Help using avidemux command line

[aspenx]

I'm trying to shift the audio for around 50 files using avidemux command line. Other than shifting the audio, I want the file formats, codecs etc. to remain the same.

I used the following on a single file:

avidemux --load inputfile.mkv --audio-delay -200 --save outputfile.mkv

and avidemux opens and appears to process the file with no errors, but the audio of the output file doesn't change. What am I doing wrong?

[sambat]

I'm using version 2.4.4 and it works OK for me.
Note that it's avidemux2_cli.exe in the version I'm using.

avidemux2_cli.exe --load clip_oos.mkv --audio-delay -200 --save outputfile.mkv

[aspenx]

Hi sambat. I'm using 2.7.6. I used avidemux_cli instead of avidemux but the audio of my output file remain unchanged.

I tried posting the cmd output in my reply but I think the forum won't let me. I've attached the output in a .txt file.

[sambat]

From your output text:

[AudioEncoder] Selected copy for index 0, tag 0x0

Unknown command :--audio-delay

I'll download 2.7.6 and try my input.

[aspenx]

Did you manage to check this sambat?

[abolibibelot]

With v. 2.6.0 I checked the available arguments with : “avidemux2_cli.exe --help”, “--audio-delay” does seem to be available :

 Command line possible arguments :
    --nogui, Run in silent mode  (no args)
    --listfilters, list all filters by name  (no args)
    --run, load and run a script  (one arg)
    --audio-normalize, activate normalization  (one arg)
    --audio-resample, resample to x hz  (one arg)
    --filters, load a filter preset  (one arg)
    --codec-conf, load a codec configuration  (one arg)
    --save-jpg, save JPEG images  (one arg)
    --begin, set start frame  (one arg)
    --end, set end frame  (one arg)
    --save-unpacked-vop, save avi, unpacking vop  (one arg)
    --save-packed-vop, save avi, packing vop  (one arg)
    --save-ogm, save as ogm file   (one arg)
    --save-raw-audio, save audio as-is   (one arg)
    --save-raw-video, save raw video stream (mpeg/... )   (one arg)
    --save-uncompressed-audio, save uncompressed audio  (one arg)
    --load, load video or workbench  (one arg)
    --load-workbench, load workbench file  (one arg)
    --append, append video  (one arg)
    --save, save avi  (one arg)
    --save-workbench, save workbench file  (one arg)
    --force-b-frame, Force detection of bframe in next loaded file  (no args)
    --force-alt-h264, Force use of alternate read mode for h264  (no args)
    --force-unpack, Force detection of packed vop in next loaded file  (no args)
    --force-smart, Engage smart copy mode with CQ=3 at next save  (no args)
    --external-mp3, load external mpeg audio as audio track  (one arg)
    --external-ac3, load external ac3 audio as audio track  (one arg)
    --external-wav, load external wav audio as audio track  (one arg)
    --no-audio, load external wav audio as audio track  (no args)
    --audio-delay, set audio time shift in ms (+ or -)  (one arg)
    --audio-map, build audio map (MP3 VBR)  (no args)
    --audio-bitrate, set audio encoding bitrate  (one arg)
    --fps, set frames per second  (one arg)
    --audio-codec, set audio codec (AAC/AC3/COPY/MP2/MP3/NONE (WAV PCM)/TWOLAME)  (one arg)
    --video-codec, set video codec (COPY/DV/FFHUFF/FFmpeg4/FFV1/FLV1/H263/HUFF/MJPEG/REQUANT/x264/XDVD/Xvid4/YV12)  (one arg)
    --video-conf, set video codec conf (cq=q|cbr=br|2pass=size)[,mbr=br][,matrix=(0|1|2|3)]  (one arg)
    --reuse-2pass-log, reuse 2pass logfile if it exists  (no args)
    --set-pp, set post processing default value, value(1=hdeblok|2=vdeblock|4=dering) and strength (0-5)  (two args)
    --vobsub, Create vobsub file (vobfile vosubfile ifofile)  (three args)
    --autosplit, split every N MBytes  (one arg)
    --info, show information about loaded video and audio streams  (no args)
    --autoindex, try to generate required index files  (no args)
    --output-format, set output format (AVI|OGM|ES|PS|AVI_DUAL|AVI_UNP|...)  (one arg)
    --rebuild-index, rebuild index with correct frame type  (no args)
    --var, set var (--var myvar=3)  (one arg)
    --help, print this  (no args)
    --quit, exit avidemux  (no args)
    --probePat, Probe for PAT//PMT..  (one arg)

You typed “avidemux_cli”, but as “sambat” wrote above the CLI executable is usually named “avidemux2_cli.exe”. Apparently it worked anyway, and according to the log it's the CLI version indeed that was launched, so perhaps it has changed in that newer version. Anyway, I don't get why the --audio-delay is not recognized.

If it still fails, this could also be done with mkvmerge, or ffmpeg.

mkvmerge --output outputfile.mkv --sync 1:-200 inputfile.mkv --track-order 0:0,0:1

ffmpeg -i inputfile.mkv -itsoffset 0.200 -i inputfile.mkv -map 1:v -map 0:a -c copy outputfile.mkv

(Not tested)


EDIT : I tested Avidemux 2.7.6 :
1) Indeed the executable files have been renamed, so it's avidemux_cli, not avidemux2_cli as it used to be.
2) The list of available arguments appears to be much shorter, surprisingly, and “--audio-delay” is no longer there :

 Command line possible arguments :
    --append, append video  (one arg )
    --audio-codec, set audio codec (copy|Lame|FDK_AAC|LavAC3|Opus|TwoLame|...)  (one arg )
    --avisynth-port, set avsproxy port accordingly  (one arg )
    --help, print this  ( no arg )
    --info, show information about loaded video and audio streams  ( no arg )
    --list-audio-languages, list all available audio langues  ( no arg )
    --load, load video or workbench  (one arg )
    --nogui, Run in silent mode  ( no arg )
    --output-format, set output format (MKV|MP4|ffTS|ffPS|AVI|RAW|...)  (one arg )
    --quit, exit avidemux  ( no arg )
    --slave, run as slave, master is on port arg  (one arg )
    --run, load and run a script  (one arg )
    --save, save video  (one arg )
    --save-jpg, save a jpeg  (one arg )
    --save-raw-audio, save audio as-is   (one arg )
    --save-uncompressed-audio, save uncompressed audio  (one arg )
    --set-audio-language, Set language of an active audio track {track_index} {language_short_name} (two args )
    --var, set var (--var myvar=3)  (one arg )
    --video-codec, set video codec (Copy|x264|x265|xvid4|ffMpeg2|ffNvEnc|...)  (one arg )

This is really weird, normally an updated program should have at least as many options, or more, but not less. Does anyone have a clue as to why Avidemux CLI got stripped down like this ?
Anyway, you're left with the two other methods I suggested above.

[aspenx]

Weird. Anyhow, success following your instructions for mkvmerge, so many thanks. Will be interested to hear what's up with Avidemux.

[abolibibelot]

Apart from “As you probably have noticed, avidemux is very GUI oriented”, I couldn't find much on the subject doing a quick search yesterday. And even that page hasn't been updated recently, as it still mentions options which apparently are gone.