Totaltracks in FLAC

[garym]

Re: Totaltracks in FLAC

I also strongly encourage the use of mp3tag if one uses any tagging program outside of dbpa.

http://www.mp3tag.de/en/download.html

[evasv]

Re: Totaltracks in FLAC

I have in the past provided assistance on how one would do sequential track numbering (101, 102, 201, 202, etc.) to posters who were seeking help on how to obtain that outcome.

There is still a tiny, tiny possibility that I will go this route (101, 102, 201, 202, etc). Since you have been discussing this, what is your opinion on the outcome of this method?

[garym]

Re: Totaltracks in FLAC

There is still a tiny, tiny possibility that I will go this route (101, 102, 201, 202, etc). Since you have been discussing this, what is your opinion on the outcome of this method?

I like my multidisk CDs to be ripped with discnumber and importantly, with each disc's worth of tracks to be in a subfolder (Disc 1, Disc 2, etc.) under the top album folder. for example,

Jethro Tull/Aqualung 40th Anniversary Edition/Disc 1/01 - Acqualung.flac
.................................................. ........../Disc 2/01 Lick Your Fingers Clean.flac
etc.

I think, but I'm not positive, that if I ever want to recheck that these discs match back to the AccurateRip database using PerfectTunes, the disc tracks need to be in separate subfolders.
But otherwise, it really doesn't matter. It just matters how you like to use/organize things. And between dbpa options and mp3tag, I could easily convert all my separate disc file organization, naming, and tags from one approach to the other in a batch manner with a couple of mouse clicks and let it run all night. You're not boxed in.

[evasv]

Re: Totaltracks in FLAC

Thank you very much for giving your perspective. I have the the same folder structure as you at the moment, but I want to have multi-cd's in the same folder instead.

I don't use PerfectTunes, but doesn't it look in the metadata or the logs for rechecks? I'm guessing the subfolders wouldn't matter, but as I said, I don't use that program. Maybe you need to have corresponding paths in the logs and on the harddisk.

My intent is to tag my whole collection from scratch once and for all, so I want everything to be right. I know I am not boxed in, as you say, but I'm hoping (at least) to do this for the last time. Everything is checked with accuraterip and I have also put checksums for every flac file in the album folders just in case I'll have harddisk problems in the future (.st5 checksums are great since they don't care about the metadata).

So I just have to decide between the discnumber tags vs the 101/201 method plus I have to nail my custom tags and the I can start tagging...

By the way you have an excellent taste in music...!

[evasv]

Re: Totaltracks in FLAC

I also strongly encourage the use of mp3tag if one uses any tagging program outside of dbpa.
http://www.mp3tag.de/en/download.html

Thanks for the suggestion. I have tried it and many others, but I always feel more restricted by the gui's than helped by them. Plus they all do stuff automatically / in the background that you don't realise. I prefer to do it the basic way with command-line programs and maybe a frontend.

[garym]

Re: Totaltracks in FLAC

Thanks for the suggestion. I have tried it and many others, but I always feel more restricted by the gui's than helped by them. Plus they all do stuff automatically / in the background that you don't realise. I prefer to do it the basic way with command-line programs and maybe a frontend.

I've used mp3tag for many years and I've never seen it do anything automatically or in the background. It only does what I tell it to do or setup in its "actions". But I understand your point about control; that is important.

[evasv]

Re: Totaltracks in FLAC

With automatically / in the background I mean for example that you fill in "Totaldiscs" and it ends up as "Disctotal" in the metadata. But mp3tag may not do this, I don't remember.

[garym]

Re: Totaltracks in FLAC

Thank you very much for giving your perspective. I have the the same folder structure as you at the moment, but I want to have multi-cd's in the same folder instead.

I don't use PerfectTunes, but doesn't it look in the metadata or the logs for rechecks? I'm guessing the subfolders wouldn't matter, but as I said, I don't use that program. Maybe you need to have corresponding paths in the logs and on the harddisk.

My intent is to tag my whole collection from scratch once and for all, so I want everything to be right. I know I am not boxed in, as you say, but I'm hoping (at least) to do this for the last time. Everything is checked with accuraterip and I have also put checksums for every flac file in the album folders just in case I'll have harddisk problems in the future (.st5 checksums are great since they don't care about the metadata).

So I just have to decide between the discnumber tags vs the 101/201 method plus I have to nail my custom tags and the I can start tagging...

By the way you have an excellent taste in music...!

There really is no perfect way. A process that is consistent and works for you is the key. And for the "once and done" idea. I like it, but I have about 100,000k tracks and I seem to be fiddling all the time with tags. But at least this is way easier than the ripping!

I think perfecttunes is using fingerprints not tags. EDIT: Just checked. Gave files random file names, artist names, and track names, but still matched to AccurateRip correctly. So definitely audiofingerprinting.
I just tested and if I take a 2 disk CD and put all in one subdirectory with 101, 102, 201, 201, etc. track numbers and then test with PerfectTunes, it finds Disc 1 as an AccurateRip match, but disk 2 tracks show up as not matching. When separate disc subfolders are used, all match accuraterip.

If ripping to FLAC, you don't need to add the checksums for each flac file in the folder. That's the beauty of FLAC: the file itself automatically has the audio CRC (unrelated to metadata) embedded in the file. So one can easily confirm later on that the FLAC file has not been corrupted by using flac tools to check or convert to [TEST CONVERSION] in dpba. This is one of the benefits of FLAC that many of the "WAV supporters" miss. It's not just about the file size savings!

Thanks on the music choice. I was just ripping some new purchases today: The Steven Wilson remixes of some early Jethro Tull.

[garym]

Re: Totaltracks in FLAC

With automatically / in the background I mean for example that you fill in "Totaldiscs" and it ends up as "Disctotal" in the metadata. But mp3tag may not do this, I don't remember.

mp3tag allows you to set up certain tag mapping in its options to do things like this. but it is under your control.

[evasv]

Re: Totaltracks in FLAC

I admit I will probably fiddle with my collection many times after I considered it to be "done"... I like to dream though, that this will be 'it'. Makes me wanna work harder...

Sorry to get you started with perfecttunes, even though I know nothing about it... ;-)

As for the checksums, I use both suspenders and a belt... But I think the .st5 would be easier to use if I have the type of hdd problems that I once had, when certain areas of the hdd was damaged without my knowledge and some of the files were corrupted. If you have checksum files in that case you can run them in the folder or a bunch of folders to see which files are ok and which are corrupt. I think it would be a faster way to find the faults rather than to play the flacs's.

Edit: I see now that you wrote this can probably be done by dbpa too, I just think it's easy to do it with TLH (Trader's Little Helper)

[mville]

Re: Totaltracks in FLAC

As for the checksums, I use both suspenders and a belt... But I think the .st5 would be easier to use if I have the type of hdd problems that I once had, when certain areas of the hdd was damaged without my knowledge and some of the files were corrupted. If you have checksum files in that case you can run them in the folder or a bunch of folders to see which files are ok and which are corrupt. I think it would be a faster way to find the faults rather than to play the flacs's.

Or you could run Test Conversion on the flacs.

[evasv]

Re: Totaltracks in FLAC

Or you could run Test Conversion on the flacs.

Sorry, didn't see your post before I edited. By test conversion do you mean a simple flac to wav conversion or a functionality in dbpa?


Edit: I must be blind, it was in garym's post too. Time to go to bed!

[mville]

Re: Totaltracks in FLAC

By test conversion do you mean a simple flac to wav conversion or a functionality in dbpa?

Test Conversion is listed in the dBpoweramp Music Converter Encoding dropdown menu. It tests files only e.g. if a flac file, Test Conversion decodes the file and checks the decoded result with the stored md5.

[mville]

Re: Totaltracks in FLAC

I think perfecttunes is using fingerprints not tags. EDIT: Just checked. Gave files random file names, artist names, and track names, but still matched to AccurateRip correctly. So definitely audiofingerprinting.
I just tested and if I take a 2 disk CD and put all in one subdirectory with 101, 102, 201, 201, etc. track numbers and then test with PerfectTunes, it finds Disc 1 as an AccurateRip match, but disk 2 tracks show up as not matching. When separate disc subfolders are used, all match accuraterip.

All my CDs are organised in single folders and PerfectTUNES/AccurateRip works fine for me.

[garym]

Re: Totaltracks in FLAC

All my CDs are organised in single folders and PerfectTUNES/AccurateRip works fine for me.

hmmm. I'll have to test some more on this, as it didn't work for me with 2 discs in one subfolder. More testing (and I assume you're using option 2 below mville?)

(and in all cases, I have the "use accuraterip result from ID tag" unticked and have cleared perfecttunes cache before checking.)

1. 2 discs in one subfolder, with disc tag (1 or 2), and tracks renumbered as 1 thru 27. AR didn't match the tracks from 2nd disc, but did match 1st disc
2. 2 discs in one subfolder with disc tag (1 or 2), and tracks numbered as 1 thru 16 for disc 1, and 1 thru 11 for disc 2. AR matched both disks.
3. 2 discs in one subfolder with disc tag (1 or 2) and tracks numbered as 101...116 for disc 1 and 201...211 for disc 2. AR didn't match either disk.
4. 2 discs in one subfolder *without* disc tag and tracks numbered as 101...116 for first disc and 201....211 for 2nd disc. AR didn't match either disk.