dbpoweramp problems

I've ripped my entire cd collection with dBpoweramp and never had issues with it not respecting my amendments of metadata. I just click to the "Review metadata" screen, pick whichever of the propositions from the various databases is closest, make amendments to suit me, click OK and that's that. Over half my cds are classical, and these often raise issues with multiple cd sets. I just make sure each disc has the same Album title - which usually means editing out the " - Disc 1" etc in the title of each. Sometimes other bits of metadata will change between discs in a set - Album Artist etc. You just have to pay attention! Its also worth checking the metadata/id-tag options that are stored - ComposerSort, Artist Sort and Album Artist Sort can be useful down the line. And if you do get tags wrong, dBp lets you retag them anyway - just right click the file(s) and you should see dBp's "Edit ID Tag" option.

It could be that you are using the directory location - typically artist/album .. to navigate, rather than metadata. This is also under your control, but not through the metadata screen. Instead you have to change the file-naming pattern. At the bottom left of the main dBp screen there is a "Naming" field, with a SET button next to it. Mess about there if you want to change the folder structure of the rips.

I also use dbpoweramp, but editing metadata can be fiddley as likes music says you need to pay attention. I've found that MP3Tag, which is free, is great for correcting any problems later. It works with flac files but not sure about wav.

Yep, all my remarks apply to FLAC. Metadata and WAV are two words that don't really go together. WAV does support metadata, and dBp will do what it can, but many players and servers can't get metadata from WAV files even if your ripper is smart enough to put it there, and rely instead on folder structure. 

Check before taking the plunge on a Unitiserve that you will be able in the future to get your music out complete with tags - ie that they are not hidden in some private database. Otherwise you are either locked in forever or doomed to rerip or at the very least manually re-tag.

Another excellent WIndows re-tagger (and ripper, player , DLNA server and many other wondrous things) is J RIver Media Center.

Hi Foxman, yes WAV supports two metadata types. The official INFO set metadata and the unofficial ID3 tags. However some software unfortunately fails to read WAV tags of either category, but quality software does tend to do so.

BTW dBpoweramp writes both variants for interoperability.

If you are ripping a compilation CD, ensure you tick the compilation box so that all the tracks no matter which arist are grouped together as a single album.

Also dBpoweramp loads an extension into file explorer so you can simply retag from them file explorer screen, which is great for your files stored on a NAS.

Simon

thanks for the comments guys - I will have to have another play.  

Another quick question - am just using the trial/test copy of dbpoweramp - is that perhaps why I am having problems?  I did change some metadata then clicked OK and came out but when I go back in exactly the same information is presented as if I never changed anything.  

Maybe I just need to buy the full copy - the cost isn't significant in the grand scheme of things.  And maybe worth looking into Bliss a bit more too

I should perhaps have said that I am aiming to get this all working so that I can add an NDS to the main system to replace CDS2 (with 555PS [non-dr at the moment] thru' 52/250/SBLs), two floors down from the NAS/UQ etc (need to get a bit of cat5 in the walls... somehow) - so the ultimate aim is to get it working so that the NDS will be fed the very best

likesmusic - your point about potentially getting into a cul de sac with a unitiserve is a very good one and deserves serious consideration, though it doesn't necessarily mean the answer will as a result be "no"...  In the long run, the financial effect of a unitiserve would be to delay the NDS by maybe a year 

that's indeed the reason:

check here http://www.dbpoweramp.com/db-versions.htm

free doesn't support ID tag editing

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aleg

Thanks Aleg - a bit irritating that the website describes the trial version as having full functionality when it actually doesn't!

I will buy the proper version and have another go

Merry Christmas!

living .. how irritating you couldn't edit id tags with the trial version dBp, hope you get on better this time round the loop. All I'd add is that, were you to go for a Unitiserve to avoid fiddling with dBp I would check first that Unitiserve does a better job with multi-album sets and tagging than dBp - it may do, then again, it may not. Getting classical music tagged to your satisfaction, in particular older cds, is not straightforward - I ended up altering pretty much every classical cd title to suit me, and often other tags like genre, artist etc are all over the place. dBp does at least give you a choice from four databases for your starting point. And if you can get dBp to work in a way that satisfies you, then you're a year closer to an NDS .. and not only is dBp the fastest ripper I've tried but you get the added security of the accurate-rip check. 

Living

are you using the trial version, said to have full functionality, or the free version with limited functionality.

i may have misunderstood yoi, believing you are using the free version?

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aleg

Just to be sure have you updated your shares´/folders after editing the tags?

Claus-Thoegersen - I don't understand the question...

Have now downloaded the full version - which confirms that I had the proper trial (which is what I thought) as a compilation album is now ripping as 20 separate albums... ie, rubbish grrr - think I probably need to dive in the dbpoweramp forum to see if I can find some help there... though I haven't the time at the moment as need to do some work....

When you are ripping a compilation album are you ensuring the compilation check box is ticked??? The meta data should set this, but if the meta data is not quite right for an album it might not be set. The checkbox is on the top part of the ripping screen.

Simon

Also there maybe issues with your media server - if for example you are using an artist view a compilation album may get presented as a number of albums by each of the artists, so check if there are server/media player side options to consider. And if you are using folders to navigate, there may be similar issues. dBp lets you control all these things; I think by default compilations get put into a "Various Artists" folder, with "Various artists" as the "Album artist" tag, but the same "Album Name" tag for each track, but different "Artist" tags. You can make dBp do useful things with folders - I make it use "Composer" for the top level folder for classical, but "Artist" for non-classical.

Simon - I think I had managed to have it unticked once - re-ripped a few minutes later and it was fine

livesmusic - I don't seen anywhere to change settings for dbp to do the things you say - need to do some digging to find these things out.  Had spotted that the "various artists" folder is getting rather large:  I do have quite a lot of compilation CDs acquired over the years...

I'll do some reading on the bDp site and forums - thanks very much for the pointers, much appreciated

livinginlancs ..  - the directory structure dBp uses is controlled by the string in the "Naming" field which is almost at the bottom left of the main screen.  There is a SET button next to it, press it and you get a pop up which shows all the elements you can use to control the directory structure. Essentially it lets you set up a filenaming pattern using keywords and logical operators. It is more than a bit geeky to use, but better than nothing. There are even checkboxes which will enable you to see the effects of your proposed naming scheme before you  rip or commit to them.

likesmusic - thanks for that, very helpful - guess I need to play around with that to see what it does.  You are right to say it is (or at least I can see it looks) geeky - shame I already have a life  Or rather I am rather busy with work at the moment and other stuff so I am not sure when I will find time to investigate it properly - think some rummaging on dBp forum and website is in order before I do too much else

Worth saying that the nSats I have dragged upstairs for testing with the UQ are making a superbly boogy-some noise, so I might have to buy another pair (despite the total number of speakers in the house getting a bit ridiculous now!) and see if I can track down some wall brackets for them!

If you have a Mac why not just use xld rather than dbpoweramp?

Rich27

Tried XLD after you suggested it and unable to get to grips with it - in some ways works better than dBpa but in others doesn't.  Haven't worked out how to add cover art if missing - may have made it more difficult by using dBpa first...

I only recently discovered xld after being a long time dbpoweramp user.

I have always preferred to manage my artwork in a manual way.  When ripping a new cd, I first look for a suitable 500x500 jpg using google and save this in a master folder on the iMac.  When the ripping window comes up with xld, I then just right click on the artwork box, clear any random artwork that xld has already found and then link to the proper artwork from above.  Works a treat and gives consistent results every time.

Now have no need for any windows pc's anymore, hurray!

Interesting - I need to do some more playing with it, I guess.  Not spotted any art folders at all

Can you make XLD create album folders like dBpa?  It was good being able to shove the ripped files straight onto my NAS with XLD but it just put the individual tracks on with no album or artist folders so looks strange when looking at the directory/file structure

I need Windows for occasional use for work stuff - get sent encrypted files that need Windows to open...  No escape unfortunately (I hate Windows...)

www.albumart.org is a useful site for finding artwork.

Sorry, should have been clearer!  I just have a folder on my mac which I store all the album art files I have used when ripping cd's.  They are all there as a reference then if I ever needed to re rip anything.

You can do the directory thing, I will post how when I can get to the iMac, Mrs is browsing for shoes (again) at the moment!

Right, that is better.

Here are my settings from the "General" tab in xld:

The Output directory is a folder on my NAS where I want xld to put the rips.

In the Format of filename section the command line /%A/%T%n %t puts the ripped files into a folder structure as follows (using Adele's album 19 as an example):

music/xld/Adele/19/01 Daydreamer.flac

Hope this helps!

That's very kind, thanks! 

One last question (for now) - can you stop iTunes from opening up every time a cd is put in when ripping?  I cannot find anything in iTunes preferences to stop that happening and it's a bit irritating to say the least

No worries, glad to help.

You need to go to "System Preferences" then "CD's & DVD's"

In the section, "When you insert a music cd", click the drop down and select "Open XLD" rather than "Open iTunes" you may need to go "Open other application..." then select XLD from a list IIRC.

Doesn't stop iTunes opening all the time for some reason but stops it most of the time!