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

[HomerJAU]

Anyone have a link to a plugin for Foobar that allows for M4A playback (for Atmos purposes)?

You need to configure the Foobar ffmpeg component as per a few posts here (see link below), and ensure you have a recent version of ffmpeg.exe installed on your PC and point the Foobar ffmpeg component to the folder where ffmpeg.exe exists: (MMH has the latest ffmpeg.exe)

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/problems-playing-mka-files.29684/#post-537180
You can get latest ffmpeg.exe 4.4 in this zip here:
https://www.gyan.dev/ffmpeg/builds/ffmpeg-release-essentials.zip

 

[HomerJAU]

@GOS You will need both ffmpeg.exe and ffprobe.exe in your ffmpeg folder you point to in the Foobar config dialog.

 

[HomerJAU]

Music Media Helper 4.2.12 released

Version 4.2.12 (June 29 2021)
-------------
Changes:
Remix Channels tool: Added Marque Progressbar to show conversion activity running

Fixes:
Remix Channels tool: Removed 'pop' at start of DSF files when adding silent channels - fixed
Extract Audio from MKV: Fixed rename and tagging errors introduced in recent version - fixed


NOTE: To resolve the DSF pop issue MMH now splits each MCH DSF file into mono files, generates a new Silent channel (encoding silence in a mono DSF file at same duration as current file), then merges all the mono files into a new MCH DSF file. This takes longer than the original Sox method used by MMH. A new Marque Progress bar has been added to show MMH is running a long conversion process. No change is processing FLAC or WAV files.

 

[GOS]

You need to configure the Foobar ffmpeg component as per a few posts here (see link below), and ensure you have a recent version of ffmpeg.exe installed on your PC and point the Foobar ffmpeg component to the folder where ffmpeg.exe exists: (MMH has the latest ffmpeg.exe)

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/problems-playing-mka-files.29684/#post-537180
You can get latest ffmpeg.exe 4.4 in this zip here:
https://www.gyan.dev/ffmpeg/builds/ffmpeg-release-essentials.zip

Hmmm - so I downloaded those files, and I can see them in my components. Only, when I go through installing the plugin within Foobar, I then try to direct it to components folder....it doesn't see them.

 

[HomerJAU]

Music Media Helper 4.2.13 released

Version 4.2.13 (July 9 2021)
-------------
Changes:
Added two new light skins: 'Office 2019 White' and 'Basic'

Fixes:
Playlist tool: Error loading an existing playlist when a file could not be found - fixed
Musicbrainz Tag lookup: Issue when album title contains '|' character - fixed
Extract Audio from MKV: Adding multiple MKVs with multiple audio streams did not always uses selected stream - fixed

 

[HomerJAU]

Music Media Helper 4.2.14 released

Version 4.2.14 (July 11 2021)
-------------
Changes:
To announce 4.2.14 as last version on MMH 4 (new dialog at start up)
MMH 5 now released. Users must install .NET 5 runtime to use MMH 5

Music Media Helper 5 is currently identical to MMH 4.2.14 except that its compiled to run on .NET 5 only.
.NET 5 is faster than .NET 4.8 and allows MMH to be ported to MacOS and Linux in the near future.
There will be no more MMH 4 releases for .NET Framework 4.8


Music Media Helper 5 released.

Version 5.0.0 (July 11 2021)
-------------
Changes:
MMH 4 ported to .NET 5
Latest UI 3rd party tools for .NET 5
New MMH 5 Installer for Windows

See opening post for links to .NET 5 runtime download and MMH 5 installer link. Users can run MMH 5 and MMH 4 side by side (i.e you can have bother versions installed)
.

 

[DuncanS]

Windows will block MMH5 (you'll see a warning triangle next to the file name) so you need to right click on the download and click through and select Keep then you can run the installer. I also clicked to submit to Microsoft that the software was safe. Then in my case I had to make Norton accept the run request.

Yes its good that we have software to protect from malign influences but you have to be on the ball and be quick or it either won't be allowed to run or its deleted.

 

[DuncanS]

Music Media Helper 4.2.14 released

Version 4.2.14 (July 11 2021)
-------------
Changes:
To announce 4.2.14 as last version on MMH 4 (new dialog at start up)
MMH 5 now released. Users must install .NET 5 runtime to use MMH 5

Music Media Helper 5 is currently identical to MMH 4.2.14 except that its compiled to run on .NET 5 only.
.NET 5 is faster than .NET 4.8 and allows MMH to be ported to MacOS and Linux in the near future.
There will be no more MMH 4 releases for .NET Framework 4.8


Music Media Helper 5 released.

Version 5.0.0 (July 11 2021)
-------------
Changes:
MMH 4 ported to .NET 5
Latest UI 3rd party tools for .NET 5
New MMH 5 Installer for Windows

See opening post for links to .NET 5 runtime download and MMH 5 installer link. Users can run MMH 5 and MMH 4 side by side (i.e you can have bother versions installed)
.

Version 5.0.0 beta 4 says there is an update available, but is there?

 

[marpow]

Hi Garry, as a Windows user would I benefit from the latest upgrade to MMH 5? I assume per your post if I want all future updates I will need to add the .Net 5?
I am not familiar with that, any downside to adding that to my PC?

 

[himey]

Version 5.0.0 beta 4 says there is an update available, but is there?

I was wondering the same thing? Shows an update and downloads a file but it doesn't install it.

 

[HomerJAU]

On the MMH 5 showing an immediate update: There isn’t a new version so let me check what’s going on.

MMH 5 vs MMH 4: Currently these are identical (functionally), so no reason to upgrade to MMH 5 yet. But over time MMH 5 will be updated (MMH 4 won’t).

 

[HomerJAU]

On the MMH 5 showing an immediate update: There isn’t a new version so let me check what’s going on.

The incorrect MMH 5 update available message is now fixed. (The current version number on the web has been changed to the correct version number: 5.0.0)

If you already have MMH 5 installed from the new installer it should now report there are no updates available.

 

[HomerJAU]

I was wondering the same thing? Shows an update and downloads a file but it doesn't install it.

The MSI installer checks if the current version installed is a lower version, if so the Installer runs. If not it just exits as there's nothing to update.

 

[timbre4]

The incorrect MMH 5 update available message is now fixed. (The current version number on the web has been changed to the correct version number: 5.0.0)

If you already have MMH 5 installed from the new installer it should now report there are no updates available.

Working as you said; no invalid update results.
NOTE: if you don't install the .NET 5 before installing MMH 5, the MMH5 install will prompt you and direct you to .NET 5 download.

 

[HomerJAU]

NOTE: if you don't install the .NET 5 before installing MMH 5, the MMH5 install will prompt you and direct you to .NET 5 download

Thanks Tim. I didn't test that scenario. Good to know.

 

[decahill480]

I've tried searching this forum but not finding my question.
Like many before me, I have created .mkv versions of the Beatles Multichannel releases (Abbey Road, White LP, & Sgt. Pepper.)
I then extracted the audio tracks to FLAC because Kodi 19 on Raspberry Pi4 still has issues with .mka & .m4a files. The resulting 5.1 DTS HDMA & TrueHD Dolby files do not match what is played when I listen to the original Blu-ray.

Specifically the channels that are extracted are:
L C R Ls Rs LFE.
There are no rear channels in the extracted file. My Denon AVR shows "Multi Ch In" whenever it is streaming from Kodi and plays only to the 6 channels. My height and rear speakers are silent as I would expect.
My room is set up where I expect my "surround" to come from my rear in a 5.1 config so I used the MMH Remix Channel Layout feature to move the Ls & Rs to Lr & Rr, respectively. Unfortunately my DVR still only plays these new files through my Side speakers not the Rear as I expected. Is it my AVR or have I done something wrong?
I drew the LS arrow to LR, RS to RR and deleted the LR & RR on the left side of the diagram LS & RS boxes on the right hand side (see attachment.)

The Blu-Ray player shows as "DTS MSTR" & "[Dolby logo]TrueHD + [Dolby logo]S" and sound will be heard on all speakers including my Atmos Heights. What's more interesting is that Sgt. Pepper (& the White album) say they are only providing 6 channels for 24/96kHz but my AVR is feeding all 9 of my speakers which leads me to believe that it is somehow supplementing the additional channels. I would like to understand if I'm expecting something that is not possible from FLAC and then must wait until I can get Kodi 19 to deliver the DTS/TrueHD/Atmos streams via HDMI to the AVR decoders.

Keep at it. This software is amazing.

 

[himey]

I've tried searching this forum but not finding my question.
Like many before me, I have created .mkv versions of the Beatles Multichannel releases (Abbey Road, White LP, & Sgt. Pepper.)
I then extracted the audio tracks to FLAC because Kodi 19 on Raspberry Pi4 still has issues with .mka & .m4a files. The resulting 5.1 DTS HDMA & TrueHD Dolby files do not match what is played when I listen to the original Blu-ray.

Specifically the channels that are extracted are:
L C R Ls Rs LFE.
There are no rear channels in the extracted file. My Denon AVR shows "Multi Ch In" whenever it is streaming from Kodi and plays only to the 6 channels. My height and rear speakers are silent as I would expect.
My room is set up where I expect my "surround" to come from my rear in a 5.1 config so I used the MMH Remix Channel Layout feature to move the Ls & Rs to Lr & Rr, respectively. Unfortunately my DVR still only plays these new files through my Side speakers not the Rear as I expected. Is it my AVR or have I done something wrong?
I drew the LS arrow to LR, RS to RR and deleted the LR & RR on the left side of the diagram LS & RS boxes on the right hand side (see attachment.) View attachment 69283

The Blu-Ray player shows as "DTS MSTR" & "[Dolby logo]TrueHD + [Dolby logo]S" and sound will be heard on all speakers including my Atmos Heights. What's more interesting is that Sgt. Pepper (& the White album) say they are only providing 6 channels for 24/96kHz but my AVR is feeding all 9 of my speakers which leads me to believe that it is somehow supplementing the additional channels. I would like to understand if I'm expecting something that is not possible from FLAC and then must wait until I can get Kodi 19 to deliver the DTS/TrueHD/Atmos streams via HDMI to the AVR decoders.

Keep at it. This software is amazing.

That is confusing even when I read it very slowly!

Care to break down the tools and workflow you are using?

 

[decahill480]

1. MakeMKV app to create the .mkv file
2. Music Media Helper 4.2.14 "Extract Audio from MKV" feature --> to split the chapters by song and output to FLAC files
3. Music Media Helper 4.2.14 "Remix Channel Layout" to move the Side channels to Rear in 5.1 configuration.

Ultimately the files do not play on my rear speakers either after the first extract from .mkv or after the remix channel layout.

 

[HomerJAU]

It appears you may have your AVR set to upmix which is why you are hearing something out of all speakers when playing back 6 channel files.

Ultimately the files do not play on my rear speakers either after the first extract from .mkv or after the

Most AVRs ignore channel layout tags and play by number of channels in the file. To get yours to play FLAC with sides as rears you’ll need to remix into a 7.1 (8 channel) file with silent side channels.

I‘m surprised Kodi 19 on your RPi can’t play mka or m4a files. Have you got your Kodi audio output set to ‘HDMI pass-through’ and you’ve set the Kodi settings for AVR for DTS-HDMA and TrueHD to ‘enabled’?

 

[himey]

1. MakeMKV app to create the .mkv file
2. Music Media Helper 4.2.14 "Extract Audio from MKV" feature --> to split the chapters by song and output to FLAC files
3. Music Media Helper 4.2.14 "Remix Channel Layout" to move the Side channels to Rear in 5.1 configuration.

Ultimately the files do not play on my rear speakers either after the first extract from .mkv or after the remix channel layout.

5.1 files have only sides and you would need to make a 7.1 file to output true rear channels in relation to sides.

Why are you swapping from sides to rears again? Have you double checked the un-altered flac visually to make sure the they do indeed need to be "moved"? I haven't seen layout problems mentioned in a long long time.