Mac ripping issues

In the file naming preferences, set the format to custom and something like “%a/%T/%n - %a - %t”

This will name the files along the lines of "artist/album/0 - artist - track" and so puts it in an artist directory with an album subdirectory.

beeka, can confirm that it works fine now.

Another question for you people. To get cover art downloaded automatically in XLD it seems like I have to use Amazon Access key/ Secret key. What is that? I have an Amazon account, username and password? Also, I guess I have to use UK as a nation, since my home country`s not listed.

Stover, not sure of the Amazon query, but a number of people use "bliss" for their artwork http://www.blisshq.com

By default XLD searches in a cddb that is called freedb.org

when XLD can't find a cd cover there I just use google to search for it. I then download the picture and with drag and drop put it in the XLD window for the cover.

Hope this helps.

Edit. Seems like I have to do it before i push extract. I now got some album choices and when picking the correct release, the picture appeared.

(Ok, I know the drag and drop thing from iTunes, but I cannot make it work in XLD. I simply don`t manage to put the picture where it should, or said in other words, I don`t know where to put it.

Sorry for my simplicity).

S

As to Amazon . . . . you probably do need to log into your account there to get anywhere past their login screen.  But downloading images is free

Yes, the best bet is to do a bit of prep.  Just do a google search, you can even specify the exact size of image you want.  Generally I go for 500 x 500 or 600 x 600 which are very common.  Copy the image to a folder on your hard drive and then you always have the image if you need to re-rip in the future.

In xld, when the metadata box pops up pre extract, you can then delete any cover art automatically found (right click image, click "clear image") and then select the image from your hard drive (click "load image").  Simples.

Can someone point me (and others who might benefit) toward a "for idiots" step-by-step guide to ripping CD's with XLD to a NAS in either AIFF or WAV, that will enable both metadata and (if XLD finds it) cover art to be retained or at least edited conveniently?

Since my collection is nearly all classical, with many multi-CD operas, I am plagued by the inconsistency of the data ("artist" may be composer, performers, or conductor!) located by XLD for each disc in a set. Nor is it much fun to re-number the tracks in CD 2, 3, and 4. Not that it matters to my UnitiQute, which displays "Unknown" for all tracks.

I can generally follow directions, if they don't assume that I am an engineer. My doctorate is in literature!

This is Amazon's S3 cloud storage solution. You need to set up an account for this and it is for retrieving your own stored files.

My advice is just do some prep using Google images.

I have found a nice way to do this now. I use Amazon and copy/ paste the picture into the picture slot in XLD, before I choose extract. Works fine.

When I rip double cd`s they are shown as one and tracks are listed continuously, as if it was one cd.

I have to figure out why, before I start ripping the classical boxes.

Steinar

If you rip a double cd and use the same name in the album tag for both discs then it will be viewed as one album.  I always give the different discs from a double or triple cd a discrete title by tagging [Disc1], [Disc 2] etc to the end of the album tag.

I would think any decent database would recognise disc 1 and disc 2 automatically. The database that iTunes uses almost invariably does.

It is only those stupid "feat. xyz" artist tags on individual songs that cause me grief. Assigning a common "album artist" manually fixes it up, though.

Have checked the NAS folder and it sort the albums as I would expect. Disc 1, Disc 2 etc.

When I open N-stream and sort album or album/ artist it works fine, but when i sort artist only, they are sorted as one album. Is that as expected?

Steinar