3vise is a macOS front-end GUI for MP3val, an open source command line tool that identifies and repairs errors in the .mp3 file container that stores the listenable audio stream. Often times, the audio stream itself is not damaged, but the information defining the mp3 file (surrounding the audio stream) can have problems for one reason or another. According to MP3val’s documentation on sourceforge, MP3val is:
“…a small, high-speed tool for MPEG audio files validation and (optionally) fixing problems. It was primarily designed for verification of MPEG 1 Layer III (MP3) files, but supports also other MPEG versions and layers. It can be useful for finding corrupted files (e.g. incompletely downloaded).
MPEG is a streamable format, that is, it is optimized for quick and easy recovery from errors. MP3 decoders are very tolerant to inconsistencies in the input file. Most players even don’t report to user about stream errors. So, as a rule, user doesn’t know whether his files are valid or broken. But using broken files can eventually lead to problems during playback on certain software/hardware.
MP3val can assure you that your files are consistent in the terms of MPEG frames, that is, it ensures that the file can be easily split into the frames and doesn’t contain garbage. It checks also some other issues, such as track length stored in the VBR header. Checking by MP3val isn’t a full test for compliance with existing formal and informal standards. MP3val neither decodes audio data nor checks for data validity in the frame.
MP3val can also fix most of the problems. Be careful: although MP3val can repair even files with MPEG stream errors, it is recommended that you find a “good” copy of this file, because a “click” sound usually can’t be removed, the repaired file will only look like good.”
By bringing MP3val into a graphical user interface for macOS users on systems 10.12 Sierra – 11.0 Big Sur, cflo inc. has provided a contemporary solution to users with large collections of mp3 files that want to clean their data to get rid of these hidden and mysterious errors. Distributing the 3vise app for free ensures that MP3val can reach as many users as possible and make this excellent tool accessible to users who otherwise would not have the access or technical know-how to install a command-line version.
