Topic: Flac 1.3.0 Released

[trustthex]

Didn't see a(n obvious) thread anywhere for this, so here it is.  Flac 1.3.0 was released today.

http://www.kabatology.com/06/10/flac-audio-format-gets-first-update-in-6-years/
https://xiph.org/flac/changelog.html

FLAC 1.3.0 (26-May-2013)

    General:
        Move development to Xiph.org git repository.
        The --sector-align option of flac has been deprecated and may not exist in future versions. shntool provides similar functionality.
        Support for the RF64 and Wave64 formats in flac (see below).
        Better handling of cuesheets with non-CD-DA sample rates.
        The --ignore-chunk-sizes option has been added to the flac command line tool.
    FLAC format:
        (none)
    Ogg FLAC format:
        (none)
    flac:
        Added support for encoding from and decoding to the RF64 format, and a new corresponding option --force-rf64-format. (SF #1762502). --keep-foreign-metadata is also supported.
        Added support for encoding from and decoding to the Sony Wave64 format, and a new corresponding option --force-wave64-format. (SF #1769582). --keep-foreign-metadata is also supported.
        Added new options --preserve-modtime and --no-preserve-modtime to specify whether or not output files should copy the timestamp and permissions from their input files. The default is --preserve-modtime as in previous versions. (SF #1805428).
        Allow MM:SS:FF and MM:SS.SS time formats in non-CD-DA cuesheets. (SF #1947353, SF #2182432)
        The --sector-align option of flac has been deprecated and may not exist in future versions. shntool provides similar functionality. (SF #1805946)
        Improved error message when user attempts to decode a non-FLAC file (SF #2222789).
        Fix bug where flac was disallowing use of --replay-gain when encoding from stdin (SF #1840124).
        Fix bug with fractional seconds on some locales (SF #1815517, SF #1858012).
        Read and write appropriate channel masks for 6.1 and 7.1 surround input WAV files. Documentation was also updated.
        Correct Wave64 GUIDs.
        Support 56kHz to 192kHz gain analysis (patch from Earl Chew)
        Add ability to handle utf8 filenames on Windows (large set of patches from Janne Hyvärinen)
    metaflac:
        Allow MM:SS:FF and MM:SS.SS time formats in non-CD-DA cuesheets. (SF #1947353, SF #2182432)
    plugins:
        Minor updates for XMMS plugin.
        Winamp2 plugin was dropped because Nullsoft has provided native FLAC support since 2006.
    build system:
        Fixes for autotools (including SF #1859664).
        Fixes for MinGW (including SF #2000973, SF #2209829).
        Fixes for gcc (including SF #1834168, SF #2002481).
        Fixes for Sun Studio/Forte (SF #1701960).
        Fixes for windows builds (including SF #1676822, SF #1756624, SF #1809863, SF #1911149).
        Fixes for FreeBSD and OpenBSD.
        Compile with GNU gcc _FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 and stack protection where those features are detected.
        Enable a bunch of GCC compiler warnings and fix code that generates warnings.
    documentation:
        Document --ignore-chunk-sizes and --apply-replaygain-which-is-not-lossless option for flac.
    libraries:
        libFLAC encoder was defaulting to level 0 compression instead of 5 (SF #1816825).
        Fix bug in bitreader handling of read callback returning a short count (SF #2490454).
        Improve decoder's ability to distinguish between a FLAC sync code and an MPEG one (SF #2491433).
    Interface changes:
        libFLAC:
            Added FLAC__format_blocksize_is_subset()
        libFLAC++:
            Add a number of convienience methods.

[JasonSobel]

wow.  awesome.  FLAC v1.2.1 was released back in 2007.  It's nice to see development continue

[page]

The --sector-align option of flac has been deprecated and may not exist in future versions. shntool provides similar functionality.

There better be a seriously awesome reason for this, otherwise that was mega-dumb.

[Gutbucket]

I agree. Why not always sector align 16/44.1 regardless of CD? What's the drawback?

[trustthex]

The --sector-align option of flac has been deprecated and may not exist in future versions. shntool provides similar functionality.

There better be a seriously awesome reason for this, otherwise that was mega-dumb.

I saw that and thought about bolding it.  Not cool, especially for those updating old filesets.

[flipp]

I wonder how long before Trader's Little Helper gets updated and if it will keep shntool in the setup file? If it keeps it there should be no worries because flac1.3 drops the sector-align option.

[JasonSobel]

yeah, what's the big deal about possibly dropping the sector boundary alignment option?  I've never used it (my tracks are always cut on sector boundaries, and for fixing old stuff, I've always used shntool). 

The --sector-align option of flac has been deprecated and may not exist in future versions. shntool provides similar functionality.

There better be a seriously awesome reason for this, otherwise that was mega-dumb.

isn't the fact that shntool provides the same functionality reason enough not to duplicate the function in the FLAC code?

[flipp]

yeah, what's the big deal about possibly dropping the sector boundary alignment option?  I've never used it (my tracks are always cut on sector boundaries, and for fixing old stuff, I've always used shntool). 

The --sector-align option of flac has been deprecated and may not exist in future versions. shntool provides similar functionality.

There better be a seriously awesome reason for this, otherwise that was mega-dumb.

isn't the fact that shntool provides the same functionality reason enough not to duplicate the function in the FLAC code?

No, because not everyone uses shntool or TLH. If you use TLH then the sector-align option in flac is redundant but if you use something like flac frontend then dropping the sector-align option may leave one up the creek without a paddle.

[runonce]

Is anyone really still relying on a track cutting tool that doesn't cut on sector?

Seems double redundant...

[scb]

Is anyone really still relying on a track cutting tool that doesn't cut on sector?

Seems double redundant...

I've never used an editor that cuts on sector boundaries.

"Sectors" don't really apply to audio that's not 16/44.1.

[page]

Is anyone really still relying on a track cutting tool that doesn't cut on sector?

Seems double redundant...

I've never used an editor that cuts on sector boundaries.

+1

I can get it to, but there is an element of human error in that. This has been a safety net.

Why depreciate a feature that was already implemented and worked? I could understand if they had a better solution, but no, they said "go get someone else's program for that." That's weak sauce and short sighted to rely on someone else's code when yours was already sufficient and done. 

[scb]

Maybe they're just acknowledging that at some point in the future, hacks specific to 16/44.1 may go away

[runonce]

Maybe they're just acknowledging that at some point in the future, hacks specific to 16/44.1 may go away

Or the Audio CD format in general...

[Sebastian]

FLAC is just an audio codec and as such, I don't think it's FLAC's responsibility to make sure your audio files are aligned to any other format's sectors.

[adrianf74]

FLAC is just an audio codec and as such, I don't think it's FLAC's responsibility to make sure your audio files are aligned to any other format's sectors.

^^ THIS.

I know FLAC has supported it but it's not truly a responsibility of FLAC but rather the front-end that you're using.  I'm sure TLH will add this feature for those who need it.

[kcmule]

FLAC is just an audio codec and as such, I don't think it's FLAC's responsibility to make sure your audio files are aligned to any other format's sectors.

^^ THIS.

I know FLAC has supported it but it's not truly a responsibility of FLAC but rather the front-end that you're using.  I'm sure TLH will add this feature for those who need it.

How do you propose any front-end mechanism provides a feature that is removed from the back-end?

[Gil]

Is anyone really still relying on a track cutting tool that doesn't cut on sector?

No, but even when using CD Wave, the last track of a set usually ends with a SBE as it's not my deck's responsibility to end on a sector.

And I'd rather check the fix SBE box on the encode than make an extremely short track in CD Wave only to toss it.

[scb]

How do you propose any front-end mechanism provides a feature that is removed from the back-end?

huh?

[kcmule]

How do you propose any front-end mechanism provides a feature that is removed from the back-end?

huh?

Considering the front end is simply an interface to what is defined in by the back end, if a feature
of the back end is removed how is the front end going to enable it?  It's not.

So how it TLH going to add something that isn't there to begin with?  It's not.

[scb]

How do you propose any front-end mechanism provides a feature that is removed from the back-end?

huh?

Considering the front end is simply an interface to what is defined in by the back end, if a feature
of the back end is removed how is the front end going to enable it?  It's not.

So how it TLH going to add something that isn't there to begin with?  It's not.

In the specific case of TLH, it can use shntool. Problem solved.

In the case of other apps that actually use the flac libraries and don't just call the command-line flac executable, they can manipulate the audio data themselves when encoding, just like shntool does.

[kcmule]

In the case of other apps that actually use the flac libraries and don't just call the command-line flac executable,

I was under the impression that is what happens, simply called the command line exe.  Guess not.

[spyder9]

Is anyone really still relying on a track cutting tool that doesn't cut on sector?

Seems double redundant...

Yes.  Me.  I use Totalrecorder as my cutter for speed purposes. 

[spyder9]

FLAC is just an audio codec and as such, I don't think it's FLAC's responsibility to make sure your audio files are aligned to any other format's sectors.

You're correct.  FLAC is just a codec, not a tool.  That's why I use TLH for sector alignment. 

[spyder9]

http://flacfrontend.sourceforge.net/

Flac Frontend no longer has sector alignment.  Check out the pictures.

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

No, but even when using CD Wave, the last track of a set usually ends with a SBE as it's not my deck's responsibility to end on a sector.

And I'd rather check the fix SBE box on the encode than make an extremely short track in CD Wave only to toss it.

I've always cut off the first x:xx.xx and last x:xx.xx with CDWave (so a 10 track set has 12 tracks after done with CDWave - delete Track 1 and Track 12).  That will take care of the SBE at the very end (nice clean edges).

I'm not really a fan of the SBE fix in TLH.  The main (and probably only) reason being that it made it too easy for people to "fix" their SBEs incorrectly, ie people would fix the last SBE on the last track of first set by padding with the first track of second set rather than doing so with silence... 

I've always used SHNTOOLs for SBEs...

Terry

[Gil]

No, but even when using CD Wave, the last track of a set usually ends with a SBE as it's not my deck's responsibility to end on a sector.

And I'd rather check the fix SBE box on the encode than make an extremely short track in CD Wave only to toss it.

I've always cut off the first x:xx.xx and last x:xx.xx with CDWave (so a 10 track set has 12 tracks after done with CDWave - delete Track 1 and Track 12).  That will take care of the SBE at the very end (nice clean edges).

I'm not really a fan of the SBE fix in TLH.  The main (and probably only) reason being that it made it too easy for people to "fix" their SBEs incorrectly, ie people would fix the last SBE on the last track of first set by padding with the first track of second set rather than doing so with silence... 

I've always used SHNTOOLs for SBEs...

Terry

Good point. I do it set by set to avoid any issues.

[stevetoney]

This is the nerd-iest thread I've read in awhile on TS.com.   

[fsulloway]

This is the nerd-iest thread I've read in awhile on TS.com.   

yeah, I pretty much understood about 25% of what was going on. hahaha 

[morst]

Maybe they're just acknowledging that at some point in the future, hacks specific to 16/44.1 may go away

Or the Audio CD format in general...

I certainly hope so! 16/441 should go jump in a lake ASAP!!!