 2004. That version did<br>
NOT support any encoders except for LAME, it did NOT support any input formats other than Wave Audio files,<br>
it did NOT support any audio filters, it did NOT support multi-threading, it did NOT support Unicode file<br>
names and it did NOT handle meta data at all. Because the program really was nothing but (yet another) LAME<br>
front-end for Windows and because at that time Windows XP was the operating system of choice - for many<br>
people it still is nowadays - I decided to call the program "LameXP" (aka "LAME for Windows XP"). Since then<br>
more and more features have been added to LameXP. The program even went through two complete re-writes. Thus<br>
the name "LameXP" may not be the most meaningful one, especially because the program supports a huge number<br>
of encoders and decoders now, but I'm obviosuly lacking the creativity to come up with a better name. Also I<br>
think we already have enough doubious "super-duper everything to everything converter" programs out there...<br>
<br>
So to make a long story short: The name has historical reasons and probably isn't going to change ;-)<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="054010d9"></a><b>MP3, AAC/MP4, Vorbis, FLAC or Opus - What is the best audio format?</b><br>
<br>
This question can NOT be answered in general. The best audio format is the format that works best for you!<br>
<br>
Having said that, let's have a look at the output formats supported by LameXP: MPEG-1 Audio Layer III, better<br>
known as "MP3", was released in 1993 and probably still is the most widely used and most widely supported<br>
compressed audio format. So if compatibility is your concern, MP3 is a good choice. Also MP3 can retain very<br>
good quality - at higher bitrates. However MP3 does not support multi-channel audio and it does not perform<br>
well at lower bitrates. MP3 also is pretty restrictive with the sampling rates and bitrates that it supports.<br>
<br>
Advanced Audio Coding, often abbreviated as "AAC", was introduced as part of the MPEG-2 standard (1997) and<br>
has been adopted by the MPEG-4 standard later (1999). AAC is often considered to be the "successor" of MP3.<br>
Compared to MP3, AAC adds support for multi-channel audio, it support more sampling rates as well as more<br>
flexible bitrates. Two variants of AAC are commonly used: Low-Complexity (LC) and High-Efficiency (HE). While<br>
LC-AAC is intended for medium to high bitrates, LC-AAC works best at low bitrates. At low bitrates, HE-AAC<br>
clearly outperforms MP3 - at higher bitrates the differences aren't that clear. AAC streams are usually, but<br>
not necessarily, encapsulated in an MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14) container. That's why AAC audio files almost always<br>
have an ".mp4" file extension. Still the audio format is AAC - MP4 is only the container! Be aware that some<br>
applications create audio-only MP4 files with a non-standard (wrong) ".m4a" file extension. AAC is widely<br>
supported too nowadays (especially in "mobile" devices), though not all players fully support the HE variant.<br>
<br>
Vorbis, often called "Ogg Vorbis", is a free audio format, developed by the Xiph foundation and released in<br>
2000. In contrast to MP3/AAC, Vorbis is 100% patent-free. Vorbis streams are usually, but not necessarily,<br>
encapsulated in an Ogg container (developed by Xiph too) and thus Vorbis files almost always have an ".ogg"<br>
file extension. Vorbis is known to outperform MP3 at the same bitrate, although the differences are less<br>
apparent at high bitrates. Furthermore HE-AAC has been known to outperform Vorbis at lower bitrates, though<br>
there now is a tuned Vorbis encoder ("aoTuV") which further improves the quality of Vorbis - especially at<br>
the lower bitrates. Hardware support for Ogg Vorbis is worse than for MP3/AAC, but it's constantly improving.<br>
<br>
Free Lossless Audio Codec, better known as "FLAC", is a lossless audio format. This means that in contrast to<br>
MP3, AAC and Vorbis, with the FLAC compression there is absolutely no loss in quality. This made FLAC famous<br>
among "audiophile" people. However the lossless nature of FLAC comes at a big disadvantage: The compression<br>
ratio of FLAC files isn't anywhere near the "lossy" audio formats. Or in other words: FLAC files are huge!<br>
They are not as big as uncompressed Wave files, but usually the size cannot be reduced to less than 75%. Just<br>
like Ogg Vorbis, hardware support for FLAC files is worse than for MP3/AAC, but it's constantly improving.<br>
<br>
Opus is a new audio format which, at this time (Aug 2012), is still under active development. It is being<br>
developed by engineers from Xiph, Mozilla and Skype/Microsoft. Opus has been accepted as an upcoming Internet<br>
standard by the IETF recently. The Opus format is designed to work for low-latency speech encoding (VoIP) as<br>
well as for high-quality music encoding. Opus is sometimes referred to as the "successor" of both, Vorbis and<br>
Speex (the latter is Xiph's current speech codec). Currently, Opus reaches the quality of 128 kbps MP3 at an<br>
bitrate of 80 kbps. As the development is still in progress, significant improvements are to be expected.<br>
<!--
there are a few things to consider. First of all: All output formats supported by LameXP,<br>
except for FLAC and PCM/Wave, use a lossy(!) kind of compression. That applies to MP3 and AAC as well as<br>
Vorbis. Consequently with these formats a certain quality loss is unavoidable when re-encoding/converting, no<br>
matter what. This is called "generation loss". Nonetheless all three formats (MP3, AAC and Vorbis) are able<br>
to retain an EXCELLENT audio quality, given that the chosen bitrate (quality level) is sufficient/reasonable.<br>
<br>
Secondly, the audio quality does not depend on the audio format and the chosen bitrate only. It also depends<br>
greatly on the encoder software that is being used. LameXP uses the LAME MP3 encoder, probably the most<br>
sophisticated MP3 encoder out there, the Nero AAC encoder, one of the best AAC encoders available, and the<br>
aoTuV Vorbis encoder, an improved/tuned version of the reference Vorbis encoder. Consequently LameXP provides<br>
you with state-of-the-art encoders, which ensures maximum encoding quality for ALL supported output formats.<br>
<br>
Another thing to consider is hardware support, i.e. support on stand-alone and portable players. The MP3<br>
format still has the best support on hardware players, but support for AAC/MP4 has become widespread too -<br>
especially on portable devices. Hardware support for Vorbis is more limited, but growing. So if portability<br>
is a priority, then MP3 is a good choice. However the MP3 format does NOT support multi-channel audio, which<br>
means that you will have to use AAC or Vorbis for multi-channel files. Last but not least, if you prefer a<br>
truly "open" and patent-free audio format, then Vorbis will be the format of your choice!<br>
-->
<br>
<br>
Another resource you might find interesting are Sebastian's Public Listening Tests:<br><ul>
<li><a href="http://listening-tests.hydrogenaudio.org/sebastian/mp3-128-1/results.htm" target="_blank">MP3 listening test @ 128 kbps, includes MP3 encoders (like LAME) only</a>
<li><a href="http://listening-tests.hydrogenaudio.org/sebastian/mf-128-1/results.htm" target="_blank">Multiformat listening test @ 128 kbps, includes LAME MP3, Vorbis AoTuV and others</a>
<li><a href="http://listening-tests.hydrogenaudio.org/sebastian/mf-64-1/results.htm" target="_blank">Multiformat listening test @ 64 kbps, includes Vorbis AoTuV, Nero AAC and others</a>
</ul>
(However be aware that some of the results from these listening tests are not up-to-date anymore)<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="411d1257"></a><b>What is the difference between the CBR, VBR and ABR rate control modes?</b><br>
<br>
CBR means "constant bitrate" and, as the name implies, CBR mode allocates the bits at a constant rate. This<br>
means that each part of the audio will get the same amount of bits, regardless of its content. Obviously this<br>
will waste bits in parts of the audio that are "easy" to compress. At the same time the quality of parts of<br>
the audio that are "hard" to compress will be degraded. Consequently using CBR mode is NOT a very good idea,<br>
unless you really have to enforce a 100% constant bitrate (this is almost NEVER the case). However CBR mode<br>
has the advantage that the final size of the compressed file is perfectly predictable. The resulting file<br>
size is defined simply as "duration &times; fixed_bitrate". Note: The file size *is* predictable with ABR mode too!<br>
<br>
VBR means "variable bitrate" and, in contrast to CBR mode, VBR mode allows the bitrate to vary/fluctuate.<br>
Thus the VBR mode enables the encoder to adapt the bitrate with respect to the content of the audio. Parts of<br>
the audio that are "easy" to compress will get a lower bitrate in order to avoid wasting bits there. At the<br>
same time, parts of the audio that are "hard" to compress will get a higher bitrate in order to avoid quality<br>
degradation. Or in other words: VBR mode "moves" the bits to the locations where they are actually needed!<br>
Therefore the VBR mode achieves a much better compression efficiency than the CBR mode. This means with VBR<br>
mode you can get a better quality at the same file size - or the same quality at a smaller file size. One<br>
disadvantage of the VBR mode, however, is that the final size of the compressed file can NOT be predicted.<br>
The resulting file size now is defined as "duration &times; average_bitrate", but the average bitrate is NOT<br>
known beforehand. That's because the average bitrate for a specific VBR quality level can vary greatly,<br>
depending solely on the complexity of the individual audio. With VBR mode the encoder uses as many bits as<br>
required to achieve the desired level of quality. That clearly makes VBR the preferred encoding mode.<br>
<br>
ABR means "average bitrate". You can think of ABR mode as a compromise between the CBR and VBR mode. With ABR<br>
mode the bitrate is allowed to vary/fluctuate, similar to VBR mode. However the ABR mode doesn't work with a<br>
predefined/fixed quality level, as VBR mode does. Instead in ABR mode the encoder will continuously re-adjust<br>
the quality level in order to hit the target average(!) bitrate. You can also think of ABR mode as a mode<br>
that pre-allocates the bits in a CBR-like fashion and then redistributes the bits within a local neighborhood<br>
as needed. Thus the ABR mode combines advantages of CBR mode (predictability) and VBR mode (higher quality).<br>
The final size of the encoded file is still defined as "duration &times; average_bitrate", but with ABR mode the<br>
average bitrate *is* known beforehand. So if you need to hit a specific file size, ABR mode is the solution.<br>
Using ABR mode is to be preferred over CBR mode. Nonetheless VBR mode usually provides the best experience.<br>
<br>
<br>
Hint: The Nero AAC encoder supports a variant of the ABR mode, the so-called "2-Pass" mode. That mode scans<br>
through the entire file once (first pass) before the actual encoding is performed (second pass). This way the<br>
encoder is able to distribute the bits over the entire file and still hit the desired target average bitrate.<br>
It should be obvious that the advantages of the "2-Pass" mode come at the cost of increased encoding time.<br>
<br>
Hint: A common mistake done by people comparing rate control modes is choosing a bitrate that is too high. Of<br>
course only files of an identical (average) bitrate can be compared by quality. But if that bitrate is chosen<br>
too high, you won't be able to draw any conclusions from the test. That's because at a certain bitrate even<br>
the CBR mode will retain excellent quality. In that situation VBR mode or ABR mode can't give an even better<br>
quality for obvious reasons. But drawing the conclusion that there is no difference between CBR mode and the<br>
VBR/ABR modes would be very wrong! The differences will become significant when using a reasonable bitrate.<br>
Another mistake is starting with a low-quality source file and concluding that all modes perform equally bad.<br>
<br>
<br>
SUMMARY ON RATE CONTROL MODES:<br><ul>
<li>Need to hit a specific fixed file size and still want to retain a decent quality? &rArr; ABR mode
<li>Want to retain a certain level of quality and hitting an exact file size is not needed? &rArr; VBR mode
<li>Avoid CBR mode by all means, unless there are "external" restrictions that force you to use it!</ul>

<br><br>

<a name="71a113b0"></a><b>How do I enable AAC/MP4/M4A output (encoding) in LameXP?</b><br>
<br>
LameXP uses the Nero AAC Encoder for creating AAC/MP4/M4A files. The Nero AAC Encoder is available as a free<br>
download. However the license doesn't allow redistribution! Therefore we can NOT ship the Nero encoder along<br>
with LameXP. Instead you will have to obtain the Nero encoder as a separate download from the official "Nero<br>
Digital" web-site. Currently you'll find the latest Nero AAC Encoder version at this location:<br><ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nero.com/deu/downloads-nerodigital-nero-aac-codec.php" target="_blank">http://www.nero.com/deu/downloads-nerodigital-nero-aac-codec.php</a>
<li><a href="http://ftp6.nero.com/tools/" target="_blank">http://ftp6.nero.com/tools/</a></ul>
<br>
After you have downloaded the Nero AAC Encoder as a ZIP file, you must "install" the encoder binaries, so<br>
LameXP can use them. Simply unzip the files 'neroAacEnc.exe', 'neroAacDec.exe' as well as 'neroAacTag.exe' to<br>
the same directory where your LameXP executable ('LameXP.exe') is located. For unzipping the ZIP file you can<br>
use any suitable archiver, such as <a href="http://rarlabs.com/download.htm" target="_blank">WinRAR</a> or <a href="http://sevenzip.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">7-Zip</a>. Once the required Nero encoder binaries are located in<br>
the LameXP directory, the AAC encoding option should be "enabled" on the next startup of LameXP.<br>
<br>
<br>
QAAC Encoder<br>
<br>
Optionally LameXP supports the QAAC encoder, i.e. the AAC encoder used by QuickTime and iTunes. Just like the<br>
Nero AAC encoder, the QAAC encoder can NOT be redistributed along with LameXP. Thus if you want to use the<br>
QAAC encoder, then you have to install QuickTime v7.7.1 (or newer). Alternatively iTunes v10.5 (or newer) can<br>
be installed. Both, QuickTime and iTunes, can be <a href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/" target="_blank">downloaded for free</a> from the official Apple web-site.<br>
<br>
In order to enable the QAAC Encoder support you will also need the 'QAAC Encoder Add-in' for LameXP:<br><ul>
<li><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/file/o5is7bqporboa7b/LameXP.qaac-addin.2012-08-05.zip" target="_blank">http://www.mediafire.com/file/o5is7bqporboa7b/LameXP.qaac-addin.2012-08-05.zip</a>
<li><a href="http://mulder.brhack.net/public/add-in/LameXP.qaac-addin.2012-08-05.zip" target="_blank">http://mulder.brhack.net/public/add-in/LameXP.qaac-addin.2012-08-05.zip</a></ul>
<br>
Please follow the install instructions that are included with the 'QAAC Encoder Add-in' download package!<br>
Note that you do NOT need to install this Add-in, if you only want to use the Nero AAC Encoder.<br>
<br>
<br>
FHG AAC Encoder<br>
<br>
Optionally LameXP also supports the FHG AAC Encoder now. Just like the Nero encoder, the FHG encoder can NOT<br>
be redistributed along with LameXP. However the FHG AAC Encoder is included with Winamp v5.62, which is<br>
available as a free download (you don't need to buy the "Pro" version!) from the official Winamp web-site at:<br><ul>
<li><a href="http://www.winamp.com/media-player/" target="_blank">http://www.winamp.com/media-player/</a>
<li><a href="http://download.nullsoft.com/winamp/client/winamp5623_full_emusic-7plus_all.exe" target="_blank">http://download.nullsoft.com/winamp/client/winamp5623_full_emusic-7plus_all.exe</a></ul>
<br>
In order to enable the FHG AAC Encoder support you will also need the 'FHG AAC Encoder Add-in' for LameXP:<br><ul>
<li><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/file/ni7w4323pqub9x3/LameXP.fhgaacenc-addin.2012-08-06.zip" target="_blank">http://www.mediafire.com/file/ni7w4323pqub9x3/LameXP.fhgaacenc-addin.2012-08-06.zip</a>
<li><a href="http://mulder.brhack.net/public/add-in/LameXP.fhgaacenc-addin.2012-08-06.zip" target="_blank">http://mulder.brhack.net/public/add-in/LameXP.fhgaacenc-addin.2012-08-06.zip</a></ul>
<br>
Please follow the install instructions that are included with the 'FHG AAC Encoder Add-in' download package!<br>
Note that you do NOT need to install this Add-in, if you only want to use the Nero AAC Encoder.<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="126abc5a"></a><b>Is there a way to output ".m4a" or ".aac" files with LameXP?</b><br>
<br>
LameXP uses the Nero AAC Encoder for AAC encoding. And the Nero encoder always puts the AAC streams into an<br>
MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14) container - in almost any case that is exactly what you want/need! The one and only<br>
"correct" file extension for MP4 files is '.mp4'. However sometimes the "incorrect" file extension '.m4a' is<br>
used to indicate "audio-only" MP4 files. Even worse: There are some buggy (hardware) players that will<br>
recognize MP4 audio file only with the "incorrect" .m4a extension, but NOT with the "correct" .mp4 extension.<br>
Of course LameXP will save your MP4 files with the "correct" .mp4 extension. But if you need your MP4 files<br>
with an .m4a extension for some reason, you can simply rename(!) these files. Renaming isn't more or less<br>
"incorrect" than saving the files as .m4a directly. After all, an MP4 file remains an MP4 file.<br>
<br>
Warning: While renaming .mp4 files to .m4a (or vice versa) is safe, because both file extensions refer to MP4<br>
files, you must NOT rename any .mp4/.m4a files to .aac (or the other way around). That's because the '.aac'<br>
extension is used with "raw" AAC streams (ADTS format), i.e. AAC streams that are explicitly NOT stored in an<br>
MP4 container! Unfortunately the Nero AAC encoder has NO option to output "raw" AAC streams. And usually you<br>
don't need such streams. Still, if you really need to extract the "raw" AAC stream (.aac) from an MP4 file,<br>
you can simply use <a href="http://www.videohelp.com/tools/mp4box" target="_blank">MP4Box</a> for that purpose. Please note that <a href="http://yamb.unite-video.com/">YAMB</a> is a great MP4Box GUI created by Kurtnoise.<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="ebf016ab"></a><b>How do I enable WMA input (decoding) in LameXP?</b><br>
<br>
LameXP now uses its "built-in" WMA decoder, thanks to 'wma2wav'. However it has to be noted that the WMA<br>
decoder relies on the Windows Media Format Runtime. All supported versions of Microsoft Windows should have<br>
the Windows Media Format Runtime installed as part of the Windows Media Player. But Wine does not! In case<br>
you encounter problems with the WMA decoder, try installing the <a href="http://anonym.to/http://www.citizeninsomniac.com/WMV/wmfdist11.exe" target="_blank">Windows Media Format Runtime</a> manually. This<br>
should also work under Wine. The 'N' or 'KN' editions of Windows 7 need the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=16546" target="_blank">Windows Media Feature Pack</a>.<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="9fd53558"></a><b>How can I use LameXP as a "portable" application?</b><br>
<br>
LameXP always is "portable", in the sense that the application works out of the box: LameXP does NOT require<br>
any additional software, such as codecs, encoders, decoders or runtime libraries, and it will NOT install<br>
anything of that kind on your local computer! All the third-party tools used by LameXP are already built-in.<br>
There currently are two notable exceptions: The Nero AAC encoder and the WMA decoder cannot be redistributed<br>
along with LameXP for legal reasons. Therefore these tools have to be obtained as separate downloads.<br>
<br>
Having said that, LameXP stores its configuration file in the <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd378457(v=vs.85).aspx#FOLDERID_LocalAppData" target="_blank">%LOCALAPPDATA%</a> folder on the local computer.<br>
That's because on a modern multi-user operating this is the only "correct" folder to store user-specific<br>
configuration files. Also it's one of the few folders where an application is guaranteed to get write-access,<br>
even when the application was launched by a "normal" (non-admin) user and did not request elevated rights.<br>
Storing the configuration file in the "install" folder is antiquated and highly error-prone.<br>
<br>
Still some users may want to store the configuration file in the same folder as the LameXP executable file,<br>
e.g. when launching LameXP directly from their USB stick on different computers. For this purpose LameXP now<br>
offers a "true" portable mode. You can enable that mode simply by renaming the LameXP executable file to<br>
"LameXP-Portable.exe". But be aware: When running LameXP in the "portable" mode, the user(!) must ensure that<br>
write-access is granted to the directory where the LameXP executable is located.<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="3d6684e9"></a><b>Is there a way to use custom tools (binaries) with LameXP instead of the "built-in" ones?</b><br>
<br>
LameXP uses a number third-party tools. All of these tools are already "built-in" (with a few exceptions) and<br>
thus it is NOT required to provide separate binaries. Usually it will NOT be necessary to replace any of<br>
the "built-in" tools with a custom (user-provided) binary. If, however, you need to replace/update/downgrade<br>
one of the binaries for a good reason, the recommended method is re-building LameXP from the sources. If you<br>
don't know how to build LameXP from the sources, then you probably shouldn't be trying to replace the binary.<br>
<br>
Having said that, there now is a more convenient method for using a custom tool version (binary) instead of<br>
the "built-in" one. This method works WITHOUT re-building LameXP. However note that the following is intended<br>
for testing and debugging purposes only! Also note that LameXP was specifically designed to work with the<br>
"built-in" versions of the tools. It may not work properly or may not work at all with custom tool versions!<br>
<br>
In order to replace a "built-in" binary, simply put the user-provided binary to the following location:
<blockquote>&lt;install_folder&gt;\tools\&lt;build_number&gt;\&lt;tool_name&gt;.exe</blockquote>
If, for example, you want to replace 'lame.exe' in Build #666 of LameXP, you would put it to the this path:
<blockquote>C:\Path to your LameXP install folder\tools\666\lame.exe</blockquote>
(It is intended that the '&lt;build_number&gt;' part of the path has to be adjusted with every update of LameXP)<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="df406578"></a><b>The LameXP startup (splash screen) takes very long on my system. What can I do?</b><br>
<br>
Starting up LameXP shouldn't take longer than approximately 10 seconds. However it was brought to our<br>
attention that badly optimized anti-virus software can slow down the startup procedure a lot! On our test<br>
system (Windows 7 running on an Intel Core2 Q6600 with 4 GB of RAM) starting up LameXP takes about 3 seconds<br>
without an anti-virus software and about 6 seconds with the "real-time protection" of Microsoft Security<br>
Essentials enabled. With other anti-virus software the startup was delayed up to 20 seconds and more!<br>
<br>
So if you think that LameXP is starting up too slow on your system, you should temporarily(!) disable or<br>
uninstall your current anti-virus program and try again. Usually it should be sufficient to disable only the<br>
"real-time protection", "file system protection" or "guard" feature of your anti-virus software. If it turns<br>
out that the startup is significantly(!) faster WITHOUT the anti-virus software, please report the problem to<br>
the developer of the anti-virus software. And, if they don't fix the problem, switch to a better product!<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="a923d407"></a><b>Why is there a time limit (expiration) in my version of LameXP?</b><br>
<br>
LameXP is free software, released under the GPL. This means that you may use LameXP for free and without any<br>
restrictions. More specifically, there is NO time limit (expiration) in any "Release" versions of LameXP!<br>
Nonetheless, the "Beta" (pre-release) versions of LameXP will expire 30 days after build date. That's because<br>
these "Beta" versions are intended for testing and evaluation only. They are NOT intended for productive use.<br>
After the 30 days have expired, you will have to update your "Beta" version of LameXP to the latest version.<br>
Usually there will be frequent updates for "Beta" versions though. So, most of the time, a new update will be<br>
available even before the previous build has expired. We highly recommend to install all updates as soon as<br>
possible instead of waiting for the expiration. If you are NOT willing to update LameXP regularly, stick with<br>
the "Release" version. The "Release" versions of LameXP are updated less frequently and they won't expire.<br>
<br>
Note: We are well aware that the expiration mechanism implemented in LameXP can be circumvented quite easily,<br>
if you really want to. But implementing a "better" mechanism is pointless for an OpenSource software ;-)<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="900a2a6c"></a><b>Is there a way to hide/show the LameXP console ("DOS Box") window?</b><br>
<br>
It is common for many people to run an alleged "DOS" program inside Windows, using a so-called "DOS Box".<br>
Everything works fine. But when you try to run such a program in DOS, you get an ugly message "This program<br>
cannot be run in DOS mode". What's wrong? Well, the affected program is NOT a "DOS" one. It is a Windows<br>
Console program. "DOS" is NOT a synonym of Console. And "Windows" is NOT a synonym of GUI (Graphical User<br>
Interface). Both, DOS and Windows programs, can be either Console or GUI. Actually Windows programs can be<br>
Console *and* GUI at the same time, i.e. a Windows GUI program can have a Console attached.<br>
<br>
LameXP is a GUI program for Windows. However it can have a "Debug" console attached. The purpose of this<br>
console is providing users an insight into what's happening behind the scenes. While the console is mainly<br>
intended for developers, it may be helpful for "regular" users too. Nonetheless you usually will NOT need the<br>
console, unless something is going wrong. Therefore the LameXP console is disabled by default in all<br>
"release" builds. You can enable the console by passing the "--console" command-line parameter, if required.<br>
At the same time the console is enabled by default in all "beta" (pre-release) builds of LameXP. You can<br>
still disable the console by passing the "--no-console" command-line parameter, if you don't like it.<br>
<br>
WARNING: Any attempt to close the LameXP console window will kill the application immediately !!!<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="9b0a5c32"></a><b>Why does application 'xyz' not open the Wave files created by LameXP?</b><br>
<br>
Some of the decoders used in LameXP will insert an additional 'JUNK' chunk into the Wave/RIFF file, right<br>
before the 'fmt' chunk ("Wave header"). There are technical reasons why this 'JUNK' chunk (placeholder) might<br>
be needed at the beginning of the file. The 'JUNK' type is a standard RIFF type and, by definition of the<br>
RIFF file format specification, any reading application must ignore/skip all 'JUNK' chunks it may encounter!<br>
Evidently most reading applications do so and thus will correctly open the Wave file. Unfortunately it was<br>
brought to our attention that there are a few broken(!) applications, which reject Wave/RIFF files with an<br>
additional 'JUNK' chunk in front of the 'fmt' chunk. It seems that these applications make false assumptions<br>
and expect the 'fmt' chunk to be located at a fixed position, rather than parsing the RIFF structure.<br>
<br>
While it is evident that applications, which reject the Wave/RIFF file because of the extra 'JUNK' chunk, are<br>
broken with respect to the RIFF specification and should be fixed by the respective author, there is an easy<br>
workaround: Re-saving the Wave/RIFF file with <a href="http://sox.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">SoX</a> creates a file that even the broken applications seem to<br>
accept, as SoX apparently doesn't insert any 'JUNK' chunks (although it would be free to do so!) Re-saving<br>
your Wave file with SoX does NOT change the actual content at all, as long as no additional filters are used.<br>
<br>
You can use a command-line like this:<br>
<blockquote>sox.exe "c:\some path\input.wav" "c:\some path\output.wav"</blockquote>

<br><br>

<a name="89cbd3d0"></a><b>Why does LameXP run (only) N instances/threads in parallel on my computer?</b><br>
<br>
LameXP is able to run multiple instances of the encoder or decoder in parallel. This is done in order to<br>
maximize the CPU utilization on modern "multi-core" processors, which will significantly speed up the overall<br>
encoding process. However be aware that LameXP uses file-based parallelization. This means that the maximum<br>
number of instances that can run in parallel is limited by the number of files that are processed. If, for<br>
example, you convert only a single file, then NO parallelization will be possible. If, instead, you convert<br>
multiple files at once, then LameXP can run as many instances in parallel as files are being converted.<br>
<br>
Within the aforementioned limitations, LameXP will selected the number of parallel instances based on the<br>
number of available processors (CPU cores) on the individual system. However LameXP will NOT use a one-to-one<br>
mapping! Instead a custom-made 'cubic spline' function is used to map the number of CPU cores to the maximum<br>
number of instances. This function has the following properties: On systems with at most four CPU cores, the<br>
maximum number of parallel instances will be identical to the number of CPU cores. On systems with eight CPU<br>
cores, the maximum number of parallel instances is six. On systems with 16 cores, the maximum number of<br>
parallel instances is eight. On systems with 32 cores, the maximum number of parallel instances is eleven.<br>
And on systems with 64 cores, the maximum number of parallel instances is 16. 16 is the upper limit.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/1428/corestoinstancesbig.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/1428/corestoinstancesbig.th.png" border="0" alt="thumb"></a><br>
<br>
You may wonder why LameXP doesn't always create one instance for each CPU core. In theory, the more instances<br>
we run in parallel, the more CPU cores can be utilized - until all CPU cores are busy and the overall CPU<br>
usage approaches 100%. In reality, however, there are some "shared" resources on each computer. And, the more<br>
instances we run in parallel, the more processes will be competing for these shared resources! Specifically,<br>
the amount of main memory (RAM) is limited. Creating a huge number of instances in parallel can easily use up<br>
all RAM, which will then cause the operating system to make heavy use of the page file. This can result in<br>
HDD thrashing and hence may significantly hurt the overall performance! But even in case there is enough RAM<br>
available on the system, each encoder or decoder instance needs to access the HDD quite frequently, e.g. for<br>
reading from the input file and for writing to the output file. Thus running too many instances will generate<br>
more I/O operations than the HDD can handle, which will result in an I/O bottleneck. In this situation the<br>
processes will spend more and more time waiting for I/O operations to finish - rather then doing useful work.<br>
<br>
In other words: There will always be some point at which creating even more instances will actually slow down<br>
the overall process! On systems with many CPU cores, this point might be reached BEFORE all cores are busy.<br>
Even on the Quadcore computer, which is used to develop/test LameXP and which runs "only" four instances in<br>
parallel, we sporadically notice significant drops of the CPU usage, obviously caused by HDD overstressing.<br>
If, however, you think that LameXP's choice of the number of parallel instances is too conservative, you may<br>
overwrite the number of parallel instances on the "Advanced Options" tab - the upper limit is 16 for now.<br>
Finally, note that LameXP only controls the number of instances that will run in parallel, but it does NOT<br>
control how many threads an individual instance will create! Some encoders use "built-in" multi-threading and<br>
thus a single encoder instance may create several threads - LameXP has no control over that.<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="454e51dd"></a><b>Why does LameXP try to connect to the web-server at 'xyz.com' secretly?</b><br>
<br>
LameXP does NOT connect to any web-server secretly! Of course the 'Auto Update' feature of LameXP unavoidably<br>
has to connect to one of our update servers. However in no event LameXP will search for updates without your<br>
agreement. Also LameXP will NOT send any personal information to the update server. It won't even send your<br>
program version to the server. Instead the latest version number will be downloaded from the server first and<br>
will then be compared to your current version number on the local computer. Moreover all information obtained<br>
from the update server are protected with a digital signature (GnuPG) in order to prevent spoofing attacks.<br>
<br>
Note: As LameXP is a non-profit project, we cannot afford a huge server infrastructure. Therefore the update<br>
server may be overstrained or unavailable once in a while. As we need to be able to distinguish the case in<br>
which our server is failing from the case in which your local internet connection has a problem, LameXP will<br>
run a short connectivity test on your local system first. For this purpose LameXP contains a list of 64 known<br>
hosts, taken (mostly) from the well-known Alexa 'top 500 sites on the web' listing. LameXP will assume that<br>
your internet connection is working properly if a certain minimum number (currently four) of the known hosts<br>
is reachable. That's also the reason why you may notice LameXP is trying to connect to a "random" web-site.<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="12d077d5"></a><b>How can I force LameXP to create ID3 version 2 (ID3v2) tags?</b><br>
<br>
The LAME encoder automatically chooses the proper ID3 tag version. By default it will create a version 1 tag,<br>
if possible. Only if the information cannot be embedded into a version 1 tag (ID3v1), e.g. because the string<br>
is too long or the string contains Unicode characters, a version 2 tag (ID3v2) will be added. This behavior<br>
is advisable, because devices that support ID3v2 tags should also be able to read ID3v1 tags - but this<br>
doesn't apply the other way around! Moreover embedding an ID3v1 and an ID3v2 tag at the same time, although<br>
the information would have fit into a single ID3v1 tag, means an unnecessary redundancy!<br>
<br>
If, however, you need to enforce the creation of an ID3v2 tag for some reason, you can use the "--add-id3v2"<br>
parameter for that purpose. Simply add the parameter to the "Custom Encoder Parameters" for LAME.<br>
<br>
That's what the LAME help says about ID3 tags:<br>
<blockquote>A version 2 tag will NOT be added unless one of the input fields<br>
won't fit in a version 1 tag (e.g. the title string is longer than 30<br>
characters), or the '--add-id3v2' or '--id3v2-only' options are used,<br>
or output is redirected to stdout.</blockquote>

<br><br>

<a name="d83ab3c6"></a><b>Why does LameXP use LAME v3.99 rather than v3.98?</b><br>
<br>
LAME v3.99 contains the latest improvements and bugfixes of the LAME mp3 encoder, but it's less tested than<br>
the older 3.98 release series. The most important reason why LAME v3.99 is used in LameXP v4.xx is because<br>
LameXP v4.xx focuses on proper Unicode support, but LAME v3.98 did NOT support Unicode filenames or Unicode<br>
meta tags (through the CLI front-end, on the Windows platform). However LAME v3.99 finally does!<br>
<br>
So far we have not encountered any noteworthy problems with LAME v3.99. If, however, you encounter a problem<br>
with LAME v3.99, please report your finding to the <a href="http://lame.sourceforge.net/contact.php" target="_blank">LAME development team</a>. Do NOT submit any LAME-specific bug<br>
reports to the LameXP developers, as we generally cannot analyze/fix problems specific to the LAME encoder.<br>
<br>
[UPDATE] LAME v3.99 Final was release on 2011-10-15, so that is the official "stable" version now! [/UPDATE]<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="4213adbc"></a><b>Can LameXP be used to convert/extract tracks from an Audio CD?</b><br>
<br>
LameXP can be used to convert audio files that have been extracted from an Audio CD, but it can NOT extract<br>
or read the audio tracks from the Audio CD directly (yet). Consequently you will have to extract ("rip") the<br>
audio tracks first, before you can convert them with LameXP. We recommend using the <a href="http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/" target="_blank">Exact Audio Copy</a> software<br>
for that purpose. When ripping tracks from an Audio CD you should always save the tracks as uncompressed Wave<br>
files or as lossless FLAC files! This will avoid a quality loss during the extraction/ripping process.<br>
<br>
Warning: The Windows operating system will show CDA files (such as "Track01.cda") on an Audio CD. These are<br>
dummy/fake files! Actually an Audio CD does NOT contain a file system and thus there are NO files. There only<br>
are audio tracks on an Audio CD. These audio tracks can be extracted as files (e.g. Wave Audio files) using a<br>
ripping software and then the extracted files can be converted. At the same time any attempt to copy/convert<br>
the '.cda' files directly is destined to fail (as the '.cda' files do NOT actually contain any audio data).<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="434f2578"></a><b>Why is the maximum normalization level limited to -0.5 dB?</b><br>
<br>
When an analogue [audio] signal is converted to the digital domain, the signal is sampled at a fixed rate<br>
(e.g. 44100 samples per second) and each "sample" value is stored with a fixed number of bits (e.g. 16 or 24<br>
bits per sample). Consequently [uncompressed] digital audio is represented as a sequence of binary sample<br>
values. The range of possible sample values is determined by the word size ("bits per sample"). For example<br>
with a word size of 16 bit, the minimum value is &minus;32768 and the maximum value is 32767 - assuming the values<br>
are signed. The range of the sample values corresponds to the voltage range of the electrical input signal.<br>
The maximum digital sample value (i.e. 32767 at 16-Bit) often is referred to as 0dBFS (0dB "full scale").<br>
<br>
Performing a Normalization in the digital domain seems straightforward: We simply multiply all sample values<br>
with the same factor. And we choose this factor in such a way that the highest sample value(s) in the track<br>
will become exactly 0dBFS after the normalization has been performed. However one needs to be aware that when<br>
playing back the digital audio track, it needs to be converted back to an analogue signal. The D/A converter<br>
will convert each sample from its binary representation to the corresponding voltage. Then a "reconstruction"<br>
filter will be applied in order to recover a continuous signal from these individual voltages. And for the<br>
reconstructed analogue signal it is possible to have voltages that are higher than the highest digital sample<br>
in the audio track! This is illustrated in the following image (samples are represented as tiny squares):<br>
<br>
<a target="_blank" href="http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/9153/sine0dbfs.png"><img src="http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/9153/sine0dbfs.th.png" border="0" alt="thumb"></a><br>
<br>
Consequently normalizing the sample values to 0dBFS is NOT a very good idea, as this may very well result in<br>
a reconstructed analogue signal which exceeds(!) 0dBFS. And, as the analogue parts of the playback equipment<br>
generally are NOT prepared for +0dBFS voltages, this may cause problems, such as annoying distortions!<br>
<br>
The help document of a well-known audio editing software contains the following advice:<br>
<blockquote>If you're planning to put normalized audio on CD, you might want to normalize the waveforms to<br>
no more than 96% [-0.36 dB] as some audio compact disc players have problems accurately reproducing<br>
bits that have been processed to 100% (maximum) amplitude [0dBFS].</blockquote>
For details please refer to the following article:<br><ul>
<li><a href="http://www.audioholics.com/education/audio-formats-technology/issues-with-0dbfs-levels-on-digital-audio-playback-systems" target="_blank">http://www.audioholics.com/...issues-with-0dbfs-levels-on-digital-audio-playback-systems</a></ul>

<br><br>

<a name="9f8ff13a"></a><b>What do the different 'Equalization' modes do?</b><br>
<br>
The "equalization" modes control how the normalization filter will deal with multi-channel input files, i.e.<br>
everything that is not Mono. The "Peak Level" mode will normalize each channel according to its highest peak<br>
(maximum sample value). This means that channels with a lower maximum sample value will be amplified stronger<br>
than channels with a higher maximum sample value. Still all samples in a channel will be amplified by the<br>
same factor, so dynamic range compression is NOT done. The "RMS Level" mode works similar to the previous<br>
mode, but the channels are amplified according to their peak RMS level (maximum energy), instead of their<br>
maximum sample value. This may be used to correct stereo imbalance caused by an imperfect record turntable<br>
cartridge. Last but not least, the "None" mode will not euqalize the channels at all, i.e. all channles will<br>
by amplified by the same factor. In the last mode, the highest peak of all(!) channels is used as threshold.<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="c6d9dfed"></a><b>Why does my encoded file come out slightly longer than the original?</b><br>
<br>
Because of the way most (lossy) audio compressors work, a number of "silent" samples have to be prepended to<br>
the first input sample. Also a number of silent samples may be appended to the last input sample. Obviously<br>
these additional "padding" samples will make the encoded file longer than the original input. If the decoder<br>
does not compensate for the padding samples that have been added by the encoder, the padding samples at the<br>
beginning of the encoded file will cause a certain delay/shift, compared to the (uncompressed) original file.<br>
Another effect is that there will be a "gap" between the files, when playing multiple files in sequence.<br>
<br>
It has to be noted that the padding is an inherent property of the audio compressor that can not be avoided.<br>
But, as mentioned before, the padding samples can be removed by the decoder. In that case, the decoded output<br>
will have the exactly same length (in samples) as the original file. However this can only be done, if the<br>
decoder is able to determine the exact number of padding samples that had been added. While the Vorbis audio<br>
format stores the number of padding samples in the stream and thus any compliant decoder will remove them,<br>
the MP3 and AAC audio formats do NOT define an "official" way to store the the number of padding samples!<br>
<br>
Nonetheless, the LAME MP3 encoder, which is used by LameXP, uses its own "non-standard" way to indicate the<br>
exact number of padding samples. This is done by adding a so-called "LAME header" to the MP3 file. Hence MP3<br>
decoders, which recognize the LAME header, will be able to remove the padding samples. This feature often is<br>
referred to as "gapless" decoding/playback. The 'mpg123' decoder, which is used by LameXP, does support the<br>
gapless decoding. This means that if you encode MP3 files with LameXP/LAME, then gapless decoding will be<br>
possible. And if you decode these files with LameXP/mpg123 again, they will come out at the original length.<br>
<br>
Still you have to be aware that NOT all MP3 decoders support the LAME header. So if you encode MP3 files with<br>
LameXP and then decode them with an arbitrary MP3 decoder, they may come out at a "wrong" length. And there<br>
is absoloutely nothing that LameXP could do about that! Furthermore, if you decode a MP3 file in LameXP that<br>
has been created with some MP3 decoder which did not add a LAME header, then it is impossible to remove the<br>
padding samples. That's because in this situation there is NO way to know the number of padding samples!<br>
<br>
Some more info on this topic can be found here:<br><ul>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gapless_playback" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gapless_playback</a>
<li><a href="http://lame.sourceforge.net/tech-FAQ.txt" target="_blank">http://lame.sourceforge.net/tech-FAQ.txt</a>
<li><a href="http://cas.web.cern.ch/cas/Denmark-2010/Caspers/Tektronix%20%20primer%20on%20overlapping%20FFT%20signals%202009%20CAS2010.pdf" target="_blank">Understanding FFT Overlap Processing
Fundamental</a></ul>
<br><br>

<a name="ed4d30ed"></a><b>Why is the Hibernation option disabled (greyed out) on my system?</b><br>
<br>
In order to use "Hibernation", your system must support the S4 power saving mode (aka "Suspend-to-Disk") and<br>
the hibernation file ("hiberfil.sys") must be enabled. If these conditions are not met, then the Hibernation<br>
option will be disabled in LameXP, for obvious reasons. Note that on older versions of Windows you can enable<br>
or disable the hibernation file in the "Power Options" dialog of the Control Panel (see <a href="http://tothepc.com/img/2010/05/xp-hibernate-disable.png" target="_blank">here</a>). On Windows 7<br>
and probably also on Vista, you have to do this from the Windows command interpreter. First open an elevated<br>
command prompt by typing "cmd" in the Startmenu (not "Run" dialog!) and when "cmd.exe" appears as suggestion,<br>
then right-click on "cmd.exe" and choose "Run as administartor". After that you should see an "Administrator"<br>
command prompt window. Here you can type "powercfg -h on" (without the quotation marks!) and press Enter to<br>
enable the hibernation file. You can disable the hibernation file again by typing "powercfg -h off".<br>
<br>
Note: The size of "hiberfil.sys" is equal to your RAM size and it always is located on the system partition!<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="54150e92"></a><b>Why do random files fail with "Not Found!" or "Failed!" status?</b><br>
<br>
If a file fails to convert with "Not Found!" or "Failed!" status, this usually has a reason! In that case you<br>
can double-click on the failed item in order to view the log. The log will give detailed information about<br>
the problem that has occured. In very rare cases, however, the following behavior has been observed by users:<br>
When converting multiple files, some of the failes seem to fail at random. When the same files are converted<br>
again later, some of the files that failed before will now succeed while some of the files that succeeded<br>
before will now fail. This behavior has been tracked down to faultily "anti-virus" software! So in case you<br>
encounter the described behavior and if you use some anti-virus software with "real-time scanner" or "guard"<br>
functionality, then try to uninstall (or at least disable) the anti-virus software. If that resolves the<br>
problem, then you know for sure that the anti-virus software was the cause of the problem. As the developers<br>
of LameXP can NOT fix or workaround problems induced by faultily "anti-virus" software, please report such<br>
problems to the developer (or support team) of your anti-virus software! Or switch to a better a/v product...<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="3e999f02"></a><b>Why is "Convert this file with LameXP" missing from the Explorer context menu somtimes?</b><br>
<br>
The entry "Convert this file with LameXP" will be available from the Windows Explorer context menu for all<br>
files supported by LameXP, if (and only if) the LameXP Shell-Integration is enbaleld. You can enable or<br>
disable the LameXP Shell-Integration at any time from the "Tools &gt; Configuration" menu within LameXP at any<br>
time. However be aware that this option will NOT be available, if LameXP is running in portable mode. Also be<br>
aware that if you select multiple files in Explorer, the LameXP context menu entry will only appear, if ALL<br>
files in your selection are supported by LameXP. Last but not least, Windows will NOT show the LameXP context<br>
menu entry, if more than 15 files are selected. That is a limitation of Windows Explorer! It is "by design".<br>
<br>
See also:<br>
<a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2022295/" target="_blank">Context menus are shortened when more than 15 files are selected</a><br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="e7c9ae2b"></a><b>Why do I get the error 'Executable doesn't support Windows compatibility mode' on startup?</b><br>
<br>
LameXP was designed to run on all supported platforms natively (except for Linux/Wine). If you see this error<br>
message, that's probably because your system is configured to run LameXP in 'compatibility mode', i.e. your<br>
system will pretend an older OS version than is actually running. In Windows Explorer you can disable(!) the<br>
compatibility mode by right-clicking on the 'LameXP.exe' file, choosing 'Properties' from the context menu,<br>
switching to the 'Compatibility' tab and un-checking the 'Run this program in compatibility mode' option.<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="328b0a18"></a><b>Why do I get the error 'Executable requires Windows 2000 or later' on startup?</b><br>
<a name="3ffe490e"></a><b>Why do I get the error 'The procedure entry point &lt;Something&gt; could not be located' on startup?</b><br>
<a name="01922741"></a><b>Why do I get the error 'LameXP.exe is not a valid Win32 application' on startup?</b><br>
<br>
You are trying to run LameXP on a platform that is NOT supported, such as Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows<br>
Millennium Edition, Windows NT 4.0. There is nothing you can do about that, except for updating to a less<br>
antiquated OS. Running an outdated and unsupported OS is a severe security risk anyway!<br>
<br>
Note: This error can also occur, if your system has been configured to run LameXP in <a href="#e7c9ae2b">compatibility mode</a>.<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="491aaad9"></a><b>Why do I get the error 'A device attached to the system is not functioning' on startup?</b><br>
<br>
This error message from the Windows operating system is somewhat misleading. It often appears together with<br>
a second error message and it means that Windows was unable to load/execute the program file. There are<br>
various reasons why this error might occur, but usually it indicates that you are trying to run LameXP or the<br>
LameXP setup/update program on a platform that is NOT supported, such as Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows<br>
Millennium Edition, Windows NT 4.0. There is nothing you can do about that, except for updating to a less<br>
antiquated OS. Running an outdated and unsupported OS is a severe security risk anyway!<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="a0fd5ae8"></a><b>Why do I get the error 'File &acute;tool_foobar.exe&acute; could not be locked!' on startup?</b><br>
<br>
This error indicates that LameXP was unable to open/read a required file - one that it just has extracted<br>
itself. Generally this should never happen, but we have reports that some bogus "anti-vrius" software might<br>
trigger this kind of errors. Of course there is nothing we can do on our side, if the error is induced by<br>
proprietary third-party software (such as faulty "anti-virus" software). So please try to temporarily(!)<br>
uninstall/disable your anti-virus software. If the problem goes away, you can be sure it was caused by the<br>
anti-virus software. In that case report the bug to the support team of your anti-virus software as soon as<br>
possible. Or, if they don't fix the bug (in due time), switch to a better anti-virus product!<br>
<br>
See also:<br>
<a href="#96205e91">My anti-virus program raises an alarm when I try to download, install or launch LameXP. Why is that?</a><br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="f35cfa24"></a><b>How can I translate LameXP to my language or improve an existing translation?</b><br>
<br>
Please see the guide for translators at:<br><ul>
<li><a href="http://lamexp.sourceforge.net/doc/Translate.html" target="_blank">http://lamexp.sourceforge.net/doc/Translate.html</a></ul>

<br><br>

<a name="8dba381f"></a><b>Where can I download the latest version of LameXP?</b><br>
<br>
The latest "official" release of LameXP can be found on the following mirrors:<br><ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/lordmulder/LameXP/downloads" target="_blank">https://github.com/lordmulder/LameXP/downloads</a>
<li><a href="http://sourceforge.net/projects/lamexp/files/" target="_blank">http://sourceforge.net/projects/lamexp/files/</a>
<li><a href="http://code.google.com/p/mulder/downloads/list" target="_blank">http://code.google.com/p/mulder/downloads/list</a></ul>

<br><br>

<a name="9c2e273d"></a><b>Where can I submit bug reports or feature requests?</b><br>
<br>
The preferred place to report bugs or request new features is the LameXP thread at Doom9's Forum:<br><ul>
<li><a href="http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=157726" target="_blank">http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=157726</a> (English)
<li><a href="http://forum.gleitz.info/showthread.php?t=37956" target="_blank">http://forum.gleitz.info/showthread.php?t=37956</a> (German)</ul>
<br>
Please do NOT send me E-Mail unless you really have to! I receive a LOT of E-Mail and your mail can get lost!<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="e5694e3e"></a><b>What programming language is LameXP written in?</b><br>
<br>
While LameXP v3.xx and all earlier versions were written in Delphi/Pascal, starting with version 4.xx the<br>
software has been re-written in the C++ programming language. LameXP v4.xx is based on the Qt cross-platform<br>
application framework and offers full Unicode support. For the time being LameXP is Windows-only.<br><br>

<br><br>

<a name="982cf1c0"></a><b>Where can I find the LameXP source code?</b><br>
<br>
LameXP is developed using the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Git_(software)" target="_blank">Git</a> revision control system. The LameXP Git repository is mirrored at:<br><ul>
<li><a href="git://github.com/lordmulder/LameXP.git" target="_blank">git://github.com/lordmulder/LameXP.git</a> (<a href="https://github.com/lordmulder/LameXP" target="_blank">Browse</a>)
<li><a href="git://git.code.sf.net/p/lamexp/code" target="_blank">git://git.code.sf.net/p/lamexp/code</a> (<a href="http://sourceforge.net/p/lamexp/code/" target="_blank">Browse</a>)
<li><a href="git://gitorious.org/lamexp/lamexp.git" target="_blank">git://gitorious.org/lamexp/lamexp.git</a> (<a href="http://gitorious.org/lamexp/lamexp/trees/master" target="_blank">Browse</a>)</ul>

<br><br>

<a name="a0c1e92b"></a><b>What are the prerequisites to build LameXP from the sources?</b><br>
<br>
LameXP is currently being developed using the following build environment:<br><ul>
<li><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/products/2010-editions/express" target="_blank">Visual Studio 2010</a> with Service Pack 1, running on Windows 7 with Service Pack 1
<li><a href="http://qt.nokia.com/downloads/downloads#qt-lib" target="_blank">Qt libraries 4.8.2</a> for Windows (MSVC 2010)
<li><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8442" target="_blank">Windows Platform SDK v7.1</a> (Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 4)
<li>The minimum supported build platform is Windows XP with Service Pack 2</ul>
<br>
Also note the following hints:<br><ul>
<li>Run "qtvars.bat" (or "qtenv2.bat") before launching Visual Studio in order to set up the Qt environment
<li>Visual Studio 2008 solution/project files are still provided for people targeting Windows 2000
<li>In order to make "fully static" builds of LameXP, you need to compile/download <a href="http://sourceforge.net/projects/lamexp/files/Miscellaneous/Qt%20Libraries/" target="_blank">Qt as 'static' libraries</a>
<li>The Windows Platform SDK v6.0A should work as well, but there may be a few limitations
<li>Only the "fully static" builds may still run on Windows 2000, due to <a href="http://code.google.com/p/mulder/source/browse/trunk/Utils/EncodePointerLib/README.txt" target="_blank">workarounds</a> we implemented
<li>Support for the GNU Toolchain (GCC/MinGW + Make) is planned for a future version</ul>
<br>
In order to use the LameXP deployment scripts you need the following tools:<br><ul>
<li>Visual Studio 2010 with Service Pack 1 with Desktop Qt v4.8.2
<li><a href="http://www.7-zip.org/" target="_blank">7-Zip</a> - file archiver with a high compression ratio
<li><a href="http://nsis.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">NSIS</a> - Nullsoft Scriptable Install System (<a href="http://www.scratchpaper.com/" target="_blank">Unicode version</a> recommended!)<ul>
<li><a href="http://nsis.sourceforge.net/StdUtils_plug-in" target="_blank">StdUtils plug-in</a>
<li><a href="http://nsis.sourceforge.net/LockedList_plug-in" target="_blank">LockedList plug-in</a>
<li><a href="http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Inetc_plug-in" target="_blank">Inetc plug-in</a>
<li><a href="http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?t=329990" target="_blank">Aero plug-in</a></ul>
<li><a href="http://upx.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">UPX</a> - the Ultimate Packer for eXecutables
<li><a href="http://www.matcode.com/mpress.htm" target="_blank">MPRESS</a> - high-performance executable packer for PE32/PE32+
<li><a href="ftp://ftp.gnupg.org/gcrypt/binary/" target="_blank">GnuPG</a> - the GNU Privacy Guard v1.4.x<div style="height:7px"></div>
<li>NOTE: Copy 'buildenv.template.txt' to 'buildenv.txt' and edit the paths as needed!</ul>
<br>
Instructions to build <a href="http://sourceforge.net/projects/lamexp/files/Miscellaneous/Qt%20Libraries/" target="_blank">Qt as 'static' libraries</a>:<br><ul>
<li>Make sure Visual Studio 2010 and Strawberry Perl for Windows are installed
<li>Download and extract the Qt 4.8.2 source code package
<li>Open a new command window (cmd.exe)
<li>Add Strawberry Perl to your PATH (e.g. 'set PATH=C:\strawberry\perl\bin;%PATH%')
<li>Now run 'vcvarsall.bat' form your Visual C++ install directory - within the same console!
<li>Change the current directory to the Qt Sources path (e.g. 'C:\QtSources\4.8.2')
<li>Finally run 'configure.exe -release -static -ltcg &lt;more options&gt;' and wait for completion
<li>You can now open and build the solution files (e.g. 'src\corelib\QtCore.sln' in Visual Studio
<li>Make sure you select the "Release" configuration for your builds!
<li>It is also required to change "Code Generation &rArr; Runtime Library" to "/MT" for all projects!
<li>Libraries you need to build for LameXP include the following:<ul>
<li>lib\qtmain.lib
<li>lib\QtCore.lib
<li>lib\QtGui.lib
<li>lib\QtSvg.lib
<li>lib\QtXml.lib
<li>plugins\imageformats\qgif.lib
<li>plugins\imageformats\qico.lib
<li>plugins\imageformats\qsvg.lib</ul>
<li>Put the static *.lib files into the 'LameXP\etc\Prerequisites\qt4_static\lib' directory
<li>ImageFormat plugins go to 'LameXP\etc\Prerequisites\qt4_static\plugins\imageformats'</ul>
<br><br>

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