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More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 20 for Windows => Topic started by: Sky King on September 14, 2014, 03:04:35 pm

Title: Tagging an SACD ISO file
Post by: Sky King on September 14, 2014, 03:04:35 pm
JRiver MC seems to allow you to input tagging information, including album art, for ISO files.  Am I correct in assuming that this tagging information is not stored within the ISO file itself but, rather, in some sort of relational database that is used by MC?  If so, can this information be backed up and restored to the same or possibly another computer hosting a different instantiation of MC?

Thanks folks.
Title: Re: Tagging an SACD ISO file
Post by: connersw on September 14, 2014, 04:03:57 pm
It is stored in your MC Library. 

It can be restored on another computer by opening that Library; either remotely as a Client or by Adding that Library to the other PC.

Sidecar .xml files for SACD .iso files (similar to what MC uses for Video) has been a long time request.
Title: Re: Tagging an SACD ISO file
Post by: Sky King on September 15, 2014, 05:28:42 am
Thanks connersw.  I wish they'd implement the sidecar files as well.
Title: Re: Tagging an SACD ISO file
Post by: kstuart on September 15, 2014, 11:51:41 am
+1 for sidecar files for .ISO files !
Title: Re: Tagging an SACD ISO file
Post by: DHF on September 17, 2014, 12:45:34 am
Sidecars would of course be nice.

However, why not just process the ISO file into DSF file format for the individual tracks?  DSF files tag just like FLACs in my experience.  Plus, when it is a dual stereo / multichannel ISO, you can separate the two versions into separate "albums".
Title: Re: Tagging an SACD ISO file
Post by: connersw on September 17, 2014, 07:11:18 am
You may want to read up on .iso to .dff or .dsf conversion.  There are a multitude of problems associated with it.  .iso files play perfectly, without issue for me.  

As long as I don't move SACD .iso files, JRiver is great.  However, the RM&C tool within JRiver is not SACD .iso friendly.  .xml files would help in ensuring that tag changes do not get lost.  
Title: Re: Tagging an SACD ISO file
Post by: 6233638 on September 17, 2014, 07:49:58 am
You may want to read up on .iso to .dff or .dsf conversion.  There are a multitude of problems associated with it.  .iso files play perfectly, without issue for me.  
Yes, I would not recommend anyone split their ISO files into individual tracks.
It's easy enough to display them as separate albums automatically in Media Center.

As long as I don't move SACD .iso files, JRiver is great.  However, the RM&C tool within JRiver is not SACD .iso friendly.  .xml files would help in ensuring that tag changes do not get lost.
It would be nice if the rename tool were updated to treat SACD ISO properly. You can get it working if you the following code:
 
Code: (SACD ISO Rename) [Select]
Filename:       [Filename (name)]
Find What:      .sacd
Replace With:  
The Replace With value is empty to remove .sacd from the end of the filename.
 
 
EDIT: It's been a while since I did this, so I may have been mistaken.
I think the full process is:
 
Title: Re: Tagging an SACD ISO file
Post by: DHF on September 17, 2014, 11:31:41 am
I have performed several Google searches on this.  With the exception of PS audio website! I can find no multitude of issues with DSF conversion, except for some complaints of pops.  I have never had a pop.

Could one of you direct me to where these issues are discussed?
Title: Re: Tagging an SACD ISO file
Post by: 6233638 on September 17, 2014, 12:03:01 pm
I have performed several Google searches on this.  With the exception of PS audio website! I can find no multitude of issues with DSF conversion, except for some complaints of pops.  I have never had a pop.
To name a few:
 
1. Many of the tools such as sacd_extract, or tools based on it (many are just a GUI for it) do not extract DSF files correctly and are discarding the very start of the track. This can result in pops/clicks on track change or affect gapless playback.
 
2. DSF does not officially support multichannel audio. (though some tools allow it) When you convert multichannel audio, or a compressed stereo track to DSF, you are removing the DST compression, which will double the size of your files. Do you want 10GB albums?
 
3. Media Center's own DSF conversion tools are intended for converting PCM files to DSD, not for splitting ISO files to DSF. As such, they end up converting the DSD to PCM and then back to DSD which is a lossy conversion.
 
 
For all the potential problems that can arise from splitting an SACD ISO, for very little benefit, it just doesn't seem worth it.
Title: Re: Tagging an SACD ISO file
Post by: Matias on September 17, 2014, 12:04:08 pm
sacd_extract makes the pop issues when converting sacd iso to dsf.
Using jriver to do so makes no pop, but it is not a lossless convertion since it uses pcm in the process.

This is an unfinished issue for me. I would also like to convert sacd iso to dsf for taggin, playback memory and portable player compatibility reasons.

I just wished JRiver would do the sacd iso to dsf/dff convertion losslessly and it would all be perfect. +1 if you agree.
Title: Re: Tagging an SACD ISO file
Post by: DHF on September 17, 2014, 01:53:30 pm
I have been using SACD Extract for a while now.  I have never heard a pop.  I have never had an issue with gapless playback.

Is all this happening on DSD capable DACs?  My "DAC" is a Marantz 8801 - not capable of getting DSD - so I am converting to PCM "on the fly" in JRiver.

As far as space is concerned - I just bought a 4 TB Hitachi from Woot for $99.  Who cares how much space it takes up?  Drives are cheap.

My concern is that down the road I get a DSD DAC and this issue rises up.  Any of you having it - what DAC do you use.
Title: Re: Tagging an SACD ISO file
Post by: 6233638 on September 17, 2014, 02:09:59 pm
I have been using SACD Extract for a while now.  I have never heard a pop.  I have never had an issue with gapless playback.
Is all this happening on DSD capable DACs?  My "DAC" is a Marantz 8801 - not capable of getting DSD - so I am converting to PCM "on the fly" in JRiver.
My concern is that down the road I get a DSD DAC and this issue rises up.  Any of you having it - what DAC do you use.
It's an issue with the files being created, not the DACs.
However it is likely to be a bigger problem on a DSD-native DAC than a PCM one due to the nature of how DSD works.
 
As far as space is concerned - I just bought a 4 TB Hitachi from Woot for $99.  Who cares how much space it takes up?  Drives are cheap.
I hope you aren't just using a single disk to store all your music.
 
I make multiple backups of my data at regular intervals to separate drives, and would recommend using a minimum of three separate disks.
 
I currently have copies of my library on five separate drives, so if I had to upgrade from the 2TB disks I'm using now (the largest bus-powered drives available) that means it's going to cost me $600 (these drives are $120) not $99.
Is five drives excessive? Probably. But I'd rather have too many backups than not enough.
Title: Re: Tagging an SACD ISO file
Post by: DHF on September 17, 2014, 02:25:03 pm
I am not using a single drive.  My library wouldn't fit  :)

I am using NAS for storage, with an offsite backup copy just in case the RAID fails.
Title: Re: Tagging an SACD ISO file
Post by: kstuart on September 17, 2014, 06:50:01 pm
6:

Why isn't one original and one backup sufficient (leaving aside issues of location of the backup)?
Title: Re: Tagging an SACD ISO file
Post by: 6233638 on September 17, 2014, 08:37:31 pm
Why isn't one original and one backup sufficient (leaving aside issues of location of the backup)?
Backups have a nasty habit of failing right as you are restoring the data to a new disk after the original disk has failed.
 
The reason I have so many? Two are connected to the PC for automated backups so that I can rollback hourly/daily changes for the last two weeks or so. If I accidentally tag/convert/delete a file, or anything else happens, I'm covered.
 
The other disks are for less frequent backups and are never left connected to the PC.
Even if there's a power surge that takes out everything connected to the PC, my data is safe.
It also lets me roll back any changes that happened more than two weeks ago.