tagging wav

Hi Aysil

The standardised format of meta data is defined within the List Info paramater and there are a specific set of attributes defined within the Info list. A subset are applicable for audio files

http://www-mmsp.ece.mcgill.ca/...rmats/WAVE/WAVE.html

This is part of the standard and always has been although it is entirely legal for a file reader to skip over attributes it doesn't undertand.

Recently ID3 tags have been added as a chunk type into WAV file. Again this is fully legal but was not part of the original formal specification. ID3 tags also incoporate album art.

Now programs like MediaMonkey and DBPoweramp support both variants, the origial List Info attributes - sometimes referred to as 'details' and the more recent ID3 tags which is the same used in FLAC and MP3. In my expierience Itunes only support the very minimum of WAV chunk types - ie header and data and can't read list info details or id3 metadata.

Simon

Hi Simon,

Thank you for the info. I was thinking of tagging my wav files with MM or JRiver, as both have detailed options of generating tags from folder names. I don't know much about dBpoweramp; you can maybe tell me more about it. I want these files to be usable in my daughter's mac computer, where there is not many media player options other than iTunes (with or without add-ons). Can you tell me what I should keep in mind about tagging if I want the maximum of usability with iTunes? Maybe the upcoming JRiver is also an option. It will probably be able to read tags generated in its Windows version.

Aysil, I don't really think Apple and WAV files go that well together. You might be better of ripping to AIF and sharing the files in that format.

Simon

My library is already finished. All rips, most downloads, and all files from my musician friends are wav. I see no reason to consider another format. I've been playing those wav files also on iTunes in mac with no problems. I am optimistic that tags will also work fine...

Btw, I am tagging not exclusively for mac use, but also for my own use; to build a more convenient database.

Hi aysil

For what it’s worth I can tell you that my music collection ripped to WAV using DbPoweramp and stored on a NAS is being read perfectly well by J River MC 18 running on BOTH on a PC and also the alpha version running on a Mac book-pro. Although the Mac is running optical-out directly into the DAC as the UPnP server is not yet implemented in the Mac version, but is a priority on the to-do list. The PC version supplies an NDX and Qute very happily. I have not found any issues with J River reading DbPa's tags.

A word of warning if appearance is important to you. The Mac version currently looks the same as the Windows version as it was found that the original release would not run on older Mac’s so was recompiled overnight to allow more people to run the alpha. This removed the Mac appearance, which has received the usual cries from some users. It’s important to remember that this is the alpha build; there is a lot of work still to be done.

Peter

Hi Peter,

As my collection was already ripped, I have to generate the tags subsequently to existing music files. Does dBpoweramp do this? If not, I will use JRiver. Windows version is doing this very well. How about the beta mac version? Does it already have the same tag editing features?

I guess, unlike many other audiophile players for mac, the JRiver mac version keeps its own database and does not rely on the on-board iTunes for keeping the database, is that right?

Hello aysil

DbPoweramp as far as I know cannot automatically tag files retrospectively other than by using it’s excellent tag editor and manually entering the data. Files can be edited singularly or by the album.

As you already have J River MC I would think this would be the better way to go as depending on which tag you are editing it is a simple matter to select a track, an album or multiple album tracks to edit. As you know you can store the tag info either locally or set J River to write to the files tag on disc.

J River refers to the current Mac alpha build as rough, with the aim of achieving as far as possible, equality with the Windows version (Audio Only) by the end of this year. The tagging element as far as I can tell is functioning now, it is reading all of my tags contained within the WAV files on my NAS without problems.

One tag that I have noticed that is stored on the local machine is the ‘Number of Plays’ tag, but I guess that this is common to most if not all other programs.

Hope that makes sense.

Peter  

You can tag wav files in the same way that you can eat soup with a fork - perfectly possible, but why would you?

By sticking with wav you seriously limit the servers that will play nicely with its tags - a problem neatly sidestepped by using flac.

If your doctor insists on a wav only diet - just transcode from flac using asset or minimserver.

Tog

"Minimserver"?! Bless you, Tog.

Do you know if I can transcode to the Mac Mini or SBT; or is this a UPnP benefit only?

Thank you.

Nick