How to download to HDX - help please.

Thanks to all for helping me understand how to set up my Mac so that I can see music files directly on my new HDX. Continuing my quest for knowledge I now have further questions I hope you can help me with.

I have downloaded (then drag and drop from downloads folder) wav. test music files from naim and Linn and can see and play them via the HDX. However there is no art work or ability to edit files to put them in appropriate genres etc.

Looking via Finder at my ripped CD files I can see 5 files, in addition to the music file, which I assume contain the artwork and other info which is editable. These are not present with the test downloads.

Can I assume that if I purchase a download album that such artwork and editable info will be present? Also what format should I download in WAV or flac?

Peter 

Hi Peter, a few things:  

You will sometimes want to edit the data associated with the files; this could be to add or correct the genre tag, or correct a typo or edit in the title/artist/ etc info.  I have found that the free program called "Tag" for the Mac is very easy to use to do this for .flac files.  I suggest viewing the info and doing any edits BEFORE you put the files onto the HDX hard drive.  Again, Tag is really easy for this.  If you buy music in flac format, try Tag.

I have found it most reliable to name the album art (cover) file with the name "folder.jpg"  It needs to be in the same folder at the music files.  If you download music and there are multiple files containing art, rename one of them folder.jpg and again make sure it's in the same directory as the music files -- not in a sub-directory.  If you don't have the cover art you want, just go online and find a suitable file (Amazon is good for this), download it and put it in the folder renamed as "folder.jpg" 

When you buy an album to download, it comes with whatever files the vendor provides -- there is nothing standard here.  It could include nothing (rare), just the cover, or even pdf's of all of the artwork (cover, back, and any booklets that came inside of the cd).  The Naim devices / softward will display only one piece of artwork, and it has to be in jpg format (I'm pretty sure).  It would be nice if some day nServe and nStream would show more than just one file of art, but at this point it does not.  Just pick what you want to see in nServe, and name that file folder.jpg.

Finally, wav vs flac?  Much debate and discussion here.  You can read hours worth of posts here on the forum.  Me -- I feel comfortable with both, and find the tags easier to edit on flac files.  Naim enable the HDX to play flac files and I'm happy with that format when I purchase music online.

I'm having further difficulty in accessing downloaded files. I can see the HDX as a device in Finder and can see the two folders marked Downloads and Music In the music file I can see my ripped CDs. So far so good.

I have restricted myself to just using naim downloads via their Download manager and have downloaded Barb Jungr and the Neil Cowley trio as samples. I can see the various sub folders in the Finder HDX Downloads section which I assume are music files and artwork etc. One problem with the actual download sequence was that on downloading the file manager indicated that I had exceeded my allowance! This was the music file in each case! So what I see in Finder is the the word 'part' after the downloaded music file. I don't know why this should occur.

The most surprising thing is that neither sample is visible on my iPad! So I can't play them!!

I am really at a complete loss here and becoming very frustrated and would be grateful for further assistance.

Peter

Hi,

Just to be sure everything works as expected try to copy an album from the music folder on the hdx to the downloads.

If that works wich I am sure it will you´probably have troubles with the downloads from Naim.

I do not really understand what you say about the downloaded files, but it seems as if you have downloaded to much without paying, it makes sense but I am not sure what happens.

If you have music files or albums on the mac try copy the files to the downloads folder again this could test if everything works as it should.

Claus

Try to download one of the test tracks from Naim, but do not use the download manager, you have to login to "purchase" the free track a littel confusing but the price is nice!

http://www.naimlabel.com/recording-breach.aspx

Download the file and try to play it from finder it should play in Itunes.

Then copy it to the downloads folder on the hdx.

Claus

Peter, typically .part at the end of a music file is there while the file is not fully downloaded using a bittorrent type downloader.  I have not tried downloading music from Naim, but perhaps they use a protocol that is similar.  In any event, .part means that the file is not "all there" and so you cannot play it.  The problem is an incomplete download -- not a problem with your Mac per se, or the HDX. 

Does your isp limit your daily downloads?  I'm not sure where else that message could have come from!

Claus

Thanks for helpful suggestions. I have just 'copied' a ripped CD from the HDX's Music folder to the HDX's Download folder. This worked fine as you thought it would. 

I cannot move any music files via iTunes even though I can see the NAS in the the 'Shared' section on the iTunes page. I have just 'paid' to download another free sample form Naim. It went through the Naim Downloader Ok this time.

I can now see both 'downloads' i.e. the copied rip and the free naim, via the iPad nServe app.

However - I can't edit the downloads to, for example, put them into appropriate Genres get different cover art etc. Is this normal for downloads?

Peter 

Peter:

1.  Can you explain how you are trying to "move" music files via iTunes?  That likely is a mistake -- just move files in the Finder windows -- drag and drop.  iTunes has its own system of storing files and making folders -- don't try to use that with the HDX or stuff will get hopelessly lost   Indeed, iTunes and the HDX should stay far apart from each other   You should not use iTunes to manage your music on the HDX.

2.  What format are you downloading from Naim?  That dictates how you edit the info (genre, etc.)  If flac, you can edit the info using Tag as I mentioned earlier. Edit it on your Mac BEFORE you move it to the Downloads folder on your HDX.  As for cover art, that is not associated with (not a part of) the music files themselves -- it is simply stored as a file named "folder.jpg" in the same folder as the music files for that album.  Find the .jpg that you want to use as cover art, and rename it folder.jpg and put it in the folder with the music files.  It's that simple!

I have a feeling that you are used to how iTunes does this stuff.  You have to learn these new ways.  If you edit your music with iTunes, then try to copy it to the HDX, trouble will pop up. But many here are happy to help!

Bart/Claus

Thanks so much for your help - I seem to be getting additional information as I go on with this download business. I followed Claus's suggestions and tested the system by copying a ripped music file from the HDX Music folder into the HDX Download folder. Sufficiently encouraged I successfully downloaded, from Naim music site, a free file also into the HDX download section. However both were assigned genres that I do not want to use.

I do not know how to 'edit' files to change genres etc and have never heard of 'TAG'. I have clicked on all file extensions attached with the music file (wav) and can see nothing that can be edited - it doesn't let me anyway! In fact all I seem to do is to add an additional copy of the file extension to the list. I'm really not too bothered about the cover art, but I do want to put downloaded music into the genres I have already setup.

As far as iTunes is concerned I have used 2 Finder windows one with the iTunes file - the other with the HDX download folder and have 'dragged ' files across. I can 'see' the music file in the HDX download Finder window and clicking on it plays the the in ITunes, but it is not appearing on the nServe. So another mystery.

So some progress this morning, but backwards this afternoon! I'm really becoming quite fed up with the whole download thing. Its a good job the music I have ripped is sounding so well otherwise I would ask for my CDS3 back! I have emailed naim support for assistance but no reply so far.

Cheers

Peter

Hi Peter,

Ah, you are downloading the files in wav format.  That is leading to some of your issues, as those files do not carry with them "tags" where data such as artist, date and genre is stored in a way that the HDX can use it.  You may find it much easier to work with flac files for that reason alone.

"Tag" is a program that runs on OS X and lets you edit tags of flac files.  You can Google it and find it. But if you are using wav files, I think that any info you want to edit, such as genre, must be edited using Naim software (the Desktop Client; downloadable from the Naim website).  But even with wav files, the cover art needs to be a file called folder.jpg as I mentioned earlier.

When you say you are dragging the iTunes files to the HDX Downloads folder, I am worried that what you are dragging is not in the right format for the HDX to find it and index it properly!  Please try simply downloading the files from Naim and before you ever let iTunes open them, drag them to the Downloads folder.  If that works, and from your earlier posts it sounds like it does, that should tell you that the issue is with trying to move "iTunes files" to the HDX.  Just don't do that   I really am not surprised that that does not work.  Please forget about iTunes for anything you want to move to your HDX. 

(If you want to move music you already own from your Mac / iTunes to the HDX, I would wait for that until you fully understand how the HDX stores music files.  That is too much to bite off at the moment.)  Start with downloaded music and music you rip from cd's using something other than iTunes.

Bart

Thanks for helpful input. I'm not however downloading via iTunes but directly via the naim download manager into the HDX folder. (I do have music files in iTunes used for iPod etc and did try to move files, unsuccessfully, into HDX folder). Will investigate Tag today.

I'm at Audience hiFi today (audioquest day) so will hope to get more advice there also. Will also hope to hear from Naim Support today.

Thanks again. I'm slowly getting there (I think!)

Peter

Hi All,

The basic rule is anything that was ripped on the server itself (CDs) would be edited using Desktop Client or the servers web interface. Anything not ripped on the server itself (so downloaded music or iTunes libraries etc.) would be edited by the user using whatever editing software they prefer.

Cheers

Phil

Phil/Bart

Been into Audience hiFi today where Andrew demonstrated Tag data editor to me. Tomorrow I hope to get around to downloading sample flac files and editing them as appropriate. I guess I have to use flac files as I cannot use the desktop client. I have an iMac!

Cheers

Peter

Great Peter -- you ARE making progress   I stumbled upon Tag, but is really is great and easy to use.  Again, my suggestion is for you to do all of your editing with Tag while the file is still on your Mac hard drive, THEN copy it over to the HDX.

That's right -- until Naim release a version of Desktop Client for OS X (it may be OS XV by then!!), you are "stuck" unless you buy a cheap-o pc laptop.

Cheers!

Phil/Bart

Just one more 'help' required in my saga to download and edit to my HDX (hopefully)!

I have downloaded an album (a high definition Linn Mixtape compilation provided by my dealer) and have carried out some edits via TAG which I can now see on my iPad via Nserve. (you were right Bart that these need to be done before downloading to the HDX.

However I cannot see the album cover art (just get the naim disc logo) and have just tried to change the cover art extension to jpeg from png. I have created a jpeg file but the existing png file remains which I cannot delete. 

Any ideas?

Peter

Peter, the best solution I have found is to ensure that the cover at file is a jpg file (can't just change the file extension to jpg -- has to actually BE a jpg) and name it folder.jpg   That file should be in the same directory as the music files.

What did you use to convert the .png file to the .jpg format?  I'm thinking you didn't actually convert it, just renamed it.  If you have OS X 10.8, Preview no longer cnoverts -- you have to open the file with the Colorsync Utility application (it comes with 10.8) and "save as" a jpg. 

Hope that helps!