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[rkinzig]

Hi. I'm new here and just downloaded the trial version. I plan on using it to manage all my audio so that I can output it through USB to a Schiit Bifrost DAC. I managed to get it installed and decided that since I had some audible files already downloaded I'd import them. Unfortunately I've spent the last 3 hours trying to do this and being unsuccessful. Can anyone tell me how to do this? Any help would be appreciated. I've searched this forum and have not found any actual instructions.

Thank you

[astromo]

Check the Wiki for useful info.

MC can be set up to auto import from user selected folders. The other option is to navigate using the explorer inside MC and find the files folders want to import. Then, do a right click and select import.

[rkinzig]

Thanks for the reply. Ive been through the wiki and its not of any help with this subject. Ive got an audible file imported through the drag and drop method and can see the file picture under documents but can't get it to play. I'm hoping that this program isn't as difficult to use and as unwieldy as it looks at first glance. Ive been unable to get any of the automation to work. Has anyone actually imported an Audible Library and used it successfully?

[rkinzig]

Turns out that JRiver only supports the lower resolution AA audible files (format 4) and not the much better and newer AAX files (enhanced). I still can't get the automatic import to work. I had to use the drag and drop method.  I would appreciate any help.

Thank you

[glynor]

Turns out that JRiver only supports the lower resolution AA audible files (format 4) and not the much better and newer AAX files (enhanced).

Yes, I believe that's correct, and is probably all they can do without direct support from Amazon, or substantial backwards engineering work.  I've used MC for a handful of Audible files, but the DRM on them can be tricky and cumbersome, and I don't have a big collection (I just listen to them through the Audible app on my iPhone, anyway, delete them when done, and re-download them if I ever need them again).

I still can't get the automatic import to work. I had to use the drag and drop method.  I would appreciate any help.

This works fine.  Please explain more about your setup and situation and what you've tried.

1. You pick folders to monitor under Tools > Import > Configure Auto-Import.
2. Select folders to watch, and make sure the file types are selected (and if you've been messing about testing, that the Ignore Previously Removed option is not checked).
2. When you finish configuring the dialog and click OK, it runs a one-time full scan to pick up what is there already.
3. From then on, it will automatically pick up any new or altered files added to a watched location instantaneously.  This requires the volume to support filesystem events through the Windows API.  This is supported, on all mounted filesystem types (SMB, CIFS, NTFS, etc) unless the underlying hardware does not support it (common on some NAS devices, especially consumer-oriented SMB ones).  I think.  It might not work on FAT filesystems.  Not sure there.
4. It also does a full (deep) scan once every two hours or so, which should cover anything for which there was no filesystem event in the API.
5. You can manually initiate a full scan whenever you'd like via the Tools > Import > Run Auto-Import now option, and also via the MCWS API if you need to automate it further.

One additional note: Background auto-import must be enabled in Options, but it is by default.  Check at: Tools > Options > Library & Folders > Auto-Import > Run auto-import in the background.

[rkinzig]

Hi thanks for the help.

I'm running a Surface Pro 3 with an I5 processor and 8gb ram and 256gb SSD. I've downloaded the trial version of JRiver. I initially told it to Auto Import everything. And I got tons of gifs and junk from windows. Then the first thing I looked for were some audio books. Couldn't find them the I found the device and files section and opened windows explorer. And after some trial clicking found the folder which had a few audio books in it. Grabbed the first one an .aax file and it was a no go. Then I remembered reading those were new so I grabbed another one that was an older format and dragged and dropped it into documents and it worked after I signed into Audible through JRiver.

Right now I'm just playing with these media server programs as I have a Schiit Bifrost coming and will be hooking it into my Fisher 500c and only have one Axillary input so I'm looking for a one size fits all type solution. I'm going to be burning all my CDs into FLACs and getting into some hires audio and I use Pandora One and Audible and I want some way to output all of those over USB Audio to the DAC and into the Fisher.

Would you or anyone happen to know if the driver that comes with the DAC will allow me to output everything through the USB or do I have to find out a way to play everything through a media server.

Thanks Again
Russ

PS you wouldn't happen to know the file that audible books are I forgot where I found it.
Thanks

[glynor]

Don't worry so much about finding things in the default views that come with Media Center.  Most of them aren't really optimized for displaying and sorting through Audiobooks, but it can certainly be configured to handle them nicely.


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While it does not handle aax files natively, it doesn't matter very much because it can import and manage them (as "Data" type files), and when you "Play" them then, they'll play in your default player associated in Windows.  So, with a bit of elbow grease to set it up, you can display them all together (all Audiobook formats in your media collection), and the ones it can handle natively, it will.  Those it won't, it'll play them in the player you have that will (but let you browse them through a unified interface).

It can handle (well) all sorts of file types it can't play natively.  I use it pretty extensively to manage a collection of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop documents, for example.

You might have to tweak the allowed file extensions to get it to import the AAX files, but that's a simple matter.

PS you wouldn't happen to know the file that audible books are I forgot where I found it.
Thanks

Media Center uses a collection of customizable Media Views (the items under Audio, Images, and Video in the Tree on the left) to display and filter the media files it has imported.  The defaults here are, certainly, tuned for a simple collection.  However, the system is extremely flexible, and can be crafted to suit pretty much any management need.

They look like folders under there, but they're not.  They're all essentially "smart searches".  And, they are cascading smart searches (the filter on the parent also applies to any of its children, and so on and so forth).  So, the reason only audio files show up under the various items under Audio is because the top-level Audio Media View has a filter that says [Media Type]=Audio.  So it, and any "child views" underneath, only show Audio files.  You can make as many of these, with as crazy-complex of searches as you want, and configure the "look" of each of them independently.

However, it can also show everything you have on disk, imported files or not, under Drives & Devices in the Tree, organized as you'd see them in Windows Explorer (except it can show directory contents recursively, which is handy).  You probably found them there.

Would you or anyone happen to know if the driver that comes with the DAC will allow me to output everything through the USB or do I have to find out a way to play everything through a media server.

I have no idea what you're asking here.  But, that's not directly relevant to this discussion and is probably best suited for another, separate thread.

[bblue]

...
Right now I'm just playing with these media server programs as I have a Schiit Bifrost coming and will be hooking it into my Fisher 500c and only have one Axillary input so I'm looking for a one size fits all type solution.

A Fisher 500c?  Boy that's an oldy!  I have repaired many of the 500c's in my early tech days, and used to have a pair of 440c's which I really liked at the time.

--Bill

[connersw]

Glynor:  Would it be possible for you to post the .jvi files for your Audiobook Views please?  Might make an easier starting point than trying to recreate from a screen-shot.

[glynor]

Yep.  I'll try to remember tonight.

That doesn't help with Theater View though, unfortunately, and if he's using a Surface, Theater View is probably fairly important.  I'd also add that mine are slightly non-ideal because I was lazy and just used [Artist] and [Album] fields (instead of [Author] and [Title] respectively).  I've long had on my todo list to swap over some better tagging (using the [Series] and [Episode] field, probably, to handle multi-book series like A Song of Ice and Fire).

It's always been right next to the task of cleaning up and organizing my small collection of non-DRMed eBooks.  The problem is, of course, that most of them are all crapped up with DRM.

[connersw]

Thanks--I appreciate it.  Even if it's not perfect, it's a starting point.  Can always edit them to ones liking in Standard View and then Add -> Library Item from Standard View in Theater View (I find that easier/better than creating Views in Theater View any way).

As an aside, I've always thought that having a repository of user created Views similar to what we have for skins would be a great idea.  People have created some pretty intricate Views to sort Albums by Dates, classical music by Composer, etc.  It would be cool if you could look at a screen shot showing how the View was set up, and then download the .jvi file.

[glynor]

I've suggested the same a few times in the past.

The problem, for me, is that so often mine are tied up in the Library itself (expression fields and whatnot).