decodeAudioData returning a null error

Question

I come here hoping that you lovely folks here on SO can help me out with a bit of a problem that I'm having.

Specifically, every time I attempt to use the decodeAudioData method of a webkitAudioContext, it always triggers the error handler with a null error. This is the code that I'm currently using:

var soundArray;
var context = new webkitAudioContext();
function loadSound(soundName) {
    var request = new XMLHttpRequest();
    request.open('GET',soundName);
    request.responseType = 'arraybuffer';
    request.onload = function() {
            context.decodeAudioData(this.response, function(buf) {
                sounds[soundName] = buf;
            },function(err) { console.log("err(decodeAudioData): "+err); });
    }
    request.send();
}

At this point, it constantly logs error messages to the console saying err(decodeAudioData) = null, mostly because that was just how I decided to log it. In any case, any idea why this might be going on?

I'm using Chrome Canary, v20.0.1121.0, to try and get something working. But, obviously, it's not working! So, any idea what I might be able to do? If any new information is needed, let me know, and I'll update as necessary.

Answer 1

The real reason is that both createBuffer and decodeAudioData right now have a Bug and throw weird vague DOM exception 12 for files they should normally play. But we should be aware that this is new and evolving technology and be thankful even for web audio api as it is now since its small miracle that happened to us.

They are missing stream syncing on header boundary that any reasonable decoder of streaming audio format should start with. And mp3 or many aac/adts files are streaming fileformats. streaming means that you can cut them anywhere or insert append anything (various tags even image artwork) decoder shouldnt care about unknown data. decoder should just seek until he finds header he knows and can decode.

I thrown together this temporary solution that seeks to nearest frame header start and passes data from this offset only.

mp3 or mp2 all start header for every audio frame (every around 200bytes) with 0XFFE and aac(adts) on oxFFF syncword that is there just for this reason. therefore both will sync on 0xFFE. Here is the code I currently use to play previously not played files.

What I hate is that arrayBuffer doesnt have subarray() like its typed childs to return just different view from different offset instead of whole new array copy that slice() returns. if only webaudio api accepted typedarrays as input but unfortunately the only way to create arraybuffer back seems huge slice() copy. thankfully usually only one or two seeks are needed.

Forcing Web Audio Api to not being Picky about files

node={};
node.url='usual_mp3_with_tags_or_album_artwork.mp3';

function syncStream(node){ // should be done by api itself. and hopefully will.
    var buf8 = new Uint8Array(node.buf); 
    buf8.indexOf = Array.prototype.indexOf;
    var i=node.sync, b=buf8;
    while(1) {
        node.retry++;
        i=b.indexOf(0xFF,i); if(i==-1 || (b[i+1] & 0xE0 == 0xE0 )) break;
        i++;
    }
    if(i!=-1) {
        var tmp=node.buf.slice(i); //carefull there it returns copy
        delete(node.buf); node.buf=null;
        node.buf=tmp;
        node.sync=i;
        return true;
    }
    return false;
}

function decode(node) {
    try{
        context.decodeAudioData(node.buf,
        function(decoded){
            node.source  = context.createBufferSource();
            node.source.connect(context.destination);
            node.source.buffer=decoded; 
            node.source.noteOn(0);
        },
        function(){ // only on error attempt to sync on frame boundary
            if(syncStream(node)) decode(node);
        });
    } catch(e) {
        log('decode exception',e.message);
    }
}

function playSound(node) { 
    node.xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
    node.xhr.onload=function(){  
        node.buf=node.xhr.response;
        node.sync=0;
        node.retry=0;
        decode(node);
    }
    node.xhr.open("GET", node.url, true); 
    node.xhr.responseType = "arraybuffer"; 
    node.xhr.send();
}

Answer 2

I was using webkitAudioContext with Chrome 19. Today I've upgraded to Chrome 20 and I have the same problem as you.

I have taken another MP3 file and it works again. The only difference between the two files is the cover embedded in the wrong MP3 file.

I have removed the cover and it works again.