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

[HomerJAU]

As far as I know, there isn't a "native" Atmos file format, correct? An Atmos file has metadata in addition to .truehd files? Somehow the .mka container references both?

The native Atmos codec is TrueHD/MLP for lossless Atmos and EAC3 for lossy Dolby Digital Plus JOC.

 

[HomerJAU]

MMH 6.3.13 beta 1 released:

Here's a beta preview release with the two changes listed below

Version 6.3.13 beta 1 (January 14 2023)
-------------
New:
Extract Audio from MKV tool: Added new Output option 'MLP no split' - this creates a DRP compatible mlp file from an MKV file (no need for MKCCleaver) **
Extract Audio from MKV tool: Added new Output option 'Native' - extracts codecs DTS/DTSHD, TrueHD, E-AC3 and AC3 to native file formats

** When a TrueHD stream is split using either MKVMerge or ffmpeg the mlp stream in split files are not compatible with the Dolby Reference Player. They do play in Kodi, VLC, Foobar etc. This new option can be used for those wanting to play an mlp file with DRP.

The new Extract Audio from MKV tool's 'native' option supports eac3 extraction compatible with the DRP playback.

Direct link to beta installer:
https://reva.blob.core.windows.net/mmh/Beta/MMHInstaller.msi

 

[marpow]

Been anxious to hear Garry, how was camping trip with new car?

 

[HomerJAU]

Been anxious to hear Garry, how was camping trip with new car?

We’d booked 3 nights on an outback sheep station camping in a dry river bed which we stayed at in the winter, but the forecast was for 3 days at around 38 deg C so we changed and stayed in a nearby national park in an air conditioned room

On the way there we hit a locust plague. For 15km they were pinging off the car. My new car with lucust crusted front:

Driving through the national park one morning, we went down this road and then down a gorge following a creek for about 40km through the hills to plains below, about a 1000m drop:

The outside temperature was 44 deg C on this day. We passed two camping grounds with water storage tanks but no campers to be found. (Too hot). I whacked it in 4x4 drive mode for around 10km of stoney track, rocks and a few water crossings, as the track followed the creek. Most the road here was pretty good though.

No problems with the car except Apple CarPlay got screwed up one day with multiple iPhones connected. It seemed to reset itself next morning though. New car performed as expected. Effortless and comfortable.

I bet I was the first to listen to Atmos out there! No cell phone connection but most the Apple Atmos albums played ok. Some didn‘t want to play even though I’d downloaded them onto my iPhone with the Apple Music app. For some reason only about half would play. I haven’t looked into why yet…

 

[himey]

MMH 6.3.13 beta 1 released:

Here's a beta preview release with the two changes listed below

Version 6.3.13 beta 1 (January 14 2023)
-------------
New:
Extract Audio from MKV tool: Added new Output option 'MLP no split' - this creates a DRP compatible mlp file from an MKV file (no need for MKCCleaver) **
Extract Audio from MKV tool: Added new Output option 'Native' - extracts codecs DTS/DTSHD, TrueHD, E-AC3 and AC3 to native file formats

** When a TrueHD stream is split using either MKVMerge or ffmpeg the mlp stream in split files are not compatible with the Dolby Reference Player. They do play in Kodi, VLC, Foobar etc. This new option can be used for those wanting to play an mlp file with DRP.

The new Extract Audio from MKV tool's 'native' option supports eac3 extraction compatible with the DRP playback.

Direct link to beta installer:
https://reva.blob.core.windows.net/mmh/Beta/MMHInstaller.msi

Just tested the MLP output, no split, with the REM Automatic For The People, Blu-ray, Atmos mix, and it worked as expected! Thanks a lot Garry.

 

[HomerJAU]

Just tested the MLP output, no split, with the REM Automatic For The People, Blu-ray, Atmos mix, and it worked as expected!

Thanks for the confirmation!

 

[spearse]

AND native extraction works perfectly! Tried it on several Blu-ray mkv's, native dts 1536kbps 48khz audio extracted as .dts files! This is a fantastic tool and I've used them all!

 

[spearse]

pat-
Actually this is for tagging ability. Not sure why you don't include .mka, you can tag all three-- dtswav, mka, and m4a can all be fully tagged. You can't play native .m4a and .mka in car audio (yet), so I keep copies of all my surround music in .dts(wav) fully tagged, and .m4a music from Tidal in native .m4a but transcode to .dts as well, and .mka is kept as Atmos to play on home theater via Kodi. So target platforms like different formats...

 

[himey]

pat-
Actually this is for tagging ability. Not sure why you don't include .mka, you can tag all three-- dtswav, mka, and m4a can all be fully tagged. You can't play native .m4a and .mka in car audio (yet), so I keep copies of all my surround music in .dts(wav) fully tagged, and .m4a music from Tidal in native .m4a but transcode to .dts as well, and .mka is kept as Atmos to play on home theater via Kodi. So target platforms like different formats...

I use mka's myself, but the tags aren't fully supported with the majority of players.

 

[pat bateman]

I use mka's myself, but the tags aren't fully supported with the majority of players.

pat-
Actually this is for tagging ability. Not sure why you don't include .mka, you can tag all three-- dtswav, mka, and m4a can all be fully tagged. You can't play native .m4a and .mka in car audio (yet), so I keep copies of all my surround music in .dts(wav) fully tagged, and .m4a music from Tidal in native .m4a but transcode to .dts as well, and .mka is kept as Atmos to play on home theater via Kodi. So target platforms like different formats...

I don't know if its a Kodi problem or .mka tagging problem, but Kodi ignores/doesn't recognize the disc # field in the tag. Take for instance the Kraftwerk album that is 8 discs (I think?), everything with track #1 would play first, then the next 8 tracks tagged #2 and so-on. .cue files were the only solution. So I took the plunge and converted everything mka to m4a using MMH.

 

[DuncanS]

I don't know if its a Kodi problem or .mka tagging problem, but Kodi ignores/doesn't recognize the disc # field in the tag. Take for instance the Kraftwerk album that is 8 discs (I think?), everything with track #1 would play first, then the next 8 tracks tagged #2 and so-on. .cue files were the only solution. So I took the plunge and converted everything mka to m4a using MMH.

I think its like the irritating sort issue, where the players often play the tracks in alphabetical order not in track order (my car does, so I always tag the track name as 01_, 02_ etc.), also had them play 01,10, 11, then 2, 20, 21 etc. Basically everything is 'designed' to run of play lists these days rather as how the music was intended to be heard, in sequence, rant over!

 

[HomerJAU]

I don't know if its a Kodi problem or .mka tagging problem

Kodi (like most other players) does not read song tags in Matroska files (MKV and MKA). I did see that a Kodi developer has proposed a fix for this.

I use M4A for Kodi as song tags are fully supported in Kodi (as well as all audio content such as Atmos TrueHD).

 

[HomerJAU]

MMH 6.3.13 beta 2 released:

Here's another beta preview release with the two new fixes listed below

Version 6.3.13 beta 2 (January 15 2023)
-------------
New:
Extract Audio from MKV tool: Added new Output option 'MLP no split' - this creates a DRP compatible mlp file from an MKV file (no need for MKCCleaver) **
Extract Audio from MKV tool: Added new Output option 'Native' - extracts codecs DTS/DTSHD, TrueHD, E-AC3 and AC3 to native file formats

2 new Fixes:
Tag & Rename, Extract Audio from MKV & Split MKV tools: Issue when Copy & Paste from Clipboard used for track tags - fixed @ted_b
Extract Audio from MKV tool: Issue loading M4A files when Extracting from MKV - fixed (bug introduced in 6.3.13 beta 1)

Direct link to beta installer:
https://reva.blob.core.windows.net/mmh/Beta/MMHInstaller.msi

 

[HomerJAU]

MMH 6.3.13 beta 3 released:

1 new Fix in beta 3 release over previous 6.3.13 beta 2 release:
Extract Audio from MKV tool: The new Output option 'Native' - fixes if native files already exist and using 'TrueHD' output. (bug introduced in 6.3.13 beta 1)


NOTE: With this beta release MMH's Extract Audio from MKV tool using output Options 'MLP' and 'Native' create DRP compatible files output files from an MKV file, including splitting an MKV by chapter.

There is no need for MKVCleaver. Just use 'Extract Audio from MKV' to create MLP directly (either split or no split). @himey @AudiophileStyle

Direct link to beta installer:
https://reva.blob.core.windows.net/mmh/Beta/MMHInstaller.msi

 

[mkt]

MMH 6.3.13 beta 3 released:

NOTE: With this beta release MMH's Extract Audio from MKV tool using output Options 'MLP' and 'Native' create DRP compatible files output files from an MKV file, including splitting an MKV by chapter.

Long-time listener, first time user. I am using DRP, and the no-split MLP option works just fine which is great.

Does your note above mean that there is a way to get DRP-compatible split MLP files? Or am I misunderstanding. I am getting a DRP error when I open an individual MLP file (other than the first one).

 

[HomerJAU]

Does your note above mean that there is a way to get DRP-compatible split MLP files?

The latest 6.3.13 beta 3 using the ‘Extract Audio from MKV’ tool will now create split MLP files compatible with DRP using either output option: ‘MLP’ or ‘Native’ when selected input stream in TrueHD.

Are you using latest beta 3?

 

[mkt]

The latest 6.3.13 beta 3 now using the ‘Extract Audio from MKV’ tool now creates split MLP files compatible with DRP.

Are you using latest beta 3?

I checked again and it is beta 3. I might be doing things wrong. (This is day 2 playing with DRP).

I made a backup of the blu-ray with makemkv and extracted the truehd in a mkv file. Then "Extract audio from MKV" in MMH with mlp and no-split mlp. The no-split mlp is fine in DRP. The individual mlp gives this error (expect for the first track)

when the truehd decoder option is

No error when 16 channel is not checked (and no atmos).

Thanks!

 

[HomerJAU]

MMH 6.3.13 beta 4 released:

3 new Fixes/Changes in beta 4 release over previous 6.3.13 beta 3 release:
Tag & Rename, Extract Audio from MKV & Split MKV tools: Possible issue when using 'Edit Selected Tags' - fixed
Extract Audio from MKV should now create DRP compatibe MLP files @mkt

Changes:
Updated Ffmpeg to 5.1.2 (Jan 12 2023 build) - This should fix MLP DRP issues

NOTE: With this beta release MMH's Extract Audio from MKV tool using output Options 'MLP' and 'Native' create DRP compatible files output files from an MKV file, including splitting an MKV by chapter (Beta 4 should fix this)

There is no need for MKVCleaver. Just use 'Extract Audio from MKV' to create MLP directly (either split or no split). @himey @AudiophileStyle

Direct link to beta installer:
https://reva.blob.core.windows.net/mmh/Beta/MMHInstaller.msi

 

[HomerJAU]

I checked again and it is beta 3. I might be doing things wrong. (This is day 2 playing with DRP).

I forgot to include a new build of ffmpeg in beta 3. Now fixed in beta 4. Could you please install latest beta 4 then test the 'MLP' split option. THX Mike.

 

[mkt]

Hmm. I will double check tomorrow but I don't see any difference.
(According to "diff" and the mlp files from beta 3 and beta 4 are the same?)