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How do you store DFF ( untagged ) files?


rodrigaj

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DFF does not support ID3V2 tagging. DSF does. I've stated this in many threads here. Do DSF. Or find a player like JRiver that will allow you to edit DFF metadata and put unsupported tags in its library file, but those tags won't travel to other players.

 

Your issue with DSF's soundstage and JRiver conversion is NOT a DSF issue. When using a format conversion from one DSD format to another in JRiver it first converts it to PCM. Hence the file type conversion is not clean. They even recommend against it. If you wanna change DSD file types use Audiogate.

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Yes, sorry, if you were not currently a Twitter-authorized V2.3 user you can't register that way anymore (and those who are, please don't "upgrade")..

 

We need to find a good DFF to DSF conversion utility. Anybody? I tried the HFX light converter but got nowhere; it kept telling me the folders I was accessing were write-protected, which they absolutely weren't.

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Bob at HDTT just got back to me:

 

There is a dff/dsf converterHFX Store - DFF to DSF Converter - Light

Yate can tag them after that but I believe this is only for Mac but you can check it out anyway;

Mac OS X Audio Tagger | Yate | 2ManyRobots

This is confirmed by Synfreak's link as well. Seems to be the solution if Mac is an option. I have an iMac running Parallels so this should work out fine.

 

Um, yes, I posted earlier today, for you, my impressions of that HFX Light and said

I tried the HFX light converter but got nowhere; it kept telling me the folders I was accessing were write-protected, which they absolutely weren't.

 

Hope you have better luck. I will try the Audiventory one soon here.

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http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f11-software/dff-dsf-conversion-21715/#post352188

 

Not going well. Looks like a damn PCM conversion first. We'll see when developer responds.

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Sorry, I did not make the connection between 2ManyRobots and HFX light. I just tried it on the Walton / Previn HDTT download and it converted without a hitch.

 

I am using "dff2dsf version 1.2.1 build 28" , running MacOS Maverick. I have just listened and I could discern no difference between the original DFF and the transcoded DSF.

 

Nice. Mac users have a solution then! The Windows ones (HFX Lite and Audinventory) are troubling so far.

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Jussi, thanks, another good OSX (assuming that DFF2DSF is good, which it sounds like) conversion solution would be great. And yes, mostly for 2 channel should be fine.

 

My DFF that HFX Lite wouldn't convert is not SACD_extract based at all (unless the label that sent it to me used my Mr Wicked tools). I gave up on it and the PCM-based Audinventory (be up front about it or don't offer it!).

 

Bogi, thanks for the summary; I too am interested in how you did that data comparison.

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Now the utility is available here:

Signalyst

For all three platforms.

 

I tested it only on Linux though... Please let me know if there are problems on other platforms. :)

 

I'm trying on my Win7 desktop machine but keep getting "handle is invalid". Do I need open and close <Promenade.dff> ?

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Judging by this thread, a real opportunity exist for a Windows DFF to DSD converter.

Also, I downloaded another DSD file last night from HDTT - Brahms Piano Concierto 1 / Curzon / Szell / LSO - and noticed this morning that it came as DSF. So it appears that there is no consistency there. Some files are offered in DSD, not all, and those that are can be DFF or DSD.

 

DFF is also DSD. Don't use DSD and DSF interchangeably. A DSD file can be DFF (aka DSDIFF) or DSF.

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I think you misunderstood. Here is what I meant to say:

 

The DSD file that I downloaded last night was DSF format.

The previous file that I had downloaded was DFF format.

Therefore, the DSD files that are available on HDTT can be either DSF or DFF.

However, not every file that can be downloaded is available in DSD and are only available in Flac, AIff, etc..

 

In addition, when you select the DSD format, you have no way of knowing whether it will be DSF or DFF. You only know that it is DSD64 or DSD128.

 

Yes, I was simply reacting to what you typed. You were using "DSD" for "DSF". I understood what you were saying, but then I am a DSD-aholic. New readers might have been confused.

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Not working for me.. Prolly operator error. Both dsd2diff and the context menu stuff in same folder. Executed context bat. Nothing when I right-click albums or tracks on NAS (shared mapped drives). Win 7.

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OK, so that did it for the privileges (right click works now) but Miska's executable does nothing in my system. I see a microsecond command line flash then nothing. No results. Even running the command line (With targeted DFF file in same folder) it results in a normal return to folder prompt (no error, just shows Jussi's info and a syntax example).

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When you right click AddContextMenuItem.bat and select "Run as Administrator", the .bat script runs very short time (less than a second). If it run successfully, it should bring this visible result:

- New file dff2dsf.bat has to be created in the same folder. Was the file dff2dsf.bat created on your PC? What's its content?

- Now when you right click any DFF file (in any folder) of your PC, new context menu item (like on the picture) should appear. Did you observe such a new item? Only for DFF files.

 

Yes to all the above.

Bat file is "E:\musictest\dff2dsf.exe" %1 "%~dpn1.dsf"

Still no dsf file creation.

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Bogi, Yes, I am aware of DST files and stay away from them for this test. When I run the bat file in command line, and ALSO add quotes around the dff file name, the conversion is successful. When I try the same file by right clicking I get a flashed window and then nothing. ?

 

I put MP3tag in the last version of the ripping guide. We announced that DSD compatibility back in April, and folks have loved it. Thx

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f11-software/mp3tag-now-supports-direct-stream-digital-dsf-file-tagging-20185/

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BTW, my successful command line test:

 

E:\musictest>dff2dsf.bat "Sonata4.dff"

 

E:\musictest>"E:\musictest\dff2dsf.exe" "Sonata4.dff" "E:\musictest\Sonata4.dsf"

 

DFF2DSF v1.0.1

Copyright © 2014 Jussi Laako / Signalyst. All rights reserved.

 

E:\musictest>

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Your reg query command returns a "error: invalid syntax".

 

So I did everything via regedit and voila, everything now works. Yes, I needed the edited context bat, thanks!! :)

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  • 2 weeks later...
I have created a tool ISO2DSF:

 

- input: SACD ISO file

 

- outputs:

a) DSF tracks

b) CUE sheet for Foobar2000 and other players with CUE support

c) TXT file with metadata for easy tagging in MP3TAG

 

DSF tracks are created in 2 steps:

1) sacd_extract to DFF tracks

2) DFF2DSF from Miska

 

ISO2DSF can be started from Windows Explorer context menu by right-clicking a SACD ISO file.

Alternatively, it can be started by dragging ISO file and dropping it to the tool or it's shortcut placed anywhere. Suitable place for such a shortcut is for example Desktop or Start Menu toolbar.

ISO2DSF can be also started from command line with ISO file as the only parameter.

 

The tool is written in Perl and uses no OS specific code, so it could function in OS X as well as Linux. sacd_extract and DFF2DSF are available for more OS platforms.

 

Are you interested?

 

Yes, on Windows. To nicely automate going from ISO to DFF to DSF, possibly removing the whole tick/click issue. Jesus did a great job, and this would take it in a different direction, with auto context, etc.

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I am running it first under my home office Windows 7 install. I am not getting the ISO file auto context (even though I did before in earlier versions with dff files) but I am getting "open with" "iso2dsf.exe". I then get a Dos window and it sits idle during "calling sacd_extract" then once again during "converting DFF to DSF" then once finished does the remaining alerts and finishes with "hit any key".

 

Issues:

* no auto context

* let users know they need to set the MPSTag format string the first time. The MP3Tag text to file is nice once set up.

* I would like to remove the cue sheet function (I don't use it) as I then need to delete it each time (JRiver will see a cue sheet and announce/show the album redundantly). Maybe make that toggle on and off with the config file (like prompts and channel mode)

* maybe it's me but I like to see progress so I simply look in the created folder (since the dos window shows no real progress until a state changes)

 

Overall...very good job!

 

Click feedback: the ISO-to-DFF-to-DSF path clearly eliminates the inter-track click and also reduces the duration time for each track by at least a second each. Although it's early, I see no real downside.

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Update:

* some ISOs are not being extracted, but rather sent through in 1-2 seconds as if they were successful, with simply a cue file created. These same ISOs are successfully extracted via Jesus's GUI.

* some ISOs are creating nested subfolders (artist, then artist album). That is a pain but can be dealt with.

* some ISOs subfolders do not contain cue or text files when finished (even though dos prompt/messages are the same, of course).

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All versions have the DSF bug. It, the click, has been a difficult subject because, depending on DAC and playback software, it's audibility can range from none (inaudible) to headphone-barely-there to CLICK (audible and annoying, but not a "crack" or thud). On my systems only the Mytek would have a true CLICK allergy with it, (not Meitner, not Chord, not many others) but it was there nonetheless. I found it's low level of audibility so innocuous that I never saw it as a hurdle, and continue to push DSF due to its overwhelming advantage of metadata/tagging compatibility with ID3V2. DFF has no tag capability.

 

Also, these clicks have been confused with some DACs allergy to going from PCM to DSD (or back). THAT transition can cause a louder click or annoying CRACK in some systems. That compatibility issue is not related with this solution at all.

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So, how long does this take?

 

I ran the ISO of Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story (SHM) through my i5 Windows 7 desktop. It took 3:30 from start to finish (ISO extraction to DFF, DFF conversion to DSF, cue file and txt file creation). It took another 45 seconds to highlight the tracks, right-click MP3Tag and use the txt file to update the tags.

 

A batch version would be to use Jesus's GUI and extract a batch to DFF, then use DFF2DSF for the whole batch. But tagging would be more manual. By the way, if you are "redoing" former DSF folders (to remove the clicks), then don't delete the original DSF folders until you are fully completed. Instead, use JRiver's "paste tag" capability to copy and paste the correct DSF tags from the clicky version to the new set (they MUST be in the same track order, of course). My videos show this method, but it's simply highlight old set, right-click, copy, highlight new set, right-click, paste-tag.

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Thank you, Ted, for details. All fully clear.

 

But Miska said about iso2dsf. It's clone of sacd_extract from Googlecode?

 

ISO2DSF first step, ISO extraction, uses Mr Wicked's sacd_extract.exe That is where the DSF data block is truncated, causing a dc click.

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Email sent, but I used your process to create the two cue files (one that doe not produce anything beyond it, one that produces a nested folder and no txt or cue file later saved. In the second example the temp cue file is never deleted so it sits in the master folder). If you want me to do it via command line I will too.

 

I tried doing "change default" with the "open with" from a Virtual CloneDrive program I have (never an issue cuz ISOs were never a context subject before) to something else but when I choose ISO2DSF.exe it doesn't show up in the iconic list of choices.? I changed it, for now, to JRIver, but wondered what else to choose. It's a nit; no big deal.

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My regedit looks identical. Regardless, I tried something new and went to my start menu and used the global "default programs" setting app. Now it works as "SACD ISO to DSF per track". Thx

 

Question: why does the DFF to DSF portion of the process take more than a few seconds? Aren't we just changing headers? For me it takes half the time (which would lead some to think its going to the PCM world).

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