Tagging a multi CD box set

[marcosax]

Hi, in order to rip my entire CD collection (1000+), I've recently registered dBpoweramp + PerfectTUNES of which I like the ability to tag and create the corresponding folder structure in the destination catalogue (almost) automatically.
I've read the help file and numerous posts in this forum and others and while I manage to correctly tag most of CDs, compilations and 2/3CD sets, I have problem in tagging Box sets.
This in particular: Miles Davis / The Complete Columbia Album Collection.
It contains 52 CDs + 1 DVD, in total of 70 CDs (some of the albums are double CDs).
Is there a way to tag it so that each album shows it's included in this box set and not on its own?
So far could only manage to have it either belonging to the box set (loosing its Album title) or as loose album (loosing the box set title).

Ideally the folder structure i'd like to achieve is:
Miles Davis/The Complete Columbia Album Collection/Album title - CDnum/title.xxx

I played with the Dynamic Naming window but its syntax eludes me and I couldn't find or I missed an help file on it.

thanks

[Spoon]

Re: Tagging a multi CD box set

You would set the album title to the same for all the items in the box set, then set the disc number:

1/50
2/50
3/50

etc for each disc.

[garym]

Re: Tagging a multi CD box set

For the tags, the only way it will show as one "unit" (box set) is to make the ALBUM tag = "The Complete Columbia Album Collection". That's not what you seem to want. Here's what I do:

1. Rip the CDs with the original album name in the album tag
2. In the comment tag add text that tells me that the album is included in the XXXX Box Set (year released)
3. After ripping all the CDs, I manually create a folder under the artist with the box set name ("The Complete Columbia Album Collection" in your case), and then cut and paste all the individual album folders underneath this new folder.

In the end, at least from an organization point of view, all the albums are in a folder structure together. i can also see from viewing comment tag that the album was in the box set.

[marcosax]

Re: Tagging a multi CD box set

You would set the album title to the same for all the items in the box set, then set the disc number:

1/50
2/50
3/50

etc for each disc.

thanks @Spoon, but in this way I'll loose all the individual albums names.
I remind that these are all Miles Davis albums issued over the years and now collected in one single Box, with a book etc, and I'd like to retain this info.
For a description see: https://www.milesdavis.com/news/the-...um-collection/

Do you think that by adding a new tag field, i.e. <boxsetname>, could solve the issue?

[marcosax]

Re: Tagging a multi CD box set

thank you garym, this could be a solution.

But please see my reply to Spoon: still wondering if a new tag could solve the issue.

Also wondering if in dBpoweramp there is a way to save presets, in order to avoid to re-enter (or copy-paste) all the right wording in Dynamic Naming window (once found!).

[garym]

Re: Tagging a multi CD box set

thank you garym, this could be a solution.

But please see my reply to Spoon: still wondering if a new tag could solve the issue.

Also wondering if in dBpoweramp there is a way to save presets, in order to avoid to re-enter (or copy-paste) all the right wording in Dynamic Naming window.

dynamic naming can do almost anything you want (and save it for re-use). What exactly do you want the folder and naming structure to look like and I'll see if I can give you the syntax for that. My naming string is set once and I've used it for ripping 1000s of CDs. (for example, I use the string below, and it automatically handles single CDs, multidisk sets, and compilations (different track artists).

[MAXLENGTH]240,[IFCOMP]Compilations\[album][IFMULTI]\Disc [disc][]\[track] - [title] - [artist][][IF!COMP][IFVALUE]album artist,[album artist],[artist][]\[album][IFMULTI]\Disc [disc][]\[track] - [title][][]

[marcosax]

Re: Tagging a multi CD box set

thank you garym, this is most helpful!
I'll try your string asap

btw, my previous reply to Spoon isn't showing up, yet

[garym]

Re: Tagging a multi CD box set

by the way there are all kinds of tags one can use. You can take some existing tag not otherwise used and make that your "box set" tag and use that in your naming string. Or you can create a custom tag field. See ID tag options in CD Ripper Options and tick the "custom" tag in the settings for tags to write (and also create your custom tag at the bottom of that option screen). Then you could use this custom tag in your naming string. Of course, it is a different question as to whether the library management/server and players you use will recognize and use this tag.

[marcosax]

Re: Tagging a multi CD box set

[MAXLENGTH]240,[IFCOMP]Compilations\[album][IFMULTI]\Disc [disc][]\[track] - [title] - [artist][][IF!COMP][IFVALUE]album artist,[album artist],[artist][]\[album][IFMULTI]\Disc [disc][]\[track] - [title][][]

this string doesn't create a subfolder structure in my destination folder.

Still trying to understnd the syntax... I'm no programmer but got a logical mind. Is there a list of commands and their implementation?

[garym]

Re: Tagging a multi CD box set

are you using a Mac computer. If so, change all the back slashes to forward slashes in the string. Also make sure there are no stray blank spaces at the very end of the string. after copying in, use backspace/delete to make sure last character is that last "]" in the string.

For help and info, click the "circle with ?" icon at the upper right of the naming string popup screen. That will take you to the help screen on naming. These icons are everywhere in this program and clicking on them will give you lots of help info.

[marcosax]

Re: Tagging a multi CD box set

yes, I am on a Mac, and changing the back to ffwd slash did work! learned a new one

I don't have a "?" button on the app, but I've found (i remember seeing it but didn't study it) the help on naming at https://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmchelposx/CDadvanced.htm

I'll give it a good read. But I think your string with ffwd slashes just works ok.
With more time I'll try to fix the Box set issue as well.

All this ripping business happened after I stated using ROON, hence I wanted all the music on the NUC PC I set up.
I'll try with the extra custom <boxsetname> tag and see if it's in some way interpreted all right by Roon.

[marcosax]

Re: Tagging a multi CD box set

garym, just wanted to drop a quick message to thank you: your string works great!
I just need the add the odd correction by hand for Genre ( and a few to my account pretty important are missing: i.e. "Lounge" and Year of release.
I Haven't tackled the big Miles Davis box yet, though.
But I think I'll rip each individual CDs with its original cover (so to be recognized in the player at first sight) and place all of them in a single folder named "The Complete Columbia Album Collection". Then I'll see how it will show in Roon: if not happy I'll try to edit the data from its UI.

[garym]

Re: Tagging a multi CD box set

Thanks. Should work fine with Roon. I have box sets done that way (multiple original albums) and Roon works fine with them.

[Holden4th]

Re: Tagging a multi CD box set

You would set the album title to the same for all the items in the box set, then set the disc number:

1/50
2/50
3/50

etc for each disc.

Another alternative if you are a bit OCD like me:

I am currently ripping The Arthur Rubinstein Complete Album Collection from RCA, a total of 142 CDs. I wanted to rip them in order (they run chronologically) and went with the tagging system set by DbPA of Artist/Genre/Disc/Album Artist/Album/Year/Composer. This left me with the discs all over the place and not in order. In hindsight this is not ideal but rather than restart I've done some renaming of the tags to get them in the correct sequence. Getting them in order is all down to what I put in Album. The convention I am now using goes like this.

Artist - Arthur Rubinstein. This puts the collection in the Arthur Rubinstein folder on my HDD
Album Artist - Arthur Rubinstein. Is one of these superfluous?
Album - each one starts with "The Complete Album Collection (CD***). As there are over 100 CDs I've used three digits starting with 001. This means that they are arranged in order. I can then add a dash and include some details including work and composer. A lot of this was already done for me.

I'm doing the Cziffra 40 CD set next and might rearrange the tags. I still want them in order. Maybe someone has an idea as to how I do this. I hope this helps someone else.

[Dat Ei]

Re: Tagging a multi CD box set

I organize my music this way

Album Artist(s) - the artists printed on the small side of the cover, delimited by " - " if there is more than one album artist
Album - name of the album

Within the album folder I use the following naming:

in case of a single disc album: xx trackname - xx is the tracknumber with two digits
in case of a multi disc album: yy-xx trackname - yy is the discnumber with two digits, xx is the tracknumber with two digits

This way the sort is fine within i.e. file explorer or dumb audio players, which play the tracks by ascii sorting. Smart audio players can use the discnumber and the tracknumber within the meta data.


Dat Ei