Music Media Helper (Tools for Multichannel Audio & Music Videos)

[mandrix]

It looks like this does not output 12 channels to a wav file. (Correct me if I’m wrong). I have not tried it but I assume it’s just decoding and outputs ti the PCs configured sound device. MMH needs multichannel wav files to encode to Atmos.

Unless the DTS site is badly outdated, it looks like it just outputs in Windows via soundcard, and not yet even HDMI.
If that's true then the conversion mechanism would appear to be handled internally by Windows and directly output through the soundcard/built in sound outputs, leaving only a direct capture of the output stream.

 

[woody]

Music Media Helper 7.1.20 released - A new method to fix old MMH cues for chaptered files. Please read: @Albert Dagger @Sylfest

I used MMH today to fix my old CUEs and realised that Kodi requires media files (mkv and mka) to have no chapters when using a CUE so my previous method of recreating cues does not work as there are no chapters in the files!!

So 7.1.20 has a modified 'Video Batch Creation tool: Cue Creation' that auto fixes cues it finds with 3 digit 'frames' by converting milliseconds (stored in the frame field) to frames and re-writing the cue. NOTE: You must use the new option 'Only Process Multi-Chaptered Media files' for the 'cue fix' code to run. If no start time in a cue file has 3 digit 'frames' then nothing is updated/saved.

Version 7.1.20 (March 24 2024)
-------------
Changes:
Video Batch Creation tool: Now fixes existing CUEs with 3 digit 'frames' by converting to frames - new
Video Batch Creation tool: Cue Creation now works for mka files - new (previously 'Video batch' ignore audio files - I added mka to help me fix my Atmos mka cues created by MMH

* Users now use 'Video Batch' tool to fix mka cue files created with MMH (where MMH wrongly used milliseconds not frames)

Seeking advice on an example found within the ‘INXS’ Kick disc. I have video files of ‘Need you tonight’; and ‘Mediate’ which i want to play together gapless. My understanding is that I need to create a cue file to achieve this, however I have never successfully employed the tasks/steps to achieve this outcome. Seeking these steps please, to achieve this objective. Thanks.

 

[HomerJAU]

Seeking advice on an example found within the ‘INXS’ Kick disc

To get gapless playback of Atmos you‘d need to have one file contains all the songs.

Once you’ve split the files you can’t guarantee a gapless join but you’ll get close. MMH has a tool to join MKV and mka files: ‘Split & Join Media Files’ use that to join any previously split MKV files.

Ideally you would start with a single ripped MKV or MKA file containing chapters (a ripped MKV from your original BD).

Use MMH’s Chapter Editor, load the MKV/mka file and MMH loads the chapters and start times into the grid. You can edit the start times to get the exact start point you desire (e.g. DSOTM chapter times are not quite right, they were authored incorrectly on the immersion BDA).

Now you need to add the song titles if they were not previously added to the MKV file or authored with song titles: Use the option ‘Get Chapter Titles from MusicBrainz’ to get the song titles or you can use ‘Paste from Clipboard’ to copy all the song titles copied from a text file or off a web page etc or you can simply type in your song titles for each chapter.

Now you have all the chapter start times and titles, click: ‘Save’ to save the titles and any edited chapter start times back to the MKV file. Click: ‘Save Cue’ and MMH will create a new cue file from the grid data.

The trick to get this into Kodi is:
The MKV/MKA file and the cue file must have exact same names (excluding the extensions)

If you rename the media file, don’t forget to edit the cue line with the file name to change there too!

The media file must have no chapters (the Kodi devs promise to change this in Kodi v22). To remove chapters you can remove them in the MMH Chapter Editor, and ‘Save’ (but keep the backup first).

Copy both cue and media file with no chapters to a folder under your Kodi Music Library ‘Source’ folder. Use Kodi ‘Scan for new Content’ and Kodi reads the cue and creates a ‘song’ for each cue track. (Kodi creates audiobooks from mka files with chapters and does not process the cue file…)

DONE.

 

[jamesc]

Just wanted to thank @HomerJAU for your continual tweaking and added features for MMH. Also, thanks to @Eclectic for discovering the cause of the squirrelly time display when playing stuff involving cue files. That was pretty much the only issue I've had with LibreElec so it's nice to see that resolved.
I wasn't able to use Garry's conversion tool since I removed the chapters from all my mka files but still had the original ripped mkvs on a drive for most and manually converted the remaining cue files.

 

[HomerJAU]

I wasn't able to use Garry's conversion tool since I removed the chapters from all my mka files but still had the original ripped mkvs on a drive for most and manually converted the remaining cue files.

The updated batch tool in latest MMH converts the old cue files with a 3 digit frames value (actually milliseconds) to correct frames value (2 digits) if your MKV/mka files do not have chapters.

 

[jamesc]

The updated batch tool in latest MMH converts the old cue files with a 3 digit frames value (actually milliseconds) to correct frames value (2 digits) if your MKV/mka files do not have chapters.

Doh! I missed that update in the notes. Thanks again Garry.

 

[mkt]

I was decoding atmos and had "Auto calculate Gain To Apply" checked and "Target Peak" set to -0.5 dB. The resulting wav files sounded distorted. I ran the decoding again with "Auto calculate Gain To Apply" unchecked, and the wav files sounded fine. Does it make sense that applying gain (to maybe a file with very low levels?) could cause distortion?

I don't remember why I came up with this setting choice. Is no gain safer?

 

[himey]

I was decoding atmos and had "Auto calculate Gain To Apply" checked and "Target Peak" set to -0.5 dB. The resulting wav files sounded distorted. I ran the decoding again with "Auto calculate Gain To Apply" unchecked, and the wav files sounded fine. Does it make sense that applying gain (to maybe a file with very low levels?) could cause distortion?

I don't remember why I came up with this setting choice. Is no gain safer?

What does the decoded waveform look like in Audacity?

 

[mkt]

What does the decoded waveform look like in Audacity?

Thanks, good question! That would seem show the problem. I wonder why this recording caused so much trouble.

 

[himey]

Thanks, good question! That would seem show the problem. I wonder why this recording caused so much trouble.
View attachment 104063

I would uninstall MMH, and reinstall the latest version. I have never seen that happen personally, and I use auto-gain every time.

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

With regard to converting chapters from one format/type to another, I have two little .vbs (Visual Basic Scripting) files that maybe of interest.

One script is able to convert a 'Cue to Ogm Chapters', the other script is able to convert a 'Ogm to Cue Chapters'. All you have to do is drag the file you want to convert over the desired .vbs script...

Enjoy

 

[HomerJAU]

I was decoding atmos and had "Auto calculate Gain To Apply" checked and "Target Peak" set to -0.5 dB. The resulting wav files sounded distorted. I ran the decoding again with "Auto calculate Gain To Apply" unchecked, and the wav files sounded fine. Does it make sense that applying gain (to maybe a file with very low levels?) could cause distortion?

Looking at your waveform you posted that is definitely clipped so I presume the -0.5db Target Peak calculation and volume change is not correct. I’ll take a look later this week. (I’m out and about most this week). In the mean time don’t use Auto Gain.

BTW: No need to install MMH between version upgrades. MMH does not have any COM components requiring registry changes. .NET is all standalone files, you can copy MMH folder anywhere on your PC and run it from that new folder.

 

[HomerJAU]

I was decoding atmos and had "Auto calculate Gain To Apply" checked and "Target Peak" set to -0.5 dB. The resulting wav files sounded distorted. I ran the decoding again with "Auto calculate Gain To Apply" unchecked, and the wav files sounded fine. Does it make sense that applying gain (to maybe a file with very low levels?) could cause distortion?

I don't remember why I came up with this setting choice. Is no gain safer?

I couldn't replicate this issue today.

Is your file very large? Was it TrueHD or Dolby Digital Plus? Is it possible to upload the Atmos file for me to test? (send me the link in a PM)

 

[HomerJAU]

Music Media Helper 7.1.21 released

Version 7.1.21 (April 5 2024)
-------------
Fixes:
Atmos Helper: Decoding large files to .w64 (> 2GB) -Applying auto gain by Target Peak does not calculate correct gain to apply - fixed @mkt

Changes:
Atmos Helper: Added a new marque progress bar to show MMH Atmos Helper is busy (for large file decoding)
Media Manager: Added a new marque progress bar to show MMH is busy
Media Manager: Added two new columns for Kodi Poster and Fanart sizes when scanning Movies & TV Series

Note on the Atmos Helper Decoder bug fix above:
If the decoder creates an output file > 2GB ffmpeg would not read further than 2GB to get highest volume peak. So if the highest peak occurs after 2GB the calculation to find the gain to apply could result in a gain > user requests, in worst case that could result in clipping if the user target is high (close to 0dB).

Direct link to installer:
https://reva.blob.core.windows.net/mmh7/MMHInstaller.msi

 

[marpow]

Hi Garry,
I have a question, and you have helped me so much over the years I only trust you, thank goodness it is not a problem.

I have been experimenting with different ATMOS files and as always 100% Jriver.
I have now found that I can play Atmos in mp4 and m4a, both are 16bit/48Khz.
These are easy to tag and play using the HDMI out from PC to AVR, with Atmos signal.
No video file available, just album artwork, unlike MKV video file.

I love MKV files, even though it is the same JRiver process with HDMI out, which means no problem. With the MKV file I get to see on-screen video changes, track names, etc while listening, assuming there are on-screen video, some very limited and very few not at all.
If it is a gapless album in MKV, like Dark Side or Abbey Road, I just listen/watch the MKV file as a whole, not chopped into chapters.
This again is JRiver, that I am very happy and good at.

Finally my question, in my JRiver situation do you find any advantage to playback Atmos via the lossy mp4 or m4a?
I wonder if it might make the Atmos fold down to 5.1 for playback in the car, without reformatting, which is not that hard, but a step at any rate.

 

[HomerJAU]

Can you please check if the latest JRiver now plays Atmos TrueHD in m4a files? I have not renewed my JRiver license for a while as I don’t use it and only bought it to get the sidecar xmls working in MMH.

You can use MMH to create m4a from one of your BDA MKVs quite quickly. JRiver should read the tags ok.

Personally, I’d much prefer to hear TrueHD Atmos (24 bit lossless) than convert to lossy DD+ (16 bit lossy).

 

[marpow]

Can you please check if the latest JRiver now plays Atmos TrueHD in m4a files? I have not renewed my JRiver license for a while as I don’t use it and only bought it to get the sidecar xmls working in MMH.

You can use MMH to create m4a from one of your BDA MKVs quite quickly. JRiver should read the tags ok.

Personally, I’d much prefer to hear TrueHD Atmos (24 bit lossless) than convert to lossy DD+ (16 bit lossy).

I totally agree with you about the lossless much better.
Maybe I’ll rip a Blu Ray with MMH into m4a and see what I get?

 

[SeeMoreDigital]

Can you please check if the latest JRiver now plays Atmos TrueHD in m4a files?

With regard to muxing lossless Atmos within the .mp4 container. Does the 'lossless' Atmos audio stream contain the 'lossy' DD core or has it been removed like it is when it's muxed within the Matroska container?

 

[marpow]

Garry,
I must be missing something wrong. This experiment to change from mKV to m4a.
1. I used MMH "Extract Audio From MKV". I switched output to M4A.
2. It read my Abbey Road original MKV file as Tru HD 24/48 Lossless.
3. 17 tracks converted, added track titles via Music Brainz.
4. Tagged and renamed using MMH, Artist, Album, etc, Cue File button, Tag & Rename button, everything looks perfect, like always.
5. Copied new Abbey Road m4a folder, imported to JRiver.
All perfect.
6. But in JRiver would only show Track titles and that it was a m4a file, nothing else. So now I'm stumped on my experiment. Because there is no track time or bit/sample rate, when hit play there is nothing.

I would not think I need a JRiver side car for m4a?
See two empty screen shots. Third bottom screenshot shows file in folder.

 

[MrSmithers]

Garry,
I must be missing something wrong. This experiment to change from mKV to m4a.
1. I used MMH "Extract Audio From MKV". I switched output to M4A.
2. It read my Abbey Road original MKV file as Tru HD 24/48 Lossless.
3. 17 tracks converted, added track titles via Music Brainz.
4. Tagged and renamed using MMH, Artist, Album, etc, Cue File button, Tag & Rename button, everything looks perfect, like always.
5. Copied new Abbey Road m4a folder, imported to JRiver.
All perfect.
6. But in JRiver would only show Track titles and that it was a m4a file, nothing else. So now I'm stumped on my experiment. Because there is no track time or bit/sample rate, when hit play there is nothing.

I would not think I need a JRiver side car for m4a?
See two empty screen shots. Third bottom screenshot shows file in folder.
View attachment 104217
View attachment 104218

View attachment 104220

Hey Mark,

I think J River can only play lossless Atmos audio files with the .mka filetype. It is confusing as it can do .m4a with lossy Atmos files but doesn’t recognise the lossless files. Need to have version 31 I think and only for Windows...

MMH can convert those lossless Abbey Road tracks to .mka if you want to test and just remember to save a cue file to get the metadata imported too.