MP3 panning issue [Solved]

[Ianpb]

I've noticed an issue when mixing down to the Lame MP3 facility.

I created a track that repeatedly alternates between 100% left and 100% right for a number of measures, and then mixed it down to 320 kbps, Stereo MP3. However, when I played the MP3 track through my loudspeakers, I found that it wasn't panning anywhere near the full 100% left to 100% right. Wondering if I was experiencing an audio illusion, I silenced one of the loudspeakers completely, and when listening to the sound through the other one, I found that the sound was not switching on and off as expected. Instead, the level merely went up and down by about 20%.

This phenomenon would suggest that all mixes made down to MP3 stereo would be suffering a bad loss of their left-right channel separation, and that the Lame encoder is faulty.

Any comments?

[Acoustica Greg]

Hi,

It's working for me with a 320 kbps MP3 file in Mixcraft 9.0 build 470.

1. Does it happen if you don't use any effects in the project?
2. Did you listen to it inside a new Mixcraft project? If so, does the problem still happen when you listen to it in Mixcraft?
3. Does it happen if you mix down to a wav file that has the same sample rate as the one you're using in Mixcraft's sound device preferences?


Greg

[Ianpb]

Hi, Greg.

I didn't use any effects in the project. I only used a single continuous string ensemble from the Mixcraft instruments.
Inside the project, everything works as it should. With the one loudspeaker that is turned up, the sound is on and off for one measure respectively.
I just tried mixing down to WAV at the same sample rate as the one set in Mixcraft (48000kHz) and the result is the same as before, so it's not a Lame MP3 issue after all.

[Acoustica Greg]

Hi,

Here's what my MP3 file looked like:

Panning test.

2023-03-21_153131.png (3.47 KiB) Viewed 9267 times

If you load the mixed-down file back into Mixcraft and play it, do you get proper panning?

Greg

[Ianpb]

Greg,

We seem to be getting somewhere here. I loaded both the WAV and MP3 files into Mixcraft, and they worked correctly. So it's only when they play as standalones that the problem occurs.

[Acoustica Greg]

Hi,

The next question is: what are you using to play them? Try playing them with a different program.

Also, is the playback hardware you're using for the other program different than what you're using for Mixcraft?

Greg

[Ianpb]

Greg,

I was using Windows Media Player. I just tried playing both files in VLC Media Player and they worked correctly.

The hardware is the same.

What does this mean then regarding Windows Media Player, which is the cause of the problem?

[Acoustica Greg]

Hi,

You might have audio "enhancements" turned on in the Windows Sound Control Panel, or maybe the balance settings are off on the Levels tab?

Right-click on your default Windows playback device and select Properties, then look at the Enhancements tab and the Levels tab.


Greg

Windows sound control panel playback device properties

windowsplaybackproperties.png (40.12 KiB) Viewed 9252 times

[Ianpb]

Greg.

There are no sound enhancements because I use a no frills ASIO driven Audiophile 2496 sound card. It's obviously a Windows Media Player issue so I'll have to figure the problem out for myself.

Anyway, thanks for your prompt assistance.

EDIT: Solved. WOW effects in WMP were switched on.

[Acoustica Greg]

Hi,

Did you check? Those settings would be there for any old sound card, and Windows Media Player would be affected by those settings.

Ye olde Windows Sound Control Panel can be a little to find these days. Microsoft keeps burying it deeper, but it's there even in Windows 11.

Greg

Windows audio enhancements

2023-03-21_165105.png (16.31 KiB) Viewed 9236 times

How to find the Windows sound control panel in Windows 11:

Find Windows Sound Control Panel in Windows 11

findwindowssoundcontrolpanel.png (16.97 KiB) Viewed 9236 times

[Ianpb]

Greg,

Windows 11? I haven't even got around to leaving Windows 7 yet!

Anyway, I found the cause of the problem being in the 'Enhancements' settings of Windows Media Player. Somehow, the 'SRS WOW Effects' had become enabled. Now that's disabled, everything works correctly.

Thanks for your help.

[Acoustica Greg]

Hi,

For Windows 7, I think you click on the Start menu and search for "Manage Audio Devices" to get there, but anyway, you found the setting.

Thanks for coming back to let us know how you resolved it!



Greg

[Ianpb]

Thanks for coming back to let us know how you resolved it!

Greg

I wish more people would take the trouble to do that.