"Automatically Add to iTunes" not working ... AGAIN

[Jailhouse]

Re: "Automatically Add to iTunes" not working ... AGAIN

A back-slash had been appended to the end of the tagging sequence of Libraries 1 through 4.

It's those little things that drive us crazy.

[garym]

Re: "Automatically Add to iTunes" not working ... AGAIN

Perfect. I was pretty sure it was something odd yet simple once uncovered. Happy you're back on track!

[iGowanus68]

Re: "Automatically Add to iTunes" not working ... AGAIN

I'm out of ideas. I've never had an issue with itunes recognizing my files created in dbpa. I don't use apple lossless however. But I've not seen others with your issue either (and there are likely thousands of dbpa users that create apple lossless files).

A couple of things to confirm, in case you haven't yet:

1. Can you open and play these dbpa created apple lossless files on a player other than itunes (just to confirm the files play ok and don't have a problem). Use foobar2000 or VLC or some other player.
2. As a test, what if you create mp3 files or m4a files with dbpa and put those in the "add to itunes folder". Do they work? Or do they fail too. Trying to see if this is a problem for only ALAC or all files.

I spent the better part of today doing a series of Windows recoveries in an effort to locate the point in time at which the ripping process started to go wrong. I was back as far as 12/16 & ready to give up when a thought occurred to me. All along there had been a question as to why one of the 5 libraries, Library 5, was not malfunctioning like the other 4. It was malfunctioning, but differently, & that was corrected by a reorganization & consolidation of the library. I decided to create a sixth library based on Library 5 & using dbpa, I ripped a cd to it. Voila! It went to the library & the directory just as it was supposed to do. So, where was the difference? Apparently, Spoon's comments regarding file naming had planted a seed in my brain that took a while to germinate. I thought, maybe the tagging sequence was different in the "Naming" fields of the respective dbpa profiles. Sure enough, that was it. A back-slash had been appended to the end of the tagging sequence of Libraries 1 through 4. It must have happened when I was mucking about with the tagging, about which I knew nothing. I removed them, copying the correct sequence so that the tagging of 1 to 4 was the same as 5 & 6. After this & some reorganization & consolidation of the directories, everything seems to be perfect.

So that, I hope, is the end of the story. Thank you very much for your contributions of thought & time to you & Spoon & mville & Dat Ei. I am feeling greatly relieved at the positive outcome. Back to ripping with accurate & secure dBpoweramp!

Happy New Year!

[Spoon]

Re: "Automatically Add to iTunes" not working ... AGAIN

Something on your system is stopping the rename, it is a simple file operation we cannot get it wrong....

Which folder to do you rip to? try ripping to a folder away from iTunes.

You can set CD Ripper to rip direct to .m4a with the option in CD Ripper >> options Menu >> CD Ripper Options and disable the option to rip to ._ files.

[iGowanus68]

Re: "Automatically Add to iTunes" not working ... AGAIN

Thanks for the file, this file had an extension ._ and no ID Tags, normally when CD Ripper rips:

1) it rips to a ._ file
2) it tags this file
3) it renames the file to .m4a when completed

On your system something is jumping in between 1 and 2 and taking control of the file so it is not tagged and not renamed. You can set CD Ripper to rip to .m4a direct but this would not sort the missing tags. Do you have anti virus which is taking control of the files?

I disabled all anti-virus & firewall protection & reripped the same cd. There was no difference in the result.

[Spoon]

Re: "Automatically Add to iTunes" not working ... AGAIN

Thanks for the file, this file had an extension ._ and no ID Tags, normally when CD Ripper rips:

1) it rips to a ._ file
2) it tags this file
3) it renames the file to .m4a when completed

On your system something is jumping in between 1 and 2 and taking control of the file so it is not tagged and not renamed. You can set CD Ripper to rip to .m4a direct but this would not sort the missing tags. Do you have anti virus which is taking control of the files?

[Spoon]

Re: "Automatically Add to iTunes" not working ... AGAIN

One of the tracks it cannot add, upload to dropbox please and Personal Mail me the link so I can check it out please.

[garym]

Re: "Automatically Add to iTunes" not working ... AGAIN

I'm out of ideas. I've never had an issue with itunes recognizing my files created in dbpa. I don't use apple lossless however. But I've not seen others with your issue either (and there are likely thousands of dbpa users that create apple lossless files).

A couple of things to confirm, in case you haven't yet:

1. Can you open and play these dbpa created apple lossless files on a player other than itunes (just to confirm the files play ok and don't have a problem). Use foobar2000 or VLC or some other player.
2. As a test, what if you create mp3 files or m4a files with dbpa and put those in the "add to itunes folder". Do they work? Or do they fail too. Trying to see if this is a problem for only ALAC or all files.

[iGowanus68]

Re: "Automatically Add to iTunes" not working ... AGAIN

I forget, is the drive where you are ripping files to (the "auto add to itunes" folder) a harddrive that is on your PC where you are ripping (as opposed to a NAS or some other network location other than the pc)?

Also, I personally wouldn't switch to ripping CDs with itunes. I'm sure you understand that itunes is not a "secure" ripper. I assume that's the reason you switched to dbpa for ripping in the first place.

I am ripping to the PC hard drive, then backing up to a dedicated flash drive. For each iTunes library, I created a corresponding dBpa profile which maps the path to that library's "Automatically Add to ..." folder. Thus, the path for Library 1 is: Music\iTunes 1\iTunes Media\Automatically Add to iTunes\. I do not know what a "NAS" is.

I have investigated further & found the following iTunes statement about the Auto Add folder: "The iTunes Media folder contains an 'Automatically Add to iTunes' folder. [picture showing the directory structure] When you put iTunes-compatible content in this folder, iTunes analyzes it for compatibility and then adds it to your iTunes library. If a file isn't compatible, iTunes places it in the Not Added folder." [emphasis added]

That is precisely what has been happening. Only now I know that it is by design & not some glitch. So, the question I am seeking an answer to is, why are ripped files that iTunes was analyzing & finding compatible suddenly (as of a couple weeks ago) being found incompatible? At the point the malfunction began, I was using a non-current version of iTunes (one that worked, whose cosmetics were acceptable & that I had downloaded from an iTunes website), but since then I have installed the current version (following iTunes' directions for uninstallation & reinstallation) & the malfunction persists. Did I inadvertently change some dbpa setting? Was it the result of the upgrade to R16? No, I upgraded after the fact.
so, why?

It was following yours & others' strong recommendations that I switched to dbpa, even though it meant redoing one or two hundred CDs, & you were right -- dbpa is very much better. But now, since nothing else is working (including "Add Folder to ..."), I am using iTunes' CD import function with "Error Correction" selected & hoping for the best. I have so far spent a year on this project. I want it to be finished.

[garym]

Re: "Automatically Add to iTunes" not working ... AGAIN

I am pursuing it further with iTunes. I have a case open & I have been assured that it will go to the engineers. I have been down this road before. So, for now I wait & rip with iTunes.

Thanks again for your help.

I forget, is the drive where you are ripping files to (the "auto add to itunes" folder) a harddrive that is on your PC where you are ripping (as opposed to a NAS or some other network location other than the pc)?

Also, I personally wouldn't switch to ripping CDs with itunes. I'm sure you understand that itunes is not a "secure" ripper. I assume that's the reason you switched to dbpa for ripping in the first place.

[iGowanus68]

Re: "Automatically Add to iTunes" not working ... AGAIN

I rip my CDs to the flac format. Then, I convert my flac library to mp3, for use in iTunes. Regarding ReplayGain, I use the Track, Album Gain & iTunes Album Normalization option.

If you can't manually add tracks to iTunes, either there is a problem with your audio files OR there is a problem with your iTunes setup/installation (but you probably realise that already).

I am pursuing it further with iTunes. I have a case open & I have been assured that it will go to the engineers. I have been down this road before. So, for now I wait & rip with iTunes.

Thanks again for your help.

[mville]

Re: "Automatically Add to iTunes" not working ... AGAIN

I have been wondering whether I might have set some DSP settings incorrectly. Although, I think they are set the same as when the operation was working correctly. Since you rip to iTunes, would you tell me what "ReplayGain-Write" selection you choose. Mine is set for "Track, Album Gain & iTunes Album Normalization".

I rip my CDs to the flac format. Then, I convert my flac library to mp3, for use in iTunes. Regarding ReplayGain, I use the Track, Album Gain & iTunes Album Normalization option.

If you can't manually add tracks to iTunes, either there is a problem with your audio files OR there is a problem with your iTunes setup/installation (but you probably realise that already).

[iGowanus68]

Re: "Automatically Add to iTunes" not working ... AGAIN

I assume then, that when you select the Add folder to Library... option, the Adding Files dialog box appears showing the files, but when complete, the ALAC tracks do not show in iTunes?

No, there is no Adding Files dialog box -- there is nothing. I hope I made it clear that almost all of the 700 or so cd albums that I have ripped to iTunes were done by way of the "Automatically Add to iTunes" process. I only used the "Add Folder to Library" & on occasion the "Add File to Library" as a fallback when something went wrong.

I have been wondering whether I might have set some DSP settings incorrectly. Although, I think they are set the same as when the operation was working correctly. Since you rip to iTunes, would you tell me what "ReplayGain-Write" selection you choose. Mine is set for "Track, Album Gain & iTunes Album Normalization". I tried to insert an image of the dialog box with the menu opened, but it appears that I am not doing it correctly.

Thanks again.

[mville]

Re: "Automatically Add to iTunes" not working ... AGAIN

As for your request that I try ripping to a temp folder outside the iTunes tree & then using "Add Folder ...", as I believe I said, I have already done so following the suggestion by GaryM. Last night I further experimented with the method as I was wrestling for maybe 4 hours, ultimately unsuccessfully, to get some content into the iTunes Library. I cannot detail for you all that I tried. All I can say is that this method may be working for you, but it is not for me. & even if it was, I would not be satisfied, because it requires more steps than should be necessary.

I assume then, that when you select the Add folder to Library... option, the Adding Files dialog box appears showing the files, but when complete, the ALAC tracks do not show in iTunes?

[mville]

Re: "Automatically Add to iTunes" not working ... AGAIN

Actually, you can indeed have multiple iTunes libraries. If you press the left shift key while clicking on the iTunes icon, a dialogue box will appear presenting options to choose or create a library. As iTunes is not always responsive, you might have to repeat the action 2 or 3 times.

You can proceed from there. What you cannot have is more than one device assigned to a library. So, for my 5 libraries, I have 5 160 GB iPod Classics.

Interesting and useful to know. Thanks for that info.