Software Update: dBpoweramp Music Converter R17.0

Illustrate has released release 17.0 of dBpoweramp Music Converter. This audio editing program can rip audio CDs and convert music files to and from mp3, mp4, m4a, wma, Ogg Vorbis, aac, Monkey’s Audio, flac, alac, among others, while preserving tags. Furthermore, the MP3 tags can be customized and the program can be fully integrated into Windows Explorer, making it easy to invoke. The basic version, for ripping CDs and converting files, is free. In front of additional functionality must be paid. The program is available for Windows and macOS. The following changes and improvements have been made in this update:

dBpoweramp Music Converter 17.0 changes:

• Minimum supported Windows: Vista (XP no longer supported)
• New explorer right click option ‘Quick Convert’ which invokes the converter without showing the options page
• CD Ripper & Music Converter handle [Multi-Encoder] internally, this allows file overwrite and proper CPU resource allocation
• All programs – added a crash reporter
• All Programs – Graphics upgraded to be independent of display resolution
• All programs – better handle High Contrast Theme
• Support for artist in m3u playlist
• dBpoweramp Control Center: Tests if Windows defender is limiting access to the system and warns
• dBpoweramp Control Center: can exclude popup info tips, and right click ‘Convert To’, for set file types
• High quality SSRC (frequency resampler) enabled for all frequency conversions
• Right Click >> Edit ID Tags option in art menu to resize existing art to a maximum KB size
• Added a new Screen Reader Option in Control Center to enable non-graphical buttons
• Converter + Tag Editor: if select all files in a folder, right click, convert to or edit id tags, any non audio files are excluded
• Naming added [GROUP] so for example if an artist was ‘Drake’ and [group]4,[artist][] would generate ‘ad’ the first letter of the tag is used and number signifies the letters to group together, 2 would be ab cd ef
• Naming added [SPLIT] for example artist was ‘A1/A2/A3/A4’ [split]/,[artist],2[] would return ‘A2’ to split on comma enter [split],[artist],2[]
• Naming updated [REPLACE] can replace with , or search , buy setting a blank entry: [REPLACE],@,[artist][] would replace , with @
• Updated naming dlg for Move File On Error DSP effect
• New conversion option: substitute Unicode spaces and remove leading or ending spaces in tags – there are various non-standard unicode space characters (such as thin space), these will be replaced with a standard space. Also white spaces at the start or end of tags are removed.
• Popup info: if a zero byte file then says so
• Edit ID Tags >> Art Menu >> Added 2000×2000, 1800×1800, 1600×1600, 1400×1400, 1200×1200 options
• Menu check marks larger on higher dpi screens
• Fixes bug in various Window Managers (such as total commander) which do not follow Windows API specification
• Added option in configuration to hide specific unused encoders
• Popup Info: rating range shown 0-10 range same as ID Tag editor
• New DSP effect: speed up, slow down
• utility codecs [ID Tag Update] and [Replaygain] included as standard
• ID Tag Processing: option to set multi artist to ‘; ‘ for non multi-artist aware programs now works with Artist Sort and Album Artist Sort
• Multi Encoder, allows sub encoders to be utility codecs
• ID3v2 COMM tag, now works again for iTunes
• m4a grup tag renamed to @grp as it was causing issues for iTunes
• FLAC updated to 1.3.3
• Encoders added as standard: Opus, m4a AAC (dBpoweramp reference), m4b, Monkeys Audio (v4.81), WMA 10, Wavpack, Ogg Vorbis
• Decoders added as standard: DSD, Speex, Ogg Vorbis, Musepack
• Added DSD Encoder (dBpoweramp reference)
• DSD – shows 1 bit and dsd frequency in dBpoweramp Popup Info & Audio Properties page
• AAC Decoder better able to read non-standard files
• mp3 lame encoder supports 64 bit float source
• m4a FDK supports 64 bit float source
• Opus files in .ogg now supported
• Codec Update Wavpack to 5.2
• Codec Update – Opus 1.3.1
• Codec Update – m4a FDK updated to v2
• Added new Apple Core Audio Format (CAF) decoder
• ID Tag Editor – popup suggestion now appears 1/3 to the right of the box, so as not to get in way
• ID Tag Editor – resizing auto sizes the edit box
• ID Tag Editor – can drag and drop art on id tag editor
• ID Tag editor – supports embedding PNG album art, also resizing existing PNG stays as PNG
• ID Tag editor – buttons could overlap at certain resolutions
• Music Converter – can handle 64 cores
• Music Converter – will use 100% of CPU capacity by default (around 20% faster encoding on a 4 core system)
• Music Converter – output to box shows for encoders such as multi-encoder
• batch converter added filter on date – last week, yesterday, last month, last year
• Batch Converter when generating conversion list shows the number of files already discovered
• Batch Converter added new profile option to not store file selections with a profile (only Extension exclusions and later in music converter DSPs and Encoder auto selected)
• batch converter lists correct frequency and bits for DSD

CD Ripper

• Improved drive speed detection
• Manual Metadata review, added replace text option (replace fixed string value in all metadata)
• Album art improvements: discogs art, PerfectTUNES art priority
• HDCD detection for technical column improved
• Album title shown on title bar when ripping
• shows which metadata providers are remaining on lookup
• Added Style to toolbar
• added de-emphasis option to CD ripper, and DSP effect for music converter
• when add technical column, track listing is refreshed
• displays on info page the AccurateRip status icon
• Added manual metadata search form, auto shown if disc has no metadata
• if screen resolution changes and is showing maximized or too big for screen, then make maximized again
• art menu redesigned, new Add Additional Art menu, default actions replace main art
• art added from files, if PNG then left as PNG. New option in Metadata options ‘Store Scanned Art as PNG’
• default allowed maximum album art size is now 1000×1000 and 750KB
• naming box shows for encoders such as multi-encoder
• CD Text and ISRC metadata takes preference over other providers
• custom ID Tags are applied now if on manual metadata review a specific provider is chosen
• default naming changed to [MAXLENGTH]80,[IFVALUE]album artist,[album artist],[IFCOMP]Various Artists[][IF!COMP][artist][][][][MAXLENGTH]80,[album][][MAXLENGTH]80,[track] [artist] – Software-update: dBpoweramp Music Converter R17.0[]
• default secure log saved to [rippedtopath]Secure Ripping Log.txt
• dbpoweramp implemented own freedb server to combat the retiring of the old freedb.org

Bug Fixes

• Edit ID Tags removed small white line in album art
• cd ripper – if reading previously ripped disc metadata from db cache would not set compilation check based on last time
• Thumbnail and Property Handler exclusions were not working
• Opus tag reader could crash on malformed tags
• Batch Converter was reading file metadata, even if no filtering was in place
• ID Tag processing does not export folder.jpg when doing filename check (dmc or multi-encoder)
• musicbrainz was not always looking up discs
• Replaygain now writes iTunesNORM which is compatible with the latest iTunes
• Ogg Decoder – fixed issue where ogg-flac would trigger a memory error
• RunIDTagsThroughDSPEffects possibly altering origfilename etc
• All programs – if taskbar is set to hidden, maximizing (CD Ripper, or Batch Converter) would stop it appearing
• Network share reliability fixes