Captor,
The version I use is reference v14.2. I do not use itunes at all and do not have it on my pc. All of my ipod syncing is done through MC. I use dBpoweramp to convert to m4a in the root of my music hard drive with only track numbers. Then I import into MC and do a move and rename in MC with a couple of VERY LARGE expressions to rename and organize the m4a files.
directory expression:
if(isequal([media type],Audio,8),if(isequal([album artist],unknown,8),if(isequal([myseries],unknown,8),[artist]\[album],[artist]\[myseries]\[myseriesvolume]),if(isequal([myseries],unknown,8),[album artist]\[album],[album artist]\[myseries]\[myseriesvolume])),if(isequal([media type],Data,8),if(isequal([artist],multiple artists,8),if(isequal([myseries],unknown,8),Assorted\[album]\Data,if(isequal([myseriesvolume],unknown,8),Assorted\[myseries]\Data,Assorted\[myseries]\[myseriesvolume]\Data)),if(isequal([myseries],unknown,8),[artist]\[album]\Data,if(isequal([myseriesvolume],unknown,8),[artist]\[myseries]\Data,[artist]\[myseries]\[myseriesvolume]\Data))),if(isequal([artist],multiple artists,8),if(isequal([myseries],unknown,8),if(isequal([name],folder,8),Assorted\[album],Assorted\[album]\Art),if(isequal([myseriesvolume],unknown,8),if(isequal([name],folder,8),Assorted\[myseries],Assorted\[myseries]\Art),if(isequal([name],folder,8),Assorted\[myseries]\[myseriesvolume],Assorted\[myseries]\[myseriesvolume]\Art))),if(isequal([myseries],unknown,8),if(isequal([name],folder,8),[artist]\[album],[artist]\[album]\Art),if(isequal([myseriesvolume],unknown,8),if(isequal([name],folder,8),[artist]\[myseries],[artist]\[myseries]\Art),if(isequal([name],folder,8),[artist]\[myseries]\[myseriesvolume],[artist]\[myseries]\[myseriesvolume]\Art))))))
filename expression:
if(isequal([media type],audio,8),if(isequal([album],unknown,8),if(isequal([artist],unknown,8),[name],[artist] - [name]),if(isequal([disc #],unknown,8),if(isequal([myseries],unknown,8),[track #] - [album] - [artist] - [name],[track #] - [myseries] - [myseriesvolume] - [artist] - [name]),if(isequal([myseries],unknown,8),[disc #].[track #] - [album] - [artist] - [name],[disc #].[track #] - [myseries] - [myseriesvolume] - [artist] - [name]))),if(isequal([disc #],unknown,8),if(isequal([artist],multiple artists,8),if(isequal([MySeries],unknown,8),if(isequal([name],folder,8),[name],[album] - /(VA/) - [name]),if(isequal([myseriesvolume],unknown,8),if(isequal([name],folder,8),[name],[myseries] - /(VA/) - [name]),if(isequal([name],folder,8),[name],[myseries] - [myseriesvolume] - /(VA/) - [name]))),if(isequal([MySeries],unknown,8),if(isequal([name],folder,8),[name],[artist] - [album] - [name]),if(isequal([myseriesvolume],unknown,8),if(isequal([name],folder,8),[name],[artist] - [myseries] - [name]),if(isequal([name],folder,8),[name],[artist] - [myseries] - [myseriesvolume] - [name])))),if(isequal([artist],multiple artists,8),if(isequal([MySeries],unknown,8),if(isequal([name],folder,8),/(Disc[disc #]/)[name],[album] - /(VA/) - /(Disc[disc #]/) [name]),if(isequal([myseriesvolume],unknown,8),if(isequal([name],folder,8),/(Disc[disc #]/) [name],[myseries] - /(VA/) - /(Disc[disc #]/) [name]),if(isequal([name],folder,8),/(Disc[disc #]/) [name],[myseries] - [myseriesvolume] - /(VA/) - /(Disc[disc #]/) [name]))),if(isequal([MySeries],unknown,8),if(isequal([name],folder,8),/(Disc[disc #]/) [name],[artist] - [album] - /(Disc[disc #]/) [name]),if(isequal([myseriesvolume],unknown,8),if(isequal([name],folder,8),/(Disc[disc #]/) [name],[artist] - [myseries] - /(Disc[disc #]/) [name]),if(isequal([name],folder,8),/(Disc[disc #]/) [name],[artist] - [myseries] - [myseriesvolume] - /(Disc[disc #]/) [name]))))))
fyi... the "myseries" and "myseriesvolume" is used to allow organization of music by artist=>box set=>album for those occasions where I have two or more versions of the same album (i.e. Aerosmith/Toys in the Attic and Aerosmith/Box of Fire/Toys in the Attic) I have created a view which then organizes them in my library. Because of the length of my expressions, the renaming/organizing process in MC takes longer than creating the m4a files in the first place.