Stopped compressing

[Robert Smith]

Have owned B2 for over 3 years with no issues but has now suddenly stopped compressing. Have done all the usual on/off removed card updated, plenty of memory etc . would really appreciate any help /advice and hope its a simple solution

[Daniel Taylor]

I've read many times where the probable cause of this problem is a corrupt song file.  When the B2 gets to that song and can't handle it, it just stops.  If you can figure out what song file, or album, and delete it, things might go back to normal.

[Robert Smith]

Thank you Daniel and Paul will try suggestions and let you know of outcome .If it is a cd problem does this mean that cd cannot go on B2?

[Daniel Taylor]

CDs that give the B2 problems can often be successfully ripped on a computer.  Then those files can be Imported onto the B2 via USB.

[Robert Smith]

Hi Paul have deleted most recent cd's and still no joy can you please advise as I am ending up with more tracks not on that now wont compress

On Friday, January 22, 2021 at 11:11:02 AM UTC Daniel Taylor wrote:

[Robert Smith]

thanks have tried going as far as I dare without deleting all CD's and have asked Paul too see if he can suggest anything

[Robert Smith]

I apologise but this is going nowhere there doesn't seem to be any files not compressed on the B2 I have deleted the 20 most recent CD's off (even though they were compressed) so now they wont compress can someone please point me in the right direction or is it the machine has just stopped functioning   

On Friday, January 22, 2021 at 11:11:02 AM UTC Daniel Taylor wrote:

[Mark Fishman]

Finally I have become hopelessly confused, so I will ask for clarification.

You write: "there doesn't seem to be any files not compressed on the B2" -- Does that mean that all the files on the B2 are already in compressed formats? (e.g., FLAC, MP3, AAC?)

You write: "I have deleted the 20 most recent CD's off (even though they were compressed) so now they wont compress" -- Does that mean that you removed files that were already compressed, and have tried to rip the same CDs again, but now you have uncompressed WAV files?

I'm sure you've checked this already but since you haven't mentioned it I will ask: did you check to see if the setting for compression in the B2 has perhaps been changed? (Settings, Compression: can be set to FLAC, MP3, or None -- if it's set to none then the B2 won't compress any new files)

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Robert,

I think that we need to go back to basics here.  Please could you go into the WebUI and go into the 'Settings & Status' window (click on the little 'Cog Wheel' icon) and post the information shown there including: 

Software version, number of tracks, artists, albums, total disk space, disk space used)

Then we can work forwards from there.

Regards,

Peter.

[Mark Fishman]

I have had the following private response (please try to respond from within the forum so others can see the information):

On Fri, Jan 22, 2021 at 11:37 AM Robert Smith <...> wrote:

Sorry for confusing you yes B2 set to MP3 for compression all files are compressed 3 days ago I ripped Peaky Blinders soundtrack and it didn't compress (all other cd's were ) which has led me to now including previous calls for help today and yes I have deleted compressed files because I thought why would it stop suddenly and was advised to delete and retry but didnt want to go any further because as stated I now have cd's that were compressed but now will not

OK, this will undoubtedly cover some of the ground you have been over already.

 - what software version are you on currently? (e.g., the most recent seems to be from this week)

 - do you have enough empty disk space for the uncompressed CD plus the compressed version? (the CD is ripped directly and saved as WAV files, then those are compressed and the WAVs only get deleted after the compression)

 - try changing the setting for compression to something else, then changing it back later. (I have found that sometimes software needs to see a change in order to save a setting)

 - I assume that you have tried the "Compress Now" item in the menu and then waited (not using the B2 for anything else) long enough for something to have happened?

 - you are aware that until the current software there was a bug that stopped the B2 from compressing to MP3 if there were '&' characters in the track titles? (maybe also the album or artist names)

Anyway, I see that Peter is also responding -- eventually with your help this will be diagnosed.

-- m.

[Mark Fishman]

following received in a private message (PLEASE respond IN the forum, not to the emails you receive!!!):

On Fri, Jan 22, 2021 at 12:08 PM Robert Smith  wrote:

Software Version B2 Jan 20 2021 10:24:41

7733 tracks in 476 albums 194 artists

28 WAV 0 FLAC 7705 MP3 0 AAC

Capacity 500.00G Used 26.74Gb

USB 0 tracks in 0 albums 0 artists

0 Youtubes

MP3 256K 

Compression Mode

Off 

Segue Mode
Scan
Scan Disk
Forget
Clear Sonos Devices

Automatic Force Mobile Force Desktop

Guest Mode

Quiz 

Audio on HDMI (TV)

Enable Youtube Cache

Big Picture

Original Mobile New New Mobile

Background
Idle

Close  

[Robert Smith]

appologies Mark

[Mark Fishman]

'sokay, it's just that others need to see the info and I couldn't cut/paste the screen image for some reason.

[Robert Smith]

just changed to FLAC and low and behold compressing away so do I change it back later and should be ok (car stereo doesn't recognise FLAC)

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Rob,

I've just processed the data stats that you posted and have found a discrepancy that needs to be considered.

Your compression setting is set at mp3 256Kb currently.  My estimator spreadsheet tells me that your music collection should require approximately 55GB of disk space but your collection is using just 26.7GB.  If your compression was mp3 128Kb this would give me a result of about 30GB, which is close to your actual figure.

So I'm wondering if you have been previously compressing at 128GB mp3 and then recently changed the compression to 256Kb mp3?

It also looks like there might be a bug in the 256Kb compression rate.  I'll set up a test to see if this is the case as soon as I can.

Regards,

Peter.

[Robert Smith]

thank you

[Robert Smith]

To be honest Peter I can swear it was MP3 but as for rate I may well have had it on one or other have just avoided FLAC as music goes on stick and car stereo doesn't recognise FLAC (but please see previous post) 

[Mark Fishman]

After it finishes compressing to FLAC, it won't compress those files again to MP3 -- there's supposed to be a FLAC+MP3 option that is apparently VERY slow when it works, others may have more to say -- so you'll probably want to convert them on your computer (do you have a computer?) to make them available for your car stereo.

On a Mac I use XLD -- very fast, very flexible. Wonderful converter (also rips), and free.

On Windows I use foobar2000 for conversions from FLAC to MP3 -- free, fast, flexible.

If you have NAS enabled on your B2, you could convert to MP3 from the FLACs that are on the B2, directly to a USB stick in the computer, without having to export the FLACs first. (source directory on B2, target directory on the USB stick)

Progress!

[Robert Smith]

You are a gent and I will need to maybe renew the prehistoric lap top I find myself corresponding on at the minute . Thanks so much 

[Mark Fishman]

I have a couple of pre-historic computers around here that I really shuld get rid of... but my two newest (desktop and laptop) are both about 8 years or so old. The laptop was bought with Windows XP; the desktop came with Windows 7 (shiny!), and both are now running 32-bit Windows 10. (Yes it still has a 32-bit version.) Relatively ancient, but the hard drives were replaced and they are <knock wood> still chugging along.

So if I can use a piece of software it should probably run for you also. :)

At some point, just for the fun (!) of it, you could try switching the B2 back to MP3 compression and load a new CD; let us know if that works after all this runaround. Yes?

Cheers -- m.

[Robert Smith]

seems I can only compress with FLAC on the good side it does so automatically like it used to with MP3 will see what happens hopefully Peter will have some sort of solution when he runs test. Afraid it s all beyond me

Regards Rob 

[Thomas Seidel]

Dear All,

I'm facing the "no compressing" problem since software-update Dec.3, 2020. As already addressed in another group-discussion I followed all discussed suggestions to no success. There are no corrupted files which maybe are blocking the compression, I tried also to rip already successful ripped and compressed to mp3 discs, same result: compressing stops after a few seconds and files remain in .wav 

I'm running my B2 for a couple of years without any problems, this is the very first time. 

As long as there in no solution I will convert the CDs to mp3 on Computer and import it to B2, which is a little detour, but works !

Thomas 

[Brian R]

Hi Thomas

Have you updated to the latest software - 20 January 2021?

Brian

[Mark Fishman]

The other poster who reported a similar problem found that his B2 would still compress to FLAC. Could you try that please? Change your B2's compression setting to FLAC and rip a new CD. Let us know if that works, please.

[Thomas Seidel]

Dear All,

yes, I updated to the latest software, Jan.20 and yes, compressing to FLAC works 

Thomas

[Mark Fishman]

According to https://www.brennan.co.uk/itemcontent.php/content/latestSoftware, 26 November was the last software release before the "new" MP3 encoder was put into the 3 December release. Both Rob and Thomas seem to have had their B2s for "a couple of" or 3 years (or more?). Maybe there's an incompatibility between the new MP3 encoder and some builds of the B2 hardware?

If anyone has a copy of the 26 Nov release and can test to see if that one worked for MP3 encoding but a newer release breaks it, that might be useful info. I believe Peter Lowham has an old (full-size SD card) and also a new (internal microSD card) model B2; testing on both might help.

-- m.

[Robert Smith]

Dont say I understand all of this but the dates of software seem to fit in with my stopping compressing . Hopefully all the time and effort your putting in will reap some reward

[Mark Fishman]

My B2 was purchased in August 2018, from Amazon (USA). It has only ever been used for FLAC compression, so I can't tell you how it did MP3s before 3 December. Since it has the B2 9 Dec 2020 software, I changed the compression to 256k MP3 and ripped a new CD. "Info" said there were now 17 WAV files.

I left it alone -- no web UI, no activity -- for an hour and a half. When it went into standby, the red LED blinked a few times, then went steady. The 17 WAV files were still there after an hour and a half.

I changed the compression back to FLAC and went away again. Within a half hour the WAV files were gone and all 17 tracks were now FLAC.

Someone with a 2019 or 2020 B2 should run a similar test. Someone running the B2B software (mine is the B2 variant) should also test. I find it hard to believe that Martin could have released completely not-working MP3 compression software that supposedly compresses 2x faster than the old working stuff; I could believe it works on his unit, which doesn't cover all possibilities.

-- m.

[Mark Fishman]

Further data point:

Looking at the two threads discussing this issue, I see that Rob, Thomas, and I are all running "B2" (rather than "B2B") variants of the software. Bob McGee, who has had success with Flac+MP3 (dual) compression on current software, is running the "B2B" variant. I would focus testing there, to see if the "new" MP3 compression code is incompatible with the older "B2" OS.

-- m.

[Thomas Seidel]

I bought my B2 in December 2015 and always compressed to mp3 only (not FLAC and not FLAC + mp3).  As already said, never any problem until Software update Dec.3, 2020.

Thomas

[Daniel Taylor]

Until now, I've never ripped a CD on my B2 - I've always done it on my computer.

My B2 was purchased on 30 Nov 2018, and is currently running B2B Dec 9 2020 software.

It successfully ripped the first CD I loaded.  Then, not too long after I closed the WebUI, it started compression to MP3-256k.

It's been compressing the one album for over an hour now.  I had no idea it took so long.

[Mark Fishman]

Martin said compressing to MP3 can take approximately the same as the playing time. So, yes, it takes a while.

But you are running the 9 Dec software, same as I am, on a mid-to-late-2018 B2, similar to mine, the difference being that you have the "B2B" software and I have the "B2" software. Yours compresses to MP3, mine doesn't. I think we've found the issue.

BTW, I looked at the directory of that disc I ripped earlier, the one that didn't compress to MP3 but later compressed to FLAC: there's a zero length "temp.mp3" file entry that never got added to the b2db because it never finished (never started, apparently) compressing. So whatever was supposed to actually do the compression didn't actually run, even though the temp file entry was created.

Thanks, Daniel -- cheers -- m.

[PMB]

Hi All,

The "new faster MP3 encoder" introduced with the 3rd Dec 2020 software appears to have a problem when it encounters & (ampersand) or ` (reverse quote) in a file name.

The  &  problem has been fixed with the 20 Jan 2020 software and the reverse quote will be fixed in the next release.

So I suggest upgrading to the 20 Jan 2020 version and check if MP3 compression starts again.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Mark Fishman]

Paul,

Thomas Seidel is already running the 20 Jan 2021 software. Rob Smith is already running the 20 Jan 2021 software. Both have checked for ampersands and there are none. They cannot compress to MP3.

I have the 9 Dec 2020 software and no ampersands and cannot compress to MP3. Daniel Taylor has the 9 Dec 2020 software and CAN compress to MP3.

The difference is that Thomas, Rob, and I are all running B2 versions of software; Daniel is running B2B software.

It looks very much as if the B2B line of updates works with the "new faster MP3 encoder" but the B2 line of updates does not. It has NOTHING to do with ampersands because there aren't any. It is simply that B2B software works and B2 software does not.

Cheers -- m.

[PMB]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for pointing that out - we will investigate further.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[PMB]

Hi Mark, Daniel and others who have contributed their findings,

Martin B says thank you for the detailed feedback and says is working on this issue. 

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Robert Smith]

Sounds promising.  

[PMB]

Hi All,

Martin B has released updated software today which includes fixes to the MP3 compression on B2 versions of the software.

Please update and let us have any feedback.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Robert Smith]

Happy times. Just put first cd  into rip and is compressing as I reply. Will try a few later and feedback tomorrow . But for now over the moon to have my bit of kit back and many thanks to all involved. Big smile on my face

[Mark Fishman]

So you're back to making MP3s, then? (You had set for FLAC during our tests, just want to make sure things are as you would prefer.)

Thanks to you and to Thomas for giving us all the details of your setup: it really helped narrow down the issues.

Cheers -- m.

[Robert Smith]

Yes thank you Mark. As I said in car I plug in stick after playlist done on B2 and it doesn't recognise FLAC ( I realise you purists prefer this ) So apart from hitting play on the B2 and having my music playing in random the other primary function is the memory stick. Long winded way of saying Yes back to MP3 thanks Mark

[Mark Fishman]

No arguments from me -- my car doesn't play FLAC either. Glad that's sorted, then -- cheers -- m.

[Thomas Seidel]

Dear All,

Yabadabadoo! We're back to mp3; 

updated to new software release of today, ripped 3 CDs and B2 started after a couple of minutes to compress to mp3.

Thanks to all of you for quick response and taking care.

Thomas

[PMB]

Hi Thomas and Rob,

Glad to hear you are MP3 compressing again. Thanks for letting us know.

Paul

Brennan Support.