ID Tag Editor?

[dariush_b]

I had dbpower amp on windows vista, my computer crashed and now i have it on windows 7 and running it on a mac using parallels, when i use it there is no ID Tag Editor and so I cannot choose artwork or id tags from the various freedb, all music, etc. sources, how do i view id tag editor?

[BrodyBoy]

If you reinstalled it on a new computer, you also need to reinstall the DSP add-on. (And if you're using the Reference version, you'd need to activate that on your new computer.)

[Spoon]

For which audio type?

[dariush_b]

Where can I download the DSP add on??

[BrodyBoy]

Here you go.

[TGalea]

I have just started using DB to rip CDs to wav format which i intend to keep as reference archive. I had already ripped CDs using other programmes such as Windows Media and Media Monkey. On some of those CDs I had spent a lot of time writing the tags (classical operatic with lots of details). When I put the CD to be ripped by DB, it looks up tags and comes with inferior ones to those in my library. So, question, how can I transfer those tags to the newly ripped CD, or altrnatively replace MP3 data with Wave data in existing library, leaving all my tags in? As a supplimentary, how can i send my "good" tags to accurip or other meta databases out there?
Thanks

[BrodyBoy]

I don't use wav files, but aren't they much more limited, tag-wise? I know what you mean, though, about having spent a lot of time assembling quality tag data that you don't want to lose. As far as I know, you can't use a local tag file in dBp's CD Ripper, so you need to add your own tags afterward, in an editor like mp3tag. It's rather cumbersome, but I think the steps would be:

1. Load your original mp3 album into the editor and export the tags as a text file.
2. Rip your new lossless version in dBp.
3. Load your new rip into the tag editor, and import the text file tags.

I can't really think of a way to automate this process, so it would get pretty tiresome if you're doing a lot of CDs. One way to shorten it ever-so-slightly, since these are just archive files, would be to just save the tag file along with the music files in the album folder, skipping step 3 above.

Have you thought about using a lossless codec instead of wav? You'd get the same quality, but smaller file sizes and better tagging. Once I have an album tagged the way I want, I make an archive copy with WinRAR. That archive includes everything....all album art, scanned booklets, and a separate tag file. I use ALAC, the lossless codec that works best with my various players, but flac would work just as well. Honestly, I just can't see any advantage in saving the files in wav format.

PS: I just remembered....mp3tag doesn't even do wav files. If you really want to use wav format, you'd need to be sure you find an editor that can tag them.

[TGalea]

Thanks a lot BrodyBoy. I have only just started all over again, so I only have a few new rips, so as everyone seems to think that FLAC is the way to go, I should do that. But in any case, the problem of own tags transport may keep on popping, as it seems too many people cut the job short and upload half-way tagging. Although I "only" have about 250 CDs, most are classic, with some having as many as 18 to 20 pieces, and its taking me a long time to retag. I am using the Media Monkey software to do it, but you mention others. Are they better?

[BrodyBoy]

I use mp3tag. It's a great program that has a lot of powerful options for customizing, automating, etc. You can export tags as various kinds of files, and you can import them as well. So, you could set up a little export macro that saves all the tags (in something like a csv or RTF text file). It wouldn't be all that time-consuming to load each album, one at a time, run the macro on it, and have all 250 tags sets ready to go. Then as you re-rip your CDs to flac, you'd basically do the inverse: load each one into mp3tag and choose the "Text File -> Tag" option to apply all your existing tags to the new files.

I shouldn't imply that this is better than the program you already use. I don't use that one, so for all I know, it can do those same things just as easily. Either way, though, I think that's the general procedure you want.

[reedsch]

Does anyone have comments about whether there is significant difference between the db free and the reference versions when it comes to fall out on artwork and tags? I'm getting into conversion from CD to flac files and then into iTunes and finding a certain amount of fallout - especially in classical, as everyone already is highly sensitized to....just looking for a recommendation on the path of least resistence and highest success.
Thanks

[BrodyBoy]

Not quite sure what you mean by fallout, reedsch. Can you elaborate a little on the specific problem or problems you're experiencing, or trying to avoid?

(You didn't say how you use the flac files, but if everything ultimately goes to iTunes for playback (and download to portable players), you could just as well skip the flac step in your conversions. You're presumably converting to an Apple-friendly format anyway, so you can do that directly in dBp.)