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[pipsqueak]

i have a bunch of wma files (from my embarassing days of WMP use) and want to rerip them to ape. Is there a way to do so and retain all the tag info that i've spent days and days getting right?

pip

[bjsolem]

I know there have been other threads about this.  I hope to re-rip someday and was just wondering about this myself.  Haven't tried a search but there is probably someting there.

[pipsqueak]

did a quick search and although there are many results, none seemed relevant

[Sauzee]

I'm pretty sure you can't do it without re-tagging.

[Alex B]

If the file format changes e.g. from mp3 to ape just do "Find and replace..." for them. Select "Filename (name)" and replace .mp3 with .ape.

Then replace your just renamed files with the real ape files (outside MC). Of course all names must be identical.

In MC do "Update Tags (from library)" and then Update Library (from tags). That's all.

Though I have not tried that with wma. But pips will soon, I think.

Edit.
I have done it with mp3, ape, ogg and mpc.

Edit 2.
If wma is not working you can first transcode them to another format (since you are going to replace them anyway). Use the fastest possible.

[Sauzee]

Wish I'd thought of that.

[Jaguu]

Export all your tags to a mpl Playlists, then when reripping is done, import your mpl tags again. You may have to search/replace the filename ending.

Also search here for "Export" and "mpl". I already explained in more detail once.

[Alex B]

That is another way to do it. I think you mean search/replace filename endings in text editor before importing the mpl(s).

There seems to be everything included in a MPL playlist:

<Item>
<Field Name="Filename">D:\Music\Bonnie Tyler\Silhouette In Red\14 - Before We Get Any Closer.mp3</Field>
<Field Name="Artist">Bonnie Tyler</Field>
<Field Name="Album">Silhuette In Red</Field>
<Field Name="Name">Before We Get Any Closer</Field>
<Field Name="File Type">mp3</Field>
<Field Name="Genre">Rock</Field>
<Field Name="Bitrate">232</Field>
<Field Name="Image File">Bonnie Tyler - Silhuette In Red.jpg</Field>
<Field Name="Media Type">Audio</Field>
<Field Name="Last Played">1091215822</Field>
<Field Name="Rating">3</Field>
<Field Name="File Size">7448576</Field>
<Field Name="Duration">250</Field>
<Field Name="Number Plays">1</Field>
<Field Name="Track #">14</Field>
<Field Name="Date Created">1088691446</Field>
<Field Name="Date Modified">1091220463</Field>
<Field Name="Date Imported">1086475282</Field>
<Field Name="Replay Gain">-11,15596</Field>
<Field Name="Peak Level">1</Field>
<Field Name="Intensity">4</Field>
<Field Name="BPM">95</Field>
<Field Name="Date">33970</Field>
<Field Name="Encoder">MC10secL3903pe</Field>
<Field Name="Album Rating">7</Field>
</Item>

File Type and Bitrate can be updated with that "update tags from library and update library from tags" procedure. Playcount, dates, etc. are all included. Does it keep the old import date? Technically that is a new import, isn't it? Also wma files must be deleted from the library separately.

Edit.

I think this mpl method is a very good solution if you like to keep both file formats in the library. If the old files are going to be replaced that is an unnecessary step. File endings can be changed directly in the MC library.

[adamsp70]

If the old files are going to be replaced that is an unnecessary step. File endings can be changed directly in the MC library.

So, i am about to start reripping loads of old CDs which are 128kbps to 192.

If i do it with Media Center, and keep the file names the same - it will keep the existing tags, number of plays etc and not wipe them out with the data retrieved from YADB?

[Alex B]

You should make a library backup first (as always before making changes).

Then you could change from your current library to a new temporally one just for ripping. After ripping you can replace the old files with the new ones outside MC by Windows Explorer.

When starting MC again change to your previous library and update the file tags from the library. Then update the library from the files. The right order is important.

Do you mean that your new bitrate is going to be 192 kbps? Since you are re-ripping and obviously would like to have better quality I would recommend MP3 VBR instead of CBR 192 kbps (if you are using MP3 format). The best setting for about 200 kbps VBR is a custom preset: --alt-preset standard.

(Options -> Encoding -> Encoder: MP3 Encoder VBR, Quality: Custom -> Advanced ->
Command Line: --alt-preset standard).

[JustinChase]

This thread might help...

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?board=3;action=display;threadid=23927

[adamsp70]

Thanks for all the help - just did 5 albums and it all worked fine.

1. Backup library
2. Insert CD
3. Make sure the file names will be the same as your existing files (don't worry about the tags, it's just the filename that is important)
4. Delete your old files (otherwise MC will not overwrite the files)
5. Rip the CD
6. Restore the library
7. Highlight all the new tracks and "Update tags from library"
8. Highlight all the new tracks and "Update library from tags" (this step is necessary to update the new bitrate)

And that's it!

[Mastiff]

And you can even simply use the track number as name when you rip. Then you're sure the filename will match. Of course you'll have to rename the original files after tags first, but that's really easy.

[Jaguu]

Thanks for all the help - just did 5 albums and it all worked fine.

1. Backup library
2. Insert CD
3. Make sure the file names will be the same as your existing files (don't worry about the tags, it's just the filename that is important)
4. Delete your old files (otherwise MC will not overwrite the files)
5. Rip the CD
6. Restore the library
7. Highlight all the new tracks and "Update tags from library"
8. Highlight all the new tracks and "Update library from tags" (this step is necessary to update the new bitrate)

This is a rather complex yet standardized procedure. It would be nice if J River could automate those steps and offer it as a feature of its own such as "re-rip cd" in Action Window

[Alex B]

Thanks for all the help - just did 5 albums and it all worked fine.

1. Backup library
2. Insert CD
3. Make sure the file names will be the same as your existing files (don't worry about the tags, it's just the filename that is important)
4. Delete your old files (otherwise MC will not overwrite the files)
5. Rip the CD
6. Restore the library
7. Highlight all the new tracks and "Update tags from library"
8. Highlight all the new tracks and "Update library from tags" (this step is necessary to update the new bitrate)

Also the file format can be changed, if the filename extensions are replaced with the "Find and Replace" tool. When doing the number "7." MC somehow checks the format and writes the tags in the right format even the old "File Type" tags are still visible in the library. E.g. it doesn't write ID3 tags to files, which should have APE or OGG tags.

However, this should be tried with some test files first before doing masses. And it won't hurt to have backups of the music files too.

This is a rather complex yet standardized procedure. It would be nice if J River could automate those steps and offer it as a feature of its own such as "re-rip cd" in Action Window

A good idea. Though the tracks from the CDs are not tied together anyhow after they are ripped and imported. There can be similarity in the file tags, but that is not always so.

Mayby a tool for copying all the library fields from the file A to the file B could be possible (it should save also playcounts and dates and send the file A to the Recycle Bin during the process).

[Alex B]

On a second thought, the next could be possible:

Re-rip

- Opens a normal ripping dialog and besides that another dialog, which looks like a burning queue. It would be up to the user to gather the correct files in the right order. MC would use the library fields from those files and replace the audio data during the process.

Currently we can also have library tracks without physical files (from CUE sheets) and APL link files without audio data, which makes this a bit complicated. Though many other things are not working (yet?) with them so those library entries could just be excluded from here.

[Jaguu]

I think the easiest way to implement a re-rip function would be the following:

1) Insert CD
2) Start Re-rip CD from Action Window
3) Re-rip would allow you to select the album from media library that needs to  be re-ripped
4) Re-rip would extract all the necessary infos from that album (tags, cover-art etc.)
5) Re-rip would rip the cd in a new format and merge the stored infos with the new tracks

[Alex B]

As I thought, except:

3) Re-rip would allow you to select the album from media library that needs to  be re-ripped

Hmm.... I meant that there might be a problem with selecting the album. There is no exact relevance with the "Album" tag and a single physical Audio CD. An album in the MC library can consist of tracks ripped from several CDs. Some tracks can be missing or tagged differently. Some other tracks may have the same Album tag. The album files are not necessarily in a separate folder. Etc. It would be different if there were a unique identifier for each previously ripped audio CD and also for the individual tracks.

That is why I thought that a "re-rip" queue would be good. It would be almost the same. The only difference is that the user must drag the correct tracks to the queue.


It's nice to have this kind of daydreams. Sometimes dreams come true.