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[Vocalpoint]

Just did a rebuild this weekend and sort of answered my own question about restoring a library. I simply used Library Manager to create a new entry and pointed it to a folder with my library files and it worked great.

One part of this that was not great - was that - even with what I thought was a complete and up-to-date library containing ALL relevant files and data - when I reconnect MC to this existing library - it had to re-do ALL of the audio analysis on 8000 lossless files.?

What's the deal - I thought the library files contained EVERYTHING. And I thought after reconnecting to an existing library - my replaygain data would still be there from umpteen other audio analysis processes previously done. Obviously this data is not stored in the song tags...so where is it stored?

Appreciate and update.

Cheers!

VP

[Matt]

It should be stored in the tags, at least if you use APE, MP3, or FLAC.

[Vocalpoint]

It should be stored in the tags, at least if you use APE, MP3, or FLAC.

That's what I thought - so what am I doing wrong? These are all FLAC files...all meticulously tagged and all.

[Alex B]

Media Center stores the Replay Gain data always in the library and also in the file tags if the file format supports tagging and file tagging is enabled.

If you really pointed a new library to a location that contains your most recent database files the Replay Gain, Peak Level, Intensity and BPM fields should show your old values automatically. It would be very odd that only those fields would be missing.

In any case if you had tagging enabled the FLAC files should contains the values in the file tags (assuming they are standard individual track files that can contain track specific tags.)

You can check the physical file tags by seleting a FLAC file and displaying the detailed format info window in Action Window > Tag (click the uppermost, "format", line to open the detailed format info window).

Could it be possible that your media files are not exactly in the same location in which they were before and the Auto-Import feature has actually removed your old files and imported the FLAC files from a different location as new library entries?

[Vocalpoint]

Media Center stores the Replay Gain data always in the library and also in the file tags if the file format supports tagging and file tagging is enabled.

So - there are two possible storage points? The library (which file stores the replay gain data?) and in the file. How do I check if file tagging is "available". Obviously I can edit and change any tag in any file and it seems to "stick" so I assume tagging is "enabled" yes?

If you really pointed a new library to a location that contains your most recent database files the Replay Gain, Peak Level, Intensity and BPM fields should show your old values automatically. It would be very odd that only those fields would be missing.

Well - here's the deal - my FLAC library resides on my M drive - in it's own dedicated folder (FLAC). When I built this library about two weeks ago - using Library Manager - I clicked Add and created a new dedicated library located at M:\FLAC\Library Files. Anything and everything to do with this library including all tags updates, views, thumbnails - you name it - is inside this single folder. As of this past Friday night - The MC FLAC library was right up to date...all replay gain values perfectly set - no issues with anything.

On Saturday morning (part of my yearly tech refresh) - I wiped the C:\Drive and reinstalled everything (apps, OS). All other data on all other drives remained static - NO files changed in any way - including ALL the song files and most certainly the library files sitting on the M drive.

When the installation was completed and I finally got around to installing MC - I installed the app and immediately went to Library Manager. Clicked Add and added "back" my FLAC library. I pointed it's path to M:\FLAC\Library Files. Clicked on Load and the library came back up with no problems. Made a few other standard adjustments including File->Library->Auto-Import Options and ensured that the following were set:

Auto Import Folder:M:\FLAC
Run Auto import in background = On
Analyze Audio = On
Update for External Changes = On
Fix Broken Links = On

I had to step out for a few hours and just left MC running - it wasn't until later that I noticed some albums playing back very loudly - so I checked my DSP and playback options and clicked on the EQ and Volume Levelling. Then I started checking files/albums to ensure the "replay gain" had been retained (at least I thought it would) - so I right click on an album and select Analyze Audio - I see that 6 out of 10 tracks were completed and 4 were marked as "queued". I started selecting albums that I knew had to be "analyzed" since they were first added 2 weeks previous (during the original library build)...and they too all had 3/4 of the files complete while 3 or 4 were "queued". This was on pretty much every album. So I hit File->Library->Run Auto Import Now and MC reported about 358 files left to go...I let it grind away and in about 30 minutes everything was back to normal.

In any case if you had tagging enabled the FLAC files should contains the values in the file tags (assuming they are standard individual track files that can contain track specific tags.) You can check the physical file tags by seleting a FLAC file and displaying the detailed format info window in Action Window > Tag (click the uppermost, "format", line to open the detailed format info window).

I am trying that here (day job) and yes - my FLAC files have the replay gain data written right into the tag.

Could it be possible that your media files are not exactly in the same location in which they were before and the Auto-Import feature has actually removed your old files and imported the FLAC files from a different location as new library entries?

Not possible - as noted above on the "reinstall" notes. My library never moved. I simply wiped the machine - put the OS and apps back on and point MC to open the library files it was using perfectly the day before. And it was ll good - except MC had no clue where to find the library gain data or could not read the embedded replaygain data within the files themselves.

So - either my "library files" folder does not actually contain a file referencing all stored replaygain data (perhaps wiped from the C:\Drive during my rebuild?) or MC is not picking up previously deposited "replaygain" data stored within my FLAC files....

Comments?

Cheers!

VP