help -- issues with compilations, soundtracks, musicals......

[audiojim]

I tried to ask this yesterday but no one responded. This is a very complicated program with minimal "help" section, so I would hope people realize that it's reasonable to ask questions such as this. If you think this is stupid then I think you have a distorted view of how easy to use this program is. If you think these kinds of questions are just a bother, well, do the people who run this really want to limit its users (and fans) to experts who have mastered every nuance? I am well aware that one can search forums for answers, and I often do, but that doesn't always work. I wish there was a users manual that explained how to do some of these things, but there isn't .

The basic problem is that movies/musicals/compilations are ending up all over the place, some under "soundtrack", some under "orginal london cast", some under "various artists", etc.. Ideally, I would like all soundtracks under something calleThe d "soundtracks", all movies under something called "movies", and genuine csompilations (jazz romantic saxophone) under a compilations category which I would , ideally, be able to divide between jazz and classical, for example. So far as I understand when I rip I can manually type in whatever I want under "artist". That would superficially do exactly what I want (put all soundtracks under an artist category called "soundtracks") BUT if I do that I lose all the names of the actual artists performing on the various tracks. So that isn't helpful.


MY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS:

- how can I get Bob Dylan 30Th Anniversary Concert to appear under Bob Dylan as "artist" (ie. as just another bob dylan album) instead of Vari0us Artists without losing the names of artists performing each track on the soundtrack ?

- how can I put all soundtracks under one "artist" folder called "soundtracks" without losing the names of artists performing each track on the soundtrack ?

- how can I put all jazz compilations under one "artist" folder called "jazz compilations" without losing the names of artists performing each track on the soundtrack ?

[garym]

Re: help -- issues with compilations, soundtracks, musicals......

I tried to ask this yesterday but no one responded. This is a very complicated program with minimal "help" section, so I would hope people realize that it's reasonable to ask questions such as this. If you think this is stupid then I think you have a distorted view of how easy to use this program is. If you think these kinds of questions are just a bother, well, do the people who run this really want to limit its users (and fans) to experts who have mastered every nuance? I am well aware that one can search forums for answers, and I often do, but that doesn't always work. I wish there was a users manual that explained how to do some of these things, but there isn't .

The basic problem is that movies/musicals/compilations are ending up all over the place, some under "soundtrack", some under "orginal london cast", some under "various artists", etc.. Ideally, I would like all soundtracks under something calleThe d "soundtracks", all movies under something called "movies", and genuine csompilations (jazz romantic saxophone) under a compilations category which I would , ideally, be able to divide between jazz and classical, for example. So far as I understand when I rip I can manually type in whatever I want under "artist". That would superficially do exactly what I want (put all soundtracks under an artist category called "soundtracks") BUT if I do that I lose all the names of the actual artists performing on the various tracks. So that isn't helpful.


MY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS:

- how can I get Bob Dylan 30Th Anniversary Concert to appear under Bob Dylan as "artist" (ie. as just another bob dylan album) instead of Vari0us Artists without losing the names of artists performing each track on the soundtrack ?

- how can I put all soundtracks under one "artist" folder called "soundtracks" without losing the names of artists performing each track on the soundtrack ?

- how can I put all jazz compilations under one "artist" folder called "jazz compilations" without losing the names of artists performing each track on the soundtrack ?

I don't think anyone thinks your questions are stupid. Maybe everyone has been busy the last 24 hours. I know I've been traveling.... But to your question. It is easy to do this when ripping. I'll get into how to change post ripping in a minute. When ripping, check the "compilations" box and then add the "overall artist" (that is the album artist). So in your examples, all would have COMPILATIONS checked. This way the individual track artists continue to show up. But in your 3 cases, the ALBUM ARTIST would be Bob Dylan, Soundtracks, or Jazz Compilations, respectively. Then when you look at Bob Dylan albums, you'd see the tribute album show up, etc. You'll need to make your dynamic naming string work with ALBUM ARTIST to put compilations under the album artist folder (i.e., under bob dylan).

Now for already ripped CDs you'll want to change both the tags and the file locations (although the latter is not required unless you want to browse by music folder). I know how to do this in mp3tag (because I was used to it before dbpa), by simply editing the tags to add Compilation flag and to add or change ALBUM ARTIST. And then to move the changed files to correct subdirectory with correct naming structure. But you can use dbpa to do the same thing I'm sure:

You'll want to locate the files you want to change, select them, and use dbpa converter to "convert to" ID TAG UPDATE and use the ARRANGE AUDIO DSP to get the outcome you want. If you don't have these two DSPs you'll need to install them from the dbpa codec/dsp page. Read the help information on using these two DSPs.

Again, this is all much easier if you do this at ripping time (check compilation and use the Album Artist name you want). You'll likely want to play around with your dynamic naming string as well to make sure it is putting compilations in the folders as you want. For example, my naming string below puts all my compilations into a folder called Compilations, and then a separate folder underneath for each album. I don't want to keep my soundtrack compilations and things like tribute albums, etc. separately (I want them all under compilations). then again, in my own case, with the proper use of ALBUM ARTIST, the compilation will show up in my player (Squeezeboxes) related to the album artist (e.g., a bob dylan tribute album shows up under an artist listing for Bob Dylan even though the files themselves are under the compilations directory, with a subdirectory for the specific album).

[IFCOMP]Compilations\[album] [IFMULTI] \Disc [disc][]\[track]-[title]-[artist][][IF!COMP][artist]\[album][IFMULTI] \Disc [disc][]\[track]-[title][]

[audiojim]

Re: help -- issues with compilations, soundtracks, musicals......

Thanks, I will try that in the next couple days.

[audiojim]

Re: help -- issues with compilations, soundtracks, musicals......

Do the "naming" settings actually only effect the folder location of a ripped file, and are not some inherent characteristic imbedded in the files/album. So, for example, if I forget to fill in "album artist" [with , say, "jazz compilations", in my example] the album may not end up where I want it but I can achieve the same result by 1) changing ID tag for "album artist" to "jazz compilations", which will cause it to be undre that artist heading for itunes purposes, and 2) physically moving the files to a folder I manually create called "jazz compilations".

[Spoon]

Re: help -- issues with compilations, soundtracks, musicals......

Naming does not change ID Tagging.

[garym]

Re: help -- issues with compilations, soundtracks, musicals......

Do the "naming" settings actually only effect the folder location of a ripped file, and are not some inherent characteristic imbedded in the files/album. So, for example, if I forget to fill in "album artist" [with , say, "jazz compilations", in my example] the album may not end up where I want it but I can achieve the same result by 1) changing ID tag for "album artist" to "jazz compilations", which will cause it to be undre that artist heading for itunes purposes, and 2) physically moving the files to a folder I manually create called "jazz compilations".

correct. naming string tells it how to NAME the actual files (and what sudirectory to put the files in). This is all separate from the tags INSIDE the file (that contain things like album, artist, album artist, track title, genre, etc.).

Do note that if you import the files into your itunes library, but then change the physical location of the files (from one directory to another), you'll need to make sure that itunes can find the file in its new location. It will likely give you an error that says it can no longer find the file.

[audiojim]

Re: help -- issues with compilations, soundtracks, musicals......

"correct. naming string tells it how to NAME the actual files (and what sudirectory to put the files in)."

To be precise, would it be correct to say this:

a) to the extent that the "naming" function governs what subdirectory files go in, this is a momentary function that ocurrs when the file is ripped, and has no lasting effect on the files. Basically, it functions as a way to tell the ripper to create a folder (and maybe subfolder) to put the ripped files in, but those folders and that location are in no way inherent to the file. If the ripper did not perform this function and just dumped all the files in whatever folder I indicated then I would have to manually create subdirectory folders as I wished to achieve the same result.

b) Apparently, from the quote I above, the "naming" function also "tells it how to Name the actual files". In my case I have only seen the file name created using the original track title or a new name I manually inputted, and didn't realize there is any automatic way to change the file name i.e. track title. In other words, isn't the name only just the track title.

If the description in paragraph a) is all that this does then, why isn't this called the "file locator" function? I am not trying to engage in semantics, rather understand what is going on. If it does a) and b) then I guess "naming" makes more sense.

thanks for your help...

[garym]

Re: help -- issues with compilations, soundtracks, musicals......

"correct. naming string tells it how to NAME the actual files (and what sudirectory to put the files in)."

To be precise, would it be correct to say this:

a) to the extent that the "naming" function governs what subdirectory files go in, this is a momentary function that ocurrs when the file is ripped, and has no lasting effect on the files. Basically, it functions as a way to tell the ripper to create a folder (and maybe subfolder) to put the ripped files in, but those folders and that location are in no way inherent to the file. If the ripper did not perform this function and just dumped all the files in whatever folder I indicated then I would have to manually create subdirectory folders as I wished to achieve the same result.

b) Apparently, from the quote I above, the "naming" function also "tells it how to Name the actual files". In my case I have only seen the file name created using the original track title or a new name I manually inputted, and didn't realize there is any automatic way to change the file name i.e. track title. In other words, isn't the name only just the track title.

If the description in paragraph a) is all that this does then, why isn't this called the "file locator" function? I am not trying to engage in semantics, rather understand what is going on. If it does a) and b) then I guess "naming" makes more sense.

thanks for your help...

yes (a) is correct. regarding file name, you can make it anything you want. For example, in my naming string I posted earlier, if a CD is a compilation, the file name itself will be "track number - track name - track artist". If the CD is NOT a compilation, the file name will be "Track Number - Track name". I could add the album name if I so desired to the file name as well with this string. Play around with this string in the cd ripper naming options (click the SET button next to string in lower left corner) and use the "madonna" example to see how things would show up as you change options.

[audiojim]

Re: help -- issues with compilations, soundtracks, musicals......

I am learning how to edit ID tag with dbpoweramp. Garym mentioned doing this also with itunes. Is editing tags -- i.e. retagging in effect -- something all ripping programs do in some fashion or another?,,just curious

[garym]

Re: help -- issues with compilations, soundtracks, musicals......

I am learning how to edit ID tag with dbpoweramp. Garym mentioned doing this also with itunes. Is editing tags -- i.e. retagging in effect -- something all ripping programs do in some fashion or another?,,just curious

I don't recall recommending itunes, I think maybe I referred to it because you use it. I use itunes for my iphone/ipad/ipods, but avoid using it for tag editing (or ripping) myself. This said, many programs that rip will also allow you to edit tags. This includes itunes, winamp, WMP, etc. My preference is to do as much with dbpa as possible, but I'm also a fan of mp3tag, which is ONLY for tagging and has lots of powerful editing functions that allow one to use formulas to make batch changes.....

[audiojim]

Re: help -- issues with compilations, soundtracks, musicals......

I don't recall recommending itunes, I think maybe I referred to it because you use it. I use itunes for my iphone/ipad/ipods, but avoid using it for tag editing (or ripping) myself. This said, many programs that rip will also allow you to edit tags. This includes itunes, winamp, WMP, etc. My preference is to do as much with dbpa as possible, but I'm also a fan of mp3tag, which is ONLY for tagging and has lots of powerful editing functions that allow one to use formulas to make batch changes.....

Oh, my mistake, I meant to say mp3tag, not itunes. Thanks for the info.