Old 07-04-2020, 04:04 PM   #1
panicaftermath
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Default Import m4a files

Hi.

Is there a way that Reaper can import m4a files?

I've got a large number of these that I'd like to convert to wav or mp3.

In looking for a converter, I found that Audacity can do this after downloading the correct ffmpeg files.

But I'd prefer to work in Reaper if possible and am wondering if that's possible by pointing it to the proper codec.

Thank you!
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Old 07-04-2020, 05:14 PM   #2
EpicSounds
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reaper should import and play m4a fine if you set up the decoder on the video page of preferences

mine looks like this

vlc, ffmpeg:m4a,aac

(vlc primary decoder with ffmpeg doing .m4a and .aac only)
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Old 07-05-2020, 03:11 PM   #3
panicaftermath
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Thanks for the reply.

In Preferences/Media/Video, it originally said:

Code:
vlc ffmpeg qt:mov,qt,m4v,mp4 dshow:!mov,!mp4,!m4v,!qt
That is the default, and can be recreated with the Reset to default button.

When I changed it so that all it said was what you indicated...

Code:
vlc, ffmpeg:m4a,aac
and try to drag a m4a into Reaper, the error says it "could not import 1 of 1 items." When I try to Insert the item from the insert menu, it inserts an item but it is barely 1 second long, while the full m4a is 2:30 minutes of audio that plays normally in players that can play m4a.

When I removed the first comma in your suggested change (since there wasn't one in that spot in the original) the same thing happens.

Do I need to indicate where ffmpeg is located?

Thanks again!
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Old 07-05-2020, 03:31 PM   #4
EpicSounds
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Quote:
Originally Posted by panicaftermath View Post

Do I need to indicate where ffmpeg is located?
my bad, forgot to mention FFMPEG is extra
tutorial here
https://reaperblog.net/2020/05/howto-extensions/
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Old 07-05-2020, 05:25 PM   #5
panicaftermath
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Thanks again. Watched most of video.

I have let my Reaper installation grow somewhat old, still using 5.963, with an executable dated 11/21/18. I will upgrade and then turn to making ffmpeg happen.

Do you know if the ffmpeg that is working with Audacity to open m4a files would also work with Reaper. Is it possible I've already got something that would make Reaper happy, f I showed it where it was?

Also, I am currently able to open mp4 files in Reaper, and it plays the audio. So it seems curious that it can't play a m4a, which I would guess is just the audio portion of the full mp4.

Anyway. Nice videos. Good to see SWS extensions are still around, I haven't updated mine in ages. Need to see if Reaper license is good for the next version.
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Old 09-30-2020, 05:10 PM   #6
panicaftermath
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So after a period when it did not matter, I again need to get m4a files into Reaper like any other source file, but can't.

I understand this involves ffmepg in some form. When I search my entire system for ffmepg, everything it turns up is an a Reaper installation, back to v4, put there by R, and so R would know here to find it. And at that point, I fail to understand.

Audacity and Winamp open and play m4a without a blink. But ffmpeg isn't in their path.

Reaper is able to open mp4 video files and work with their audio just like a wav, as expected. But then I would expected R to be able to open an audio-only file that was derivative of a video file that was able to open.

So....
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