converter hopelessly stuck

[atomheart411]

I did a conversion a while ago, it worked fine. Problem is that now every time I open the converter it only will open the previous list of tracks from the CD I converted previously. The real problem is I tried to do a batch conversion and ended up with a completely useless bunch of single tracks completely devoid of their previous folders (albums). Quick search told me to be sure to check the 'dynamic' naming option on the "converter page". Well I assume that means the regular converter not the batch converter since there clearly is no such tab there. I have tried re-installing twice and nothing changes. There are no words to describe my frustration. Please...?

[garym]

Re: converter hopelessly stuck

I did a conversion a while ago, it worked fine. Problem is that now every time I open the converter it only will open the previous list of tracks from the CD I converted previously. The real problem is I tried to do a batch conversion and ended up with a completely useless bunch of single tracks completely devoid of their previous folders (albums). Quick search told me to be sure to check the 'dynamic' naming option on the "converter page". Well I assume that means the regular converter not the batch converter since there clearly is no such tab there. I have tried re-installing twice and nothing changes. There are no words to describe my frustration. Please...?

When you open "batch converter" you should initially see a tree on your left with all your files listed. Tick the box next to the directory (with subdirectories below if needed) that you want to batch convert. You can also simply go in windows explorer, locate the directory that you want to convert, right click on this and one of the options is dbpa batch converter. Either way you get there, you then have a bunch of files selected, and click on convert at the top of that window. Then a convert popup comes up, where you choose the codec you want. In the middle of that popup is a place to enter dynamic naming (e.g., [ARTIST]\[ALBUM]\[track] - [title]). And just above dynamic naming is where you enter the parent directory you want to hold all these converted files (with their assigned subdirectories based on the dynamic naming string you used).

[atomheart411]

Re: converter hopelessly stuck

Okay.... That was pretty lame on my part(pun intended). I was so afraid of starting another full day of file conversion that I forgot about the LAME dialog box. I have a very large library and have had a lot of trouble in the past with files getting corrupted during a batch conversion ( on other platforms). But I think I found a good way to deal with the ever present naming quandary regarding compilations. On my Windows 7/64 system I have backed up the original rips to my server. This was done via a copy and paste. I don't know of any better way to do this short of re-ripping everything with a different send path designation. I assume that it isn't possible to write the rips to two different locations during the initial rip? In any case, I've gone into the "various artist" folder, which is pretty large in my library, and again have done a copy and then paste within the original library folder ( outside of the "various artist" folder in other words). This is ongoing as we speak but I've checked the progress and it seems to be doing exactly what I wanted which is to enter each album title as a new distinct folder. This seems to me to be a quick and easy fix to that problem. Unless there is something I am ignorant of regarding the relative wisdom/accuracy of the copy/paste method?
Sorry if this is too much info for one forum entry. Hopefully I'm not living in a fools paradise here. The data count on a per track basis seems completely accurate and a listen to an original and it's copy sounds good to my ears. Thank you. :smile2:

[garym]

Re: converter hopelessly stuck

I'm now confused about exactly what problem you're trying to solve. A couple of thoughts.

1. If you want to move your files (or copy your files) to a different location or drive, copy and paste with windows is fine. Windows has built in error checking mechanisms when copying. If you are paranoid (and I am), you can also confirm that the copied files are still valid after the copying by simply selecting all these files in batch converter and "convert to" [TEST CONVERSION]. This will check the validity of each file and report any errors. I've never found any after copying, but it's easy enough to run this.

2. I thought your issue was in converting files (lossless to a lossy version???) the converted files weren't being arranged as you wanted. If so, the key is to use the proper dynamic naming. I'm not sure what your various artists/compilations issue has to do with this or what you've actually done with the copy/paste you noted to solve the problem. If your files are already organized in the way you want, it's easy to tell the batch converter to simply use the same exact directory/subdirectory/name except to put the converted files in a new parent directory.

For example, let's say my FLAC files are in:

c:\music\FLAC\ARTIST\ALBUM\Tracks....

I want to create mp3 version and have them end up in:

c:\music\mp3\ARTIST\ALBUM\Tracks....

If so, I'd create a new subdirectory in windows explorer as:

c:\music\mp3

then I'd set that in the directory (browse to it) in the convert window and set the dynamic naming (SET button to right) as:

[trimfirstfolder][origpath][origfilename][]

and after the conversion you should see all those files from C:\music\flac contained in c:\music\mp3 (and with the same directory structure and filenames). Plus you metadata will copy over as well (album, artist, genre, etc.).

3. For me, I like my compilation CDs to end up in a different subdirectory for compilations. I use the following dynamic naming string when I'm ripping to automatically deal with compilations, multidisk, and whether there is albumartist or not.

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

if you paste that in, you can see with the sample madonna album how this ends up. (my compilations end up in a /compilations/albums/trackno - trackname - artistname

[atomheart411]

Re: converter hopelessly stuck

You were right about the conversion problem. I couldn't remember where the dynamic tag box was to tick. Thanks to you I have it. When I set up the big batch conversion I was looking at the number of files in the properties of the library vs. the number of files shown in the conversion list. There's always a big difference, like over 3000 files. I was suspecting that the converter wasn't seeing the albums under "various artists". And since I wasn't real happy about that way of listing them all in sub folders of "various..." that's why I did the copy/paste to get then out of that folder. It has worked beautifully, sounds perfect. And thank you for confirming that that is an alright way to do it. Always glad to get some outside confirmation. I prefer to have my compilations filed under the album name because that's how I remember them anyway.
But that's still the case of this large 3000 file difference between the library and the converter list. I did finally notice that the actual GB data count is the same when copying despite the difference between "items" and "files" even within the operating system. I'm going to assume that there is some sort of similar difference in nomenclature between the "files" in Windows speak and the "files" in DBPA speak. Was that confusing enough? Amazing what paranoia can do to an otherwise rational mind. I just want to enjoy my music!
I was worrying over nothing it seems. I don't even need to know what the difference in files is about as long as all the data is moved from point A to point B. Which it seem is going to be the case. But at least it made me fix my library titles and finally get rid of the dread (for me ) "various artists" folder. Thanks again.

[garym]

Re: converter hopelessly stuck

happy to help. p.s. Keep in mind that the number of files you're looking at under file properties in windows explorer includes *.jpg files (artwork), log files (*.txt files), and all the artist and album subdirectories. I think it counts all those in the count. But in the converter window its *only* counting the audio files to be converted.