Set-Up for Ripping

[Oggy]

Re: Set-Up for Ripping

I've been off on other projects but am now back to start ripping. As I organize to do this, three issues come up:

1) What set-up items are PERMANENT settings, i.e., they don't change when dbpa is exited?

a) Is everything under Green bar permanent (until changed)?

b) What items in the Lower left section are permanent?

It seems that Replay Gain (for one) keeps changing -- Replay Gain (allow) keeps reappearing.

The lossless encoding level keeps changing back to level 6.

c) In body the of main screen are the track listing Column Selections (headings) permanent?

d) What other settings or check boxes revert to "original" settings when dbpa is shut down?

2) In my notes I've written down the two statements below, but now I apparently don't recall what they refer to. I thought these referred to the track listings in the body of the main page but I don't seem to be able to implement them.

"Double-click to edit any editable columns."
"Double-click on Track (highlight it) to change values as desired."

Please help me recall what these refer to.

3) Somewhere I seem to recall there was a check box to check in order to "input is to be written to music file" Where was that? (or am I mistaken?)

Thank you,
Don

Hi Don, welcome back.

1) Your naming string is permanent, unless you change to a different profile.

Any DSP you add, like ReplayGain is permanent for that profile. The values will obviously be different, but the ReplayGain tag will always be written.

Any settings in CD Ripper Options (set from Menu, front page of dBpoweramp CD Ripper)will be permanent, unless changed. This includes Ripping Method, Tags & Filenames - set options for Album Art, see previous posts for suggested settings, and the CD ROM settings.

All of the above you set once and retain, unless you want different settings.

2) Anything else is from a disc to disc basis, as you have found from the first double CD you ripped, the default Metadata from the providers (from the 'tag' Review Metadata from Individual Providers (ALT +M), may not be consistent.

From these page, you have the default in the left hand column, and possible entries from Discogs, GD3, Music Brainz and freedb. You can select a complete CD by clicking on the name of the provider, or when View Track-Artists is ticked, any Title, Artist and Composer for any individual track.

Artist, Album, Album Artist, Genre, Year, Disc, Composer and Compilation is all down to what you select or alter. You can edit any of these to anything you choose.

You also have the option from Tags, on the first page, to add or delete any tags.

3) Not sure what you mean, unless it's the above mentioned, View Track-Artists.

Regards.

[garym]

Re: Set-Up for Ripping

Once set up, I never have to change my settings. The only thing I ever change is to select a particular drive to rip from (lower left hand side) and related to this, a different "profile" (lower left hand side), because the drive setups may differ (e.g., one may use C2 pointers and another doesn't).

[mville]

Re: Set-Up for Ripping

a) Is everything under Green bar permanent (until changed)?

b) What items in the Lower left section are permanent?

c) In body the of main screen are the track listing Column Selections (headings) permanent?

d) What other settings or check boxes revert to "original" settings when dbpa is shut down?

The Green bar is the menu and contains CD Ripper software/hardware options and settings. The lower left section refers to your ripping profiles and you configure settings here, per profile, which also includes the lower middle section DSP panel and Encoder panel settings (the Tags panel changes per CD).

Your options, settings and profiles in the menu, the column headings, the lower left section and the lower middle section are written to the windows registry when CD Ripper is closed. When CD Ripper launches, your options, settings and profiles are read from the windows registry, so should not revert to original settings.

It seems that Replay Gain (for one) keeps changing -- Replay Gain (allow) keeps reappearing.

I don't know what you mean by Replay Gain (for one) and Replay Gain (allow). Post a screenshot perhaps?

The lossless encoding level keeps changing back to level 6.

I assume you are ripping to flac so this should only change if you manually change it or you change profiles.

"Double-click to edit any editable columns."
"Double-click on Track (highlight it) to change values as desired."

Single click on a CD track selects that track and it will be highlighted. Double clicking on say Title, allows you to edit the Title for that track.

3) Somewhere I seem to recall there was a check box to check in order to "input is to be written to music file" Where was that? (or am I mistaken?)

Not sure what you refer to here.

[dbarnby]

Re: Set-Up for Ripping

Thank you all, Oggy, garym, and mville; I'm pretty much on my way.

I have two issues:

First: after ripping a disc I put in another yet dbpa screen continues to be populated with the tracks from the first disk; I don't know how to clear it. I closed dbpa and reopened it with the second disc in the drive but the first tracks returned. What's going on?

Second: as I proceed, there is still one thing that I am finding I am unclear on:

There are five places in dbpa where tag categories and tag values are shown. Some of these appear to be linked, others not. I'd like to get a clear understanding of this. Those five places are:

1) MAIN: The "main" tag list across the top of the screen containing 8 (or 11 when Classical) plus the compilation check box.)

2) METADATA REVIEW: The tags in the "Manual Metadata Review" (under the tag-shaped icon)

3) TAG TAB: The tags in the lower left panel in the Tags tab (which have "[x] beside them).

4) GREEN BAR: The tag list under Green bar icon/options

5) TRACK LISTING: Tags are listed (and can be changed) in any Track listed in the body of the screen.

Taking this issue one step at a time, here's a summary of what I THINK I know, but my understanding is very incomplete on this. I hope someone will correct and explain.

a) It seems that the metadata is ENTERED into MAIN and/or METADATA REVIEW, and also into individual TRACK LISTING (as edits). Is this correct?

b) It seems that the TAG TAB and GREEN BAR are used only as SETTINGS (not for entry of tag values). Is this correct?

c) It's my understanding that the purpose if the GREEN BAR settings is to "activate" the tags that the user wants to write to the music file in order for the tag to become available to the player (and that it has no other purpose). Is this correct?

d) It is unclear to me what the function is of the TAG TAB listings. What are these for? What do they do? Do they link to any of the other four locations and if so where and how? Could someone explain this to me (again if that's the case).

The linkages of these five "tag" locations is confusing to me and it seems that it becomes important to make the input to these five locations in the proper sequence in order to avoid setting something and then inadvertently "undoing" it (by way of a link) with the next setting or entry.

Here's what I THINK I now about these interacting links from some experimentation (however I'm not sure I've got it right or complete).:

e) Tags showing in MAIN, and in METADATA REVIEW are generally linked together such that an entry/change in one results in an identical entry/change in the other (but with some confusing exceptions, particularly in relation to the TAG TAB edits). Examples:

e1) Changing Artist in MAIN changes the Artist in METADATA REVIEW
but, changing Artist in METADATA REVIEW does not change Artist in MAIN.

e2) Changing Composer in MAIN changes the Artist in METADATA REVIEW, yet

changing Composer in METADATA REVIEW does not change Artist in MAIN.

e3) Complicating this further, the tag values showing in the TRACK LISTINGS also have links to and affect the items in either or both MAIN, and METADATA REVIEW in complicated ways.

Can someone explain these relationships and links to me; I'd like to understand the philosophy, the interaction, and the use of each of these.

It seems I'm oh so close, but not quite there.

Don

[Oggy]

Re: Set-Up for Ripping

Thank you all, Oggy, garym, and mville; I'm pretty much on my way.

I have two issues:

First: after ripping a disc I put in another yet dbpa screen continues to be populated with the tracks from the first disk; I don't know how to clear it. I closed dbpa and reopened it with the second disc in the drive but the first tracks returned. What's going on?

Second: as I proceed, there is still one thing that I am finding I am unclear on:

There are five places in dbpa where tag categories and tag values are shown. Some of these appear to be linked, others not. I'd like to get a clear understanding of this. Those five places are:

1) MAIN: The "main" tag list across the top of the screen containing 8 (or 11 when Classical) plus the compilation check box.)

2) METADATA REVIEW: The tags in the "Manual Metadata Review" (under the tag-shaped icon)

3) TAG TAB: The tags in the lower left panel in the Tags tab (which have "[x] beside them).

4) GREEN BAR: The tag list under Green bar icon/options

5) TRACK LISTING: Tags are listed (and can be changed) in any Track listed in the body of the screen.

Taking this issue one step at a time, here's a summary of what I THINK I know, but my understanding is very incomplete on this. I hope someone will correct and explain.

a) It seems that the metadata is ENTERED into MAIN and/or METADATA REVIEW, and also into individual TRACK LISTING (as edits). Is this correct?

b) It seems that the TAG TAB and GREEN BAR are used only as SETTINGS (not for entry of tag values). Is this correct?

c) It's my understanding that the purpose if the GREEN BAR settings is to "activate" the tags that the user wants to write to the music file in order for the tag to become available to the player (and that it has no other purpose). Is this correct?

d) It is unclear to me what the function is of the TAG TAB listings. What are these for? What do they do? Do they link to any of the other four locations and if so where and how? Could someone explain this to me (again if that's the case).

The linkages of these five "tag" locations is confusing to me and it seems that it becomes important to make the input to these five locations in the proper sequence in order to avoid setting something and then inadvertently "undoing" it (by way of a link) with the next setting or entry.

Here's what I THINK I now about these interacting links from some experimentation (however I'm not sure I've got it right or complete).:

e) Tags showing in MAIN, and in METADATA REVIEW are generally linked together such that an entry/change in one results in an identical entry/change in the other (but with some confusing exceptions, particularly in relation to the TAG TAB edits). Examples:

e1) Changing Artist in MAIN changes the Artist in METADATA REVIEW
but, changing Artist in METADATA REVIEW does not change Artist in MAIN.

e2) Changing Composer in MAIN changes the Artist in METADATA REVIEW, yet

changing Composer in METADATA REVIEW does not change Artist in MAIN.

e3) Complicating this further, the tag values showing in the TRACK LISTINGS also have links to and affect the items in either or both MAIN, and METADATA REVIEW in complicated ways.

Can someone explain these relationships and links to me; I'd like to understand the philosophy, the interaction, and the use of each of these.

It seems I'm oh so close, but not quite there.

Don

Hi Don,

On your first issue, try pressing the two arrows button, Re-scan CD....

OK, agree with the five locations, had forgotten about the Review PerfectMeta Matches (top of "green bar") which doubles up with the Tag on the main page - both take you to dBpoweramp CD Ripper: Manual Meta Review.

The "green bar" (Menu) also takes you to settings; it is dual function.

The main page is the default metadata that is pulled up and this is identical to the left hand column in Review PerfectMeta Matches / Review Metadata from Individual Providers (ALT +M).

You have the option to click on Discogs, GD3, Music Brainz, or freedb. In order for this to be accepted, you must press OK. I believe this is why you were not achieving the expected results when editing.

Anything in red is different than the main page / left hand column, and can be used by clicking on it and pressing OK. You can enter anything you want, and as long as you press OK, your entries will be what are used.

You have the option on this page to Smart Captalize Tags or Captalize Tags, again you must press OK to achieve this.

Pressing OK returns you to the main page, where you should see any changes you have made.

From Tags, you can add tags such as Artist Sort, Conductor, Orchestra, Soloist.

You can also delete certain tags, for example, I have deleted Rating.

You can edit these tags, Style would be a good example of a tag that may need editing, if Style is important to you.

Hope this clarifies and answers your questions.

[mville]

Re: Set-Up for Ripping

Second: as I proceed, there is still one thing that I am finding I am unclear on:

There are five places in dbpa where tag categories and tag values are shown. Some of these appear to be linked, others not. I'd like to get a clear understanding of this. Those five places are:

1) MAIN: The "main" tag list across the top of the screen containing 8 (or 11 when Classical) plus the compilation check box.)

2) METADATA REVIEW: The tags in the "Manual Metadata Review" (under the tag-shaped icon)

3) TAG TAB: The tags in the lower left panel in the Tags tab (which have "[x] beside them).

4) GREEN BAR: The tag list under Green bar icon/options

5) TRACK LISTING: Tags are listed (and can be changed) in any Track listed in the body of the screen.

Not correct. Tag values are not shown in 4) GREEN BAR: The tag list under Green bar icon/options.

Re-read posts no. 232 and 236. (refer to your 1) MAIN and 5) TRACK LISTING, as the same place for editing tags i.e. the main CD Ripper window).

... also, if you do not understand these posts, please post here explaining what it is you do not understand, rather than waiting a few weeks and then repeating yourself in another new post. Otherwise this thread will go on ad infinitum, going around in circles with the same misunderstandings/issues endlessly repeating.

A good example of this behaviour is where you previously stated:
It seems that Replay Gain (for one) keeps changing -- Replay Gain (allow) keeps reappearing.

I responded to this in post no. 318 and you have decided to completely ignore my response. Very confusing/infuriating and wastes my time.

Finally, it makes more sense in these forums to deal with one single issue at time, until that issue is resolved and we can move on to the next issue, rather than post long drawn-out threads, where issues inevitably get lost only to re-appear later.

[dbarnby]

Re: Set-Up for Ripping

dbpa Forum, 2.5.18

Thank you all.

Mville, I agree that dealing with a single question at once is best. Note two things, however; when one is starting out there is so very much to learn about that one question at a time would proceed at a snails pace, and second, my current question (aside from the operational first question) is, indeed, a single question: about the relationship between the five places that tag categories and value inputs are found, and how they interact dynamically (how they are linked). Perhaps that was not clear.

I did seek to distinguish between tag entries and settings (items a and b) however I was in error is suggesting that the Tags list was setting only; I see I can also enter/edit a tag there, too. Thank you for correcting this.

From your response I am now clear on the fact that tag values can be entered in four places:
Main
Metadata Review
Tags tab
Track Listing (by way of edit)

Am I correct, then, from your and Oggy's posts that the tag values in all of these four locations are linked and always synchronized by dbpa (so long as I have checked the "OK" button at the bottom of the Metadata Review page?

If the answer is "yes" then I assume that I can change/edit any one of them and that such most recent change will propagate to the other three. Is that correct?

Mville, I am amazed at your memory! Whatever the issue, you remember not only that it was addressed before, but precisely in what post it was discussed. I could never do that and I appreciate your ability to help out that way since the thread is not indexed.

I apologize for not responding to anyone's posts specifically. Often I receive several posts in response to a question, and, particularly when I think I've understood, just move on with responses to those things I don understand; no offense intended. Everyone has been most helpful and patient.

I'll now work with the info that you have provided and see how it goes. I know that I've had some confusion regarding handling of multiple Artists, and multiple Composers, and the compilation check box, all is relation to "linkages" but I did not include those questions in order to hold my last post to a single issue. I'll take a close look at how those work/interact and get back if I still have questions.

Thank you,
Don

[garym]

Re: Set-Up for Ripping

And beyond anything we can tell you here, the BEST way to learn, is to rip a CD, look at outcome (tags, names, etc.) and see how it suits you. This is how one truly learns to use dbpa. And rip single artist, compilations with multiple artists, multi-disk sets, etc. This will give you specific examples right in front of you. Then you can learn, tweak things, etc. before you start down the path of ripping every CD.

[mville]

Re: Set-Up for Ripping

Am I correct, then, from your and Oggy's posts that the tag values in all of these four locations are linked and always synchronized by dbpa (so long as I have checked the "OK" button at the bottom of the Metadata Review page?

If the answer is "yes" then I assume that I can change/edit any one of them and that such most recent change will propagate to the other three. Is that correct?

These 4 locations just present tags, which you can view and edit, before ripping.

So yes, if you edit the Album Artist tag in the main CD Ripper window, the edit will be reflected in the Tags Panel and the Review Metadata window.

[GaryG45]

Re: Set-Up for Ripping

Don,
I strongly concur with garym's last post. When I started to use dbpa, I created a test music library folder, and created a profile and settings that I felt would work for single artists and bands. After the first rip the outcome wasn't as expected, so I deleted the album from the test library, made adjustments, and re-ripped. Once I obtained the results I wanted for 5 different single artist/band CDs, I documented the profile and settings, and followed the same process for soundtracks, musicals, and finally compilations. I learned a lot about dpba along the way. This re-enforced what I had read in the help pages, and at the same time corrected my misunderstandings. When I ripped my CDs to my permanent/archive music library, I still made some mistakes, usually using the wrong profile for the CD, but that was easily corrected by re-ripping the CD. For me, reading the help pages and testing was the best way to learn dbpa.

Gary

[dbarnby]

Re: Set-Up for Ripping

Thanks GaryG45,
I agree. For some time now I've been doing just what you say and have been learning. Onward and upward,
Don

[dbarnby]

Re: Set-Up for Ripping

1) The down-arrow in the Naming string box has about seven strings in it. Now that I've boiled it down to two (CL and NC) how do I get rid of the others?

2) One disc I ripped had one track that reported "AR2, Insecure." When ripping, it said "ReRip 81 Frames" (what does that mean?) Should I have a limit on re-ripping? The odd thing is, that I have ripped this disc before and it all went fine.

Is there a way to recover and use tracks that show error, or is it lost forever?

3) Regarding Drive Read Cache:
The Help Manual says not to check Clear Read Cache with FUA, but says nothing about whether to check C2 Error Pointers for error detection. Should I?

Also, is it recommended to do the simulated damaged CD test? I do not understand the whole C2 thing. I guess this has something to do with using the Ultra Secure option. What is best to do here?

4) Ripping a Woody Herman CD is taking "forever." The first track showed error, the second was 5% ripped in 18 minutes. Do I have some parameter set wrong?

Don

[Oggy]

Re: Set-Up for Ripping

1) The down-arrow in the Naming string box has about seven strings in it. Now that I've boiled it down to two (CL and NC) how do I get rid of the others?

2) One disc I ripped had one track that reported "AR2, Insecure." When ripping, it said "ReRip 81 Frames" (what does that mean?) Should I have a limit on re-ripping? The odd thing is, that I have ripped this disc before and it all went fine.

Is there a way to recover and use tracks that show error, or is it lost forever?

3) Regarding Drive Read Cache:
The Help Manual says not to check Clear Read Cache with FUA, but says nothing about whether to check C2 Error Pointers for error detection. Should I?

Also, is it recommended to do the simulated damaged CD test? I do not understand the whole C2 thing. I guess this has something to do with using the Ultra Secure option. What is best to do here?

4) Ripping a Woody Herman CD is taking "forever." The first track showed error, the second was 5% ripped in 18 minutes. Do I have some parameter set wrong?

Don

Don,

1) Do you mean Cl - Classical and NC - non-classical for Genre?

2) Have you changed a setting or used a different CD drive? If you now have C2 pointers checked, try again un-checked. If not, clean the CD.

3) Very few recent CD drives fully support C2 pointers, if checked, try it un-checked.

4) Possibly connected to above, un-check C2 pointers, if no change, try another CD drive.

[mville]

Re: Set-Up for Ripping

1) The down-arrow in the Naming string box has about seven strings in it. Now that I've boiled it down to two (CL and NC) how do I get rid of the others?

I believe you are referring to the Naming drop-down box. You can't get rid of these entries in the drop-down box from within CD Ripper (as far as I am aware). The other strings are your previous edits as CD Ripper is remembering your previous Naming strings in case you make a mistake. If you must remove these entries you would need to edit the relevant windows registry key.

2) One disc I ripped had one track that reported "AR2, Insecure." When ripping, it said "ReRip 81 Frames" (what does that mean?)

Insecure means the track had errors and CD Ripper tried to re-rip the track.

Should I have a limit on re-ripping? The odd thing is, that I have ripped this disc before and it all went fine.

Is there a way to recover and use tracks that show error, or is it lost forever?

A limit is already specified in:
Menu >> CD Ripper Options >> Ripping Method: Secure >> Secure Settings

In addition to Oggy's comments, if a CD is scratched or has manufacturing errors, CD Ripper may never be able to read it, without producing errors.

4) Ripping a Woody Herman CD is taking "forever." The first track showed error, the second was 5% ripped in 18 minutes. Do I have some parameter set wrong?

In addition to Oggy's comments, is the CD Copy-protected?

[dbarnby]

Re: Set-Up for Ripping

1) Somewhere in my Forum reading I recall learning that there was a place I could click that would show all the tags that had been written for a given CD. I don't recall where I was to click (unless it was a reference to the green menu icon.)

2) Does the use of "various" in the Track Listings for Artist or Composer result in the "elimination" of those tags from being written and therefore available to the Player to search and find that track?

3) I find that when I load in a disk previously ripped (even when the disc/folder has been removed from File Explorer) the Main page is populated with the customized info from the original rip. How can that be? Where was this info being stored?

4) Is there a way add or edit the pull-down genre list to customize it to my desired set of genre, thereby eliminating my need to type in the genre (and risk typing errors)?

5) What are your thoughts on combining Disc no. with Album in a compound album name, vs. having Disc no. stores as a next-level folder? Pros/Cons?

6) Under green Menu icon>Tags & Filename>Options I did NOT check "Disc no. w/o disc count, (i.e., 1 not 1/3)" yet I got Disc no. without disc count. (I also tried it with "Disc no. w/o disc count CHECKED but the result was the same.

7) I'm partial to having my classical music organized first my Composer (not artist). Some time back we straightened out the issue of alphabetizing Composers (I believe by checking Composer sort), and getting Composers to list by Last Name, First Name, so they would alphabetize by Last name. Two questions:

a) I did reverse First/Last name, but I did not check Composer sort, however, they DID alphabetize. Why would that be?

b) Is there a better way to get alphabetized and last-name-first, without having to type in the composer's name in reverse? The less I have to type the easier it is to avoid mistakes.

9) What are the "To All" buttons in lower left pane

Lastly, I'm still pondering the issues relating to Compilation CD's and what is the best way to name classical and non-classical. Since this is a bigger topic I put it in a separate post as suggested by mville.

Thanks,
Don