Slashes changing from / to \ when using ID Tag Processing

[spl23]

I use Batch Convert to create AACs from Apple Lossless files. As part of this process, I include an ID3 tag processing DSP effect to copy Artist to Artist Sort etc. This works fine 99% of the time - unless the Artist name includes a "/" character, like AC/DC.

For some reason, any forward slash is converted to a backslash - so AC/DC ends up as AC\DC. I've got none of the character mappings turned on, so this looks like a bug to me. Or am I doing something wrong?

For reference, the ID3 tag settings I am using are -dspeffect1="ID Tag Processing=-delsingle0={qt}Comment{qt} -case={qt}0{qt} -exportart={qt}(none){qt} -importart={qt}(none){qt} -maxart={qt}(any){qt} -map0={qt}Album Artist=Artist Sort{qt} -map1={qt}Album Artist=Album Artist Sort{qt} -map2={qt}Comment=Artist{qt} -map3={qt}Comment=Album Artist{qt}"

[Spoon]

Re: Slashes changing from / to \ when using ID Tag Processing

In ID3v2 tags '/' is used to separate multiple artists.

[spl23]

Re: Slashes changing from / to \ when using ID Tag Processing

In ID3v2 tags '/' is used to separate multiple artists.

So is there any way to keep the "/"? I can't be the only person who wants AC/DC to be a single artist... Is there a way to force a literal "/" character?

[Spoon]

Re: Slashes changing from / to \ when using ID Tag Processing

Not currently.

[spl23]

Re: Slashes changing from / to \ when using ID Tag Processing

Hmmm - on looking at the files with a hex editor, not only is the slash being changed, but behaviour isn't consistent across fields.

I copy Comment to Artist and to Album Artist, and I copy Album Artist to Sort Artist and Sort Album Artist.

With both Comment and Album Artist as "AC/DC", the resulting fields are:

Sort Artist - "AC/DC"
Sort Album Artist - "AC*DC", where the * is 0x0D - an ASCII carriage return
Artist - "AC\DC"
Album Artist "AC\DC"

I have no idea why the slash should change to a carriage return in a Sort Album Artist field. Also, if you are going to insist on remapping the slash to a backslash, surely this should happen consistently in the sort fields as well?

I would much prefer it if the tag copy just did what the name implies, and copied tags verbatim from one field to another; I can't see any reason for this remapping. At the very least, you could have a preference setting for "remap slashes", rather than assuming it is always going to be wanted - as above, I can't be the only person out here with AC/DC albums...

I've written a C program to fix up the results of this remapping, which I have used on the affected files, so my problem with this is now solved, but that does feel like something that shouldn't be needed.

[spl23]

Re: Slashes changing from / to \ when using ID Tag Processing

I'm afraid this has got even worse under 14.3 - that removes "/" characters altogether from album names even when I have no ID3 tag manipulation set for that field (conversion from ALAC to AAC). So I title live recordings with the date in the format "dd/mm/yy", and that now gets converted to "ddmmyy" - that shouldn't happen, surely?

[Spoon]

Re: Slashes changing from / to \ when using ID Tag Processing

You are writing m4a?

[spl23]

Re: Slashes changing from / to \ when using ID Tag Processing

You are writing m4a?

Yes, using the Nero M4A codec to write AACs, with the input files being Apple Lossless.

It's definitely an issue with 14.3 - to fix it I had to completely remove 14.3 and reinstall 14.2, at which point slashes returned to my album names. For some reason, installing 14.2 over the top of 14.3 didn't fix the problem - I ended up uninstalling 14.3 and all the codecs, erasing the program directory and starting again with 14.2. The settings used for the ID3 Tag Update are as in the first post above.