Rip to WAV

[sootshe]

So now I've settled on the following procedure.

1. Rip the original CD's to WAV with XLD

2. XLD rips the CD as single files, unknown artist, into I-Tunes with track listings, but no art work.

3. Then go to each individual file & edit it in I-Tunes with the correct track number, artist & album name. It will then sort it into a complete album, but no art work.

4. Finally, open I-Tunes account, go to "get info" on the album in "album view" of I-Tunes & try to get album art. So far it's about a 70% success rate with the album art. The rest I'll just have to live with.

 

I've experimented with saving my collection to an external hard drive & this seems to work OK. You can copy & paste all the files to the external drive. The problem will be if you need to reload all the data onto a new computer with I-Tunes as when you do this the albums come up as "unknown artist". You would have to import each album individually & then edit he artist & album names....it retains the track listings.

 

Cheers,

John

[Jsmith]

John,

 

Is there any way to use something like the iTunes XML file as a backup of the meta data if a restore was necessary?

[sootshe]

John,

 

Is there any way to use something like the iTunes XML file as a backup of the meta data if a restore was necessary?

 

Sorry, that's a bit over my head on how to do that, but I appreciate your input.

[dimsal]

John,

 

If you still interested in having album art displayed for your WAV files in iTunes, you can use coverArt script which you can find here: Jacob Weber

 

It's not that hard to use and all instructions are inside README.txt file.

 

I've been using this script for over 4 years now, great tool!

 

Hope it helps.

[Paul R]

If a restore was necessary, you should restore the iTunes library as well as the media files.

 

As a rule, you should backup the library too, as well as the media files. That way when you have to restore (and you will, sooner or later!) you will have all your information, from titles and artwork to play counts.

 

But to answer your question, yes, you can recover most of an iTunes library from the XML file, but not the artwork. That is, in the specific case of using WAV format for the media files.

 

-Paul

 

John,

 

Is there any way to use something like the iTunes XML file as a backup of the meta data if a restore was necessary?

[sootshe]

John,

 

If you still interested in having album art displayed for your WAV files in iTunes, you can use coverArt script which you can find here: Jacob Weber

 

It's not that hard to use and all instructions are inside README.txt file.

 

I've been using this script for over 4 years now, great tool!

 

Hope it helps.

 

Thanks for that info.

I've had alook at this & was able to get about half way through it on my own. I have the Amazon account & all the Access Key Codes, have downloaded Python, but I can't quite manage the section where I have to go to the terminal & enter the relevant info.

 

I'll take all this info down to my local Mac dealer & have him do this for me & get things up & running.

 

Thanks again,

 

John

[sootshe]

If a restore was necessary, you should restore the iTunes library as well as the media files.

 

As a rule, you should backup the library too, as well as the media files. That way when you have to restore (and you will, sooner or later!) you will have all your information, from titles and artwork to play counts.

 

But to answer your question, yes, you can recover most of an iTunes library from the XML file, but not the artwork. That is, in the specific case of using WAV format for the media files.

 

-Paul

 

So are you saying that I need to backup something from I-Tunes, as well as the files I have created?

 

At the moment I have all the files I have ripped, backed up onto 2 seperate portable external hard drives. Now that I am converting everything to WAV files, I was going to keep a hard drive with all the original AIFF files on it & a new one with all the new WAV files on it.

 

Is that all I need to do, or is there something else I need to back up as well?

 

Thanks,

John

[Paul R]

So are you saying that I need to backup something from I-Tunes, as well as the files I have created?

 

At the moment I have all the files I have ripped, backed up onto 2 seperate portable external hard drives. Now that I am converting everything to WAV files, I was going to keep a hard drive with all the original AIFF files on it & a new one with all the new WAV files on it.

 

Is that all I need to do, or is there something else I need to back up as well?

 

Thanks,

John

 

Yes, there is the iTunes library itself, which is where non-embedded artwork, the sqllite database files that hold all your metadata, and the xml file(s) are.

 

This could be with the data on your external drives, it probably should be on your external drives so that it is backed up with the media files. I suspect it is not on your system, if you get the data files not mounting but iTunes opening.

 

I'm on the iPad right now, but if that isn't crystal clear, I will be glad to walk you through finding where your iTunes library currently is and copying it to your external drive - if someone else does not do so first.

 

The iTunes librry itself is very small - leastways in comparion to your media files!

 

Paul

[sootshe]

Yes, there is the iTunes library itself, which is where non-embedded artwork, the sqllite database files that hold all your metadata, and the xml file(s) are.

 

This could be with the data on your external drives, it probably should be on your external drives so that it is backed up with the media files. I suspect it is not on your system, if you get the data files not mounting but iTunes opening.

 

I'm on the iPad right now, but if that isn't crystal clear, I will be glad to walk you through finding where your iTunes library currently is and copying it to your external drive - if someone else does not do so first.

 

The iTunes librry itself is very small - leastways in comparion to your media files!

 

Paul

 

OK...so I have in my "Finder" Directory, the following -

 

MUSIC....I-Tunes.....

I-Tunes Library Extras.itdb

I-Tunes Library Genius.itdb

I-Tunes Library.itl

I-Tunes Media.....Music.....which then goes to where all my music files are.

I-Tunes Music Library.xml

 

So I'm guessing you're saying I should backup the 2 files I-Tunes Library.itl & I-Tunes Music Library.xml?

Should I just copy & paste these two files to my external backup hard drives?

 

Many thanks,

John

[sootshe]

John,

 

If you still interested in having album art displayed for your WAV files in iTunes, you can use coverArt script which you can find here: Jacob Weber

 

It's not that hard to use and all instructions are inside README.txt file.

 

I've been using this script for over 4 years now, great tool!

 

Hope it helps.

 

Hi dimsal,

 

Been to my local Mac store & discussed this with the tech, but we can't seem to get it to work.

I've downloaded coverart & python & got all my codes from Amazon web services.

 

We got to the stage where we selected all the albums in I-Tunes & it came up with a result of 36 albums without cover art, but when we go into the amazon site it doesn't display any albums for us to select any artwork.

 

The tech seems to think it could be an issue with the version of I-Tunes or the Mac OS.

I'm using I-Tunes 10.7 with Lion.

 

Any help appreciated.

[Rambaud]

For those albums where I have no cover art, I merely download the relevant image file as JPEG and add it to my iTunes library.

[sootshe]

For those albums where I have no cover art, I merely download the relevant image file as JPEG and add it to my iTunes library.

 

Can you please explain how to do this?

 

I can get the album art from either Amazon or other sources, but how do I put it into the library so that it is associated with the relevant album.

[Rambaud]

Can you please explain how to do this?

 

I can get the album art from either Amazon or other sources, but how do I put it into the library so that it is associated with the relevant album.

 

In iTunes, I go to the relevant album and select all the tracks (shift key + mouse). Then right mouse click on the selected tracks, choose Get Info from the drop-down menu, click Yes which brings up the Multiple Item Information window. In the "Info" tab, double click on the Artwork square which will bring take you to the folder where the relevant image file resides. I use the My Albums folder which is located (on my machine) : \Music\iTunes\Album Artwork\My Albums.

[Audio_ELF]

In iTunes, I go to the relevant album and select all the tracks (shift key + mouse). Then right mouse click on the selected tracks, choose Get Info from the drop-down menu, click Yes which brings up the Multiple Item Information window. In the "Info" tab, double click on the Artwork square which will bring take you to the folder where the relevant image file resides. I use the My Albums folder which is located (on my machine) : \Music\iTunes\Album Artwork\My Albums.

I believe this doesn't work with .WAV files

[sootshe]

In iTunes, I go to the relevant album and select all the tracks (shift key + mouse). Then right mouse click on the selected tracks, choose Get Info from the drop-down menu, click Yes which brings up the Multiple Item Information window. In the "Info" tab, double click on the Artwork square which will bring take you to the folder where the relevant image file resides. I use the My Albums folder which is located (on my machine) : \Music\iTunes\Album Artwork\My Albums.

 

Thanks Rambaud...for taking the time to post this info, but as Audio Elf says this doesn't work with WAV files. I actually tried this & once you move to wav files it becomes inoperative.

 

Thanks for your efforts.

 

I think I'll start a new post to try to resolve this with the "cover art" & "Python" option as others seem to have used this process & been able to make it work.

[SteveS1]

Thanks Rambaud...for taking the time to post this info, but as Audio Elf says this doesn't work with WAV files. I actually tried this & once you move to wav files it becomes inoperative.

 

Thanks for your efforts.

 

I think I'll start a new post to try to resolve this with the "cover art" & "Python" option as others seem to have used this process & been able to make it work.

 

Is it desirable for you to attach Artwork? Given that adding the artwork and tags to a WAV file makes it identical to an AIFF file. If you hear a difference between two identical PCM files, where the only difference between them is one holds the tagging/art information - it would seem rather moot.

[sootshe]

Is it desirable for you to attach Artwork? Given that adding the artwork and tags to a WAV file makes it identical to an AIFF file. If you hear a difference between two identical PCM files, where the only difference between them is one holds the tagging/art information - it would seem rather moot.

 

Steve,

Your talking to a relative novice here regarding different file formats, so I can only relate to you what I hear on my system. The WAV files sound appreciably better......whether they have no art work or whether I have the artwork visible in my I-Tunes window.

 

Whether this art work is embedded in the file is beyond my knowledge. Maybe this will help.....all the individual song files from the album in my directory have no art work next to them, but I can see the art work in my I-Tunes library view (well some of them anyway.)

 

Cheers,

John

[Audio_ELF]

Is it desirable for you to attach Artwork? Given that adding the artwork and tags to a WAV file makes it identical to an AIFF file. If you hear a difference between two identical PCM files, where the only difference between them is one holds the tagging/art information - it would seem rather moot.

The root if the problem is that (with iTunes) you are not adding / embedding artwork and metadata to .wav files - iTunes is storing the metadata in its own database separate to the actual music files.

 

Eloise

 

PS. Have you tried http://www.audiofile-engineering.com/fidelia/ which iirc keeps a completely separate library rather than interfacing to iTunes library?

[Rambaud]

Apologies if my method does not work with WAV files.

 

I have not ripped to WAV in over 5 years - my memory seems to be fading even more with the advancing years.

[SteveS1]

The WAV files sound appreciably better......whether they have no art work or whether I have the artwork visible in my I-Tunes window.

 

Cheers,

John

 

OK John, I'd be investigating why that should be. Sounds like some form of deliberate intervention if it can't produce the same results with identical files. Good luck with finding a satisfactory outcome.

[dimsal]

Hi dimsal,

 

Been to my local Mac store & discussed this with the tech, but we can't seem to get it to work.

I've downloaded coverart & python & got all my codes from Amazon web services.

 

We got to the stage where we selected all the albums in I-Tunes & it came up with a result of 36 albums without cover art, but when we go into the amazon site it doesn't display any albums for us to select any artwork.

 

The tech seems to think it could be an issue with the version of I-Tunes or the Mac OS.

I'm using I-Tunes 10.7 with Lion.

 

Any help appreciated.

 

I don't think it's iTunes or OS, I use iTunes 10.6.3 on Lion and has no problem.

Have you completed all steps in INITIAL SETUP of the README file and proxy server in particular?

[sootshe]

The root if the problem is that (with iTunes) you are not adding / embedding artwork and metadata to .wav files - iTunes is storing the metadata in its own database separate to the actual music files.

 

Eloise

 

PS. Have you tried Audiofile Engineering - Fidelia which iirc keeps a completely separate library rather than interfacing to iTunes library?

 

Thanks for clarifying the file set up Eloise....I'm learning things on a daily basis here!

 

Yes, I have tried Fidelia, in terms of using it as a sound playback player, but I haven't experimented with whether it will show the artwork with WAV files. At the end of the day, my preference is for Amarra playback for the superior sound quality, so that's why I'm going down this path. I'll keep trudging on, & thanks for the input.

[sootshe]

I don't think it's iTunes or OS, I use iTunes 10.6.3 on Lion and has no problem.

Have you completed all steps in INITIAL SETUP of the README file and proxy server in particular?

 

Yes, I believe so.

 

A quick run through......

1. Installed latest versions of "coverart" & "python 2.7".

2. Change first line of script in "coverartserver.py to #!/usr/local/bin/python.

3. Opened Amazon web services account.

4. Added amazon access key ID to "amazonlicense.txt" then "enter" & add amazon secret acess key to "amazonlicense.txt".

5. Set up network proxy for cover art

6. Launch python cover art script (terminal shows starting web server & starting proxy server

7. Go to I-Tunes - select all - right click - "get album artwork.

8. Go to http://www.localhost9999 in Safari.

This is where the process stops, as when I go to this web page, it doesn't show any albums to select from....so at this point I'm stumped.

 

Hope the above makes sense.

 

Cheers,

John

[sootshe]

....and now I have another problem....when I go to the website to get the list of albums to select the artwork from, the web page won't open up now. (http://www.localhost.999)

[sootshe]

I sent off a query to Jacob Weber & he advised that "Another user noticed that Apple just changed the format of the data iTunes sends and receives for covers, this may prevent coverArt from working in the future. I'll let you know if we figure it out."

 

Thanks to everyone for all their assistance here & we'll see what eventuates down the track.

 

Cheers,

John