Squeezebox in the post... Time to Prepare

[fairyliquidizer]

Ok, so my music collection is 128kbps AAC in iTunes (which according to Hydrogen Audios listening tests makes it pretty damn close to transparent). However I am considering creating a new database of music for use by Slimserver.

Here are my ideas:
1. FLAC because it's lossless
2. FLAC because it's native so no overhead of transcoding
3. Replaygain maybe coz I like Sound Control in iTunes and don't like changing the volume on my Hi Fi (no remote control for my amp)

Programs I have used before with FLAC:
1. dBPoweramp (may use this again coz it's fast and simple)
2. EAC used for the 1/2 CDs in my 400 CD collection that don't rip cleanly

Questions:

1. Which tools should I use? (Album art would be nice too)
2. I am new to ReplayGain and not sure how to do it or what settings are available. Help?
3 I read something suggesting that ReplayGain might force the Slimserver to decode apply ReplayGain and recode, is this true? (If so I might not bother.)

4. Will I notice the improvement of FLAC over AAC when played on my quality separate system?

Thanks in advance,
Fairy

[Mark Lanctot]

fairyliquidizer wrote:
> Ok, so my music collection is 128kbps AAC in iTunes
(which according to
> Hydrogen Audios listening tests makes it pretty damn
close to
> transparent). However I am considering creating a
new database of
> music for use by Slimserver.
>
> Here are my ideas:
> 1. FLAC because it's lossless
> 2. FLAC because it's native so no overhead of
transcoding
> 3. Replaygain maybe coz I like Sound Control in
iTunes and don't like
> changing the volume on my Hi Fi (no remote control
for my amp)
>
> Programs I have used before with FLAC:
> 1. dBPoweramp (may use this again coz it's fast and
simple)
> 2. EAC used for the 1/2 CDs in my 400 CD collection
that don't rip
> cleanly
>
> I am new to ReplayGain and not sure how to do it or
what settings are
> available. Help?
>
> I read something suggesting that ReplayGain might
force the Slimserver
> to decode apply ReplayGain and recode, is this true?
In this case I
> might not bother.

Not sure what you mean here, and why it would be a
problem. My FLAC decoding operates the same with
ReplayGain as it did before it, only with
automatic volume adjustment.

The sound quality is the same, the player operates
the same, the server operates the same. I see no
evidence there's any recoding.

>
> What do you recommend? Which set up will give me
the results I seak
> with the least grief.

In your FLAC command line argument, insert
"--replay-gain" before your tag arguments. It's
that easy.

For example, here's my EAC FLAC command-line
arguments:

"-8 -V --replay-gain -T "artist=%a" -T "title=%t"
-T "album=%g" -T "genre=%m" %s"

Note this only inserts track gain, album gain will
be written but identical to track gain. Since I'd
rather have all tracks the same, it doesn't bother me.

>
> Will I notice the improvement of FLAC over AAC when
played on my
> quality separate system?

Well, one's lossless, one isn't. I'm not using
your ears, your room or your equipment so I can't
tell you whether you'd notice a difference. :-)

But you're throwing out audio data in one mode and
retaining it all in another, so infer from that
what you will.

--
___________________________________


Mark Lanctot
___________________________________

[fairyliquidizer]

Thanks for this. During playback is the Replay Gain applied on the slimserver or on the SB3?

In addition do you know which gain is used Album or Track?

Sorry for all the noob questions I think I'm getting there! (The album art problem is one I'll tackle after the GAIN)

[snarlydwarf]

Replaygain is done on the SB3, whether it's track or album gain depends on your settings.

(The choices are off, track, album or 'smart'... smart uses albumgain if the playlist is from the same album, or trackgain if it's a mixed list.)

[fairyliquidizer]

thanks. Settings are done and all works well