KMA Files

[Lonman]

I was arguing with someone that the kma files of Hoster sound much better than mp3G files that they use.Need to know how these files work? They are positive that these are basically fancy named ZIP files that break down into an mp3 & cdg file. Here is their words.

The KMA format MTU uses is very similar to the Zipped MP3+G format. It in fact does involve TWO files. When you launch a song with Hoster you'll find TWO files in your WIndows TEMP folder. A MP3 File (Audio) and another file with an extension ".zzz" (Lyrics File just like a conventional CDG File). The audio file is a standard MP3 file with a bitrate of 192kbps.

Hoster simply extracts these TWO files from the KMA file when launching a song. After the song completes the TWO files are deleted.
I've done some interesting investigation of the KMA format MTU uses, When a song is launched in Hoster TWO files are created in the WIndows TEMP folder...

A MP3 file with a bitrate of 192kbps.
A "zzz" file that is actually simply a renamed ZIP file. Rename the file to a ZIP and open it with WInzip or the like. Guess what you'll find...

TWO Files, an MP3 and a standard CDG. It IS a Zipped MP3+g file just as ALL the others use!

After further investigation I find that a KMA file IS simply a ZIPPED MP3+G file with 256 extra bytes added to the front of the file. After stripping the 256 bytes it becomes a fully functional ZIPPED MP3+G File. Interesting for those users that have thousands of KMA files and wish to switch to another player that spports Zipped MP3+G Files!

This really means nothing, just wanted to prove that the audio quality of a KMA file is EXACTLY the same as a 192kbps Zipped MP3+G file because they ARE Exactly the SAME!

Can someone clarify>? Please!

[mindonstrike]

I certainly don't speak for MTU, but until they respond this is my understanding.

The procedure you described is essentially correct except that instead of a mp3 file it is a wma file which generally speaking will give you better sound quality at the same compression as a mp3 (or the same quality at higher compression).

However I would not be surprised if your friend is correct when speaking of KMA's that have been created from mp3g's or zipped mp3g's as those have not been converted or altered the way .BIN's or .CDG's or import from CDG's are. Consequently songs imported from mp3g's with a bitrate of 128 will not sound as good as those imported from disk @ 128.

Again IMHO, although curious to hear from MTU to see how far off I am!

Sam

[PastMember]

Originally Posted by Lonman quoted someone else:

Hoster simply extracts these TWO files from the KMA file when launching a song. After the song completes the TWO files are deleted.

Uhh.... How long has this person been on Planet Earth?

Usually, this is the kind of stuff that can be easily verified, however in this case, the person makes a very "viable sounding" case for the operation but doesn't explain enough to make it verifiable.

The person also doesn't differentiate whether the file in question was orginally ripped to a .kma format or simply an mp3+g that's been "converted" to run and be available in Hoster's database.

Computer "nerds" (and I mean this in a good way), have the tools to see what happens in memory and disc in real-time but when it comes right down to it, the final output quality is really determined by the rest of the components in the equation; soundcard, mixer, amp, eq and speakers. Anyone of which (if junk or just not set up properly) can severly muddle the final output.

A file ripped at the highest bitrate will still sound like crap through a lousy sound system and a low-bitrate file can sound just dandy through a good (and well-run) sound system.

Let's remember that at the end of the day, this is still "karaoke." It's not high fidelity and over 90% of the time the audience is under some influence of alcohol. As a host you may have invested a zillion dollars and have a truckload of equipment to rival a concert hall that you've poured your blood, sweat & tears (and HUGE amounts of moolah) into... to play to mostly tipsy group. THEY don't (or can't) hear what you hear.

So it doesn't matter of Hoster creates 2 or 200 files to play a song or really what bitrate it's at... if it sounds acceptable, who cares?

[gduns - with the Lord]

Loneman,
I am not speaking for MTU, but. a .Kma file uses the Windows media player codecs IE: .wma, .wmf, etc. it is not a fancy zipped mp3. when you are ripping a cdg to a .kma file it is encoding using the microsoft codec, which is the same audio encoding as the .wma files, and has the karaoke graphics encoded into that file. If you do research into the diff between the .wma, and the mp3 files, you will find that the reason .wma files sound better is because they dont toss out the audio they say you cant even hear. (highs, and lows) they encode all of the music as it comes off of the orig. recording. It has been said, that the .wma compression is lossless. I can hear the difference.

[Lonman]

Just someone over on K-Scene who's positive he's correct saying that you can in fact convert a kma file into a working zip file that will work on any other hosting program.

http://www.karaoke-forum.com/viewtop...?p=74072#74072

[Beavis]

i will let admin respond to this.

[Lonman]

Originally Posted by Beavis

i will let admin respond to this.

I'd like to hear it from them myself! Little clarification...first off is it even remotely possible? I was always under the impression that the kma files were somewhat protected from anything like what this guy is claiming.

[George]

Here's a thread where ADMIN riefly explains the difference. .

Sam and GDUNS are right.

MP3's retain their character when imported into KMA format.

Hoster uses WMA compression when importing CDG's from discs or hard drive, not MP3.

Scroll down to post #4.

http://forum.mtu.com/showthread.php?p=37181#post37181

At least that's how I read what ADMIN said.

George

[MTUSUPPORT]

There are 2 types of .kma files. The First is the ORIGINAL .kma file created by Hoster when you Import into Hoster directly from a CDG disk using Import CD Tracks. This file is a TRUE .kma file. The Audio is compressed using the .wma format, from Microsoft at whatever Compression rate you have set in Hoster. The graphics are then ripped and combined into this .kma file, so it is only ONE file, not 2.

The second is when you import a .zip or MP3+G file from the Hard drive. This file is then has the .kma file header wrapped around it. This indeed is the EXACT same as your Original .zip or MP3+G file, it just has the .kma file header wrapped around it. So this file is what you are explaining in your first post, but our TRUE .kma file is not.

Hope this helps to clarify the .kma file to you. Admin may also add to this.