Mini Guide: Normalizing Audio for Multiple AVI files

[THRobinson]

Cool thanks... got a few more folders to run, then I can give my vol button on my remote a rest.

[Nologic]

Okay new version...I'm labeling it Alpha for 2 reasons, #1 not as much testing as I would have liked, #2 it's feature incomplete for what I wanted to release.

Audio Encoding with FDK will fail...mostly because the build of FFMpeg that I package is not compiled with that option. There is a standalone encoder for it...but you have to compile it as well...and well I'm a bit limited on time presently...hence why there isn't as much testing as I would like done.

Note: Please delete your original VideoGain.ini as the format has changed a bit.

ChangeLog
==================================
Added Alternate Destination Path
Added support for Multiple Primary Folders
Added Drag & Drop support for adding folders
Added limiting CPU Cores with FFMpeg
Added Aspect Ration Correction
Added AutoCrop
Added Scale by Width
Added Scale by Height
Added back Multiple Video Encoders
Added Multiple Audio Encoders
Added support for Multiple Gain Types
Added Audio Channel DownMixing
Updated FFMpeg
Updated MKVToolNix
Updated Subtitle Workshop



** Update **
Replaced 7z Archive with newer one

[Belini]

The files came corrupted.

[Nologic]

Okay try it now...I think the issue was mainly with me using LZMA2 instead of the more standard LZMA compression algorithm.

[fonzo]

Hey, NoLogic, did you ever find a way to run levelator without it displaying the progress bar graphic the entire time it's running?
I tried to find some command line switches, but couldn't come up with anything.

Thanks.

[Nologic]

Sorry fonzo but I haven't...trust me I'd like to. With AutoIt I can hide it a half second after it appears...but it still shows for that half second.

Something that might work but I havent' tried is replacing the current images that make up the GUI with transparent png images of the same size. It's hackish...but might work.

Anyways here is a new build...resolves some issues from the prior build...but there still are some corner case issues...some of which are rather puzzling...as I'm not seeing were I'm failing, pushing stuff to x264.

Plus some encode jobs...result in stuttering video streams...which has been there for a while...but been rather hit and miss when it happens...really want to figure out how to prevent such BS.

[fonzo]

Just a quick question. I've started looking into LUFS, RMS, signal meter type stuff to try to get caught up on some of this info/lingo.
I'm puzzled though as to why all LUFS, RMS, dBs, etc are measured/reported in negative values against 0 being the ceiling value(which I'm assuming is roughly the same as 100dB).
I don't understand the reasoning behind this as it would seem to be arse backwards.
It would seem more reasonable to use 0 as a reference and positive and negative values for increasing and decreasing volume/waveform, etc like in calculus.

Can you give me the 2cent explanation for this?
Thanks.

[Nologic]

I have not idea of the theory behind it, but google would likely turn up the hows and whys of the matter.

[Nologic]

New build

v1.46 Beta 2
==================================
Levelator now uses FLAC rather than WAV
Made Conditional use 8bit x264
Made x264 work (build used prior didn't support MP4 container)
Appear to have removed stutter video encodes (using new 8/10bit x264)

v1.46 Beta 1
==================================
Fixed testing for Complete(d) version
Better handling of Video Stream Temp Files

Okay this build if you are going to encode I'd highly recommend using 8/10bit x264 to hopefully avoid producing videos with visible stutter.

[fonzo]

Nologic, is there a version of ffmpeg which is optimized for AMD processors, specifically the Bulldozer type?

[Nologic]

Well you could try the 64bit version...which could get you some more speed...past that you would have to compile your own version of FFMpeg with the correct flags to get the most out of Bulldozer. I know a lot of optimizations are going into the next version of GCC.

[fonzo]

Trying newest compile of 64 bit ffmpeg I could find, but getting an error when trying to copy out video file using code you gave me...

code:
ffmpeg.exe -i .\%%~ni.avi -an -sn -c:v Copy -f AVI .\Temp\%%~ni.avi

This gives:
ffmpeg.exe -i .\White.avi -an -sn -c:v Copy -f AVI .\Temp\White.avi

but I get an error... " Unknown encoder 'Copy' "
The audio line works fine.
ffmpeg bombs if there are spaces in the filename too.
Compile is from Nov 13, 2013.

I was looking for compile flags to try to compile my own for my amd bulldozer cpu, but I couldn't find anyone that could agree on which flags to use for that cpu.

[Selur]

ffmpeg bombs if there are spaces in the filename too.

a. then use "Path to file" with the "-symbols.

but I get an error... " Unknown encoder 'Copy'

use copy instead of Copy

I was looking for compile flags to try to compile my own for my amd bulldozer cpu,...

As a side note: even if you manage to compile ffmpeg yourself, you will probably not get any speed gain from it.
(because there isn't much code which could gain from such optimizations; so I doubt that it will be faster than the builds from zeranoe)

[Nologic]

v1.46 Beta 3
==================================
Optimization - Only perform Gain calculation if it applies
Better handling of Video Stream Containers
Better handling of Audio Stream Containers
Fixed issue with External Subtitles

[fonzo]

Just some feedback. Fed program small avi with xvid and mp3 just to increase volume.
Prg says "copying video stream 1 of 0"
exits with error "Failed to Create Video Stream 1 For: [inputted file name here]"
Probably a simple fix.
BTW, does Replaygain(Levelator) apply levelator and then decrease average or overall volume by applying replaygain?

[Nologic]

Could you put up the video some where and PM me the link?

I thought I had all this kinds of issues sorted out...but I guess that is what I get for thinking.

With luck I'll get it sorted out quickly along with an issue with chapters in MP4's (& MKV?), at which point I'll tag it v1.46 and move on to adding more features...mostly stuff that was suppose to get into 1.46 but didn't make it...because of way to many code changes...hence lots of bugs.

Yeah it applies Levelator first then runs it through the EBUR128 filter...then the volume is adjusted if need be to match with ReplayGain.

[schigara]

I am trying to normalize the audio of some movies in my mp4 collection. So far, I have tried using the latest version which is 1.46 Beta 3. I set H264 and Video to disabled. Unless I set Gain to Levelator, the process fails with an error saying "Failed to Merge Streams For: (path and filename)"

Levelator did work but it took about 40 minutes to normalize the audio of 1 movie. I was wanting to try ReplayGain or EBU R128 to see if they might be faster but they give that failed to merge streams error after about 5 minutes or processing.

I searched this thread for this error message but did not find anything. Is 40 minutes about average for normalizing 1 movie?

PC Specs:

OS - Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit
CPU - Intel I7 860 2.8
MB - ASRock P55 Extreme
Ram - 4gb DDR3 1600
Video - ATI Radeon HD4870 1gb

[Nologic]

v1.46 Beta 4
==================================
Fix some scaling issues
Updated MKVToolsNix


@ schigara -

I get something like that on my i5 when not using the Meta Tag method...which is a lot faster...but also requires support from the media player/hardware to be of any use.

As for failing to merge the files...if you have large amounts of free space on your OS drive...then please host your sample video some where & PM me the location. If it's something that maybe copyrighted...please use a non distinct name & maybe split the file with WinRar or the like.

If you are kind of shy on free disk space...then my calculations for required free space may need to be revised...which wouldn't be surprising.

[schigara]

@NoLogic

I have over 500gb of free space. I have tried 20 or so different movie files and all give the same merge stream error.

Update: Container was set to "Original". I changed it to "MP4" and no more merge error.

[Nologic]

Do you have the C++ run times installed? As I believe it's required for MP4Box to operate correctly.

From ReadMe.txt

Visual C++ Runtimes must be installed
VC2005 http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3387
VC2008 http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5582
VC2010 http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5555
.NET Framework 2.0 must be installed

[Belini]

@Nologic can not send PM to you, your mailbox must be full.

[Nologic]

Odd as I only had 9 in my InBox & OutBox...but those are purged now...so give it another shot.

[Belini]

Very strange, I emptied the box of all messages and still can not send PM to you.

[fonzo]

Very strange, I emptied the box of all messages and still can not send PM to you.

I can send him messages with no problem. Not sure what would be giving you a problem. Maybe a forum setting got corrupted or something.

[Nologic]

v1.46 Beta 5
==================================
Switched from FFProbe to MediaInfo
Updated QAAC
Updated FFMpeg
Better handling of Video Streams
Better handling of Audio Streams
MP4 & MKV Stream Delay Supported
Cosmetic Fixes
Broke Stream Meta Title
Broke Stream Meta Language

[Nologic]

Dang it...it seems that besides not copying some meta tags....AutoCrop is currently broken as well...I have it fixed in the development code...but the issue wasn't found till after I started a fair amount of code revision to add back the stream progressbar..so it might be a few days before it gets resolved publicly.

[fonzo]

Tried newest release on divx5/mp3 avi. Got analyzing audio stream 1 of 1 instead of 0 of 1 so that's fixed.
Everything worked well (force .avi, levelator) until the merge. It still bombed.
I'll try to test it a little more if I can.

Would you please provide the .au3 file with the release. It might help.

Thank you, drive thru.


******UPDATE******


I've now tried testing the program with multiple avi files which are either divx/mp3 or xvid/mp3. I've tried cbr-128 lame with both levelator and replaygain(levelator) using container "original" and "avi".

All attempts fail on the merge. Everything seems to work fine(as far as I can tell) up to the merge.
I'm starting to believe that using FLAC as the audio is causing the merge problem. I cannot say whether it's just using FLAC that is the problem or if maybe some switches in the merge code line are to blame and that FLAC would then work as the audio codec.
I hope this helps.

[Belini]

The latest versions are giving error, look at the print.

[Nologic]

Sorry for delays getting back you folks.

Yeah when the merge happens there are a few issues...one I didn't notice that in newer FFMpeg builds they dropped one command line option...and sort of replaced it with another...and one of the options I'm using for audio delay...actually doesn't work with AVI containers since AVI doesn't hold time durations...so if an audio stream is offset...I can't simply tell the container to start it as such and such point...I actually would need to pad it with silence or trim it depending how the offset is, ether positive or negative. Both of which would require re-encoding the stream....which might not be desired.

As for the Array issue...I may have solved that in Beta 5...there were a few minor issue that didnt' get listed in the change log...and that may have been one of them. Sadly I don't still have a copy of Beta 4 source to double check...I think it's time I start using Git or Mercurial for version control...rather than archives.

I'm slowly rolling back to using FFProbe rather than MediaInfo...which grates at me, since I don't have the source for Beta 4 which it would have made things a lot easier.

I also noticed I got some strange stuff going on when setting aspect ratio...when dealing with ?anamorphic? video streams...the ones with non-square pixels anyways.

Plus had a little drama at home on New Years...that still hasn't fully resolved it's self...nothing like starting off the new year on the wrong foot.

Anyways I'll see what I can get done.

[Belini]

In the latest Beta 5.7 ​​version the bug happens and I'm not normalizing AVI files, the files are MPG.



In Beta 3, which is the last source I got the error is in the variable $Afiles [0].