No Cover Art for aiff Files on the Core

It’s probably Perfect Tunes, which I have and does that. I’m not with a computer at the moment but I think dbpoweramp itself can do it if you right click the album folder, select edit tags and you can extract the picture from a file to be folder.jpg(you need to have selected to add tag editing when you configured dbpa  , or if you didn’t,  go into its settings and do it now)

Whichever  you should be able to do it at the album level, rather than track by track.

Pardon me:  one quick side-track question about Music Stores on the CORE.   

Is it possible to create multiple Music Stores from different sources -- say Music Store 1 from Local Hard Disk; Music Store 2 from Network Share Folder 01 containing DIFF, and Music Store 3 from Network Share Folder 02 containing DSF, etc. ?   And access them simultaneously or separately ?

Searched in the Forum but couldn't locate similar answers for my question.    Surely I can test it on my CORE but just don't want to do anything unknown that may mess up my files before the cover issue is solved during this period.

Thanks Tallguy.   Will give it a try later.

Too late to edit my post - I'm back with my PC now and yes, it can be done with dbPoweramp. Right click the folder, select edit ID tags then you should see the cover picture at the bottom of the screen. Click the button with three dots on it and "export to folder.jpg". You may need to click on an individual track before the picture becomes visible, I can't remember as it's so long since I did it to my library.

Good luck

So the answer to this question about Music Stores is....... but first a terminology lesson!

In Naim speak, a Music Store is where the Core saves its own rips and you can only have one of them. A Music Share is another store location where you have music files stored and which you want to be scanned by the Core and offered to you in the app. You can have as many Music Shares as you want.

So you need to tell the Core where is the Music Store location you want it to save its own rips. Normally this would be the internal disc, but it doesn't have to be. Then you can define all the other locations as Music Shares. You do the defining with the Manage Music menu option in the app's page for the Core.

best

David

TallGuy posted:

Too late to edit my post - I'm back with my PC now and yes, it can be done with dbPoweramp. Right click the folder, select edit ID tags then you should see the cover picture at the bottom of the screen. Click the button with three dots on it and "export to folder.jpg". You may need to click on an individual track before the picture becomes visible, I can't remember as it's so long since I did it to my library.

 

Good luck

Thanks for the further explanation.  Will give it a try when I am with the computer that do the ripping later.

David Hendon posted:

So the answer to this question about Music Stores is....... but first a terminology lesson!

In Naim speak, a Music Store is where the Core saves its own rips and you can only have one of them. A Music Share is another store location where you have music files stored and which you want to be scanned by the Core and offered to you in the app. You can have as many Music Shares as you want.

So you need to tell the Core where is the Music Store location you want it to save its own rips. Normally this would be the internal disc, but it doesn't have to be. Then you can define all the other locations as Music Shares. You do the defining with the Manage Music menu option in the app's page for the Core.

best

David

A good teacher you are.   Now its clear.   Thanks David.

Tom

As you are already using dBpoweramp, if on the mac open dBpoweramp control center >> Click Configure >> converter (tab) and click 'Enable utility codecs'

Then run batch converter, select your music folder, click Convert, choose the Encoder as [ID Tag Update] and enable the option within this to 'export folder.jpg', then click convert, and folder.jpg are created from all your files.

Hi TALLGUY and MRSPOON,

I am using PC version of the latest dBpoweramp 16.4.     Would not be able to follow your instructions since I couldn't find the items you specified, such as "converter (tab) and "Enable utility codecs", etc.

Regarding PerfectTUNES Album Art, it scans the music folders and displays the covers searched.   Then, clicking the "Fix" feature will search for album arts on the internet.   It only generates the folder.jpg when a new photo is selected.   If the one being used is good and correct, it does nothing and won't generate any folder.jpg.

It looks as though you're right about Perfect Tunes

The PC Version of dbPowerAmp isn't as described by Mr Spoon. It's rather more complicated, but the feature is there.

Go to the dbPowerAmp web site, then codec central from the top line menu. Under utility codecs select Tag Update R5. Download and install it.

Now using batch converter select the top level folder and in the Encoding box select 'ID Tag Update'. Go to the Manipulations tab and go to the Album art section. Then under 'export to' select 'folder.jpg'.  Then off you go - all your folders should now contain a folder.jpg.

Good luck.....

TallGuy posted:

It looks as though you're right about Perfect Tunes

The PC Version of dbPowerAmp isn't as described by Mr Spoon. It's rather more complicated, but the feature is there.

Go to the dbPowerAmp web site, then codec central from the top line menu. Under utility codecs select Tag Update R5. Download and install it.

Now using batch converter select the top level folder and in the Encoding box select 'ID Tag Update'. Go to the Manipulations tab and go to the Album art section. Then under 'export to' select 'folder.jpg'.  Then off you go - all your folders should now contain a folder.jpg.

Good luck.....

 

 

Dear TallGuy,

Thanks very much for the detail instructions.   Have tried converting a few albums in batches successfully.      

I think I can generate "folder.jpg" for all my 2,000 something albums in the end.   

No doubt it's a "happy" interim solution to my issue.   

But still, hope that Phil and his coworkers could find out a better solution to handle the cover art issue revealed in my case, since this is not the end but the beginning.

Again, thanks very much TallGuy and all who helped above to make the CORE a better CORE.   

Tom

The reason I said the batch conversion is an "interim solution" because after I import other AIFF music via iTunes to the Downloads folder onto the CORE in the future, I'll still have to make and copy a "folder.jpg" to go with the album, or I'll need to run the dbpowerAmp conversion once to generate the "folder.jpg"

Hope that Phil and his coworkers could come up with a more effective solution.

BTW, I just borrowed a BNC cable to connect the CORE to my DAC.   The sound is quite good.   

There's a great chance that I might give up Audirvana via LAN and use BNC via Naim App to control the music playing.   This makes the solving of the album art issue to my AIFF files particularly important.

Best

Tom

To be fair, the problem isn't really Naim's - using folder.jpg is a standard method for album art across multiple products and vendors - as is often the case Apple have gone their own way and produced their own standard. Having said that, I'm sure a conversion could be done "in-core" if there's provision in it for future feature additions.

It would help though if a single standard could be reached by all so that we as end-users of the products don't have to fight multiple obsticals to get art work to show, sort as we want, etc.

And to finish on a positive note, I'm pleased you've moved forward with the artwork - I remember spending 8 hours editing my library one Sunday to get it fixed up once and for all, not something I'd like to repeat, so I know how you feel and how fraustrating it is. It feels good to be able to just select something, sit back and be engulfed by the music, not problems: suddenly this streaming malarky makes sense...

David

Dear David,

Please allow me to continue to call the "Cover Art not displaying" an issue because from Synology, Soundgenic from IO-Data, and one or two more I can't remember what they are on the hardware side, and from Apple iTunes, DS audio from Synology, and mconnectHD, Lumin, fidata, Audirvana, Amarra, 8player, and even Roon on the software side, which I used over the years, the Cover Art of my AIFFs can be read and displayed properly without such issue.    

Don't mean to blame the CORE since I quite like it since I got it about a week ago.   I am just hoping it could be a better one.

You are right that "if a single standard could be reached by all so that we as end-users of the products don't have to fight multiple obsticals to get art work to show, sort as we want, etc."  

Lastly, I am lucky to have you guys helping me to sort out an interim solution, so that I don't have to spend days to creating covers or to giving up the Naim Apps hopelessly.

Best

Tom

Tom,

Despite my comments I don't have a Core - I have a QNAP NAS running Asset , but recognised the issue as I've seen it before when I imported a few albums from iTunes when I first decided to get rid of the CD player and go with streaming. 

I knew from past experience with trying to get the art from iTunes exports to show on non-Apple phones that I may have some bother. As a result I just ripped the albums again, (using dbPoweramp) as it seemed easier than fixing them. Most of my iTunes library was/is aac so I wasn't going to use it with the Naim kit anyway. You obviously didn't have that option with your library and your experience with compatibility seems to have been better than mine - I was expecting trouble from my experience. Most of my difficulties came from sorting options rather than artwork.

I think I'm lucky in finding a set of software and techniques that didn't need much beyond default settings to get the results I want. dbPoweramp (and I bought Perfect Tunes with it as  a package) and Asset for the most part "just worked" and still do.

I've been having fun trying to extract high-def audio from DVD/Blu-Rays I've bought,  That makes all the bother with album art and sort tags I've had pale into insignificance   I seem to have a working process for that now using mostly free software and creating cue sheets, etc. I still can't get the audio track from the Beatles 1+ DVD, but think I've managed everything else I've tried.

One of the good things about this forum is the vast amount of knowledge held by it's members and their willingness to help out (actally that's two things, but this could quickly require the comfy chairs* if I keep going on that track) - it's one of the remaining oasis on the net that still works with the spirit that used to prevail in it's early days.

In the end, it's the music that matters and with the help of forumites I've been able to get that music stored in a format that makes accessing it simple, which in thurn makes me play far more of it.

* Monty Python

(I think I've wandered off topic a bit - sorry)

Hi David,

Frankly speaking, even though most people don't like the sound quality from iTunes, the program itself is by far the best music control program IMO.

Especially when you are talking about sorting.  I do like you fond of sorting music in details.   For example, I have Jazz vocal music sung by Female, Male singers or Duos.   And I can even create playlists for Jazz vocal by Female singing in French or Portuguese or Spanish, or Classical music containing violin or cello released in certain period.  

It is made possible by using Genre plus the flexibility of Comments field in iTunes.   As far as I know that no other program go deep like what iTunes does.

It is also the reason I like Audirvana.   The program is a standalone music player but it can be integrated in iTunes, which means that it offers a much better sound quality on top of the convenience and flexibility of iTunes.

Anyway, you are exactly right that it's the music that matters most.   We all come from different paths and experiences in hifi music and this Forum, as you said, is very helpful.   I am sure that I'll stick with the CORE for a long time.

BTW, are you using Windows or Mac ? 

I am using Windows 10 and there are many times that I couldn't open the CORE under Network, which means that I couldn't access neither the Music nor the Downloads folders on it.  

https://www.dropbox.com/s/olqz...mc11g6/Core.jpg?dl=0

My mac can easily see the content of the CORE under Shared without any trouble.

Tom

Tom

Naim is aware of the problems some people have accessing the downloads folder in Core from a PC or Mac and they are looking to fix that in an update at some point soon.

In the meantime, using Windows 7, I find I can always get to the downloads folder by typing \\Core IP address into Explorer and then navigate from there.

You can get the Core IP address from the About information in the app for example.

best

David

Cool.  Accessing thru IP address works on Win 10 as well.   

Thanks David.

I have the same problem... a server at that price point should handle AIFFs nicely... I am still waiting for a Naim solution, because the core runs on Linux... just an update. I want to have my music in one place. Converting to FLAC is not an option. Sounds very different to WAV or AIFF

CSommer posted:

I have the same problem... a server at that price point should handle AIFFs nicely... I am still waiting for a Naim solution, because the core runs on Linux... just an update. I want to have my music in one place. Converting to FLAC is not an option. Sounds very different to WAV or AIFF

Hi CSOMMER, I couldn't agree with you more.   Fortunately, the cover art issue has an interim solution for now. 

The Core is a decent product -- no doubt about it.   The app, pardon me to say so, is a bit weak compared to many other similar products on the market place.    Especially in the sorting side, the current allowable categories are too limited and lack of flexibility.   

Same to you, I like to have my music in one place.   The Core is a good candidate.   

I wish that the weaknesses of it can be improved soon.   IMO, it is important under nowadays competitive environment.  

Both the Core and its predecessor, the Uniti Serve, do handle music files well. Especially AIFF and WAV. Like any UPnP server they rely on correct metadata - just like any database for that matter.

But there is no helping  if files are corrupt to begin with....

Well I think the product is to buggy. Even if the core gets covers right, I can‘t delete imported AIFFs...

CSommer posted:

Well I think the product is to buggy. Even if the core gets covers right, I can‘t delete imported AIFFs...

That's not a bug. It's the way it works. If you import files that have been ripped in a Naim server then they go into the Music/MQ folder and you can (must only) edit or delete them with the app.

If the files weren't ripped in a Naim server then they go into the downloads folder and you can only edit files there or delete them using an external PC or Mac. Obviously if the files are AIFF then they weren't ripped in a Naim server (which rips only into WAV or FLAC), so the app isn't intended to allow you to edit or delete them.

So not a bug at all. It is working properly as designed.

best

David

CSommer posted:

Well I think the product is to buggy. Even if the core gets covers right, I can‘t delete imported AIFFs...

Right. And what bugs have you encountered?