Difference between revisions of "TTA"

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'''TTA''' (True Audio) audio codec is a free, simple real-time [[lossless]] audio encoder/decoder, based on adaptive prognostic filters which has shown satisfactory results comparing to majority of modern analogs.
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{{Codec Infobox
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| purpose =
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| name = The True Audio
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| logo = [[File:TTA-logo.png]]
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| type = lossless
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| maintainer = Aleksander Djuric<br/>Pavel Zhilin<br/>Tamir Barak<br/>Noam Koenigstein<br/>Kazuki Oikawa
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| released = TTA 2.3 (Windows version, 2015-02)
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| website = [http://tausoft.org/wiki/True_Audio_Codec_Overview tausoft.org]
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}}
  
==TTA Compressor==
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'''The True Audio''' ('''TTA''')  is a [[lossless]] audio [[codec]].  It is distributed as a free open-source (GPL/LGPL) encoder/decoder and library for several operating systems.  The TTA project also DirectShow filters and plugins for several audio players.  A third-party encoder/decoder is available through ffmpeg.
  
* Down to 30-60% [[lossless]] audio data compression
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TTA has one feature which apparently is unique among lossless codecs available to end-users, namely encryption with password protection.  Unlike most other codecs, TTA has chosen not to offer options to tune compression/CPU load; there is ''one'' setting.  Performance-wise, it has been measured not far from the default to -hx [[WavPack]] settings on CD audio<ref>http://audiograaf.nl/downloads.html Martijn van Beurden's comprehensive lossless comparison, version 4</ref> - which in the trade-off between size, encoding speed and decoding speed, might be considered rather on the ''fast encoder'' side.
* Real-time encoding/decoding algorithm
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* Fast decoding and encoding
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* Multiplatform
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* Open source code and documentation
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* Hardware support
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TTA performs [[lossless]] compression on multichannel 8, 16 and 24 bit data of the [[WAV]] audio files. Being "lossless" means that no data/quality is lost in the compression - when uncompressed, the data will be identical to the original. The compression ratios of TTA depend on the type of music file being compressed, but the compression size will generally range between 30% - 70% of the original. TTA format supports both [[ID3]]v1 and [[ID3]]v2 information tags.
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== Features ==
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For an end-user considering TTA as a an audio format, the following features are quite common among lossless codecs. Some competing formats are lacking certain of these features, and some are free from certain of the limitations listed. To compare TAK with other lossless codecs, see [[Lossless_comparison| HA Wiki's Lossless Codec Comparison]].
  
==The Project==
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* Streaming support
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* Error handling and
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* High-resolution audio support: up to 4 GHz sampling rate and 24 bits/channel
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* Multichannel support.  Currently the reference encoder supports six channels, while the ffmpeg encoder supports 16. (However [https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/mmreg/ns-mmreg-waveformatextensible WAVEFORMATEXTENSIBLE] is not supported.)
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* Piping support
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* Tagging: APEv2 or ID3
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* Embedded CUE sheets support
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* Can be used in the [[Matroska]] container
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* Password protection
  
The TTA project provides:
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TTA has some software support through player plugins (and ffmpeg-based players).  There is also certain limited hardware support, most notably through [[Rockbox]], and the TTA website lists a few other hardware players with TTA support.<ref>http://tausoft.org/wiki/True_Audio_Codec_Support</ref>
  
* Free and simple data format
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=== Limitations ===
* Plugins for the most popular media players
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* No support for RIFF chunks (i.e., TTA cannot store and recreate ''non-audio'' chunks of the original .wav files).
* TTA DirectShow filters
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* The command-line encoder is picky about .wav files, not supporting all generations of the WAVE format; this can be circumvented by piping stdin to the encoder. 
* Tau Producer - GUI based compressor for Windows
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* Input must be either 8, 16 or 24 bits.  Unlike some other codecs, TTA is not able to make use of "wasted bits": other codecs can fit a 20-bit signal in a 24-bit container without penalty in compression size, but TTA appears unable to make use of the fact that the four least significant bits are zero.  Thus certain (non-CD) signals might compress a bit worse than among other formats (see van Beurden's lossless comparison, section 2.3.)
* Set of the C/C++ TTA development libraries
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* No support for floating-point formats (for that, use [[WavPack]] or [[OptimFrog]])
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* No no hybrid/lossy mode possible (for that, use [[WavPack]] or [[OptimFrog]]).
  
==Addtional Reading==
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Because TTA - like MP3 - can accommodate both APE tags and ID3, tagging ambiguity could be an issue: one application might not read another's tags. Users might want to stick to one tag format. [[Mp3tag]] will write the same tagset to .tta files as to .mp3 files, possibly both ID3v1, ID3v2 and APE.
* [http://www.true-audio.com True Audio Software Project]
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* [http://tta.corecodec.org/ Project @ Corecodec.Org]
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* [[Lossless_comparison|Lossless Codec Comparison]] by Rjamorim
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==Links==
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* [http://tausoft.org/wiki/True_Audio_Codec_Overview TTA Lossless Audio Codec - Tau Projects]
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* {{wikipedia|TTA (codec)}}
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* [[Lossless_comparison| HA Wiki's Lossless Codec Comparison]] originally by [[User:Rjamorim|Rjamorim]]
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<references/>
  
[[Category:Codecs]]
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{{navbox audio codecs}}
[[Category:Lossless]]
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[[Category:Audio codecs]]
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[[Category:Lossless audio codecs]]

Revision as of 20:39, 9 January 2022

The True Audio (TTA) is a lossless audio codec. It is distributed as a free open-source (GPL/LGPL) encoder/decoder and library for several operating systems. The TTA project also DirectShow filters and plugins for several audio players. A third-party encoder/decoder is available through ffmpeg.

TTA has one feature which apparently is unique among lossless codecs available to end-users, namely encryption with password protection. Unlike most other codecs, TTA has chosen not to offer options to tune compression/CPU load; there is one setting. Performance-wise, it has been measured not far from the default to -hx WavPack settings on CD audio[1] - which in the trade-off between size, encoding speed and decoding speed, might be considered rather on the fast encoder side.

Features

For an end-user considering TTA as a an audio format, the following features are quite common among lossless codecs. Some competing formats are lacking certain of these features, and some are free from certain of the limitations listed. To compare TAK with other lossless codecs, see HA Wiki's Lossless Codec Comparison.

  • Streaming support
  • Error handling and
  • High-resolution audio support: up to 4 GHz sampling rate and 24 bits/channel
  • Multichannel support. Currently the reference encoder supports six channels, while the ffmpeg encoder supports 16. (However WAVEFORMATEXTENSIBLE is not supported.)
  • Piping support
  • Tagging: APEv2 or ID3
  • Embedded CUE sheets support
  • Can be used in the Matroska container
  • Password protection

TTA has some software support through player plugins (and ffmpeg-based players). There is also certain limited hardware support, most notably through Rockbox, and the TTA website lists a few other hardware players with TTA support.[2]

Limitations

  • No support for RIFF chunks (i.e., TTA cannot store and recreate non-audio chunks of the original .wav files).
  • The command-line encoder is picky about .wav files, not supporting all generations of the WAVE format; this can be circumvented by piping stdin to the encoder.
  • Input must be either 8, 16 or 24 bits. Unlike some other codecs, TTA is not able to make use of "wasted bits": other codecs can fit a 20-bit signal in a 24-bit container without penalty in compression size, but TTA appears unable to make use of the fact that the four least significant bits are zero. Thus certain (non-CD) signals might compress a bit worse than among other formats (see van Beurden's lossless comparison, section 2.3.)
  • No support for floating-point formats (for that, use WavPack or OptimFrog)
  • No no hybrid/lossy mode possible (for that, use WavPack or OptimFrog).

Because TTA - like MP3 - can accommodate both APE tags and ID3, tagging ambiguity could be an issue: one application might not read another's tags. Users might want to stick to one tag format. Mp3tag will write the same tagset to .tta files as to .mp3 files, possibly both ID3v1, ID3v2 and APE.

Links

  1. http://audiograaf.nl/downloads.html Martijn van Beurden's comprehensive lossless comparison, version 4
  2. http://tausoft.org/wiki/True_Audio_Codec_Support