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[trhunnicutt]

So, here's the deal I'm facing.  Just beginning the process of ripping all of my discs.  Plan on using dBpoweramp for the ripping (secure, AccurateRip, Multiple Meta Sources, and most importantly ability to grab some cover art that's not available anywhere on the web).

dBa uses AMG to populate the Composer and Style tags as "Composer 1; Composer 2; Composer 3" and "Style 1; Style 2; Style 3".

I really, really want to use the multi-value AMG Styles.  I know that the Style field in MC is a string.  Not sure why that doesn't autopmatically populate with the semi-colons, unless that's used for List Fields.

Worst case, I'd like to be able to "point" MC to fill a custom tage "AMG Styles" which IS configured for Lists, semi-colon delimited.

In fact, the only way to do it, is to go to each page, copy, edit it in WordPad, and then paste into the field.  Works like a charm.

But it takes FOREVER.  Since the Style is already filled out via the rip from dBa, what can I do to automate that process?

Tom

[trhunnicutt]

Automate ... as in grab the already resident tag data and put it in an appropriate holder/ MC field during the import process.

[JimH]

MC has an excellent ripper.  You might simplify things by using it.

[trhunnicutt]

Jim,

While the MC ripper is quite good, it lacks the following features.

- Multiple Meta-Data Sources that can be checked & compared quickly and easily to  capture mistakes up front.

- All Music Guide meta-data for composers and styles, which are extensive and very useful

- It pulls images from either MusicBrainz, GD3, or AMG for discs that I can't find images anywhere else.  And it only "pulls" those images if you actually perform the rip.

My main query is why the MC "Style" field isn't reading data from a Style tag, even it's only the first string of the semi-colon delimited list.

That seems weird behavior to me, and you guys are sharp as you know what. :-)

[trhunnicutt]

... almost forgot ... dBa is consistently twice as fast doing a secure rip, with both packages using multiple/concurrent encoding processes. 

Since dBa uses C2 pointers quite effectively, it really hums along.   With 1000s of CDs in my near future, that and the more robust meta-data and images make it a non-starter to use the built-in MC ripper.

The images alone kills it for me.  It's a lot of the promo, and "Stabucks" or "Hear Music" discs.  Plus old Rhino compilations.

I wish it were otherwise.

[JimH]

Have you tried cover art lookup in MC14?

Speed of secure rip could only be different if the rip speed itself were different or if the number of reads were different.  Test a secure rip in MC against your ripper.  This subject has been discussed in the past.  Search for EAC here.

Wikipedia may be a better source of metadata now than AMG.

In any case, it sounds like your mind is set.

[Lasse_Lus]

While the MC ripper is quite good, it lacks the following features.

- All Music Guide meta-data for composers and styles, which are extensive and very useful

there was a plugin for AMG, you can read the response from AMG here

[trhunnicutt]

Jim, believe me, I've looked at this ten ways to sunday, and MC just comes up short, for me.

I have tried the MC Cover Art tool, and while it's good, it still doesn't have covers for a good 20-25% of the test discs that I tried.

The meta-data isn't just pulled from AMG... it's also pulled from GD3, MusicBrainz, and FreeDB.  with all results compared side by side, "errors" or "discrepancies" from each source highlighted via red font, in an easy "point-and-click-once" to change the value to the one you want.

When 3 out of the 4 are in agreement, it usually means the other one is screwy.  It's that simple.  Plus the extended meta-data that YADB just does not have.

MC is my tool of choice for EVERYTHING else... except for the initial tag and rip and "first cover grab" process.

Re- speed of the rips... it's not even close, whether you're comparing secure rips and encodes to LAME, FLAC, or even Monkey's Audio.

My tests were consistent and had a very clear speed winner, without sacrificing security.

My goal of my first post wasn't to "crap on MC" or praise dBa, I was just giving some background info and reasoning behind using dBa so I could be spared the "why don't you just rip with MC" reply.  Funny, huh?

[JimH]

tr,
Please use the DBPoweramp forum for discussion.

[JimH]

Re- speed of the rips... it's not even close, whether you're comparing secure rips and encodes to LAME, FLAC, or even Monkey's Audio.

Yes, you can rip to WAV faster than to a lossless format (since there is no encoding needed for WAV), but add a second drive or a third drive to increase speed if it's a big deal.  

Using WAV files, which is what may have caused your initial problem, has no advantage.  Tag standards don't exist.

If you want to speed up ripping, use multiple drives and simultaneous rips.  The machine will be faster than you are.

[trhunnicutt]

Jim,

Again, I'm not here to get into a dBa vs MC thing.  Frankly, I'm a little surprised you brought it up to "try MC for ripping it's pretty good", which naturally enough put me on the defensive.  And then someone else seemingly questioning my integrity and honesty.

I'd be happy if you just deleted this whole thread.  The ONLY reason I brought up some of what I saw as advantages to using dBa was so that I wouldn't get into the "mine's bigger or better" thing with anyone.

I just wanted to see how I could make "X work with Y".  At the end of the day, MC is the car I've chosen to drive.  I want to make sure I can take advantage of the premium gas I'm putting into it.

TR

[JimH]

Nobody is trying to tell you that you're dishonest or lack integrity.

You asked for help with ripping to WAV with another ripper.  WAV is just a bad idea.  Another ripper may be your choice, but if so, please solve the problems on their forum.

Please give ripping with MC another try. 

[trhunnicutt]

The premium gas is the meta-data sitting in a Style tag in an MP3 file that's not being read by MC.

Does MC read the Style tag and fill the Style field in the MC Library?

If not, how can I, or can I, make that happen?

-EDIT- to reply.

Where did I mention anything about ripping to WAV in the original post?  WAV files don't have tags, as we all know.  My format of choice is FLAC.

[Matt]

If you create a field 'Style' in Media Center, it will map to TXXX(Style) in an ID3v2 tag.  If you're looking for a different mapping, just let us know.

[trhunnicutt]

Jim, you didn't question anything, other to somehow confuse my original question re: Style Tags in every reply with WAVs.

Lasse_Jus's response on the other hand, had NOTHING to do with my MC tag reading question or the technical issues raised.

The link he provided had everything to do with AMG as the bad guy and express license this and that.

Still not sure what he was trying to imply or "educate" me with that one.

Remember, I've been a happy, paying, regularly upgrading, customer for 6 or 7 years, now... so, I'm quite happy with you all and the product.

[trhunnicutt]

Matt,

THANK YOU!

That was exactly what I was looking for.  Let me investigate what kind of tag dBa writes it's Style info into and I will get right back with you.

That AMG Styles extended data is key to how I'm planning on cataloging and grabbing the tracks I want.

Much, much appreciated.

TR