How do I tell Encore to forget that it ever saw a file?

Report · Jul 14, 2019

I have an occasional problem with Encore whereby it treats an m4a lossless audio file (ALAC) as AC3. I can import several hundred m4a files over a few months with no problem. Then one particular file will cause Encore to play up. And I can't stop Encore misbehaving. This is what I've done, and in all cases Encore still thinks the file is AC3. Between each test I deleted the file from Encore, Quit and restarted.

These techniques don't work

• Renamed the file.

• Moved the file to another folder or drive.

• Renamed and moved.

• Deleted the last 10 seconds, saved as Wav, converted to m4a with two different apps.

• Inside the projects folder, in turn deleted the:

- Cache folder

- mlf.cache.v10

- ProjectMedia.acx

- ProjectPrefs2.xml

- ProjectWorkspace.xml

All other m4a files import correctly. I'm incredulous that I can make so many changes to a file, delete so many Encore files, and Encore still treats the file as if it is known to it.

What does work is importing the file as Wav. But I don't want to do that for various reasons.

So, here I have a file that Encore is tenaciously clinging to, and I want to tell Encore: "forget that you ever heard, saw, or imported this file".

Any suggestions as to what else I can try to give Encore amnesia about this file?

Report · Jul 15, 2019

I'm not sure I understand. Renaming alone should result in Encore treating it as a new file. Are you saying that even with renaming and various other methods, Encore still sees it as a3c?

The problem would appear to be that the problem file has a problem (or at least it is different in some way that matters to Encore). I'm sure you've look at that (via MediaInfo or the like), so I don't know what to suggest.

Report · Jul 15, 2019

Any suggestions as to what else I can try to give Encore amnesia about this file?

Have you tried to create a brand new Encore project ?

Report · Jul 15, 2019

I've just tried importing the file into a new Encore project – same problem.

So I thought I'd go back to the start and generate the m4a file in a roundabout way that Encore couldn't possibly associate with the old file. I exported the original audio from Premiere to wav format with the same name as the problematic file. Opened in Audition and saved in Monkeys Audio format with a new name – the old name starting with XX and ending with ZZ. Then converted to m4a. Result? The file still imports as AC3. I tried several other m4a files in the same folder, in a different folder, and on different drives – all imported okay.

This problem is a bit worrying. It's almost as if Encore has an AI arm keeping track of what I'm doing with this file, and saying to itself: "You can't fool me. I've been watching you".

This is only a minor hiccup and I know the workaround, but I am really intrigued about how this is happening. Encore itself must somehow have a problem.

I have another OSX with Encore on an external drive. I'll try that next.

Report · Jul 15, 2019

I exported the original audio from Premiere to wav format with the same name as the problematic file.

Just curious, why don´t you just use the wav file from Premiere Pro in Encore? By default imported wav files are encoded to ac3 unless you have specified to use wav on the DVD/BD-disc.

What are you trying to achieve by using the ALAC when a wav from Premiere Pro is lossless?

Report · Jul 15, 2019

I use m4a to save space. I have 5 drives on my desktop, and 4 elsewhere. I'm into the 7th year of a 10-year project and want to stay within 2TB to avoid the upgrade expense. To paraphrase an old bushwalking expression concerning pack weights: "look out for the ounces (Megabytes) and the pounds (Terabytes) will take care of themselves."

Anyway, I've found the problem. Opening a brand new OSX and a brand new Encore didn't fix the problem. So it was caused by the file. I use two bits of software to generate m4a: Max and iTunes. Max is a lot easier to use, and that's my default.

So I experimented:

• Changed the wav file from 16 to 24-bit, used Max to convert to m4a, and the problem was fixed.

• Used iTunes to convert the 16-bit and 24-bit wave files to m4a: both m4a files imported okay into Encore. So the problem seemed to be coming from Max.

• Checked my theory by using Max to convert the iTunes 16-bit m4a file to m4a – the problem returned.

• Checked again by using iTunes to convert the Max m4a file to m4a – the file imported okay.

Conclusion

I have used Max for thousands of conversions, and on maybe three occasions this problem has occurred. My guess is that under certain combinations of bit depth, file size, file name, file length – whatever – it outputs an m4a file that Encore thinks is AC3 with a reported length that is incorrect. On at least one occasion, the newly imported file (wrongly reported as AC3) became associated, by Encore, with a completely different sound file. That problem was fixed by deleting the mlf.cache.v10 file.

Now, I'm not blaming Max for this present difficulty. I blame Encore. I tried the m4a file in Audition, Media Info, Premiere, QT, and VLC, and all those programs accept and play this file properly. They all report it's correct length as 5:08.766. None of them think the file is AC3, but Encore does. Being seen as AC3 is not the problem though. Encore reports a variable length, and plays the file incorrectly (a random snippet from within the real file). Right now I'm looking at three versions of that m4a file inside Encore. An m4a file that is of length 5:08.766, imported into Encore three times (with different names), is showing as:

1;49;07

1;13;16

1;48;14

All AC3 and all the wrong length.

Thanks for the suggestions. It's been worthwhile to start this thread because it forced me to delve deeply. I know how to fix this rare Encore problem. If Encore thinks it is seeing an AC3 file, use iTunes to convert the Max m4a file into an m4a file that Encore sees correctly.