Reworking the archive

[Dat Ei]

It was in early 2014 when I've started to build up my music archiv with dBpa. I've ripped about 3.500 CDs into flac files, converted another ~500 albums, which I've bought online. Something in my mind tells me that it is time to rework my archive, use a consistent, actual flac encoder, choose a higher flac compression than 5 as before, add replay gain tags, rework (shorten) the filenaming. Being a more anxious type of guy (you can call it some kind of occupational disease), I want to create a second copy of the archive, instead of converting the files in place. That is all not to complicated to achieve with dBpa.

But in some albums (directories) are additional files aside the audio files or the album cover. I.e. pdf files with additional infos for the album. And taht is the point where I need some input or ideas. What is the easiest way to convert the audio files and simultaneously copy the all other non audio files into the new archive?

Dat Ei

[Spoon]

Folder.jpg preserve DSP effect has an option to preserve other extensions.

[simbun]

I'm planning a similar process having just performed a massive tag update (moving to musicbrainz tags e.g. Artist, ArtistS, musicbrainz_artistid e.t.c).

If you're not planning to change the folder names then my current plan may work for you, and that's simply to:

• Sync everything to a second drive/partition
• MD5 both sets of files and compare (simple diff)
• Format the primary drive
• Sync everything apart from music to primary drive
• Batch convert all music to the primary drive
• Run an AccurateRip pass over the primary drive (to verify audio and CUE sheets).

[simbun]

Folder.jpg preserve DSP effect has an option to preserve other extensions.

What about folders that don't have audio e.g. ArtistInformation, playlists e.t.c?

[Dat Ei]

Thanks Spoon and simbun. Making a second copy (backup copy) and convert the original in place is a valid solution. I would use robocopy to sync the original archive to a second drive (or a different folder on my RAID).

I did not remember that the DSP "Folder.jpg preserve" can preserve more than the folder.jpg itself. But I would like to see an option within that DSP to preserve all non audio files, instead or aside of a list of file extensions, which should be preserved. That would be safer than remembering all the needed file extensions.

Dat Ei

[Dat Ei]

Is it possible that the DSP "Folder.jpg preserve" does not preserve the file "Folder.jpg" but instead creates a file "folder.jpg"?

After I've done a first run to convert my archive, I've used the tool "FreeFilySync" to find differences in file names, directory names or directory structure. While FreeFileSync works case-sensitive, I've found a lot of differences for the album arts. Not big deal, but surprising for a DSP called "Folder.jpg preserve".

BTW: is there a standard or most best practise how to name the album art: "Folder.jpg" or "folder.jpg"?


Dat Ei

PS: The rework is a good way to check tags, file names and directory names!

[Spoon]

Folder.jpg is Windows based and windows is case insensitive on filenames, so either works

[Dat Ei]

But my suspicion is right that the DSP always writes folder.jpg, independent from the original filename?

Dat Ei

[Spoon]

Possibly yes