Hi to all,

OK, that may be something of an exaggeration, but I have a real hard core Windows problem for you here..

I appear to be having a problem with WMP 10, in the playback of MP3 files.

If I play a commercially recorded track that I have compressed to MP3 format and saved on my PC using WMP10, it comes out fairly distorted, particularly the bass frequencies.

Now, without changing anything at all (volumes, EQ…) in my sound out circuit, I play exactly the same file but with a different app (I’ve tried 2, RealPlayer and Power DVD) and it comes out just fine.
So the culprit just has to be WMP10.

I get this distortion with any MP3 file WMP10 plays, from whatever source.

I don’t get any sort of error message from WMP10 (“can’t find Codec…”, “damaged Codec”…)

For many months, I thought I was making distorted mp3s with Audacity but this doesn't seem to be the case.

Now, I was burning the midnight oil yesterday trying to research this one and it turns out that there is a suspect codec which provokes exactly this problem - CTMP3.acm.

So all I had to do was find this on my system, rename its extention and WMP10 would find a different, better Codec to use.

Only problem – I don’t have CTMP3.acm anywhere on my system.

Which leads me to a bunch of questions…

Is the choice of Codec determined by the file or the player? If it is the former, then why would I not be getting the distortion with other media players than WMP?

Is there some sort of interface between the media playing app. and the Codec which could be causing the problem? (Don't think it's the app itself - I have already re-downloaded and re-installed WMP10 to rule that one out)

How can I find out which Codec WMP10 is using to playback MP3s?

How can I tell it to use another one?

How can I correct the problem without making it worse (I don’t want to delete a Codec which works perfectly well with another app)

Many thanks

Marc

This should be in 'off-topic, not the tips area.

WMP uses Fraunhofer IIS MPEG layer-3 codec (advanced version) as default for playback. Unless the professional one is present. Then it uses that one.
The number in the priority box in control panel-sound-hardware-audio codecs-properties will tell you the order of system preference.
Remove/ reinstall codec if you think this is the problem..many places online to get it from. Or use the system disk.

Have you tried a system restore to a point before all this started ? Usually when this sort of thing happens it means your codecs have become corrupted. Try running all the spyware scans you can get a hold of, run anti-virus scans, do a disk defrag.
If you've downloaded any programmes since just before this started happening, uninstall them all, and see if that cures it.

Thanks for that Graham

I'm pretty confident the system isn't and has never had virus/spyware.
It has BitDef IS running permanently and I scan at least once a week with A squared/Ad-Aware/S&D...

The fault has been present for so long that I can rule out Sys Res - It would be more work getting the system back up to what it is today than finding a workaroud/alternative solution to the mp3 playback problem (which is after all confined to WMP 10).

From what I've read, the codecs are now built into the WMP install package. So if there is a corrupt file, I would have thought it would have been replaced by a clean version.

Thanks too Rharv but not sure what you mean by "the professional one".
Anyway will check out from the Control Panel and by looking into the System32 folder to see where we stand.

Cheers

Marc

This may not be your codec at all.

WMP has all sorts of EFFECTS in it.

Very easy to have something invoked that will affect everything it plays and also could only affect mp3 files.

The EQ inside WMP alone can be set to such high levels that it will clip every doggone note.

There is also a rather bad speed control in there somewhere IIRC, that can change the speed with rather bizarre artifacts.


*Check PLUGINS and ENHANCEMENTS in the WMP, you may have to go through each one looking to reset all to bypassed or normal.*


--Mac

What Goldwave has to say about it....


CT in front of anything usually indicates Creative.....

Following up on Mac, I can report that there are no active plug-ins other than the visualisation ones. Now surely they can’t affect the sound ?!

But now – EUREKA – the man is right (again)

I can report that it is those pesky eq settings.

Mac – I owe you for this one…if you ever need some lyrics translated into French… !

Ces't fantastique, mon ami!

Joyeux Noël


-- ici "Mac"

Merci Mac et 'Bonnes Fêtes' to you too!