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[phelt]

Preface: this is not a flame or complaint, just a statement of opinion.

I would like for MJ to be my all-in-one and only media playback app, but for now I have a pile of other utilities that I use. Specifically with regard to music:

Tagging - I use MP3 Tag Studio because it does everything that I want. Barring a complete revolution in MJ's tagging tools, I will continue to use it.

Ripping - I use EAC for a lot of reasons, mainly dissatisfaction with MJ's ripping process. YADB may end up addressing one of them. I have yet to successfully rip and encode simultaneously with MJ. I like EAC's pre-rip tagging options more.

ReplayGain - I use MP3Gain because of its superior options. I will never use 83db as target gain.

Repair - I don't know if MJ has such features, but I love MP3Trim and VBRFix.

It's not such a bad deal to use these other apps, and most of them are free. It's just that it would be nice to have a single app to handle my media needs.

[Scronch]

I use MJ for a lot of things, but I also still use a few other apps.  I guess there are two reasons.  First, sometimes the other apps are more capable in their specific area.  For example, I use acoustica to edit wave files.  I recently tried media editor, but I couldn't figure out how to apply a low-pass filter.  I suppose you somehow send the process through the equalizer, but it wasn't obvious to me.  Second, I can never quite tell if MJ is going to put my temporary work files into the MJ database.  This can really screw up all the work I put into the database, so I just feel safer doing some things outside MJ.  If MJ did all this stuff, and it was put in my face when I was working on external files and when the database was being changed, then I'd probably dump the other apps and do it all in MJ.

Scronch

[sekim]

ReplayGain - I use MP3Gain because of its superior options. I will never use 83db as target gain.

I thought there was a thread not long ago where Matt said MJ would be changing to 89db?? Still going to see this? Or v9 fare?

[JimH]

The official (David Robinson) standard is 83db.  The mp3gain folks decided to do 89db.  We're sticking with David.

http://privatewww.essex.ac.uk/~djmrob/replaygain/calculating_rg.html

[sekim]

I really doesn't matter to me. I just turn up the volume. One more rotten step that MJ makes me do...

[JimH]

whiner

[Trelane]

Not only MP3Gain, but MPC and Vorbis gain utilities as well.

[joe mama]

So, the developers of the 3 most used compression formats are using 89dB as the default gain setting?

This brings up a question that I think may have been asked before.  I know when you use MP3gain it physically applies the gain values to the files, which allows all devices to playback using the gain adjustment.  I think that I've read that Replay Gain (for MPC) and Vorbis Gain do not physically alter the files, but save the settings in a tag.  Is this correct?  Then, in order for a device to play the files back using the gain settings, the decoder must be able to read the values from the tag.  So, the question is if MPC and OGG files are Replay Gained outside of MJ, do the MJ decoders play the files back using those gain settings?  Also, does the gain analyzation made by MJ work with other players?

Rob

[Trelane]

Yes, MPC and Vorbis Replay Gain tools store Replay Gain information in the tag or header. They do not alter the actual audio data itself (like MP3Gain does). Vorbis and MPC use 89 db, as well as the MP3Gain utility.

For MPC, I have supplied a way (you can configure it in the plugin options) to use the Replay Gain information stored in the MPC header. The files must be analyzed with the Replay Gain tool written by Klemm.
This method is nice for those with MPC-only libraries (such as myself). It can provide decoder clipping prevention and it supports album-based Replay Gain (a.k.a. audiophile gain).

I have a suggestion for Replay Gain issues in MJ9 (moderators, feel free to move this to the RG thread). Why not make an extension to GetInformation() for loading Replay Gain values? MJ wouldn't need to analyze files whose plugin supports this, and files would be more portable and conform to format standards...