Bug 838 - Gapless MP3 playback has "gaps"
: Gapless MP3 playback has "gaps"
Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 1026
Product: Logitech Media Server
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Formats
: 5.x or older
: PC Windows XP
: P3 minor (vote)
: ---
Assigned To: Blackketter Dean
:
Depends on:
Blocks:
  Show dependency treegraph
 
Reported: 2005-02-11 14:58 UTC by Stephane Bourque
Modified: 2008-12-18 11:54 UTC (History)
0 users

See Also:
Category: ---


Attachments
Michael Nyman gapless tracks sample (3.05 MB, application/zip)
2005-02-11 15:03 UTC, Stephane Bourque
Details
Mike Oldfield gapless tracks sample (2.93 MB, application/zip)
2005-02-11 15:05 UTC, Stephane Bourque
Details

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Description Stephane Bourque 2005-02-11 14:58:15 UTC
Overview Description: 
Tracks encoded with LAME (V. 3.96.1 in my case) are playing flawlessly with
foobar2000 and Winamp with the in_mpg123.dll plugin.  Gapless track are playing
without any noticeable �gap� even though albums have not been encoded as one big
MP3 with a cue sheet but rather as separate tracks.

However, there are gaps when listening to the same tracks on the Slimserver. 
Gaps are shorter than, say, when using Windows Media Player, but they are still
very annoying.  Many classical and new age albums and most live albums are
especially affected by this problem.

Steps to Reproduce:
Just place attached tracks to playlist in order and play them sequentially. In
the transition between tracks, a small gap will be audible with both Softsqueeze
and the Squeezebox.

Using foobar2000 or Winamp will play the files correctly.

Attachements Description:
Included are some sample tracks showing the problem.  They are encoded at a low
bitrate (96Kbps) to save space but this does not affect the tests. When played
used Winamp or foobar2000, the playback without any gaps.  Gaps will be
noticeable when playing over the Slimserver.

Additional Information:
- The analog outputs of the Squeezebox have been used.  

-As proposed by Kevin Pearsall, no bitrate limit has been in the Player
Settings.  No image tags (or other special tags requiring stripping from the
server) are included in the files.  In fact, all tags have been removed in the
attached tracks, as suggested.

- The player is not synchronized with anything else than the Slimserver.

Also, others are reporting the same problem in the developers forum, such as Kim
Suominen :

[...] "I've been using gapless encoding with LAME and the files play back
perfectly (gapless) on Winamp (no special plugins used), the Turtle
Beach AudioTron (AT), and through Icecast (streamed MP3).  I haven't
been using mpg123 anymore for quite some time, but back in 1997/1998
is was playing the gapless MP3 files perfectly gaplessly as well.

I just did an experiment with the Squeezebox (and SlimServer V6):
1: The Alan Parsons Project / Eye in the Sky
- 1. Sirius / 2. Eye in the Sky
2: Marillion / Misplaced Childhood
- 1. Pseudo Silk Kimono / 2. Kayleigh / 3. Lavender / 4. Bitter Suite

First test had a slight break in the rhythm over the song (file)
change -- less like a gap and more like a couple of frames *missing*. 
I replayed it on the AT, and it played perfectly on it, so something
happens differently with the Squeezebox.  I tried it a couple more
times on the Squeezebox, and it always does the same "quick-step"
between the tracks.

The second test plays the first two transitions perfectly on the
Squeezebox.  However, the third transition has a tiny but audible gap.
 Just to verify, did the replay on AT to make sure all transitions
play perfectly without gap there." [...]
Comment 1 Stephane Bourque 2005-02-11 15:03:08 UTC
Created attachment 268 [details]
Michael Nyman gapless tracks sample

Encoded with LAME 3.96.1 with "-alt-preset extreme" settings.
Comment 2 Stephane Bourque 2005-02-11 15:05:31 UTC
Created attachment 269 [details]
Mike Oldfield gapless tracks sample

Encoded with LAME 3.96.1 with "--alt-preset 96" settings.
Comment 3 Stephane Bourque 2005-02-11 15:08:18 UTC
Comment on attachment 268 [details]
Michael Nyman gapless tracks sample

Wrongo.  The files were encoded with LAME 3.96.1 with "--alt-preset 96"
settings, not "--alt-preset 128"
Comment 4 Dan Sully 2005-03-11 08:54:17 UTC

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 1026 ***
Comment 5 Chris Owens 2008-12-18 11:54:15 UTC
Routine bug db maintenance; removing old versions which cause confusion.  I apologize for the inconvenience.