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[tngiloy]

Thanks to your help I have decided to start recording the rest of my cd's in ALAC, and have changed from FLAC to ALAC -----TOOLS>OPTIONS>ENCODING.  
One important question- the files recorded since changing to ALAC show m4a (not ALAC) as the file type and the files are smaller. When I googled ALAC/m4a it said that ALAC uses m4a as a container. Is this right and am I actually recording in lossless ALAC ??

Second and more important question-- How do I convert the other 400 cd's from FLAC to ALAC ?? Can I convert my entire library in one easy step ?? Or do I need to do it one album at a time or one track at a time ??

I am a computer amateur, so PLEASE give step by step instructions like you were talking to your old uncle.

[AndrewFG]

One important question- the files recorded since changing to ALAC show m4a (not ALAC) as the file type and the files are smaller. When I googled ALAC/m4a it said that ALAC uses m4a as a container. Is this right and am I actually recording in lossless ALAC ??

Yes this is correct. M4A is a container format based on the MPEG4 industry standard and can indeed contain all kinds of "boxes" for music, video and meta data. As far as music is concerned, the two most common music "boxes" are ALAC (Apple Lossless) and AAC -- without the L -- (a compressed format similar to MP3).

If you have set MC to rip in ALAC format then it will indeed be writing the music in an ALAC box inside an M4A container. (Make sure that MC is not set to rip to AAC, which would also result in an M4A container but with an AAC box inside it). To confirm this, when you look at your tracks in MC the File Type column should show M4A, and the Compression column should show ALAC..

Second and more important question-- How do I convert the other 400 cd's from FLAC to ALAC ?? Can I convert my entire library in one easy step ?? Or do I need to do it one album at a time or one track at a time ??

In MC | Edit | Select All | Right Click | Library Tools | Convert Format...

[JimH]

In the non-Apple world, FLAC would be a better choice.  It's much more widely supported.

[tngiloy]

Luckily my Oppo103 supports ALAC.
In a non-Apple world I could connect my nano with a regular usb cable and not need a special apple only cable.
Thanks again for the help. You guys are great.

[tngiloy]

In MC | Edit | Select All | Right Click | Library Tools | Convert Format...

Not working, you need to be more specific. Whatever I'm doing is wrong. When I get to the /Library Tools/ it says 'no files selected'.

[connersw]

You need to select a file first.

Also, since it sounds like you have a mixed Library now (some ALAC already, some still FLAC), I would create a Smartlist of only FLAC files so that you don't end up with ALAC duplicates or waste your time re-encoding files.

1.  In the left hand Tree, select Playlists.  Then Add Smartlist (in the tab).  Name it something simple (like All FLAC).
2.  Click on Add New Rule.  From the Drop Downs: 1) File Type 2) is 3) FLAC -> OK

You should now have a Smartlist that only shows your FLAC files.  Click on any file in the Smartlist, Edit -> Select All. 
Then Tools -> Library Tools -> Convert Format.

In the Convert Format Action Window (lower left), click on Options. 
Under Destination, select Convert to same directory as original files.
If you want to get rid of the FLAC completely, select Mode -> Replace original file on disk and in library
Under Audio, I would leave Apply DSP unchecked and Bitdepth at Automatic. 
Hit OK
Then click on the Convert button in the Convert Format Action Window.

[AndrewFG]

You need to select a file first.

Just to be clear, you don't have to do this one file at a time; if you select several or all of your flacs you can run the conversion process in one shot.

You can, as connersw describes, set up a smart list and "select all" in that list, or you can use a regular list view and select multiple tracks using "Click ¦ Shift ¦ Click" or "Click ¦ Ctrl ¦ Click" in the same manner as you would for selecting multiple files in Windows Explorer...

[tngiloy]

You need to select a file first.

Also, since it sounds like you have a mixed Library now (some ALAC already, some still FLAC), I would create a Smartlist of only FLAC files so that you don't end up with ALAC duplicates or waste your time re-encoding files.

1.  In the left hand Tree, select Playlists.  Then Add Smartlist (in the tab).  Name it something simple (like All FLAC).
2.  Click on Add New Rule.  From the Drop Downs: 1) File Type 2) is 3) FLAC -> OK

You should now have a Smartlist that only shows your FLAC files.  Click on any file in the Smartlist, Edit -> Select All. 
Then Tools -> Library Tools -> Convert Format.

In the Convert Format Action Window (lower left), click on Options. 
Under Destination, select Convert to same directory as original files.
If you want to get rid of the FLAC completely, select Mode -> Replace original file on disk and in library
Under Audio, I would leave Apply DSP unchecked and Bitdepth at Automatic. 
Hit OK
Then click on the Convert button in the Convert Format Action Window.

connersw,
Thank you !! Your instructions were perfect.
If the moderators watch this thread and read this--- please use his post as a sticky in your faq on how to convert files from one form to another.
I will 'report' your reply to let the powers-that-be know how outstanding your help was.
thanks,
Tom

[JimH]

It's not practical to sticky every useful post.  There are a lot of them.

[MrC]

Ironically, Convert Format is already on the Wiki FAQ:

   http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Convert_Format

[tngiloy]

I looked up the wiki FAQ first. It was of no help to me. connersw's detailed, clear and concise post enabled me to do the audio conversion without problems.
His instructions are way better than the FAQ. Had the FAQ been as good I would not have had to ask for help here. not everyone using MC19 is a computer whiz.
Just saying.
I'm giving connersw a big thumbs up. You should reconsider using his instructions as the FAQ.

[MrC]

Individual help is almost always better than some static, prepared article, because there is back and forth dialog in the forum posts, and authors often intuit how to reply based on how posters ask questions.  In other words, it is dynamic.  Folks ask for stickied or wiki'd topics, and yet these alone rarely prove sufficient or adequate for everyone.