I have used ashampo’s mp3 check to analyse mp3 files.
According to this program a lot of files were corrupt. I converted them from mp3 to wav and back again.
I checked a second time and this time there was no corrouption.
Question: what does that mean exactly when an mp3 file is corrupt? And are there other handy tools to fix this?
Thank you.
You can’t fix it.
There’s missing or faulty data (probably because of communication “failures” if you downloaded the file), so there’s no way to “guess” the original data in the file.
Usually, this corruption means a slight silence in the music (sometimes bigger, sometimes very short).
When you decode to WAV you have a new WAV that has the same slight silence.
When you compress again to MP3, the silence will be there again, so you gain nothing except that the new MP3 file is obviously not corrupt, because there’s nothing in the WAV that indicates that the silence is because of an error. The silence in the WAV is just silence.
Other programs to detect defective frames are Feurio and EncSpot.
Feurio will show the position of the errors. You have to configure EncSpot to scan all the frames (set 0 in the options).
Maybe there are tools or decoders that make a better job when decoding, trying to interpolate the wrong data, but I don’t know them.
thank you minimix…
that part that the corruption becomes an original wav file that when it’s converted back the mp3 shows no corruption is smart thinking.
i am using the trial for ashampoo mp3 check that does this MP3-WAV-MP3 trick. Your way of looking at it makes me look very different towards this program. Or it could be that this is one of those tools that actualy does interpolate like you said?
But i gues the best thing i can do is to get another mp3 file to replace the corrupt one.
Thank you. Interesting stuff this…
Originally posted by 100cent
i am using the trial for ashampoo mp3 check that does this MP3-WAV-MP3 trick.
MP3 is a lossy format.
Everytime you reencode a file, you lose quality.
You will lose quality in an MP3 -> WAV -> MP3 operation.
The new file won’t be corrupted, but the sound will be worse (probably inaudible).
If Ashampoo does some kind of interpolation, it will be enough with a MP3 -> WAV operation in order to burn the file. This isn’t lossy, and it’s the process where interpolation might be used.
[b]
Or it could be that this is one of those tools that actualy does interpolate like you said?[/b]
I have no idea. I have to try that program (detecting corrupt MP3s is always nice).
What you have to do is decoding to WAV with the program you want to test.
Open the WAV with an audio editor, and see and hear the wave in the error’s position. Most decoders produce silence where there are errors.
If Ashampoo doesn’t show where the errors are, drop the MP3s in a Feurio project and it will be shown.
[B]
But i gues the best thing i can do is to get another mp3 file to replace the corrupt one.
[/B]
That’s what I do. You’ll get the “original” file.
If you get a lot of corrupted MP3s files, then it’s probably your end of the communication line that it’s failing.
I have a lot of corrupted mp3 files but that is only because i have a lot of mp3 files. I have stored them all on a seperate Hard Drive.
But i find it difficult to get this collection in a good condition.
I have been using MP3tag and MP3gain for tags and volume. Now i have to deal with the corrupted files. I will def. try out the tools you mentioned. But if i understand you correctly there’s no flawless way to do so if you want want to keep the mp3 on your Hard Drive to play them from your pc.
I like to know what you and others think of the Ashampoo MP3 check and convert 2.0 program. You can get a free trial key:confused: here. That means that you have to fill out a form - give yor email - get a license to try the program out for free.
thanks for your help.
Originally posted by 100cent
I have been using MP3tag and MP3gain for tags and volume. Now i have to deal with the corrupted files. I will def. try out the tools you mentioned. But if i understand you correctly there’s no flawless way to do so if you want want to keep the mp3 on your Hard Drive to play them from your pc.
I don’t understand what you mean.
There’s no way to recover the original file, only guess what the song might have sounded. And the tools I said won’t do it, only check the file.
Corrupt MP3 files play fine with Winamp (or with any other player I guess). The defective frames will be replaced by silence.
I’ve just tried Ashampoo program.
The idea is good, but it lacks a basic info like showing the position of the errors.
It’s a bit slow decoding and I don’t know the quality of MP3 decoding (probably good enough).
You were right. Ashampoo doesn’t replace defective frames with silence.
I don’t know if it keeps the raw wrong data or tries to guess the music. I only know that the defective zone sounds quite awful. Silence probably sounds more awful, anyway. Better get a good file.
EDIT: Ashampoo detected more corrupt files than Feurio. Files accepted by Feurio were corrupted according to Ashampoo.
I think Ashampoo is wrong.
I meant that if i don’t replace the mp3’s or (although it’s not realy a sollution) if i don’t burn to cd. But i understand that actualy it is irrelevant. Like you said: “there is no way to recover the original file only gues…”.
If you are right in thinking that Ashampoo in some cases detects corruptions were there are none. Then ashampoo might in some cases do more harm then good. If it replaces a ‘corrupted’ part with something else to a file that is actualy not corrupted.
Deep stuff this…
But stil…for all the mp3’s that i have that are corrupted (i have to check with feurio) i don’t want to replace all of them again. A few of them are not mp3s i listen too frequently but i do want to keep them on my hard drive. For these specific files a tool like the one from Ashampoo might be a sollution. Unfortunately i don’t now alternatives for it either.
Thank you very much minix!
Originally posted by minix
Corrupt MP3 files play fine with Winamp (or with any other player I guess). The defective frames will be replaced by silence.
i have some files that hit a certain point, and then start clicking nasty in winamp. they skip all over the mp3 at a certain point, making a nice screech until they are stopped.
//is too lazy to analyze the file and figure out why.
i like to know how ashampoo’s tool handles those files. should be very interesting. great test.
thanks.
If you are right in thinking that Ashampoo in some cases detects corruptions were there are none. Then ashampoo might in some cases do more harm then good.
I agree.
I’ve tried only a few MP3 files, and Ashampoo is reporting that a file recently created and only transferred once in internet by a friend is corrupt when there’s really no audible problem, and EncSpot and Feurio report perfect file.
Ashampoo also reports corrupt MP3 for a file splitted with MP3 Workshop and “Split by silence” function (@Seniormemberlol, another program to split in silences 
). Feurio reports no problem, and EncSpot the same, except that the last frames is cut short. I don’t know what this means (EncSpot shows green colour = perfect MP3), maybe this can help:
http://www.guerillasoft.nstemp.com/EncSpot2/usage.html
I don’t trust Ashampoo for this job.
i have some files that hit a certain point, and then start clicking nasty in winamp. they skip all over the mp3 at a certain point, making a nice screech until they are stopped.
It’s true. I also have a couple of badly corrupted MP3s, but most corrupt MP3 play fine in Winamp and can be decoded perfectly, except for the silence, which can be almost inaudible sometimes. Nero sometimes cuts the track when it finds these errors. Other burning programs seem to leave the track empty according to eli in a post yesterday (maybe it was Nero but eli didn’t say it).
I have downloaded Encspot. I like how it works but i wonder if this program does show the position of the errors. Minix you mentioned this as being desirable in a tool. I haven’t seen it as of yet.
I use Encspot basic. There also was Encspot Console and a pro version. Does anyone know what this console does. I didn’t get it.
What about the pro version has anyone tried it?
thank you…
Originally posted by 100cent
I like how it works but i wonder if this program does show the position of the errors. Minix you mentioned this as being desirable in a tool. I haven’t seen it as of yet.
EncSpot basic doesn’t show the position of the errors.
You need EncSpot Pro or Feurio.
I think it’s a very desirable feature in order to easily check how it sounds.
EncSpot isn’t supported anymore according to this thread and nobody seems able to contact the author.
I’ve been a little reserved towards feurio because i have already so many burning related programs on my pc. But after doing a little bit of reading about this i gues it’s realy good for audio isn’t it? I’ll give it a try.
That Encspot isn’t supported doesn’t matter to me as long as it works. But in your thread there are talks of a few minor bugs. We’ll have to see.
Thank you very much. This realy helps.
Originally posted by 100cent
I’ve been a little reserved towards feurio because i have already so many burning related programs on my pc. But after doing a little bit of reading about this i gues it’s realy good for audio isn’t it?
Yes. IMHO, it’s the best burning program (pity that it doesn’t burn data discs), and it’s well designed not to interfere other burning programs. It doesn’t install any system library or driver, everything is installed in its folder except the desired options in the registry (it works without installation, just copying the folder to another machine) and it even has a “System Diagnosis” module to detect other programs’ drivers and disable them.
I’ve just got EncSpot Pro, but unfortunately it seems that it doesn’t show the position of sync errors.
The bugs they’re talking about, probably aren’t related to sync errors detection, I guess…
Send me a message if you want it.
Originally posted by minix
… and it’s well designed not to interfere other burning programs. It doesn’t install any system library or driver, everything is installed in its folder except the desired options in the registry (it works without installation, just copying the folder to another machine) and it even has a “System Diagnosis” module to detect other programs’ drivers and disable them.
I downloaded feurio. It is good news that it’s designed not to interfere other burning programs. But this “…to detect other programs’ drivers and disable them.” is not what i want.
But i have other problems with feurio.
Problem 1. It doesn’t recognise my writer.
I have a Pioneer DVR-105. Besides this DVD Writer i have only a DVD player (Sony DDU1612). I don’t realy now how to get the settings right in feurio to get it to support my writer.
Warning: You’re using two IDE-devices (G: [2, 1, 0] SONY - DVD-ROM DDU1612 and H: [2, 0, 0] PIONEER - DVD-RW DVR-105), that are connected to the same IDE-port (if this is not the case, you can ignore this message).
…Send me a message if you want it.
Thank you very much but it is probably not necessary as i may be able to get it as wel.
Thanks for replying!
But this “…to detect other programs’ drivers and disable them.” is not what i want.
It will show other drivers and disable them only if you want. (Feurio CD-Writer -> Extras -> System Diagnosis)
Problem 1.
The Pioneer DVR-A05 is only supported with the latest beta version, but I don’t know if that means support for the 105 version.
The drive hasn’t been tested and they’ve probably taken the same commands of the tested Teac DV-W50E which is the same drive.
You can always try the generic drivers if the 105 isn’t recognized as an A05 (Feurio CD-Writer -> Info -> Drivers): Generic MMC, Generic SCSI-3/Atapi, or RAW drivers are good candidates. But maybe it doesn’t work. Probably it will be supported in the next version.
Problem 2.
This is a message that comes from the old days of burning when Feurio was released (around 1998).
It’s true that 2 IDE drives in the same port won’t perform as well, but nowadays there aren’t as many problems as with slow 486 and Pentium 100 computers.
If you don’t have problems, don’t change it! (That’s an issue to check only if you have problems)
Anyway, in order to check MP3 files you only have to drop them in the project pane 
Man!..this is helpful. Thank you very very much.
Originally posted by minix
[B]Anyway, in order to check MP3 files you only have to drop them in the project pane
I have downloaded the manual and tried one or two things out. But i didn’t get the checking of mp3 files to work. I tried CD-manager and i think i even found the project pane (bottum right). But that is as far as i could get…til now anyway.
Thanks again…
Yes, the bottom right pane is the project pane.
You only have to drop an MP3 file there, and you will see a small scanning window that disappears quickly (1 second or less) after checking the file.
If no message is shown, then the file is perfect (at least there isn’t any sync error).
If there are sync errors, you will get a message showing their position (I think you can disable this message for the future, but of course I wouldn’t do it).
Try it with a known corrupt file.
Yes, this isn’t a suite to scan bad MP3s, and there’s no batch mode for a lot of files, but it works to know if there are errors before burning.
i tried it and i indeed got a message: “Warning Defective frames…”
These tools Feurio and EncSpot will be great for analyzing mp3 files.
Thank you minix for all your replies and please let me know if you would happen to find a good alternative tool that fixes corrupt mp3 files. I would love to try it out.
I don’t think there’s something that “fixes” corrupt MP3s, but I´ll tell you if I find… (I’m not even looking for it because I prefer to download again).
I’ve sent you a private message.
One more not important detail: Feurio doesn’t show the errors if that file was already checked in that session. There must be something like a cache in Feurio, and the 2nd time you drop the same MP3 file, it won’t be scanned, so it won’t show the errors.