Ripping double CD sets

[paulgj]

Just curious what the consensus seems to be on the best way to rip and tag double or multi-CD sets. Typically when ripping Albums that consist of multiple CD's (especially for say a live concert that spans two discs) I will rip to FLAC files in the same directory, with track numbers continuing from the last track on disc 1 + 1.

For example:
contained in folder /flac/Whoever/The Ultimate Concert

ALBUM = "The Ultimate Concert"
ALBUMSORT = "Ultimate Concert, The"
ARTIST = "Whoever"
TOTALDISCS = 2

(ripped from CD 1 DISCNUMBER=1):

01 - Track one name
02 - Track two name
03 - Track three name

(ripped from CD 2 DISCNUMBER=2):

04 - Track one from CD 2
05 - Track two from CD 2
etc

albumart (folder.jpg) resides in root of album name folder

for other multi-disc sets where there is say a disc for each night at a venue I keep a separate folder for each disc such as "At the Blue Note (Friday 7/13/1962)", "At the Blue Note (Saturday 7/14/1962)"

I guess I tend to place files that would be intended to be listened to in one sitting in a single folder.

Opinions, thoughts? Has anyone found issues with this schema?

Thanks!

[Mnyb]

If you are using the disc number tag you don't have to mess with the track numbering.

The server has no problem telling track 1 disc 1 from track 1 disc 2 .

I rip each disc to it's own folder so I can separate the tracks from each disc easilly .

But then there is the setting to keep multiple disc as one album or separate album, I prefer separate albums. This a matter of taste ..

Your aproach to keep sets you intend to listen to in one go in one folder you set these as the same disc ?
Or do you use music folder to explore this ?

There is probably no consensus or rigth way to do it as long as the servers scanning logic can make sense out of it and presents the albums in a way you like it.

However I think that keeping the original track order is better, because it is easy for tag aplications and similar to search for info agian if you ever want to adjust the tags.

And some people just get rid of the whole multidisc thing, having all in one folder and renumber them and don't use disc number tags . The logic here is that " discs " is arcaic has no meaning in the server context. I understand that reasoning, the usual cause for multiple disc is that the music won't fit on one
disc. An album is usually a bunch tracks meant to heard together .

But sometimes there is a thematic use of disc 1 or 2 . Disc 1 could be studio and disc 2 live , or uptempo rockers vs ballads, or original version vs outakes and special versions.

I'm a bit of a collector so I keep the disc1 and disc2 separate as a nostalgick hint to thier origin

[InTheBath]

I was going to post on exactly this theme and see what people do.

I'm with the OP normally. I have a lot of double CDs where the split between CDs is irrelevant and I tend to think "I'll play track 9" rather than "I'll play the second disk".
However, things like Kate Bush's Aerial seem to be two thematic pieces (disc 2 opens with a prelude, for example). I've treated it as two seperate albums. Similarly the best of Tommy Emmanuel which has an electric and an acoustic disk. Two seperate albums on my system.

The whole disc-number ripping seems to be a bit of a mix up anyway. Most of the albums I have were themed as two seperate sides of vinyl. I still sometimes feel in the mood to play the second side of an album, or side 3 of Songs in the Key of Life, for example. I think artists generally stopped looking at the running order of their albums in terms of sides around 1990.

To me, it makes no sense to think of The White Album as two discs. It's definitely four sides.
And Abbey Road isn't one disc. It's two sides.

I'm not anal enough to use discnumber to seperate all my albums into sides though...

M.

[Mnyb]

Another POW dudes/dudettes listening to a lot of club and dance music bought as single tracks or ripped of compilations (often multiple discs) and singles might think that the whole album/release concept is irrelevant .

A DJ with 100000 tracks would probably find the sorting bizarre in or devices .

Using some advanced genre and year search would pull up a more useful listing for such a user . The basic ui is very lacking here maybe erlands custom browse is the key .

[MrSinatra]

personally, i believe in keeping it simple. now some on here HATE my method, but i see it as sensible and is universally supported.

one folder = one album/piece of media = one CD = how i do it.

no disc tags. and in the album tag i will put things like " (CD1)"

so for example, Led Zeps double album is:

Physical Graffiti (CSR Disc 1)
and
Physical Graffiti (CSR Disc 2)

[CSR is just a note i put for "Complete Studio Remasters/Recordings"]

and in that way, 2 cds = 2 folders = 2 albums. some define album as the title, but i define it as the physical media. besides, what if you only had one cd of it? how would that system cope with "half an album?" mine does.

i also like seeing the art twice, b/c that lets me know its two CDs.

i wouldn't want to do it any other way.

[Phil Leigh]

personally, i believe in keeping it simple. now some on here HATE my method, but i see it as sensible and is universally supported.

one folder = one album/piece of media = one CD = how i do it.

no disc tags. and in the album tag i will put things like " (CD1)"

so for example, Led Zeps double album is:

Physical Graffiti (CSR Disc 1)
and
Physical Graffiti (CSR Disc 2)

[CSR is just a note i put for "Complete Studio Remasters/Recordings"]

and in that way, 2 cds = 2 folders = 2 albums. some define album as the title, but i define it as the physical media. besides, what if you only had one cd of it? how would that system cope with "half an album?" mine does.

i also like seeing the art twice, b/c that lets me know its two CDs.

i wouldn't want to do it any other way.

You must really hate it when labels stick two otherwise unconnected albums on one disc... :-)

Personally it drives me mad to see two lots of artwork for what is one "piece of work"...

I do everything you do EXCEPT I use disknumber tags and "group albums" - works beautifully for me and replicates my experience of playing a vinyl double album on an autochanger deck with a single flip (think circa 1972...)

Remember when labels used to put sides a 1 & 3 and 2 & 4 on opposing surfaces... :-)

Each to their own.

[garym]

Remember when labels used to put sides a 1 & 3 and 2 & 4 on opposing surfaces... :-)

yes!!!

[MrSinatra]

You must really hate it when labels stick two otherwise unconnected albums on one disc... :-)

i don't follow you, give me an example...

do you mean like two artists on one disc? or two albums on one disc? it is true that for niche cases my system isn't perfect, but then again, what system perfectly handles every niche case? out of 55k tracks, i have maybe 3 or 4 such niches.

Personally it drives me mad to see two lots of artwork for what is one "piece of work"...

I do everything you do EXCEPT I use disknumber tags and "group albums" - works beautifully for me and replicates my experience of playing a vinyl double album on an autochanger deck with a single flip (think circa 1972...)

Remember when labels used to put sides a 1 & 3 and 2 & 4 on opposing surfaces... :-)

Each to their own.

you do everything i do? do you put the "CD1" type strings at the end of the album tag? b/c if you do, disc numbers and options shouldn't overcome that, right?

also, i am just barely old enough to think of certain albums as "side a" and "side b" but thats really faded now. i am a child of CDs ultimately. but it would be cool to tag it somehow, and insert a LP flipping sound effect via the app. maybe a needle touchdown to start as well.

[garym]

but it would be cool to tag it somehow, and insert a LP flipping sound effect via the app. maybe a needle touchdown to start as well.

Tom Petty did something similar in the 80s or early 90s. There was a place on the CD where Tom talks and says something like, "I'm giving the people that own this on vinyl to turn the record over." ;-)

[InTheBath]

Had a couple of albums with two intertwined grooves, so it was potluck which one played when you put the needle down. Mostly 12"s.

Also recall an album where each track ended with a continuous groove. Meaning you had to lift the needle and put it on the next track.
Can't for the life of me remember the album or artist now. Some indie lads in the C86 era, I think.
It was either "to foster a closer link between the music and the listener" or "to show what an annoying bunch of nuggets we are". I forget which.

As to the cases where a single CD has a couple of albums on it (usually old blues records, but Beach Boys and Marvin Gaye reissues were once routinely done this way). I always rip these as two seperate albums in two seperate folders.

Why be a slave to the physical format when you're ripping to digital files? Choose the physical bits you want to model and ignore the rest.

M.