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[bspachman]

So I'm working on a simplified way to encode/convert my APE files to AAC (aka MP4 aka M4A). I've actually got the conversion process working, but I'm having difficulty with the tagging.

The AAC encoder I'm using will accept tags on the command line, but I can't find any list in MC's help (or here) of the variables I can pass. You know, the "percent" variables you can use in EAC...

Album = "%g"
Artist = "%a"

and so on.

Is there a comprehensive list somewhere of variables names MC can handoff to an external encoder?

Best,
Brad

P.S. What happened to the MC Developer's Zone link that used to be in the header of the Interact boards?

[JimH]

The Dev Zone is here:
http://www.musicex.com/mediacenter/devzone.html

[bspachman]

Thanks for the link. I lost my bookmark. I later found that it's linked off the plug-in pages.

I've tried the obvious variable names: %a, %artist, [ARTIST], and [%ARTIST]. Nothing is tagging my output files.

Just using a standard command line for the encoder of "-i %IN -o %OUT" gives me a converted file, but no tags.

Are there pointers out there for tagging via command line with MC?

Thanks!
Brad

[bspachman]

I hate to keep bumping this up while waiting for variable information.

I tried a work-around. I converted an APL file with my external iTunes encoder. I imported it into MC. Naturally, the trackname = the filename.

I then edited the tag values in the MC library to be what I wanted. I then used MC's "Update tags (from library)" function to write the values to the AAC file's tag. The dialog box reported success.

Finally, I imported the ostensibly tagged AAC file into iTunes. None of the "tagged" values carried into the iTunes DB.

So...what kind of tags did MC write to my AAC file?

Best,
Brad

[JimH]

Brad,
I don't think MC can write tags to AAC files.  We use the Quicktime playback engine to play them.  We don't have direct access to the files for tagging.

You're out on the slippery slope with AAC.

Jim

[bspachman]

Jim,

Thanks. I know the edge is a little bloody, but I am hopeful these days. Apparently foobar2000 can do this kind of conversion, but I much prefer to look at MC (not to mention that fb2k is going to require some effort to learn how to make it do what I want).

I found someone who has written an "encoder" that uses the current iTunes COM interface to encode AAC files. Using it as an external encoder in MC10 works fine--it's the tagging that has me hung up.

If there's a way to pass the values of my MC tracks, I can tag from the command line. I tried it with just the command line & it works a treat. I'm only having difficulty integrating it with MC.

Best,
Brad

[bspachman]

I hate hitting this topic with so many of my own follow-ups...but, hey?

Last night, I continued messing around with this conversion. I got a conversion process working in Foobar2000. When I converted a track, it imported flawlessly into iTunes--complete with basic tag information. It imported into MC as well, but without tags.

I then ran fb2k's "MP4 Utilities->Opmtimize mp4 layout" which supposedly consolidates the tags & makes the header all pretty. The tracks still imported correctly into iTunes, but now they imported correctly into MC--except for the 'Genre' tag.

Looking at the tags in fb2k (File info [special]) shows that all of my custom MC tags are carried over into the file, but none of those tags show up in either iTunes or in MC.

Any ideas as to why 'optimize mp4 layout' is needed? Why does the genre tag not carry over? What's the possibility of sorting this stuff out?

Best,
Brad