Multiple Artists, semi-colon and Ape encoding

[Berg]

Hello,

My first post but I have to say, after trying a number of program, dMC is absolutely the best !!!

However, I do have a problem - I usually rip a CD in Wave first and then batch convert the files into mp3 (using Lame) and ape/Monkey. Unfortunately, when a file has multiple artists and uses the semi-colon to separate the names, the ape encoder fails to convert the file.

Am I missing something or is there something I can do to prevent having to find the missing file, editing the tag and re-encoding the ape file ?

Thanks in advance !

[LtData]

Re: Multiple Artists, semi-colon and Ape encoding

You have multiple artists in the filename or in the tag? What version of dMC are you using?

[Berg]

Re: Multiple Artists, semi-colon and Ape encoding

You have multiple artists in the filename or in the tag? What version of dMC are you using?

1. multiple artists in the tag information that dMC retrieves from AMG
2. using 12.1

Thanks.

[LtData]

Re: Multiple Artists, semi-colon and Ape encoding

Try the latest r12.3 beta linked to below. If you don't want to use the beta, at least update to r12.2. Also, make sure you are using the latest version of the Monkey's Audio codec.

[Berg]

Re: Multiple Artists, semi-colon and Ape encoding

Try the latest r12.3 beta linked to below. If you don't want to use the beta, at least update to r12.2. Also, make sure you are using the latest version of the Monkey's Audio codec.

Well, still no dice ...

I am now using the new beta release r12.3 and I was already using the most current codec. Still the same problem.

The song that is giving me a hard time right now is tag as

Bryan Adams; Rod Stewart; Sting

, which dMC got from AMG.

The files encoded to mp3 using Lame is fine, but encoding to Ape fails silently. No error message, just no file.

Any ideas ? Thanks.

[Spoon]

Re: Multiple Artists, semi-colon and Ape encoding

Convert to another format which supports multi-artists, such as FLAC. Then take the flac file, right click >> Convert to >> Monkeys audio

does that work?

[Berg]

Re: Multiple Artists, semi-colon and Ape encoding

Convert to another format which supports multi-artists, such as FLAC. Then take the flac file, right click >> Convert to >> Monkeys audio

does that work?

Hi Spoon,

That does work !!! The wav gets converted properly to flac, keeping the artist info., and the flac converts to ape without any problems, but it doesn't keep the entire artist info. It drops everything after the first semi-colon, in this case keeping only Bryan Adams.

A couple more comments - When converting the wav file to mp3, the multiple artists are separated by a slash, while the flac encoder doesn't. It drops the slash, only leaving a space. Is this something you could fix ? This is also the way I would like to see it handled that way with Monkey/ape.

Is this something that you can fix at your end for the ape encoder ?

Thanks for your wonderful product and support !

[Spoon]

Re: Multiple Artists, semi-colon and Ape encoding

Here is what I tried, had a wave file with no tags, right clicked >> edit tag and added for artist:

Bryan Adams; Rod Stewart; Sting

Then Ok, right click >> Convert to > Monkeys audio and it converts fine.

[Berg]

Re: Multiple Artists, semi-colon and Ape encoding

Here is what I tried, had a wave file with no tags, right clicked >> edit tag and added for artist:

Bryan Adams; Rod Stewart; Sting

Then Ok, right click >> Convert to > Monkeys audio and it converts fine.

Hello Spoon,

Well, it is still not working for me ... I just ripped another CD with some tracks with multiple artists, which did not convert to APE properly.

Again, the three offending files have two artists listed, with a semi-colon separating the names.

The three file's tags are :

• Diana Krall; Hank Jones
• Natalie Cole; Chaka Khan
• Ella Fitzgerald; Stevie Wonder

On that CD, the three files were the only ones with multiple artists. The single artists files converted without problem. Interestingly, I also have ripped a few other CDs with some track that had multiple artists in the tag, but didn't get that problem. :confused:

I am using dMC on a Vista Business machine, but it used to do the same on XP Pro.

Would it help if I send you the WAV files ? Email or FTP them ? I could also post them on a web page for you to d/l. The files, zipped, are about 140 Mb.

While its not the end of the world (I have been putting up with it for some time), it does make the process a bit longer ...

Thanks again for your help

[Spoon]

Re: Multiple Artists, semi-colon and Ape encoding

Try my test, take a wave file with no tags, add an artist from one of those with problems then try converting to monkeys.

[Berg]

Re: Multiple Artists, semi-colon and Ape encoding

Try my test, take a wave file with no tags, add an artist from one of those with problems then try converting to monkeys.

Hello Spoon,

Sorry its taken so long ... well, I tried your test and didn't have any problems. The files converted w/o problems.

It really seems like some kind of problem with the encoder. I am usually able to repeat the "fault" using the same files, but it doesn't do it for every files with multiple artists :confused:

I am now using the multi-encoder "codec" to rip my CDs, instead of ripping to wave and then batch converting. That has solved that problem.

I am still seeing some errors with multiple artists tags when using APE. The good news is that the files convert without problems, but sometimes the artist tags gets mangled. On the problem files, after the first artist, where the semi-colon is, I get empty spaces and "junk" characters.

Any ideas ?

Thanks.

[Spoon]

Re: Multiple Artists, semi-colon and Ape encoding

Probabbly your player not following the APE tag specification, if you have the latest APE codec then multiple artists are saved in a double null terminated list, which is correct for APE.