FLAC conversion to iTunes

Started by TheGSMoeller, October 24, 2014, 06:29:19 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Peter Power Pop

#20
Quote from: amw on October 25, 2014, 04:07:14 PM
[snip] If you're not big on library organisation and just want an audio player, can't do worse than VLC. It'll play anything. Also allows you to rip streams and lots more. I probably use it more than iTunes just because VLC uses 38MB of real memory and <1% CPU, with a startup time of about two seconds; iTunes uses 300+MB of real memory and >15% CPU, with a startup time of like 20 seconds, and that's when no audio is playing.

Did you mean "you can't do better than VLC"? Because you went on to describe its benefits.

I like VLC, but for simply playing audio/visual files I think PotPlayer is tops.

Screenshot of PotPlayer:



And in the interests of fairness...

Screenshot of VLC:


king ubu

Quote from: amw on October 25, 2014, 04:07:14 PM
If you use a Mac, there is no 'decent programme' unfortunately. (I do, I think GSM does also) iTunes is pretty much the only good library organiser for OSX unless you're willing to spend $$$ on one of those audiophile music player programmes (Audrivana or whatever) and even those often piggyback on the iTunes architecture just because Apple has made it quite difficult for any other means of playing audio to be installed.

If you're not big on library organisation and just want an audio player, can't do worse than VLC. It'll play anything. Also allows you to rip streams and lots more. I probably use it more than iTunes just because VLC uses 38MB of real memory and <1% CPU, with a startup time of about two seconds; iTunes uses 300+MB of real memory and >15% CPU, with a startup time of like 20 seconds, and that's when no audio is playing.

point taken - I am clueless about Macs indeed - used to have an ipod, but no more, used to have iTunes on windows machines, but no more ... I do my library by hand, which of course limits search options, but I can live with that (I only know what I know, after all, can't look for the unknown  ;)).

As for the screenshots, sure, all that black looks elegant - but it's tiring on the eyes.
Es wollt ein meydlein grasen gan:
Fick mich, lieber Peter!
Und do die roten röslein stan:
Fick mich, lieber Peter!
Fick mich mehr, du hast dein ehr.
Kannstu nit, ich wills dich lern.
Fick mich, lieber Peter!

http://ubus-notizen.blogspot.ch/

Peter Power Pop

#22
Quote from: king ubu on October 26, 2014, 03:45:34 AM
point taken - I am clueless about Macs indeed - used to have an ipod, but no more, used to have iTunes on windows machines, but no more ... I do my library by hand, which of course limits search options, but I can live with that (I only know what I know, after all, can't look for the unknown  ;)).

As for the screenshots, sure, all that black looks elegant - but it's tiring on the eyes.

The appearance of those programs can be changed very easily. (All white? No problem. Chartreuse frame with aubergine buttons? Easy peasy.)

Brian

Quote from: Peter Power Pop on October 25, 2014, 03:42:14 PM
Yes indeed. Just yesterday I transferred the entire Beatles discography on to my daughter's iPod Touch
This is good parenting, everybody.

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: amw on October 24, 2014, 06:38:56 PM
This is the only place you should be downloading XLD from, being the official home of the project. (download "xld-20131102.dmg" unless you want to try compiling it from source yourself)


I wish I could have pics as to what I'm getting when I download XLD.
A window pops up with an XLD icon, when I double-click nothing happens other than placing the icon on my bottom tool bar as if the program is running.
And also on the top bar it show that XLD is in use, but still no windows for XLD.
I then clicked on "open" from the above drop down menu and selected the FLAC files I downloaded from EClassical. They began to show the files uploading (complete with bars filling up) them when they were done uploading the window disappears.
When I open the FLAC files folder it now shows duplicate files.

I have an iMac BTW.

amw

First thing to do: press Command-, to bring up the Preferences window. From here you can choose an output format iTunes can read (e.g. Apple Lossless, AIFF etc) and various other options about file naming etc., along with things like "Add encoded files to iTunes if possible" (unchecked by default, but you can check it if you wish).

Second thing to do: delete the duplicate files you just made.

Third thing to do: instead of using simple Open, go to File > Open Folder as Disc..., and choose the folder in which your eClassical files are located. This will bring up a new window showing all the audio files in the folder, which you can use to edit metadata, embed cover art (drag an image to where the cover art is shown), and so on. When that's set up to your satisfaction, hit Transcode.

You can also use XLD as the default program for opening CDs, it gives more and better options for ripping than iTunes does.

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: amw on October 27, 2014, 12:45:24 AM
First thing to do: press Command-, to bring up the Preferences window. From here you can choose an output format iTunes can read (e.g. Apple Lossless, AIFF etc) and various other options about file naming etc., along with things like "Add encoded files to iTunes if possible" (unchecked by default, but you can check it if you wish).

Second thing to do: delete the duplicate files you just made.

Third thing to do: instead of using simple Open, go to File > Open Folder as Disc..., and choose the folder in which your eClassical files are located. This will bring up a new window showing all the audio files in the folder, which you can use to edit metadata, embed cover art (drag an image to where the cover art is shown), and so on. When that's set up to your satisfaction, hit Transcode.

You can also use XLD as the default program for opening CDs, it gives more and better options for ripping than iTunes does.

Thank you so much for this info, amw. When I get home from work later today I will give this a try!

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: orfeo on October 25, 2014, 12:19:42 AM
I would still recommend AVS4YOU. Which is easy enough to find, because that's the name of the website.

The particular program you want is of course the Audio Converter, but the idea is that you can get the whole suite of programs. I'm fairly sure there's still a trial version, so no obligation to give it a go.

I've definitely used it to convert FLAC to formats that iTunes can deal with. It can do mp3, AAC and m4a among others.  Full list of what it can create and what it can read from (which is a larger list) is here: http://onlinehelp.avs4you.com/AVS-Audio-Converter/Features/SupportedFormats/AudioFormats.aspx

My iMac tells me that AVS4YOU can not open because it's not supported by my current iOS.


Quote from: amw on October 27, 2014, 12:45:24 AM
First thing to do: press Command-, to bring up the Preferences window...

Pressing "Command -" only changes the text size on my screen.


I am so FLAC/iTunes conversion illiterate.
:-[ failing

psu

Hold command and press comma, not dash. For preferences.

Peter Power Pop

Quote from: TheGSMoeller on November 03, 2014, 04:33:53 PM
My iMac tells me that AVS4YOU can not open because it's not supported by my current iOS.

Pressing "Command -" only changes the text size on my screen.

I am so FLAC/iTunes conversion illiterate.
:-[ failing

Apparently, this will do the trick. It's a little program called Fluke, and it allows you to play FAC files in iTunes:

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/28768/fluke

amw

Hmm, I tried to make the comma more visible by bolding it, probably should have increased the text size too.

Quote from: Peter Power Pop on November 03, 2014, 05:12:16 PM
Apparently, this will do the trick. It's a little program called Fluke, and it allows you to play FAC files in iTunes:

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/28768/fluke
Requires "iTunes 10.6.1 or EARLIER". Good luck downgrading if you unknowingly installed 10.7, let alone 11 or 12 via one of Apple's very un-informative "Software Updates". Predictably, Apple doesn't make it easy to do.

Peter Power Pop

Quote from: amw on November 03, 2014, 06:34:19 PM
Hmm, I tried to make the comma more visible by bolding it, probably should have increased the text size too.
Requires "iTunes 10.6.1 or EARLIER". Good luck downgrading if you unknowingly installed 10.7, let alone 11 or 12 via one of Apple's very un-informative "Software Updates". Predictably, Apple doesn't make it easy to do.

Well, in that case...

On behalf of all Mac users who have the latest Mac stuff and want to play FLAC files in iTunes, I'd like to say: "Grrr."

Madiel

Sorry about AVS. I'm a PC user so I wouldn't know anything about that, kind of assumed they had versions for both but maybe not.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

bigshot

I'm on a Mac and I just use XLD to convert to ALAC.

I wouldn't want to adapt the player app to suit the media. That is asking for trouble. WAY too complicated to work bug free. It's so much easier to just drop a big library folder on XLD and let my computer chug through it overnight and end up with identical sounding files in the format my player was designed to play. Then I have iTunes convert to AAC and add that to my media server.

If there isn't an equivalent in iTunes, I find a different player. For instance, I use the Plex server that runs my home theater to play FLAC files with 5.1 sound.

For 2 channel though, whatever file format it starts in doesn't matter. If I am adding it to my media server, it gets converted to AAC 256 VBR. That way it sounds exactly the same as lossless, streams without clogging my network, and has a file size small enough to fit comfortably on my iPhone. One file format to rule them all. Win win.

Holden

Quote from: Peter Power Pop on October 25, 2014, 03:13:08 PM

In addition to MediaMonkey, foobar2000, Winamp, some people swear by JRiver Media Center.

I've been happily using JRiver for 5 years now. It's an excellent programme and will will play anything. If I plug in my iPad to my PC and try to play something from my it, as the default player on my PC JRiver takes over. I've also successfully converted files to other formats using this media player.
Cheers

Holden

psu

#35
I've used FLACtunes and xACT to do conversions on Macs. Both seem to work OK.

TheGSMoeller

So let me try something different. What if I just download a new player for my FLAC files?

Peter Power Pop

Quote from: TheGSMoeller on November 12, 2014, 04:21:13 AM
So let me try something different. What if I just download a new player for my FLAC files?

I like that idea.

May I suggest MediaMonkey or JRiver Media Center? (Or, putting it another way: I suggest MediaMonkey or JRiver Media Center.)

Both of those will play absolutely anything you throw at them.

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: Peter Power Pop on November 12, 2014, 11:45:33 AM
I like that idea.

May I suggest MediaMonkey or JRiver Media Center? (Or, putting it another way: I suggest MediaMonkey or JRiver Media Center.)

Both of those will play absolutely anything you throw at them.

Thank you, Peter. Will try media monkey first, I think it's the one Brian prefers as well.

Wakefield

Greg,

I haven't followed this thread in detail, but I think if you purchase this app, your problem will be solved: it does the entire process automatically, including the addition of the converted files to your iTunes library:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flactunes-flac-converter/id517984121?mt=12
"One of the greatest misfortunes of honest people is that they are cowards. They complain, keep quiet, dine and forget."
-- Voltaire