Go for it. I use several IPODS and we have two iphones. Iphone works nicely for all the uses you have requested (and is a fantastic controller for squeezeboxes if you use Pippin's IPENG application). I keep a FLAC version of files for use with SC at home and a mirror image of mp3 files within itunes. In itunes, you should "uncheck" the option "allow itunes to manage library". This way it won't reorganize any of your files. In my case I don't care that it reorganizes, because it uses the same strategy I do (artist/album/song or compilations/album/song). Itunes doesn't modify my mp3 tags at all unless I edit/change tag data using itunes (which I don't). Itunes will add a "soundcheck" value to each file when added to the library for use in its own version of replaygain. This information is added as an additional comment tag (COMMENT ITUNNORM). It doesn't modify your other comment tag if it exists and won't modify your replaygain tags if you have those. And I believe as long as USE SOUNDCHECK is turned OFF when you add the files to your itunes library it won't even do this (although the soundcheck value is useful with the IPOD for volume normalization--I use mp3tag to convert the replaygain album gain values into soundcheck values used by ITUNES, but this is another conversation). If you are really paranoid, simply select all your mp3 files and "write protect" them before adding to ITUNES library. This way itunes can't do anything to the files.
Keep in mind that most of what ITUNES does is in its own library. It creates a library database when it originally imports the files (using info from the tags), but the ipod/iphone and itunes is using it's library information from then on. I have no trouble keeping the two library's organized and synchronized (FLAC and mp3) and I have over 100,000 files. I can't speak to all comments, but in my opinion most of the complaints about ITUNES "messing" with things seem to be caused by the USER not understanding how to use itunes and set the appropriate options. Itunes is not evil. Just a software program. I use dbpoweramp for ripping and converting from FLAC to mp3. I use mp3tag for certain things dbpoweramp can't do. I use foobar2000 for playing files on my computer itself. I use SqueezeCenter for feeding my numerous Squeezeboxes, and I use IPODs/IPhones for music on the go. Bottom line: I'm meticulous about my file organization, tags, etc. and Itunes used properly has not caused a single problem for me. -- garym ------------------------------------------------------------------------ garym's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=17325 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=65750 _______________________________________________ discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/discuss
