DeeGUI (Dolby Encoder Engine GUI)

[tebasuna51]

Originally Posted by jlw_4049

For those looking into odd channel configurations...

But only support:
-c, --channels, {AUTO[0],MONO[1],STEREO[2],SURROUND[6],SURROUNDEX[8]}

I need FL,FR,FC,LFE,SL,SR,TFL,TFR

[j7n]

DEE seems to be quite limited. Not all parameters of the encoders are fully adjustable. MainConcept TotalCode, Adobe Audition (old), Sound Forge, support many more channel layouts. The alogorithms are also different from what is available in other software. If you give a mono input, and select a high bitrate, the resulting stream will have a lot of unused space, while with other software the encoder will increase accuracy to use up all the bits.

You could upmix the file to 5.1 with silent channels, but that would likely be played back inconsistently on different devices. Stereo with blank channels works with AC-4, which requires a 5.1 input, and gives a stereo downmix. A patch through SoX can do an upmix/resample on the fly. AC-4 IMS also seems to be a "modern" pseudo-VBR codec, which doesn't overcode silence, and leaves unused bits.

[Encore]

Can I use this to encode a e-AC-3.5.1ch.192kb/s track to get some gain in the audio (may be 640kb/s)? or use eac3to for better encode? Is there any benefit to uplifting the audi bitrate as when we played this track on the system the aduio felt it bit low except for the voice (not much bass effect).

[j7n]

A change in bitrate won't improve the sound by itself. You can re-encode if you edited the track, for example, boosted the bass with an equalizer. 5.1 @ 192 kbit/s will always have poor quality with muffled high end and transients. That's just not enough data.

[Encore]

Originally Posted by j7n

A change in bitrate won't improve the sound by itself. You can re-encode if you edited the track, for example, boosted the bass with an equalizer. 5.1 @ 192 kbit/s will always have poor quality with muffled high end and transients. That's just not enough data.

Can I do this (equalizer) edit in app like audition or can you please suggest an application for Windows 64bit.

This track has coversations in high volume and background score in low (not sure if its my soundbar outputting like that - like a voice boosting). But audio bitrate is a low for a movie soundtrack.

[SuperFist]

Originally Posted by tebasuna51

I make a little GUI to use the Dolby Encoder Engine software.

Must be at same folder (...\DolbyEE) than dee.exe and need ffmpeg at same folder or in the system %PATH% (recommended).

The first step is convert/decode the source file in RF64 format (like dee.exe need) and can be used any format suported by ffmpeg.

Here is the DeeGUI.au3 than can be interpreted by Autoit3.exe or use the DeeGUI.exe from here

You, my friend, are a National Treasure!!!

I'm not sure if you can help me with what I'm trying to do.

In the past, I have used DTS Master Audio Suite to replace an LFE channel in an MKV file that has DTS-HD MA audio. Now I want to do the same with an MKV file that has Dolby Atmos. Would you happen to know how I would go about this using your GUI and the steps I would need to take and/or command lines to retain Dolby Atmos in the original surround files?

[tebasuna51]

Sorry but Dolby Encoder Engine can't create Dolby Atmos encodes, and replace a channel (LFE or other) implies decode first and recode to Atmos after.

Also with Dolby Encoder Engine can't create 3D sound only standard 5.1 or 7.1 2D like I say before.
I only know Audition 2017 to create 3D files from a source FL,FR,FC,LFE,SL,SR,TFL,TFR.

If you have an AVR 5.1.2 player you can decode the Dolby Atmos with Cavernize, replace the LFE and after recode it to eac3 3D with Audition.

[SquallMX]

Is there any reason for using DD+ instead of DD when encoding at higher bitrates (>448 Kbps)? Sound quality is the same to me, but maybe better ears (or equipment) can hear better quality audio from a DD+ stream.

[tebasuna51]

High frequencies need more bitrate than 448 Kb/s for 5.1 channels, but without good equipment or old ears (like mine) maybe is the same.

For audio movies I like use AAC VBR with better quality/bitrate than DD CBR.

[tormento]

Originally Posted by tebasuna51

For audio movies I like use AAC VBR with better quality/bitrate than DD CBR.

Why not opus? Compatibility issues?

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally Posted by tebasuna51

High frequencies need more bitrate than 448 Kb/s for 5.1 channels, but without good equipment or old ears (like mine) maybe is the same.

For audio movies I like use AAC VBR with better quality/bitrate than DD CBR.

AAC offers greater playback compatibility. Especially with televisions...

[tebasuna51]

Yes, for better compatibility.

[Ripmann]

Thanks for the neat utility. As someone who doesn't have time nor patience to study Dolby's obtuse command line and XML system, I found it very useful (I use the exe). Do you have plans to update it to include AC4 and Atmos options? I'd really appreciate if someone could finally break down their archaic encoding pipelines to a simple, normal GUI like this.

Oh, by the way, why is there no "None" setting for Dynamic Range Compression (ddp_drc_profile)? I thought I saw that option in Dolby's XMLs.

And speaking of DRC, I'm still not exactly sure how it works, so maybe you or someone else here can clarify this. The way I understand it, dynamic range gets hardcoded during an encode and is not some non-destructive tag like ReplayGain in MP3 or M4A, right? So if I reencode an official DTS or TrueHD file that already had a correct dynamic range setting (say, it was encoded with Film_Standard) with None (or Music_light, which seems to be the closest to None), my reencode will be the closest to the original since no new adjustments were added. Is this correct? Thanks again.

[tebasuna51]

Originally Posted by Ripmann

Do you have plans to update it to include AC4 and Atmos options?

I don't know how.

Oh, by the way, why is there no "None" setting for Dynamic Range Compression (ddp_drc_profile)? I thought I saw that option in Dolby's XMLs.

I get: ERROR: pcm_to_ddp: Invalid rf_mode_drc_profile value: none.

The way I understand it, dynamic range gets hardcoded during an encode and is not some non-destructive tag like ReplayGain in MP3 or M4A, right?

Yes, they are metadata that may or may not be taken into account.

So if I reencode an official DTS or TrueHD file that already had a correct dynamic range setting

DTS-HD or TrueHD are losless then the source must be decoded at is, it must be the player who adds DRC to the user's liking.

The problem is that Dolby forces all decoders to use the DRC included in DD/DD+ by default.

If we want to recover the original audio from a DD/DD+ (Dolby-compliant) decoder, we have to explicitly request that it not be used with drc=0.

[Ripmann]

Originally Posted by tebasuna51

I get: ERROR: pcm_to_ddp: Invalid rf_mode_drc_profile value: none.

I rechecked and found it in AC-4 files (example attached):

 <ddp_drc_profile>film_light</ddp_drc_profile>    <!-- One of: film_standard, film_light, music_standard, music_light, speech, none -->

If it doesn't work with E-AC-3, it's probably an AC-4 only thing. I'll stick with music_light for now when encoding DTS-HD MA, at least until I get to 7.1 TrueHD and be forced to figure out AC-4 and Atmos pipelines. God, I hate Dolby for splitting with Adobe... Anyway, thanks for your reply and another thanks for the tidy app.

[j7n]

Originally Posted by Ripmann

Dolby's obtuse command line and XML system

You can create one XML template and not touch it again. Then pass in new options on the command line like so: --add-elem data_rate=%x

They removed the "none" option. You can use an older encoder like in Audition or TotalCode. The metadata is non-destructive, but decoders by default apply it. It also occupies a few bytes, which can't be used for the audio.