[Tutorial] How to enable ATRAC3 conversion with GoldWave.

[tbdawg]

In order to be able to convert/save your sound files into Sony's ATRAC3 format with GoldWave you'll need to install the ATRAC3 audio codec.

1.) Get the Sony_ATRAC3_Audio_Codec and save it to your HDD somewhere that you'll know where it is.

2.) Extract the ATRAC3.zip file you just downloaded. Download this INSTALL_ATRAC3.bat and place it into the directory that the above ATRAC3.zip was extracted to. Right click the INSTALL_ATRAC3.bat and run it as Administrator OR follow steps 3-5.

3.) You may need to enable the view of file extensions if you don't see the files as atrac3.acm, atrac3.exe, and atrac3.inf. To do this, in your window with the atrac3 files go to "Tools" (you may need to press the alt key to see this if on Vista) "Folder Options..." and select the "View" tab. Scroll down to the box that says "Hide extensions for known file types" and uncheck the box next to it and click "OK".

4.) Now you need to install the codec. You can do this by double clicking the atrac3.exe. Alternately you can right click the atrac3.inf and select install.

5.) For some this may be enough to get it working. For others though you will need to perform this step. Find the "atrac3.acm" file in the unzipped directory and copy it to "C:\Program Files\GoldWave\File". Now you need to change the "atrac3.acm" file extension to .dll so that it is now "atrac3.dll". Close this window.

6.) Now you should be able to save files in the ATRAC3 format. To do so start GoldWave and load your file. when done altering go to "File" "Save as" and under "Save as type" select "Wave (*.wav)" then under "Attributes" select ATRAC3. and then save it. If ATRAC3 doesn't show in the Attributes close and restart GoldWave and check again.

[DewDude420]

This is good...but the only reason I never wrote it before is ATRAC3 is dead.

Outside of Sony products like the PSP, or even MD, ATRAC3 gets absolutely no use. Most of the sony products that load ATRAC3 on to these units will NOT accept outside encoded ATRAC3 content. Then I had a PSP and wanted to pre-encode content...the software would NOT acccept files that it didn't encode...sure, I could pre-encode them in IT'S software for later upload. Maybe the scene has changed and one can pre-encode content to Goldwave and import it for use....don't really know. I sold my PSP in 2005 and ran far far far away from ATRAC3. As far as proprietary formats go, it's the worst.

Good effort, but sometimes you gotta wonder if it's worth it. Not only that, but the distribution of the ATRAC3 codec is legally questionable.

[SlickStretch]

Followed your instructions, still no ATRAC3 option...

[DewDude420]

I'm about 99.4% confident that the ATRAC3 codec supplied in the zip above is incompatible with Windows 7. It installs and does something, but since Win7 doesn't do codecs the traditional way, it's likely that it won't work.

[Videogamer555]

In theory only the decoder is handled by Windows though. The encoder (the acm file) is handled entirely by Goldwave so it should work. However as the guy above mentioned it doesn't give me that option. And yes I'm running Windows 7. I'm not sure what's glitching. Anyone know of a hack or patch to Goldwave that would make it work?

[dronelebeau]

Followed your instructions, still no ATRAC3 option...

same here.. i really hate it when i find out it's an os issue..

[DewDude420]

It's a 32-bit codec. It doesn't function properly with 64-bit versions of Windows.

But, seriously, how many times do I have to say this? There's absolutely 0 need to pre-encode ATRAC3 content with Goldwave. The devices that accept ATRAC3 will not accept them outside of it's software.

[HSmith]

But, seriously, how many times do I have to say this? There's absolutely 0 need to pre-encode ATRAC3 content with Goldwave. The devices that accept ATRAC3 will not accept them outside of it's software.

must have been living under a rock the past 3 years. the PSP is fully hacked and the reason to encode ATRAC3 files with Goldwave is to use them as custom start-up sounds on custom firmware.

[Videogamer555]

Junk codec is junk. Since Goldwave DIRECTLY handles encoding of files, once the proper DLL is in place, there is NO REASON it shouldn't work. This is a FAILURE of the highest order of a piece of software!

Unless Sony sent a DMCA order to Goldwave Inc, demanding that they have code in the software that explicit blocks use of this proprietary form, there is NO REASON that Goldwave software should NOT be capable of saving in this format. The fact that it CAN'T save, and IGNORES THE PRESENCE of the DLL file in the File directory, is just plain HORRIBLE programming on the part of Goldwave Inc or on the part of the person who WROTE THE DLL (not sure which) such that the DLL is a BROKEN FILE.

[GoldWave Inc.]

The ATRAC3 codec is an ACM codec and has to be installed and registered in Windows to work correctly. Copying the .dll or .acm file into the GoldWave folder (step 5) won't do any good. GoldWave can't use an ACM codec outside of the Audio Compression Manager framework. Only plug-ins designed specifically for GoldWave belong in the GoldWave\File folder. DewDude420 is probably correct that the codec won't install correctly on 64 bit versions of Windows.

Chris

[DewDude420]

must have been living under a rock the past 3 years. the PSP is fully hacked and the reason to encode ATRAC3 files with Goldwave is to use them as custom start-up sounds on custom firmware.

I haven't owned or followed PSP since 2005...when I sold mine.

DewDude420 is probably correct that the codec won't install correctly on 64 bit versions of Windows.

It installs; but it doesn't show up outside of 32-bit apps that call ACM. I see it in VirDub; but it doesn't give me any options...so I don't know if it actually works or not.

-Jay

[ChunkyMonkey]

I can't speak for Win VIsta/7/8 but on XP tbdawg's instructions do work.

It DOESN'T make .at3 appear among the filetypes in the open or save file dialogues so use 'All files' and click on your chosen .at3 file.

[DewDude420]

I can't speak for Win VIsta/7/8 but on XP tbdawg's instructions do work.

It DOESN'T make .at3 appear among the filetypes in the open or save file dialogues so use 'All files' and click on your chosen .at3 file.

Well...that's because it was designed to work with XP.

After XP; MS changed how everything worked with both the sound system and the codec management; and the backwards compatibility wasn't properly done.

I still haven't gotten it to work on my machine. I also have 0 use for it, so there's no desire.

[Kelgo]

I could never get this to work on my machine. Has anyone else been able to?

[gamer2019]

Followed your instructions, still no ATRAC3 option...

same here.. i really hate it when i find out it's an os issue..

I am on Windows 8.1 and atrac3 codec works fine for me. The trick is to use an older version of Goldwave like 5.1. You might also need to add a registry entry. Copy the contents below to a notepad file and save it as atrac.reg then run it with registry editor (back up your registry first) then reboot your machine. When you run it it should say "the keys and values have been successfully added to the registry".

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Wow6432Node \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ drivers.desc] "atrac3.acm" = "Sony ATRAC3 ACM"