Media Player File Formats & ID Tags

[VAGCF]

Sorry to give that impression, it comes up if you tap the album playing.

No problem, I didn't mean it as a criticism, I just assumed that the fan, being able to be used as a selection device would be at the first/highest level rather than once an (the first) album had been selected.

 

Only too thankful of your help.

[VAGCF]

Citigopher - reading back through your last few posts do you reckon that WMA gives sufficient quality that it's not worth bothering with FLAC?

 

Hopefully this is the case as I won't have to bother with EAC and can use Windows Media Player like you do.

 

I feel the need now to rip some more music!

[Ryeman]

I'm grateful I don't have brilliant hearing as Media Player satisfies me and is mega simple incl art work.

[VAGCF]

Cigopher - just copied a CD using Windows Media Player but the recording rate is only 128 kbps compared with the 320 I was able to select when I was recording via I-Tunes on my last computer. Replaced the PC but haven't presently got I-Tunes on it.

 

How do you get WMP to rip in WMA format? I can't see anyway of setting the file format or quality.

 

Cheers.

 

Ryeman - unlike a lot of folks nowadays I still have a separates Hi-Fi system and play my music via a good quality CD player. I don't go OTT but I do like to listen via quite a good quality system.

 

As far as the car goes, when I had one with a CD player and SD card the quality from the CD was noticeably better than from the SD card, so if the technology is there to get close to/match the CD quality then that's what I'm going to do. Why just settle for OK when there is better!

[Citigopher]

Citigopher - reading back through your last few posts do you reckon that WMA gives sufficient quality that it's not worth bothering with FLAC?

 

Hopefully this is the case as I won't have to bother with EAC and can use Windows Media Player like you do.

 

Well, after an extended run out today and a chance to thoroughly mess around with menus etc, something isn't right :( .

 

I'd convinced myself that using Windows Media Player to rip to VBR WMA format (set to the highest quality) was the way to go. By chance, I clicked on to Selected Ambient Works by Aphex Twin. It's a mixed bag in terms of recording quality because Richard D. James was at the start of his career and couldn't always afford the best studio kit. I think some of it was even recorded in his bedroom! Anyway, it was all ticking along nicely & I'm thinking it sounds OK. However I had forgotten that I'd dumped an Aphex Twin track called Windowlicker into that album folder (indulge me at this point) which I had taken as one of those free track offers from Amazon that you sometimes get when you buy X number of albums. Anyway, in comparison to the stuff I'd ripped, Windowlicker was positively climbing out of the speakers. It sounds absolutely awesome - higher overall levels, waaaaayyyy better dynamic range; deep, tightly controlled bass; musical treble; sharply defined transients. Checking the track details, it tells me it's a variable rate MP3. Unfortunately I have no way of knowing the original source or the software used to rip it, because it's just a track I downloaded from Amazon. When I tried VBR MP3 using Windows Media Player, I'm sure I didn't get anything like that sonic quality.

 

So, right now I'm a bit miffed . Windowlicker has proved to me that the standard Yeti setup is pretty capable (very capable, in fact) given the Right Source. It now appears that Windows Media Player is not that Right Source - but I don't know what is.

 

It may be time to revisit EAC over the weekend and see if that yields better results.

Edited 12 February, 2016 by Citigopher

[VAGCF]

Back to the drawing board then!

[Ryeman]

 

Ryeman - unlike a lot of folks nowadays I still have a separates Hi-Fi system and play my music via a good quality CD player. I don't go OTT but I do like to listen via quite a good quality system.

 

As far as the car goes, when I had one with a CD player and SD card the quality from the CD was noticeably better than from the SD card, so if the technology is there to get close to/match the CD quality then that's what I'm going to do. Why just settle for OK when there is better!

Yep, I get that, but my hearing just not discernable enough to notice any difference in a car on the move, high pitched constant tinnitus doesn't help of course.

I left a couple of Kef speakers behind from the days when I was a bit into audio and even remember the old 78s dance music days....brings back memories.

[VAGCF]

I've got a nice pair of floor standing Kefs at the moment and had some on stands before that. Along with my NAD amp. and Marantz CD player the system sounds pretty good.

Know what you mean about on the move though and of course there are other distractions!

[Urrell]

I had Celestian 6SLi speakers on stands, Audiolab 8000a amp and a Technics CD player but am very happy with the standard Amundsen II sound system playing WMA files at 192kbs.
Out yesterday in Yeti I was playing Michael Jackson tracks (that are very good quality anyway) at ¾ volume and was very impressed with the Yeti sound system.

[Tom_vRS]

I had Celestian 6SLi speakers on stands, Audiolab 8000a amp and a Technics CD player but am very happy with the standard Amundsen II sound system playing WMA files at 192kbs.

Out yesterday in Yeti I was playing Michael Jackson tracks (that are very good quality anyway) at ¾ volume and was very impressed with the Yeti sound system.

 

Love the Audiolab, one of the all time great amps imho

[VAGCF]

Yeah, nice system Urrell.

 

When using I-Tunes to copy I set the quality at 320kbps for Mp3 and if it wasn't for the problems I've had with some albums we've discussed before I'd be happy enough with the quality.

 

Tried Windows Media Player and it only copied at 128kbps and listening via the computer (I have separate speakers and a sub-woofer) I wasn't too impressed with the quality.

 

What software are you using to copy using WMA at 192? If it's WMP as I said earlier I can't see how to change the quality. 

[Citigopher]

If you select Windows Media Audio (Variable Bit rate) and set the Audio Quality slider to 'highest', it gives a bit rate of 240-355Kbps. The Amundsen handbook says it can handle a max. bit rate for WMA of up to 384kbps and I've had no problems with the Amundsen playing VBR WMA files, on that front at least.

 

The FLAC files I made using EAC were also fine.

[VAGCF]

Thanks, before returning I've been doing some Googling and have found out how to change the settings.

 

So I shall give the WMA at highest setting a go.

 

Cheers.

[Urrell]

What software are you using to copy using WMA at 192? If it's WMP as I said earlier I can't see how to change the quality. 

Just Windows Media Player 12

As Here

 

 

Edited 13 February, 2016 by Urrell

[VAGCF]

Thanks Urrell.

Copied a couple of those albums in WMA that were giving me trouble when recorded in MP3 format and they seem to be playing back fine.

So I'll stick with MP3 at 320kbps for the albums already recorded (the TT will only play these) and use WMA (VBR) for the troublesome albums and new ones I record.

Thanks again for all the help from you guys with regards to display and recording.

I'm going to add some more albums now!

[Ryeman]

......and your pickup arm/stylus.......seeing we're getting down n dirty?.

[Citigopher]

Quick update: The 'flip folder' graphic for fanning through albums by cover art appears when you bring your finger up to the screen to touch the cover art for the currently-playing album. It's quite a nice way to show this type of thing, but I haven't been able to find a way to control the order in which albums are displayed. They certainly don't follow the order that they're listed on the SD card.

 

As for track/title display, the more I use the free Mp3tag programme, the more I like it. It is very powerful for editing, ordering and correcting errors in ID3 tags. A couple of points that may be of use: The Amundsen in my Yeti displays the track title tag on screen, not the file name. Similarly, the Amundsen ignores folder names on the SD card - all of the information shown on screen is taken from the track tags, which in the case of the WMA format I've ripped everything to is contained within each track. As Mp3tag is purpose made for editing these tag attributes, it's perfect for the job. For example, if you wish it can put the artist name surname first which can make finding an album easier (when the Amundsen is in list view, at any rate) and track titles can be appended with the track number. I've got all my tracks showing track no./total number of tracks on album, then track title, with the smaller text on the lines below showing the artist and album title. I sorted this for around 350 albums in just over an hour. It also has a tool for finding cover art on Amazon.de and Amazon.com sites, often giving a choice of images, then assigning them to all album tracks.

 

I'm still undecided on the overall sound quality offered by the Amundsen. It seems to be very dependent on the quality of the ripping and original recording. It can also be quite quiet at times. I have had the volume well up the green scale on occasion! This is more tricky as I can't see a way of adjusting levels when ripping to VBR WMA.

Edited 25 April, 2016 by Citigopher

[Ryeman]

I guess this is the best place to get info on OneDrive.

What does it do that Media Player doesn't?.

What would you use it for?.

[Urrell]

I guess this is the best place to get info on OneDrive.

What does it do that Media Player doesn't?.

What would you use it for?.

I don't understand the question.

As far as I am aware OneDrive is sort of an internet version of Windows Explorer, does it have media playing or recording capabilities?

[Ryeman]

Apparently it's Windows 10's cloud storage.

[Michael G]

Yes, it's their cloud thing. Comes bundled in W10, and has some free storage. 

 

https://onedrive.live.com/about/en-gb/

[olddriver]

I think I may have started all this on another thread. I still have problems with copy protection. I have used Urrell's method and when I look at the properties of the files in Media Player they are not shown as copy protected. When I try to play them from the SD card in the new Yeti some of them are said to be copy protected and there is a padlock sign with DRM next to it and they will not play. It only affects some of the tracks. Curious! at least to me.

[Ryeman]

FWIW my iTunes library has an complete assortment of music quite some from 'burnt' discs also........everything copies seamlessly inspite of me.

[VAGCF]

What artists/albums/tracks are you having problems with?

 

I thought I had copy protection problems, as mentioned, with The Corrs for example, where when played back they were disjointed/distorted. That was in MP3, but when using WMA they were fine, so not due to copy protection.

 

From what you say that obviously is the case with yours. Do the copies play OK on your PC?

[Michael G]

Not sure I understand how ripping audio CD's to mp3's in WMP can result in DRM'd tracks?

 

You can choose to apply/maintain copy protection if you rip to .wma.