Transfer replaygain / R128 into itunes and then ipod

[Seppe]

Hello

I'm stuck after ripping cd's to AIFF with replaygain / R128 and itunes track normalization. I can see the replaygain values and the itunes value-string in the file tags. If someone could please help me with what's next...

1. Must soundcheck in itunes be enabled or disabled before, or after these files are added into itunes? Or must soundcheck in itunes never be enabled at all - ever again? The way I currently understand it is that the moment you enable soundcheck in itunes, then itunes will calculate its own data again always overwriting what was put there.

2. Subsequently, when syncing from itunes to ipod, must soundcheck in itunes be turned on or off?

3. What about songs already in itunes from different sources; how can replaygain / R128 be applied to them?

Any help will be much much appreciated.


Thanks

[garym]

Re: Transfer replaygain / R128 into itunes and then ipod

1. yes, turn on soundcheck in itunes (probably before adding the files, but not sure it matters) and also in your iThing. if soundcheck valule is already there, itunes will NOT recalculate. It will use the value that is already there.

2. leave soundcheck in itunes ON

3. you can use the ReplayGain DSP in dbpoweramp batch converter. Or you can use the RG application built into Foobar2000, or many other ways to add RG tags without ripping or converting audio itself.

[Seppe]

Re: Transfer replaygain / R128 into itunes and then ipod

Thanks

[garym]

Re: Transfer replaygain / R128 into itunes and then ipod

3. you can use the ReplayGain DSP in dbpoweramp batch converter. Or you can use the RG application built into Foobar2000, or many other ways to add RG tags without ripping or converting audio itself.

Do note that simply creating RG/R128 tags doesn't automatically create soundcheck values that itunes can use. Of course, dbpa can create these *and* soundcheck values at the same time when ripping or converting. I believe that one can also create both at the same time with dbpa by "converting to" the RG DSP and ticking the right options. mp3tag program will also create soundcheck values from RG tags (and works with other than just mp3 files).

[Seppe]

Re: Transfer replaygain / R128 into itunes and then ipod

Hi garym

It seems to be working. I did everything with dbpa set to include itunes track normalisation & it created replaygain/R128 values as well as the itunes number-string. Even though it appears to be working fine I would however ask (just for clarification purposes) if the "+- dB-value" that itunes subsequently assigns (after switching soundcheck on in itunes - the value that you can then see when you "get info") should be the same as the RG/R128 calculated value? Or can it be different? As mentioned earlier just to clarify because it does seem to be working fine.

Thanking you in advance.

[garym]

Re: Transfer replaygain / R128 into itunes and then ipod

Hi garym

It seems to be working. I did everything with dbpa set to include itunes track normalisation & it created replaygain/R128 values as well as the itunes number-string. Even though it appears to be working fine I would however ask (just for clarification purposes) if the "+- dB-value" that itunes subsequently assigns (after switching soundcheck on in itunes - the value that you can then see when you "get info") should be the same as the RG/R128 calculated value? Or can it be different? As mentioned earlier just to clarify because it does seem to be working fine.

Thanking you in advance.

excellent. No, the RG/R128 value you see in dbpa or in tags won't be identical to the "db" value you see when you look at in itunes file info. That's not a problem.

[eggerty]

Re: Transfer replaygain / R128 into itunes and then ipod

Quick question regarding this.

I think my whole library now has iTunNorm tags so if I turn Soundcheck on in iTunes it will read the existing tags and only create tags for those tracks without it (there shouldn't be any - is there a way to easily check?).

If I were to use Batch Editor and recalculate the value, will iTunes then recognise the new value ?

So, if there were tracks without the tag, iTunes would write a tag but then I could use dpPoweramp to recalculate the tag at a later date ?


Edit, one further thing, browsing this forum I stumbled over an old thread for V11 of the DSP effects where it states that the ebur128 RG was changed from -23 to -18 target volume. I don't think I've ever changed mine but mine shows -23 which is what I've done my library on. Should I change to -18 and redo ?

[garym]

Re: Transfer replaygain / R128 into itunes and then ipod

Quick question regarding this.

I think my whole library now has iTunNorm tags so if I turn Soundcheck on in iTunes it will read the existing tags and only create tags for those tracks without it (there shouldn't be any - is there a way to easily check?).

If I were to use Batch Editor and recalculate the value, will iTunes then recognise the new value ?

So, if there were tracks without the tag, iTunes would write a tag but then I could use dpPoweramp to recalculate the tag at a later date ?


Edit, one further thing, browsing this forum I stumbled over an old thread for V11 of the DSP effects where it states that the ebur128 RG was changed from -23 to -18 target volume. I don't think I've ever changed mine but mine shows -23 which is what I've done my library on. Should I change to -18 and redo ?

yes, itunes will only add the empty ones. Yes, if you recaculate later on, itunes will use the new values. You can change to -18 if you want. Doesn't really matter. the main thing is you want all the files to have RG tags based on -23 or -18, but NOT mix the two and they are normalizing to a different level if you do (5db difference).

[schmidj]

Re: Transfer replaygain / R128 into itunes and then ipod

The issues with -23 which may or may not apply to you: Some players, particularly portables, may not have enough gain, the music is still too soft for you when turned all the way up. (Of course, your hearing may last longer that way!!) and if you have a player like a receiver with selectable inputs when you change from listening to the -23 files to, let us say the FM tuner or TV, it may come on pretty loud, because the digital files are playing back at a lower level than the designer of the device intended.

[eggerty]

Re: Transfer replaygain / R128 into itunes and then ipod

Thanks for the replies.
I now feel happy to turn on Sound Check in iTunes without fearing for my library

[eggerty]

Re: Transfer replaygain / R128 into itunes and then ipod

Having redone my library at to -18 I have noticed something.
I have a backup service which backs my files up. However just changing the Replay gain values doesn't seem to register as a change in the file as the size/date of the file doesn't change. So, is there anyway the file date can reflect the date a change was made, even if it's only to the tag?

[garym]

Re: Transfer replaygain / R128 into itunes and then ipod

google around. there are some programs that can "bump" all the time stamps of your files by a few seconds. So order stays the same (for "new music") but backup programs realize that the file has changed and needs to be backed up. I *think* this is the program I read that people had used successfully (bulkfilechanger)

http://www.howtogeek.com/203154/how-to-change-created-or-modified-timestamps-for-files-and-folders/