SurroundByUs.com

Hi. I am completely new to this. I have a few music CDs that I want to convert to BD or DVD to play with DTS. I understand this is the right forum for this. But, as any novice, I am lost here.
1. What software do I need from beginning to end?
2) What software is free (not just to try, but to actually use)? If this process is going to cost me $500, I can't afford this.
3) I went through tutorials and they dazzled me, but I am still lost. I understand that Plogue is a program that SPEC (which is a bundled system of conversion settings) is loaded into. I downloaded and installed Plogue and SPEC, but I could not make SPEC load, I just could not load it. How do I load it?
4) Since I could not load it, I searched on Google for easier conversion methods and I found V.I STEREO TO 5.1 CONVERTER VST PLUGIN SUITE. That one I can load into Plogue right after I double click on their batch files. So, since it has very simple layout files I wanted to play with them before I move to more complex SPEC. My question is this. I can play a WAV file in Plogue with V.I STEREO TO 5.1 CONVERTER VST PLUGIN SUITE, when I click Monitor it shows multichannel meters and an interface that says "Recording" and even size of the recorded file, but no file is generated. May be it is, but I dont know where it outputs the 6 mono tracks that I can later use with DTS encoder and ISO burner. How do I find these files? I am attaching a screenshot so you can tell me what to click on
Still, the most important question is the first one. What software do I need and how much are the licenses?
Thanks a lot for this wonderful forum. I am grateful for all the resources you guys provided, just need a little help from the experts.
Brugio.

Couldn't attach a screenshot, sorry. How did other users attached stuff?

We'll of course I'd like to help you get spec going. VI doesn't sound like much compared to what you can do with SPEC.

Did you run the SPEC installer? Did you launch the "P2" version of plogue on your desktop, to load spec?

What exactly happens when you "can't load spec"?

As to your software question:

To convert stereo to surround and make a DTS CD

1) Plogue
2) Spec
3) A DTS encoder
4) Optionally, a sample rate converter (there is one included with AudioMuxer)
5) Imgburn (or other CD burning software).

To convert stereo to surround and make a DVD or BluRay

1) Plogue
2) Spec
3) A DTS encoder (DTS-HD, DTS-HD MA for 96/24 DVD or DTS-HD MA BluRay)
4) AudioMuxer
5) imgburn

AudioMuxer is here: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=135
imgburn is here: http://www.imgburn.com/

DTS encoders: We talk a lot about DTS because we think it sounds better than Dolby, however DTS encoders are not free* and there are some "AC3" (dolby) encoders that are, for instance, one is included in AudioMuxer. Also for CDs, there's no official support for dolby on CD (but it works with some home theater receivers) like there is for DTS.

Surcode DTS Encoder: http://www.minnetonkaaudio.com/index.ph ... &Itemid=87

DTS Master Audio Suite:
http://www.dts.com/dts-store/products/s ... suite.aspx

Vortex surround encoder is the cheapest (Make sure you get the surround encoder and not the zoom encoder!): http://www.vortexzoom.com/




*DTS is a licensed and patented technology. I have seen a working "free" dts encoder in the wild. The author asks that you not use it if you live in a country that treats software as patentable intellectual property. We're keeping an eye on this.

Yes Plogue is $95. However you can use a free demo for about 3 months at a time, then there might be a gap, and then another three month demo versions becomes available. They say if you spam the $95 version now, that when "1.0" comes out you will get a big spam. No idea when 1.0 will happen.

Spec is donationware. Donating something helps keep the development going. I spend WAY more than I take in, but every little bit helps and is greatly appreciated. There may be a shareware version in the future that doesn't need Plogue.

DTS encoders range from $19.95 to $1500. The vortex surround (NOT ZOOM!!!) encoder is the least expensive. if you live in the EU or Russia or something there might be a usable free one soon. Less expensive encoders will do CDs and standard DVDs, but not higher quality stuff (96/24, more than 5.1 channels, lossless audio, etc.).

Audiomuxer is free.

imgburn is free.

I have used AudioMuxer. It's now able to convert .dts and .ac3 to dtswav and ac3wav files -- i.e., put dts and ac3 data in a WAV wrapper. This makes it possible to then convert to .flac, and thus to add tags.