Jump on track change

[Paultx]

One guy posted it on a Brazilian forum and then I found that it happens to me too: when Winamp 2.91 (my version) plays "one-track-disks" like live or some Pink Floyd's (eg, WYWH), even if there is no apparent track separation or at least it's not supposed to be, I hear that subtle "click" sound or something like a very brief silent pause between two tracks. What's wrong with that?

[DJ Egg]

Gapless playback with Audio CD's

1. Prefs -> Plugins -> Input -> CD plugin -> config:
Checkmark "enable digital audio extraction"
Uncheck: "Use sonic engine" (see notes below)

2. Prefs -> Plugins -> Output -> DirectSound -> config:
Buffering tab: Increase "buffer ahead on track change" slider
(to eg. something between 300 and 1200ms or more if necessary)


Note: Step 1 might require a Winamp restart.

_____________________________________________________________


Gapless MP3 playback

Also applies to OGG, WAV, M4A, AAC, FLAC and unprotected WMA (not DRM)

1. N/A

2. Prefs -> Plugins -> Output -> DirectSound -> config:
Buffering tab: Increase "Buffer ahead on track change" slider
(to eg. something between 300 and 1200ms or more if necessary)

3. DirectSound Output -> config -> Other tab
Checkmark: "Remove silence at beginning/end of track"

Default Cut-Off value = -40dB
I wouldn't go much higher than -30dB
A happy medium is -35dB, though the default -40dB should suffice.

eg. If you went as high as the maximum -15dB
then you will start to notice a fair few seconds of the actual music missing from the beginning & end of the track, so don't do it!

Note: As from Winamp 5.2 (with native gapless mp3 playback support), step 3 is only required if the mp3's weren't encoded with LameEnc 3.90.3 or later (the only mp3 encoder which does gapless encoding).


Important:
Changes to DirectSound Output config only take effect after playback is restarted!

_____________________________________________________________


Notes:

Step #1 only applies to Audio CD's.
Step #2 is global, for all audio formats
Step #3 is mainly for MP3 (because, unless encoded by Lame Enc 3.90.3 or higher, it isn't a gapless format by default) and for any other formats that were encoded with any silence at the beginning/end of the track.


----------------------------------------------
In Winamp 5's CD Input plugin config, "use sonic engine" is checkmarked by default.

If you still don't get perfect gapless playback for Audio CD's, then uncheck this option and use wnaspi32.dll instead.

Note, you might not need to use wnaspi32.dll under WinXP/2003 as the native Windows SCPTI might suffice, so try without any ASPI first. However, if an ASPI manager (wnaspi32.dll) is already present in your System dir then it will take precedence over SCPTI.

Also note, wnaspi32.dll is only required for Win2k/XP. The Adaptec ASPI Layer is already installed under Win9x.
There might already be an Adaptec or Nero wnaspi32.dll in your System32 dir under Win2k/XP. In which case, you might not need to replace it. But if you don't get gapless playback with it, then backup the old version and replace it with the Nero 5.5 version linked here.
Alternatively, you can use wnaspi32.dll from Nero 6 instead.
This version of wnaspi32.dll goes in the Winamp root dir instead of the %System% dir.

Again, you may need to restart Winamp for any in_cdda config changes to take effect.

See above link for full details.


----------------------------------------------
If having any problems with attaining gapless WMA or MIDI playback, then see the relevant posts below.

_____________________________________________________________

v1.99 - Revised 21st Feb 2006

[BPP]

I've done this on WinAmp 5.1 (increased the buffer all the way to 2000) but I still get that same tiny pause (and being a Techno/Trance junkie it makes me wince everytime)

Addicted to the visualizations (which we project onto the loungeroom wall - very cool) so really want to sort this out. Whazzup?

[DJ Egg]

some system specs might help (alas, we are not psychic)

pc or motherboard make/model
cpu & ram
cd-rom drive make/model
sound card
windows os & sp
directx version

Have you tried unchecking "use sonic engine"?
(plugins -> input -> in_cdda -> config)

Note: requires winamp restart to take effect

Is ASPI installed?
This answer will also depend on your Windows OS

The ASPI Layer is installed by default on Win9x/ME
but not on Win2k/XP/2003

Was this a clean install of Winamp 5.01?
If not, which version did you have before?
Have you installed any extra 3rd-party plugins?


btw, I get perfect gapless playback with all mix cd's.

[BPP]

OK. Sorry about that. Here's my system. (I'm in Iraq so all my music is on my laptop HDD.)

ACER Travelmate 800LCi
Intel 855PM Centrino Chipset
1.3 GHz
512MB DDR
Realtek AC'97 Audio
XP Professional (so no ASPI???)
DirectX ver 9

I had Winamp 3 before but deleted it. Then got ver 5. Have installed a few of the visualization plug-ins (and I have to say ... they rock!)

Ive managed to minimize the gap but it's still there - just

[DJ Egg]

Ok, well for WinXP, first check in the Windows\System32 dir
to see whether the file wnaspi32.dll already exists.

Note, you may first need to adjust settings in Folder Options -> View tab
eg. check: show hidden files, uncheck: hide extensions / hide protected os files

If it's there, back it up by renaming to eg.
wnaspi32.dll.off
then cut+paste it to a backup dir somewhere.

Next, download the zip file in my attachment
and unzip wnaspi32.dll to the Windows\System32 dir.

This is the Ahead Software version of wnaspi32.dll from Nero 5.5


If the problem persists, you can try the latest version of wnaspi32 from Nero 6,
but note that it must be placed in the Winamp dir, not System32

http://www.nero.com/en/631940733573829.html

Then follow the instructions again from my first post above.

You can also try checkmarking "allow hardware acceleration" in:
Prefs -> Plugins -> Output -> DirectSound -> config -> Device tab.
Also try changing the device to AC'97 sound chip driver (c/o dropdown menu)

Let us know how it goes.

[BPP]

Tried all the above to no avail. Still have that tiny, split-second gap..... sometimes though, it lasts for a loooooong time (10 seconds or more) then starts the next track with a extra skip for good measure.

I've played around with the settings but the following seems to work best

DirectSound output with:
Allow Hardware Acceleration checked
20000ms buffer w/ 4000ms pre-buffer, 16000ms buffer-ahead
all fadeout disabled
Enabled CPU usage thingy
Remove silence checked (set to -15dB)
Status screen reads "not active" (????)

Also, what input plug-in should I be using for playback of WMA files from the HDD? (Does this make a difference?)

Please save me oh Great Guru

[DJ Egg]

Hi. Is the problem actually with WMA playback, and not Audio CD playback?

Gapless WMA Playback

As long as your WMA files are not DRM-Protected, then....

For gapless WMA playback, if video support is installed,
all you need to do is:

1. Close Winamp
2. Go to the Winamp\Plugins folder
3. Rename in_wm.dll to in_wm.dll.off
(you can also move it to a backup folder somewhere if you wish)
4. Reopen Winamp
5. Go to: Prefs -> Plugins -> Input -> Nullsoft DirectShow Decoder -> config
6. Add ;WMA to the extension list

in_dshow.dll will now be the default handler of WMA files


Or, if video support was not installed...
You will need to replace the current version of in_wm.dll
with this older non-crippled version from Winamp 2.5


Basically, as from Winamp 2.60, the wma plugin licenced from Microsoft was hard-coded to use WaveOut only, therefore any changes you make to the DirectSound Output config are pointless and non-effective when playing back WMA files.

[Edit: June 2005]

Note: DirectSound Output (if selected) is now used again for WMA playback as from Winamp 5.092 and later

[/Edit]

__________________________________________________________


Which brings me to your config....

Those settings are way over the top.
You will notice it if you try play any MP3, WAV, OGG, MOD file.

Your main buffer is currently set to 20 seconds.
That means 20 seconds of audio will be buffered into memory.
The default setting is 2000ms (2 seconds)


If the problem is with WMA only, and not Audio CD...
before playing anything, all you will need to do now is:

1. Go back into DirectSound Output config
2. Set the main Buffer size back to 2000ms
3. Set Prebuffer back to 500ms
4. Set 'Buffer ahead on track change' to somewhere between 500ms and 1500ms
(start low at first, and increase only if necessary)
5. Other tab: Set cut-off value to -35dB (default is -40)

Ok everything

Assuming this was a gapless mix CD that you ripped to WMA,
you should now have perfect gapless WMA playback.



The only 3 formats which need extra tweaking are:
1) AudioCD: requires Digital Audio Extraction enabling in the in_cdda.dll config
2) WMA: Requires the above-mentioned fix
3) MIDI: Requires a few tweaks in in_midi config, which we won't go into here.


If the problem persists, or the problem was with Audio CD all along,
then post back and we'll take it from there... *gulp*

_____________________________________________________


[Edited in at a later date]


Important:

Sticky: Help! My protected Windows Media files don't play in Winamp anymore!!!

As from Winamp 5.08e, you can no longer use in_dshow or an older version of in_wm.dll to playback drm-protected WMA files. Therefore, if the same fixes for gapless mp3 playback don't work, then alas you are out of luck.

If your WMA files are NOT drm-protected, then you can still use any of the above workarounds (in_dshow.dll or older in_wm.dll).

____________________________________________________


FAQ

What is this DRM thing you keep referring to?

DRM stands for Digital Rights Management.

When you rip Audio CD's to WMA with Windows Media Player 8/9/10
unless you go into: "Tools > Options > Copy Music tab" first,
and uncheck "Copy Protect Music"
(Note: older versions might say "Enable Personal Rights Management")
then this means that all your WMA files will be encoded with DRM-Protection.

What this means is that your WMA files are encrypted with some extra code which links to a DRM license stored on your pc.

The DRM protection means that the WMA file is licensed to only play on the pc that it was encoded on. In other words, you won't be able to copy it to another pc, because it won't play on any other pc but yours.

If you lose that drm license or if you reformat or upgrade windows then you will lose those licencses in the process, thus rendering your WMA files useless.

Note, you may still be able to retrieve these licenses.
See here for further info/details:

http://www.tech-archive.net/Archive/Multimedia/microsoft.public.multimedia.windows.mediaplayer/2004-03/0104.html

http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?threadid=208878

http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?threadid=81838

DRM-Protection is also used by sites/services like Napster and Walmart.
A variation of DRM is also used by the likes of iTunes iTMS, except the encrypted format is M4P instead of WMA.
Basically, it means that you are paying money for a crippled format.

Sure, you can burn them to Audio CD with WMP9/10 (or with iTunes if M4P) and then re-rip them to MP3, or you may be able to use some other software to convert them, but by doing this you will lose even more quality (lossy compressed format to another lossy compressed format equals even more lossy result).


Lessons learnt?

1. Do NOT use Windows Media Player to rip Audio CDs to WMA.
Use any of Winamp, CDex, EAC (or any other decent ripper which uses the LAME Encoder and supports --alt-preset standard presets) to rip to MP3 instead.
Sure, you could also rip to any other decent lossy compressed format such as OGG or MPC, or a lossless compressed format such as FLAC.

2. Do NOT purchase drm-protected wma/m4p files.
Use one or more of the many other alternatives instead.

http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?threadid=52406

http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?threadid=64964

[BPP]

YOU ARE THE MAN!

Ohhhhhhhhhhh YES!

THE M-A-N MAN!

Yes. All my music I copied onto the HDD before coming here so it's all in WMA format. Works like a charm now. So well, in fact, that I'm going to pay up and register (even though I don't need the extra stuff registration gives.)

Thanks man, you've just improved my lifestyle (and saved my sanity) in warzone 1, Iraq.

[will]

"Winamp: Your number one choice in space, the gulf or even at home"

also, i'd like to say how much you guys in iraq rock

[BPP]

Well, I'm not a soldier. I run Security for an NGO (originally I tried to be a Human Shield but Saddam wouldn't let me in).... , so I'm one of the good guys.

Salaam (Literally "Peace")

[dushkinup]

-- I have the solution!! --
Apply egg's instructions but in addition set crossfading to 1 second. Works for me.

[DJ Egg]

You shouldn't need to use any crossfade settings to get gapless playback.
But if it works for you, then so be it.

btw, what file formats are you having the problem with?

Audio CD or WMA?
Surely not MP3, OGG, WAV, etc?

[dushkinup]

I had that problem with AAC. The CD thingy fixed the rest.

[DerekBarton]

None of the above works for me,

I am using mp3 files, all of which are trance tracks, everytime play just about to finisheds on track 1 there is a 1 secound pause before track 2 starts.

Dell Dimension 2400
Win XP Home
512Ram


Any other ideas guys?

Thanks

Tricky