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[dcm]

When converting from dsf to pcm, I find that custom tags in the dsf file are not carried over to the tag fields of files in pcm format.  Is there any way to ensure that custom tags are preserved?  JRIver has no problem in using my custom tags for the dsf format file.

[andrewberg]

It depends whether you enabled the option 'Update tags when file info changes' (where 'tags' refers to those stored within the original files, e.g. an MP3 song, and 'file info' to MC's internal tagging data). You find this option both in the 'Edit' menu, and under 'General > Importing & Tagging'...

If enabled, then PCM (mostly but a compression format of MP3 files) should save any custom tags to the original files. Most audio file types are capable of storing tags inside them (while some custom tags may not be supported)...

If the option is not enabled, then MC's tags are stored inside your library only, so when converting a file should always be written 1:1 into the output file... If not, perhaps the output file was not properly imported by MC after conversion?

[dcm]

Hello and thanks for your help with this, as I find my way with JRiver (which I am really liking).

I have only done the conversion for part of my dsf music library and want to get the process straight before I proceed.

I converted a selection of dsf files to flac, using the option, “replace original file on disk and in library option”.  (I have additional copies of the dsf data separately, so nothing is lost). I did have the “update tags when file info changes” option engaged.

The MC library has retained all of the original tags after the conversion (including my custom tags) but these tags did not get written back to the data files on my external drive (which are now flac, and no longer dsf).  These data files now haves a more limited range of tags than the original dsf files.  When I now try to update the tags from the MC library, the custom tags, which are present in the JRiver Library, are still not written to the data file. I am reading the tags using Mp3tag, with which I created the custom tags.  The custom tags are not unusual, in their nature (e.g. tags for the countries of performers and composers to name two examples, but there are quite a number of them)

So my questions now are:

1.  Is there any way to update my flac data file with the more comprehensive set of tags that is now in the JRiver library?

2.  If option 1 is not possible, is there a way I can rerun the conversion, to ensure all tags  get encoded in the converted data file.  And the answer to this question would, in any case be useful, as I proceed with my dsf-to-flac conversions.

The only other option is to copy tags from my duplicate set of dsf data files, to the flac files (using, for example, the Mp3tag tag-copy function).  This works fine, and the extended tags files are then imported into JRiver with no difficulty.  This would take a lot more time to do reliably and, therefore, is not the preferred option.

Thanks again for your help

[BigSpider]

Have you gone into Tools>Options>Library&Folders>Manage library fields and ticked the save in file tags(when possible) checkbox for each of your custom fields?

[andrewberg]

Not sure what you're trying to do... In order to preserve your tags also in backup duplicates of your library files, I would select the files in MC, then open 'Copy, Move & Rename' (F6), choose 'Copy' (top left field), and a destination folder. So with 'Update tags' enabled, MC should write all your tags into the copied file as well, as they become part of your library in the process... (Obviously, MC cannot write tags to files in locations it does not know... ;-)

[dcm]

Have you gone into Tools>Options>Library&Folders>Manage library fields and ticked the save in file tags(when possible) checkbox for each of your custom fields?

Yes this is already done

[dcm]

Not sure what you're trying to do... In order to preserve your tags also in backup duplicates of your library files, I would select the files in MC, then open 'Copy, Move & Rename' (F6), choose 'Copy' (top left field), and a destination folder. So with 'Update tags' enabled, MC should write all your tags into the copied file as well, as they become part of your library in the process... (Obviously, MC cannot write tags to files in locations it does not know... ;-)

Thanks again for your help. My issue is not with the tags in duplicate or back up databases.  My goal is to convert my large collection of dsf files (which are already extensively tagged) to pcm, while maintaining the tagging intact

I have converted a subset  of files that are in my JRiver libraryfrom dsf to flac.  After the conversion, the tags in the JRiver library are the original tags with the custom fields.  The tags in the converted files are a narrower range of tags, not including the custom tags.  After the conversion, the filepointer in the MC library is to the new “flac” post conversion file.  Even though the file pointer in the library is correct, the “update tags from library” command is not refreshing the flac data files with the more extensive set of tags in the JRiver database.

[andrewberg]

Then I would guess that some of your custom tags are not supported by the .flac file format... audio file types differ in this respect...
Note: 'Update tags when file info changes' is not a command, so don't try to run it by clicking it... The menu entry is simply to turn it on/off, the process runs automatically in the background, with no user intervention...

[wer]

DCM, after you do as BigSpider says, I think you may need to do an update tags from library to make sure all those tags are now actually written to the files.  Clicking that checkbox doesn't write them, it enables them being written in the future.

Try that... Enable the checkbox, update tags from library, ensure the tags are now in the file, and THEN convert.

[dcm]

Thank you andrewberg, BigSpider and wer for your help.

I will experiment on the basis of  your suggestions.

[dcm]

Problem solved.

I had actually not followed up on BigSpider's suggestion thoroughly enough.   Once this box is checked for all the custom fields, the problem goes away.  Apologies from a newbie for the slow uptake. Thanks again to you all for your input.

[andrewberg]

Nice to hear! And if MC's Auto Import background process seems to hang, simply use the menu feature "Tools > Library Tools > Update Tags (from library)" to write all supported tags to your media files. (If needed, you can also choose "Update Library (from tags)" to work the other way round...;-)