How do I extract the mp3 audio from a DivX AVI?

[Rick2020]

Before you tell me start re-encoding the audio file into mp3, this is not my intention. The AVI in question is already in mp3 format, so all I wish to do is take it out in its original form into a separately playable mp3 file.

Honestly though, I have checked out all the guides in this website but all they ever indicate is how to mp3-encode whatever is contained inside a VCD or AVI file, but there is no mention whatsoever of how to simply draw out the existing mp3 encoding within the video as its own .mp3 (without any further processing).

Can anyone tell me how this is achieved because I cannot find any possible way of doing this in programs like VirtualDub etc - the best I can do is Save as WAV, but I just want the .mp3 as it already is encoded intact when bringing it out of the AVI. Many thanks in advance for your help.

[lumis]

open avi in virtual dub, set the audio to direct stream copy, save as wav.. rename saved .wav to .mp3

[Baldrick]

or virtualdubmod,
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=262693 (demux)

[Rick2020]

What? You're kidding! No way. Have I just been spending the best part of 3-4 hours researching this elusive methodology for nothing? Cripes, it's enough to make a grown man cry. Thanks heaps for your very quick reply, Lumis.

btw, I've just recently discovered that I have another DivX .avi which actually contains a full 5.1 AC3 soundtrack in it. Using your method described above I managed to extract the soundtrack (assuming I rename it to xxx.ac3) and I can only load this into PowerDVD atm to play it. Now comes the fun part where I would like to try and re-encode this little blighter into a .mp3 or even convert it to a CD-standard 44.1khz 2-channel audio file (with I guess an LFE .1 and stereo downmix). Unforunately I've had no luck with BeSweet on any other projects I have attempted before so this is out of the question atm. Therefore any suggestions for another program to do a AC3-MP3 or AC3-WAV conversion would be greatly appreciated.

Again, thanks for your simple yet life-saving answer, dude.

[mats.hogberg]

Use Headac3he.
Keep in mind that VirtualDub sticks on wav headers on all and everyting it outputs, even direct stream, so if you demux AC3, run it thru AC3fix first, before doing anything else with it

/Mats.

[Rick2020]

Thank you guys, you have been extremely helpful. I have managed to put into practice everything you have described so far, from extracting the .mp3 to creating my own .ac3->.wav. However, here is the third in my now trilogy of questions ...

I used HeadAC3he to generate a resampled 44.1khz .wav file from the 5.1 448kbps 48khz .ac3 I extracted from my .avi. I used most of the default options with a 16-bit int setting, 2-pass mode with dumb selected, an unchangable Normalize to 100%, Resample to 44.1KHz and the Options bar on default using the Downmix surround2 (2ch) mode. The problem is that it has generated a very soft .wav sound that barely registers above 10% of the potential 100% sound volume.

So, what have I done wrong here? Should I only attempt a non-Resampled 48000Hz .ac3 to .wav and use CoolEdit to resample it to 44.1Hz for CD, or is there something more to it than this? I noticed that BeSweet (the one that doesn't work for me) has a Dynamic Compression setting, but there doesn't seem to be anything like that in HeadAC3he (if it needs it). I'm sure after all this you will be feeling so internally rewarded that you have helped a semi-newbie in his time of need. Thanks again.