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Author Topic: Converting from cue/image to seperate tracks - no tag info?  (Read 3093 times)

MartinH

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Converting from cue/image to seperate tracks - no tag info?
« on: April 29, 2007, 03:27:55 pm »

My music is stored in FLAC album images with accompanying cue files.  MC is happy playing and showing all of the information of the seperate tracks within these album images in my audio library.  However if I choose to convert these images to seperate MP3 files, for example, the resulting files lack any tag information. 

This has been the case for a while [since cue support was added to MC] and I've seen it mentioned in at least one other thread from the past.  Is this something that can be fixed?  The audio files seem fine so it's just the meta information that needs to be added to the converted files.  Information that MC is already happily using for playback/viewing purposes.

Thanks.
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darichman

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Re: Converting from cue/image to seperate tracks - no tag info?
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2007, 06:45:02 pm »

This would be nice!
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scthom

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Re: Converting from cue/image to seperate tracks - no tag info?
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2007, 10:36:32 pm »

Does it work correctly with other formats?

Last time I looked, I believe that was a problem within MC and not within the plugins (at least not the flac plugin).  Although cue's will work in MC, they're not really well supported.
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ThoBar

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Re: Converting from cue/image to seperate tracks - no tag info?
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2007, 01:46:13 am »

Have been having a similar problem here. I have resorted to a very manual (read as painful and time consuming) process utilising CueSplitter (freeware).

I really would like this to work in MC tho, as I still have about 200 CUE based albums to go. (I would be prepared to put it off if JR mentioned a change in this area ;) )

C.
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hit_ny

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Re: Converting from cue/image to seperate tracks - no tag info?
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2007, 04:04:18 am »

However if I choose to convert these images to seperate MP3 files, for example, the resulting files lack any tag information. 
Are these albums mixed ?
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MartinH

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Re: Converting from cue/image to seperate tracks - no tag info?
« Reply #5 on: April 30, 2007, 02:35:01 pm »

Does it work correctly with other formats?

Last time I looked, I believe that was a problem within MC and not within the plugins (at least not the flac plugin).  Although cue's will work in MC, they're not really well supported.
No it doesn't work with any format of full album image and cue otherwise I'd be nagging you instead. ;)  You're right about the cue support lacking a little, this is only one of the few queries I have building up.

Are these albums mixed ?
Not sure what you mean.  Do you mean various artists or a mix album as in a DJ set?  No to either anyway. :)

It's just MC and surely there's a relatively easy fix as all the data is already displayed in MC?  Converting already seperated tracks works fine.  It's as though MC reads from the tags of the original file when looking for meta information for the newly converted file instead of its own database.

I find it frustrating as it results in MC only being useful for not having to use iTunes to sync to my pod (worth the money alone admittedly).
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hit_ny

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Re: Converting from cue/image to seperate tracks - no tag info?
« Reply #6 on: April 30, 2007, 03:45:29 pm »

You are asking whether MC can split albums+cue+tags into seperate files+tags.

Not in the current version.

There are third party tools you can use to split mp3 images into seperate files, given a cue. I'm not sure about flac tools for this tho.

The only way you can sync to the ipod for these kinds of albums is to store them as seperate mp3s in MC.
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MartinH

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Re: Converting from cue/image to seperate tracks - no tag info?
« Reply #7 on: April 30, 2007, 05:02:36 pm »

But that's just the thing, it does split the files up and convert them (even from FLAC with scthom's plugins installed) correctly; all that's missing is the tag information.  I've been using MC for years and it's just frustrating getting something so close.  I'm not trying to be annoying but it doesn't look like it has far to go to complete this functionality.

Thanks for the feedback anyway.
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hit_ny

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Re: Converting from cue/image to seperate tracks - no tag info?
« Reply #8 on: May 01, 2007, 02:37:57 am »

That's interesting, was not aware splitting worked as i've never tried splitting stuff up.

I agree then, it is really close but not there yet.

Automatic tagging functionality like this would be a new thing in MC tho, tags are copied *automatically* from one file to another, that too for several files.

How to handle the case where you don't want all tags to be copied but only a specific sub-set ?.. you might not need this right now, but it's only a matter of time when some one else does

It might require the existing Move/copy fields dialog, to be extended to handle copying *between* files in addition to what it does currently.

But then you would have to be careful that there was always a 1:1 for all the files or the files would get messed up. Another way is required here. It's a tricky problem, more ideas wanted.

I realise it might be simpler in the case of cue files, but if you can solve the above problem you have added a potentially very useful bit of tagging to MC.
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hit_ny

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Re: Converting from cue/image to seperate tracks - no tag info?
« Reply #9 on: May 02, 2007, 03:08:23 am »

In the meantime, when you split the cue into tracks, is it possible to have the filenames named like

eg.  [track #]-[artist]-[name]

if so, then its only a question of Library->Fill properties from filename.

Perhaps an extra step before syncing to the iPod.
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Alex B

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Re: Converting from cue/image to seperate tracks - no tag info?
« Reply #10 on: May 02, 2007, 05:44:47 am »

I have reported about this problem since the cue support was introduced a couple of years ago. Obviously it has not been a high priority issue, but it would be nice to have this fixed. In the meanwhile I have used other programs for conversions, but many users would prefer to use only MC for their audio file tasks.

Unfortunately MC can only convert the audio content without including the track metadata in any form:

1. The resulting track files are tagged with the tags from the main audio source file in case the source file has tags. Each converted album track will have identical tags.

2. Also, the resulting file names do not contain any track data info. MC uses the filename of the source audio file and adds a parenthesised sequence number. This naming rule is not configurable.

3. Even if MC is defined to update library on conversion the resulting files do not appear in the library. The source cue tracks remain as before.


All these should be quite easy to fix. MC already has the needed functions with other tools.

For example,

1. When untagged wave files are converted MC tags the resulting files automatically using the library data. The converter tool should be changed to use this same tagging system when cue tracks are converted.

2. For some reason the Convert tool has only the Artist/Album subdirectories tickbox. It could as well contain the same options that are available in the Rename Files From Properties tool. (Naturally it should be able to preserve the original filenames if preferred.) This would be useful with all source formats, not just cue. Actually, the naming options that are already available for data CD burning would be great. Then sequence numbering would be available too.

3. This is possibly just an omission. Since the track metadata is in the database this should work.


Please fix the cue track file size reporting too. MC12 multiplies the reported file size. Each cue track has the size of the main audio source file. MC11.1 reported the actual cue file size and if the main file was imported too the total size was approximately correct. I have reported this problem in the beta forum.


In addition, MC should be able to decode a cue track and convert it to a track file when burning audio or data CDs or when a handheld is synched. The audio conversion function works already when standard track files are created on a HD. After the tagging part is fixed this would probably be relatively easy to implement.
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MartinH

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Re: Converting from cue/image to seperate tracks - no tag info?
« Reply #11 on: May 03, 2007, 01:30:55 pm »

I think it was your post I'd read elsewhere discussing this functionality in the past.  Needless to say I agree. :)
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Matt

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Re: Converting from cue/image to seperate tracks - no tag info?
« Reply #12 on: May 10, 2007, 02:31:37 pm »

In build 228 (and later):
Fixed: When converting CUE file tracks, the resulting output files get tagged from the metadata of the CUE entry instead of the blank metadata from the source file.
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Matt Ashland, JRiver Media Center

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Re: Converting from cue/image to seperate tracks - no tag info?
« Reply #13 on: May 10, 2007, 02:48:42 pm »

You can split file/cue to tracks with MC ?
You can split/convert file/cue with MC ?

Are you sure ?
When i tested MC it was one of the thing who makes me thinking 'this .. b... they are still not able to add such cool fonctions ...

Or it was not the case when i installed MC at the time?

Anyway , JRiver gang , you are close to be the best at music level ..... just put a Verify Data thing like Nero in the burn section , and here you are.

Anyway , i assume than soon we will have split split/convert file/cue and do not lost tags
That's a hell of a good news
No snow , a hell of a program this MC 12
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boliver

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Re: Converting from cue/image to seperate tracks - no tag info?
« Reply #14 on: September 12, 2007, 08:46:40 am »

I don't know what one of the posters is talking about.  I can't get MC 12 to separate files no matter what I do.  Can someone provide a way to do this?
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Higginz

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Re: Converting from cue/image to seperate tracks - no tag info?
« Reply #15 on: September 13, 2007, 10:48:37 am »

I don't know what one of the posters is talking about.  I can't get MC 12 to separate files no matter what I do.  Can someone provide a way to do this?

It's important that the .que file points to the same file name as the .ape or .flac CDImage file.
Let's say that you have a _CDImage.ape file and the que file is called CDImage.que
Now you have to open the .que file using notebook or any other text editor.
When opening you should see a similar text to this:



If your .que file is pointing at: FILE "_CDImage.wav" WAVE
Change the file ending to FILE "_CDImage.ape" WAVE
Then save the edited .que file in the text editor. (very important)

Ok, now you have a CD image and a que file that speak the same language.

* Open MC's Now Playing - Clear Now Playing
* Open the folder where you have your .que file
* Drag the .que into the Playing now (see image below) and chose 'add to playing now'



Now all songs should be displayed in the Playing Now list.

*edit the tags if needed
*select all songs - right-click - Library Tools - Convert format
*In Convert options: chose the wanted audio format (ie mp3 vbr extreme etc.)
*Click convert.

Then select all converted songs - right click - Library options - Rename Files From Properties

Now you have all songs splitted into separate files, and also converted and tagged correctly! ;)

You will still have the _CDImage + .que in the original folder.

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