Foobar Help Desk

OK, you asked for it, so here's a dumb question! I've been following your excellent advice with much success so I thought I'd try the Darkone interface. I've got it installed to some extent but when I try to follow the setup instructions in the readme file: -file -preferences -display -columnsui I don't get the -main tab or any of the further options to import. I assume I am missing some element of Foobar as I've just got a basic Foobar install and a upnp plugin to play with prior to seriously adopting it. It all works fine wirelessly streaming to my UNITI and Squeezebox Boom. So how do I get to the -main tab and finish installing Darkone?

quote:

Originally posted by Pev:
OK, you asked for it, so here's a dumb question! I've been following your excellent advice with much success so I thought I'd try the Darkone interface. I've got it installed to some extent but when I try to follow the setup instructions in the readme file: -file -preferences -display -columnsui I don't get the -main tab or any of the further options to import. I assume I am missing some element of Foobar as I've just got a basic Foobar install and a upnp plugin to play with prior to seriously adopting it. It all works fine wirelessly streaming to my UNITI and Squeezebox Boom. So how do I get to the -main tab and finish installing Darkone?

Hi Pev

I cannot completely visualise what you are doing, but the first step is to select ColumnsUI as user interface.

You do this on:
1. Preferences / Display in the Drop-Down box called User Interface Module at the top of the screen.
2. Restart Foobar.

Did you actualy do a restart of Foobar??


Next you import the DarkOne_v2_1.fcl:
3. Preferences / Display / Columns UI , then in the Tab Main in top-right section called FCL Importing and Exporting select Import and point it to your DarkOne_v2_1.fcl which should have been extracted in your foobar-program directory.

If the main-tab really doesn't exist after restarting foobar, I would suggest to reinstall foobar again. You shouldn't have to do anything special. It is just instal foobar / extract the DarkOne skin / switch the proferences to ColumnsUI / restart foobar / load the DarkOne fcl-file and you are ready to go.

Good luck

-
aleg

Is it advisable to turn replay gain off? If not are there any benefits?

Also, WASAPI; I'm running Windows 7 and soon a Hiface are they complimentary or not needed?

I dont use replay gain. I prefer to listen as the album was intended and use the volume on my 102 if volume needs adjusting.

That said, if you have or add replay gain tags, you can always elect to either delete the tags or not use replay gain.

I find it useful for comparing two pressing without needing to alter the volume (the louder often sounds better when the SQ is close). I select the albums I am comparing and add replay tags "per track". Then turn on replay gain. Compare. Decide. Delete tags. turn off replay gain. Enjoy.

-pAtrick

Patrick (or anyone)

I'm using Foorbar with the DarkOne and generally use FLAC. I tag all my files and also embed the artwork - all works well.

When I rip my vinyl then I want to leave the files as WAV so I can easily edit them with my audio editor when required (no support for FLAC). Currently having to decode FLAC back to WAV, edit then recode to FLAC!

Is there a way to leave these files as WAVs but still get the artwork to show up in Foobar - being able to also add track numbers/genre etc would be useful i.e. all the stuff I can do with FLAC. I realise I can't embed it in the WAV file but is there some other way of achieving something similar?

Thanks

Jack

Jack,

Folder.jpg in each album folder will work.

Thanks Aleg - all working now!

quote:

Originally posted by Pev:
Thanks Aleg - all working now!

Pev

That's great to hear, well done to you.

Enjoy it, it is a great skin design

-
aleg

quote:

Originally posted by Holty:
Is it advisable to turn replay gain off? If not are there any benefits?

this helps a lot to understand what it's all about if you decide to take the plunge.

http://www.bobulous.org.uk/misc/Replay-Gain.html

Patrick,

Thanks, but still no cover art. I have renamed the cover jpg to Folder.jpg but still nothing?

Also any way to get the artist name displaying in the centre panel with track numbers?

Cheers

Jack

Also tried naming the artwork as Cover.jpg - still no display

Jack,

It is tough to help you with using WAV files as I dont use them.

Does album art display correctly with your FLACs as a "folder.jpg" inside the directory with the tracks?

Regarding tags.... sorry cannot help there.

Is there a reason you don't simply have two version of your vinyl rips? One in FLAC and one in WAV?

Bring the WAVs into Foobar, convert to FLAC back to "original folder".

This will give you FLACs and WAVs in the same folder. Then simply tell Foobar to NOT import WAV (file types setting).

Done.

Patrick,

Thanks, I normally embed the artwork as part of he FLAC file so no artwork file in folder. I will have try that separately and see if works for FLAC.

I don't want two rips really from a storage perspecive as I'm ripping in 96/24 so quite large.

Ah well may have to persevere unil UnitiServe available

Thanks again

Jack

Yes the Serve should handle WAV very well. I hope the GUI on both the iPhone and remote desktop/HDTV is as dialed.

Very happy with Foobar and Darkone especially now I am reconciled to ripping to Flac. It seems pretty much perfect as an interface - the only minor annoyance is that I can't seem to get rid of the frequency display above the central panel. Right clicking just offers configure or colour change options. In most places you get an option to remove panel. Any suggestions?

Patrick, thanks a lot for volunteering!

What is your experience in storing flac files on disk: single multi-track file or each track separate? Any pros/cons?

AMA,

I use only single tracks. I cannot see a reason to do otherwise.

I have cue files for all of my rips in case needed for something down the road, e.g. a memory player that only plays Cues, but I dont use them for anything now other than a perfect burn if I make a CD for my car.

-Patrick

quote:

Originally posted by Pev:
the only minor annoyance is that I can't seem to get rid of the frequency display above the central panel. Right clicking just offers configure or colour change options. In most places you get an option to remove panel. Any suggestions?

I wanted to do the same, then move the playlist up on the page to fill the void.

I could walk you through it but I think the instructions/values were given to me by the developer on the Deviant Art page, in the comment section.

The meter above the album art is easily removed with right click.

I wouldnt try to resize the album art though to fill the void left. You would then have to rewrite the widths on the middle panels. I didnt want to go through that hassle.

Lastly, if you have any specific requests or needs, simply drop a comment on the Dark One page and Tedgo will tell you how to do it. Every time I have done this I have added to my homegrown knowledge base of the code used in Foobar.

Thanks!
-p

Patrick,

thank you for the replay gain info.

I've recently turned of the equaliser in the DsP menu. It certainly produces a different sound.

Steve

quote:

AMA,

I use only single tracks. I cannot see a reason to do otherwise.

I have cue files for all of my rips in case needed for something down the road, e.g. a memory player that only plays Cues, but I dont use them for anything now other than a perfect burn if I make a CD for my car.

-Patrick

quote:

AMA,

I use only single tracks. I cannot see a reason to do otherwise.

I have cue files for all of my rips in case needed for something down the road, e.g. a memory player that only plays Cues, but I dont use them for anything now other than a perfect burn if I make a CD for my car.

-Patrick

I see. I keep the tracks in multiple files as Logitech Transporter can not read multi-track FLAC.
My TP used to be the main transport the last years. But now I come to the point to steer away from TP and start a dedicated PC with Hiface. I recently tested Foobar/WASAPI with Hiface vs TP and Hiface was very good (for a fraction of TP cost). Not to mention the flexibility offered along with Foobar. The only problem with WASAPI is that Foobar track slider is lagging (it does not happen with DS and KS driver) -- any ideas why does it happen?

If I go this way I can rebuild the multi-file albums into a single multi-track flacs.

I still don't understand why do you need Cues?

Oh, one more question -- what can I use as remote for Foobar? Possibly iTouch?

AMA,

Cue files, for me, allow for a perfect clone of the original CD. Exact levels, gaps, pretrack gaps/tracks, pre-emphasis if relevant, hidden tracks etc.... Otherwise not sure what I would use them for other than something like the CMP/Cplay method.

RE: WASAPI. I have a buddy who runs WASAPI and FOobar into a Juli@. No problems there. I am going to have to venture a guess the Hiface is to blame. Do you have another device you can test it with?

iPhone remote? Oh yes. wintense.com

Patrick, I thought generating a cue from multi-track flac gives the same cue as original Never tried this though ....

quote:

Originally posted by AMA:
Patrick, I thought generating a cue from multi-track flac gives the same cue as original Never tried this though ....

I believe this depends a bit on what you have done with the (pre-)gaps while ripping.

Best practice is, I believe, to rip with adding gaps to the previous track and also rip the pre-gap of the first track or hidden tracks to separate tracks.

This way you should have all the information that is present on the disc.
If you let the ripper also make a cue files based on all these separate tracks I believe it should be possible to recreate the original disk.

But I also have not tried to recreate the disc and compare it to an image rip of the same disc.

-
aleg

quote:

Originally posted by AMA:
Patrick, I thought generating a cue from multi-track flac gives the same cue as original Never tried this though ....

Maybe it does, i dont know. Never tried it.