Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[imeric]

This is a tricky one....
Just "upgraded" mp3 files to ALAC.

What I do to keep the date imported tag is:
1. Delete the newly imported alac file from library
2. Using the "Rename, Move and Copy Files" option I update the old mp3 file to point to the new ALAC file location and then delete the old mp3 file in windows explorer.
3. Then Update the filetype in MC from mp3 to m4a
4. I then update Library (from tags) option to get proper tags in the library
5. Manually adjust if some links didn't work...By manually changing filename etc...

This is a tedious process but I keep my date imported intact and it works!... (I could use the other import/export method and fiddle with the MPL playlist but takes as much time...)

The issue here is: In The ALAC tags I have replaygain info ONLY but not the MC specific R128 Tags.  Usually for new files it sees this and will run the audio analysis. In this case I have to force a re-run as it's taking the old library values that was in the deleted mp3 and not the ones from the tag in the ALAC file.

thx

[imeric]

If I want the "upgraded" files to not be reimported again I need to delete them from the library AND send them to the recycle bin then restore them vs what I posted in my earlier post.
If I don't do this they will keep re-appearing and some might get removed if some tags were not 100% accurate during the process.

I wish there was a simpler way to do this...

[~OHM~]

I'm trying to understand this...you took your mp3 files and converted them to ALAC?

[imeric]

No. I replaced the mp3 with a lossless ALAC

[RD James]

I'm not sure why your date imported tags are so important, but it sounds like the process would be a lot easier if you changed your auto-import settings to ignore files previously removed from library.
Then you don't need to send them to the recycle bin.
You might want to disable auto-import altogether and just use the RMC tool to point the old MP3s to the new M4A files.

Not sure what your question is about the volume leveling tags.
JRiver doesn't use ReplayGain, it uses R128.
R128 values will be different for MP3 files and Lossless files, even if you rip the same disc, so they cannot be reused.
 
Just select all and manually run audio analysis with the "skip analyzed files" option disabled.

[blgentry]

Ok, this is two subjects:

1.  How to replace existing files with new files that have the same music, but in a new format, or some other kind of upgrade.
2.  Importing or using volume leveling tags on these new files.

I'll tackle # 1 in my next post.

Brian.

[blgentry]

There's a wiki entry on this that explains the process.  I'm going to give you my version, which is really, really close.  Here's the wiki entry:

https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Re-Rip_and_preserve_tags

The "big idea" that makes this easy is making the file names simple.  Here's what I normally do:

1.  Disable auto import
2.  Get the new files for an album together in a directory OUTSIDE of MC's auto-import, and name them so that they only have the track number as their name.  For example:  1.flac, 2.flac, 3.flac, etc.
3.  Go to MC, find the album I want to replace, and rename the files so that they only have track number as their name.  Same as the files that are going to replace them.  That way the new ones just overwrite the old ones!  I use the Rename, Move, and Copy tool to do this.  Just use the Filename section to rename the files as:  [Track #]
But, if you're replacing the files with a different format, you'll want to change the existing files to have the NEW file extension.  An example will probably help:

Old file name:  01_Speak To Me.mp3
New File Name:  01.flac

Rename template:
filename: 
Rule:  [Track #]

Find & Replace:
Find what:  mp3
Replace with:  flac

So, you'll end up with file names that match the new files that will be replacing them!  Makes things very simple.

4.  Drag and drop the new files into the directory with the old files.  If you've done the above correctly, the new files will replace all of the old files, one for one.
5.  Tell MC to read the tags in the new files:  Library tools > update library (from tags)
6.  Tell MC to write out any library tags to the files:  Library tools > update tags (from library)
7.  So now you're pretty much done, except that your file names only have track numbers in them.  So run rename, move, and copy again, but this time use your normal filename template to change the file name to whatever you normally do.  For me this would be:  [track #]_[Name]

Of course you should play a few of these files to make sure this whole operation worked correctly.

Brian.

[blgentry]

Ok, so the second thing:  The replay gain tags in the new files:

As far as I know, MC no longer uses any sort of replay gain tags that other programs write.  Even if MC could use them, would you want it to?  MC's whole volume leveling system is based on R128 analysis.  So, the answer is, you need to tell MC to Analyze Audio on these new files.  That way it gets the proper R128 information and writes it to the proper tags, so that Volume Leveling can use that information.

Just make it step #8 in the above procedure:  Run Analyze Audio on the new files.

Brian.

[imeric]

Brian I'll answer your second point first then get to your second later on:)

 The main point I wanted to make was about MC not seeing the missing MC Specific R128 Tags and uses the former library TAG info from the old MP3 file... Kinda similar to my previous issue here:  http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=103354.msg717975#msg717975

It's like MC is not looking at all the ALAC Tag info or changes when you request an library update from tag and keeps the old one from the library.   This is definitely an issue (by Unchecking skip analysed file) ..A small one with workarounds but still is an issue...

I will get to your other recommendation for updating my tags I'll need some time to play with this!!!

RD James your suggestion about ignoring files previously deleted makes a lot of sense and could definitely explain why I need to  delete then restore my files..But what will happen if I re-import files I want to use on a yearly basis (ie christmas albums....)

Thx folks for your very valuable answers!

[blgentry]

The main point I wanted to make was about MC not seeing the missing MC Specific R128 Tags and uses the former library TAG info from the old MP3 file...

How would your new ALAC files have R128 tags inside them?  What program created the ALACs?  Only MC creates MC specific R128 tags.

Brian.

[imeric]

I'm trying to understand this...you took your mp3 files and converted them to ALAC?

Anyone who would convert a lossy to a lossless file should go back to iTunes or else and shouldn't be using MC!!

[imeric]

How would your new ALAC files have R128 tags inside them?  What program created the ALACs?  Only MC creates MC specific R128 tags.

Brian.

I know. The old MP3 file had the MC specific R128 info. The new ALAC File didn't so MC should have seen this but it didn't and used the old R128 info in the library from the deleted mp3 file.

[blgentry]

I know. The old MP3 file had the MC specific R128 info. The new ALAC File didn't so MC should have seen this but it didn't and used the old R128 info in the library from the deleted mp3 file.

Ah, I finally see what you are saying.  You're expecting MC to *clear* values of tags that do not exist in the new files.  In this one case, that makes some kind of sense.

But think about it.  What if you have custom tags you've applied to your files.  For example, Sub-Genre, Styles, Drummer, Guitar Player, etc.  Would you want those values cleared when you do your file swap?  Probably not.

So MC keeps all Library fields intact in these cases.  The R128 stuff just needs to be analyzed again.  It's quick.

No one ever said MC was simple.  Just that it was the best. 

Brian.

[~OHM~]

No one ever said MC was simple.  Just that it was the best. 

Brian.

Absolutely!

[imeric]

I'm not sure why your date imported tags are so important, but it sounds like the process would be a lot easier if you changed your auto-import settings to ignore files previously removed from library.
Then you don't need to send them to the recycle bin.

Put some more thoughts to this...Since the the "New" relocated file is now the old file how come MC does not see this and reimports the exact same file?

You might want to disable auto-import altogether and just use the RMC tool to point the old MP3s to the new M4A files.

RMC being Rename move & Copy? As per my original post that's what I'm doing.  Auto-Import is unchecked.  I also had Fix broken links to NO so it wouldn't remove the old MP3 version prematurely in case it didn't work...But realized it wouldn't find files from renamed folders...
 

Just select all and manually run audio analysis with the "skip analyzed files" option disabled.

I know...That's what I meant by forcing a re-run as per my original post.