New Amarra 4

[jos]

Ralph, I never had any loading issues with Amarra4 4. It's because my ITunes system is a very clean one with only ALAC files. The first time loading Amarra 4 I could determine a few AIFF files (leftovers after converting to ALAC files). I would advice everyone to convert all your files in iTunes to ALAC. It's also important to give every track an album-artist name. One question: why is Amarra loading empty playlists, like movies?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Computer Audiophile

[DancingSea]

On 3/17/2017 at 9:52 AM, jos said:

Ralph, I never had any loading issues with Amarra4 4. It's because my ITunes system is a very clean one with only ALAC files. The first time loading Amarra 4 I could determine a few AIFF files (leftovers after converting to ALAC files). I would advice everyone to convert all your files in iTunes to ALAC. It's also important to give every track an album-artist name. One question: why is Amarra loading empty playlists, like movies?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Computer Audiophile

I have many AIFF files, along with even more ALAC.  For me, all load equally well.  The only snag came with a couple of one track SACD rips.  Meaning, the whole album, in this case, Garcia & Grisman, was one long 6 GB track.  This caused Amarra 4 to crash on import.  And that was in the ALAC format.  But I think it was the track size more than anything else.....

I revisited Amarra SQ to use with iTunes and Tidal.  I find Amarra HiFi better sounding for iTunes and will wait for Luxe to use with Tidal - though SQ did sound good with Tidal, just prefer A4's overall sound to SQ....

[jos]

12 hours ago, DancingSea said:

I have many AIFF files, along with even more ALAC.  For me, all load equally well.  The only snag came with a couple of one track SACD rips.  Meaning, the whole album, in this case, Garcia & Grisman, was one long 6 GB track.  This caused Amarra 4 to crash on import.  And that was in the ALAC format.  But I think it was the track size more than anything else.....

I revisited Amarra SQ to use with iTunes and Tidal.  I find Amarra HiFi better sounding for iTunes and will wait for Luxe to use with Tidal - though SQ did sound good with Tidal, just prefer A4's overall sound to SQ....

I agree with you; AIFF files will not generate a crash in Amarra, but for metadata in iTunes I prefer ALAC. I also use DSDMaster to convert SACD (DSF/DFF) files to AIFF files and then to ALAC, which is the best file type to use in ITunes. I think there is no good reason to keep several type of music-files in iTunes, or am I wrong? Anyhow, I want to keep/maintain my files in one way.

[wwaldmanfan]

12 minutes ago, jos said:

I agree with you; AIFF files will not generate a crash in Amarra, but for metadata in iTunes I prefer ALAC. I also use DSDMaster to convert SACD (DSF/DFF) files to AIFF files and then to ALAC, which is the best file type to use in ITunes. I think there is no good reason to keep several type of music-files in iTunes, or am I wrong? Anyhow, I want to keep/maintain my files in one way.

How is ALAC better than AIFF in iTunes, other than HD space, which is so cheap it's not even an issue? How is metadata managed any differently between the two?

I ask because I use iTunes v.12 to manage and tag my files (AIFF), and I use both Audirvana Plus and HQPlayer, and HQPlayer does not support ALAC.

[jos]

1 hour ago, wwaldmanfan said:

How is ALAC better than AIFF in iTunes, other than HD space, which is so cheap it's not even an issue? How is metadata managed any differently between the two?

I ask because I use iTunes v.12 to manage and tag my files (AIFF), and I use both Audirvana Plus and HQPlayer, and HQPlayer does not support ALAC.

In my experience ALAC is holding metadata, especially pictures, better then AIFF. There have been some discussion on the Internet about this subject in te past, with different opinions. It is just my experience, but others have the same experience.

[jhwalker]

5 minutes ago, jos said:

In my experience ALAC is holding metadata, especially pictures, better then AIFF. There have been some discussion on the Internet about this subject in te past, with different opinions. It is just my experience, but others have the same experience.

I've never had any issues with metadata storage in the formats I have used (AIFF, ALAC, FLAC - I have never used WAV, because those issues are well-known).  

Storage, though, continues to be a problem for me, so the vast majority of my library remains compressed (ALAC) - we have 100k+ tracks (on two 4TB drives, backed up to a 16TB NAS and to the Internet), and adding additional disk space (2x, likely) is not "so cheap it's not even an issue" to me  LOL

[MemoryPlayer]

For the same price that I paid for the Audirvana Plus 3.0 upgrade, I bought also Amarra 4!

What a beautiful experience..., no dsd up, no native dsd, no pcm up, no direct mode, no integer mode, no exclusive access neither iZotope SRC, but what lovely rounded sound!

It is hard stop to listen to Amarra 4 that now has a much improved GUI!

[Amarra_Support]

18 hours ago, DancingSea said:

I have many AIFF files, along with even more ALAC.  For me, all load equally well.  The only snag came with a couple of one track SACD rips.  Meaning, the whole album, in this case, Garcia & Grisman, was one long 6 GB track.  This caused Amarra 4 to crash on import.  And that was in the ALAC format.  But I think it was the track size more than anything else.....

I revisited Amarra SQ to use with iTunes and Tidal.  I find Amarra HiFi better sounding for iTunes and will wait for Luxe to use with Tidal - though SQ did sound good with Tidal, just prefer A4's overall sound to SQ....

Try the updated build of Amarra 4 for the larger files, you should be able to load the Garcia&Grisman track without issue in v233.

best

Ralph

[MemoryPlayer]

24 minutes ago, Amarra_Support said:

Try the updated build of Amarra 4 for the larger files, you should be able to load the Garcia&Grisman track without issue in v233.

best

Ralph

Link please!

[DancingSea]

1 hour ago, Amarra_Support said:

Try the updated build of Amarra 4 for the larger files, you should be able to load the Garcia&Grisman track without issue in v233.

best

Ralph

Hi Ralph - yes, the Garcia & Grisman 6 GB track does now load and play into A4 using the scan folder option.  For some reason, the Artist and Album metadata didn't make it, even though its correct in iTunes.

 

When is Luxe coming?!?!

[Rodolfo85]

What about the problem whith multidiscs (cd with more than uno cd)? It iTunes are correct ordered but wen you imported to amarra become a mess. Is there any way to solve this?

[Wotan]

Would it be possible to sort by 'Album Artist' instead of 'Artist'?

[DancingSea]

4 hours ago, Wotan said:

Would it be possible to sort by 'Album Artist' instead of 'Artist'?

Not in A4's current incarnation...

[tipunch]

Hello,
It is better a lot. I was able to import all my library of 115'000 tracks. A little bit long 4-5 hours (Audirvana 20 minutes).
Another problem with disks " Various Artists " , Amarra does not see a single disk.
Otherwise it would be necessary to improve metadatas, because more of 15GB, against 1 GB for Audirvana and 5GB for iTunes...
Lack also a function to be able to delete a disk or a track of the library as well as a remote control would be one more...

(Amarra v.233)

Thank you Ralph

[Wotan]

6 hours ago, DancingSea said:

Not in A4's current incarnation...

I understand it has been completely redesigned and it will improve in future versions, but for me being able to sort the collection by 'Album Artist' is basic. Like separating tracks in albums with more than one disc... In these circumstances, Amarra is not very operational for me. I will continue to expect a more mature update.

[Rodolfo85]

The problem whith albums of several cds is still there. Even whith the metadata perfect, amarra doesn't recognise the different cds and mix (disorder) all the tracks.

amarra v.233

 

[tipunch]

1 hour ago, Rodolfo85 said:

The problem whith albums of several cds is still there. Even whith the metadata perfect, amarra doesn't recognise the different cds and mix (disorder) all the tracks.

amarra v.233

 

Same with Amarra v.234

[Rodolfo85]

my mistake, V.234. Its  a disaster! I was checking my library and is a mess, disks that are recognized as "various artists", others splitted in several discs... the database is absolute unusable. I have amarra 4 and symphony 3 whith IRC. Im waiting to amarra luxe, but if they don't improve a lot the database of Amarra 4...

In version 3, at least i can use the iTunes database, but in the new version is an independent software. This is good, but ONLY IF IT WORKS! 

Note: i have checked the metadata with kid3, as they recommend, and my metadata is ok. i always am very careful with my database tagging

[jos]

On 20-3-2017 at 2:12 PM, jhwalker said:

I've never had any issues with metadata storage in the formats I have used (AIFF, ALAC, FLAC - I have never used WAV, because those issues are well-known).  

Storage, though, continues to be a problem for me, so the vast majority of my library remains compressed (ALAC) - we have 100k+ tracks (on two 4TB drives, backed up to a 16TB NAS and to the Internet), and adding additional disk space (2x, likely) is not "so cheap it's not even an issue" to me  LOL

 

I believe you can't store FLAC files in iTunes. I don't no about WAV files. I never have had problems with any of these file types too, but the point is: what is best file type to use within iTunes. And in my experience that is ALAC for metadata reasons as mentioned before.

[ckpiv]

7 hours ago, jos said:

 

I believe you can't store FLAC files in iTunes. I don't no about WAV files. I never have had problems with any of these file types too, but the point is: what is best file type to use within iTunes. And in my experience that is ALAC for metadata reasons as mentioned before.

 

Correct, iTunes does not support FLAC. I store all my files as AIFF and have and have never had any issue with metadata in iTunes. I do still have some ALAC bit much prefer the uncompressed AIFF. I also also keep a copy of album art in each album folder as well.

[Tand]

Hi Ralph at Amarra _Support

 

Just got the Newsletter for Spring. I am looking forward to use my iRC license with the Amarra 4 Luxe but will it be possible to use iRC with MRQ when this is released?

 

Tommy

[loop7]

On 10/6/2016 at 1:27 PM, DancingSea said:

Yeah, new Amarra. I really do love the Amarra sound, use it every day. Just hope they spent more time on ironing out the bugs than expanding the feature set. I'd rather have a tight functioning ship than many new features that only add to the existing bug list.

Agree. I prefer the Amarra sound over all other engines but the bugs get frustrating. I'm currently trying yet again to get Roon and Amarra sQ+ to work well. Sonic Studio support has been very responsive with help but still getting those darn clicks/dropouts.

 

Prefer reliability over features.

[Rodolfo85]

I think I find a solution. It's not the most comfortable, but it seems to  work.

in the several cds albums, you have to assign consecutive numbers to the tracks. I mean, instead cd1 tracks 1-10 and cd2 tracks 1-10, reasign cd1 tracks 1-10 and cd2 tracks 11-20.

it works. It seams that amarra doesn't take care about the cd number metadata.

 

[jos]

On 25-3-2017 at 2:42 AM, ckpiv said:

 

Correct, iTunes does not support FLAC. I store all my files as AIFF and have and have never had any issue with metadata in iTunes. I do still have some ALAC bit much prefer the uncompressed AIFF. I also also keep a copy of album art in each album folder as well.

It is indeed wise to keep a copy from each album as a backup in a separate folder. I do that too but in separate folders depending on their resolution under the name folder name Itunes Archive. It's handy in some cases where you have to restore an album in iTunes.

[DancingSea]

2 hours ago, Rodolfo85 said:

I think I find a solution. It's not the most comfortable, but it seems to  work.

in the several cds albums, you have to assign consecutive numbers to the tracks. I mean, instead cd1 tracks 1-10 and cd2 tracks 1-10, reasign cd1 tracks 1-10 and cd2 tracks 11-20.

it works. It seams that amarra doesn't take care about the cd number metadata.

 

 

Yes, that's the issue, the tracks all need different numbers.  Amarra 4 doesn't understand "disc 1 of 2".  I have a multi disc Grateful Dead show that has 101 - 108 for disc 1, 201 - 205 for disc 2, and 301 - 308 for disc 3.  Amarra understands it as a multi disc set and keeps the tracks in order.  But there's really no excuse for having to reassign track numbers to get multi-disc sets to play normally.  Seems a lack of attention rather than any great engineering feat.