garym wrote: > Best to simply have separate libraries for itunes and SB. Here's what I > do. Although I don't use ALAC (I use only mp3 or aac for my ipods, > etc.) you can simply do the same thing with your ALAC files as I do with > the mp3/aac files below. > > FLAC rips of albums are in: > > x:\music\flac\artist\album\tracks...... > > songs that I have in only MP3 or AAC, I put here: > > x:\music\mp3aacONLY\artist\album\tracks.... > > Songs that are mp3 COPIES of FLAC files (or in your case ALAC copies of > FLAC files), I put in: > > x:\mp3copy\artist\album\tracks.... > > OK. now everything is in correct directory. I use dbpoweramp to do a > batch conversion of all my FLAC files to mp3 (you could do the same to > batch convert all FLAC files to ALAC). It copies over all the tags and > artwork automatically. And on these mp3 copies I add a field to the tag > called %contentgroup% (which shows up as the field GROUPING in itunes). > In this field I have the text "COPY FROM FLAC". > > In Logitech Media Server, I tell LMS that my music library is located in > x:\music, so this picks up all FLAC files and all the files that I only > have in mp3/aac. > > In itunes I tell it that my music library is > > x:\music\mp3aacONLY\ > > So it automatically picks up those files. Then in itunes I select FILE > > ADD FOLDER TO LIBRARY then select the directory: > > x:\mp3copy\ > > This adds all those mp3 copies to my itunes library. > > So now my itunes library has all my mp3/aac only files AND all my mp3 > copies from FLAC. And my mp3 copies from Flac can be identified by > sorting on the GROUPING field. So if I decide I want to make new > versions of my mp3 copies (maybe a lower bit rate) I simply find these > in itunes, sort on GROUPING, delete those files from library (and tell > it also from harddrive). Now those files are gone and I can recreate > all the FLAC mp3 copies and readd to library. > > If I create a bunch of new mp3 copies from my FLAC files, I simply do > the FILE > ADD FOLDER TO LIBRARY step again, selecting the x:\mp3copy\ > directory. It will scan the entire directory, but only add the new files > to your ITUNES. It won't double count the files that are already there. > > All this sounds very complicated, but in reality it is quite simple > (even with some other steps I left out that I also do related to adding > replaygain values, modifying SOUNDCHECK values, etc.) And when done I > have a LMS library with lossless files to the extent possible and I > separately have an itunes library with all lossy files for use with my > iphone/ipod/ipad. And I don't have duplicates in either the LMS or > iTUNES libraries. And note that I do NOT select the "integrate with > ITUNES" option in LMS. As from an LMS/ITUNES point of view I am NOT > integrating the two. > _
Ok, thanks for that. At present I do use the LMS iTunes plug-in directed at \\iTunes directory, with the FLAC files in \\media\music, however I could extract the ALAC copies to a different directory say \\iTunes_only, and then get LMS to scan \\media\music with a embedded link to \\iTunes but not \\iTunes_only which can be added manually into iTunes, as you suggest. Would need to ensure that the original iTunes content, which predated LMS/SBS usage is probably tagged and Artwork present etc. Ok, let me consider, as it will take a while to unpick the directories. I was hoping there was a 'Duplicates Plug-in' that would apply some meta-management to the libraries, as I am sure I am not alone in this issue. I also convert my FLAC into ALAC using dbPoweramp, but prefer to keep it in ALAC, as some files move onto iDevices in ALAC, and for some I use the auto-convert in iTunes to ACC. Simon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ simes_pep's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=37853 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=94619 _______________________________________________ ripping mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/ripping
