Volume adjustment issues in SS 6.5?

[eschurr]

I just upgraded to SS 6.5 and am apparently having issues with my SB3's volume adjustment. I've read lots of other posts about volume adjustment but still can't figure this out.

I've been using MP3Gain to add Track Gain tags to my MP3 files, which i organize in iTunes.

SB3's volume adjustment worked fabulously until this upgrade. Now I'm getting strange results.

the "Song info" display in SS shows volume adjustments with large values (e.g., - 13.79db) but i don't know where they're coming from. MP3Gain shows Track Gain values much smaller (e.g -4db).

I wonder if it's the "sound check" feature in iTunes, which i think sucks, but has been turned on (please don't ask why -- but i will gladly turn it off).

I remember seeing an old post about iTunes sound check vs. Replay Gain, but i can't find it.

-- does SS 6.5 use the Sound Check info from iTunes? what does it prioritize first -- Track Gain info (in APEv2 tags) or Sound Check values (not sure where they're stored)?
-- is there a good tool for looking at all the tag values in a file?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[eschurr]

There have been no replies to this but I hope someone has a few thoughts soon. this is driving me crazy.

I think there's a bug in slimserver 6.5. it is showing volume adjustment values that are huge and are only showing in SlimServer

-- MP3Gain shows very different and much smaller values
-- I've turned off iTunes sound check. Even if i change the "volume adjustment" slider in iTunes it makes no different.

I can't figure out where these huge volume adjustment values are coming from and they are killing me. One of the reasons i updraded to SB3 was for the volume adjustment feature!

HELP.

[Mark Lanctot]

Originally Posted by eschurr

I think there's a bug in slimserver 6.5. it is showing volume adjustment values that are huge and are only showing in SlimServer

It must be just your installation, otherwise the forum would be flooded with it.

How big are these adjustment values? I remember reading issues where it was "65535", which is the largest number that can be represented in 16 bits and means the database failed to read the correct data.

There was a thread on this:

http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=22511

and the latest nightly version solved the issue.

[eschurr]

Thanks for your response.

the values are in the ranges of -16db. They are substantial enought to dramatically affect the volume level on playback.

I wonder what could be wrong my install? i upgraded to 6.5 and *poof* i have new volume adjustment values.

I would love to know how i can see all the tag values independent of slimserver. i keep wondering if iTunes somehow screwed things up, but Apple always hides things to "protect" the user, so i don't know what it's doing.

[eschurr]

Here's an example:

here's the values for one song i selected in my library:

--Foobar2000 reports a Track Gain value of -5.32db.
--MP3Gain reports a Track Gain value of -6.00db (it rounds)
--iTunes reports no volume adjustment value on its slider

However, slimserver reports a Volume Adjustment value of -14.97

where is it getting that value?

[eschurr]

Here's some more data.

I tried a little experiment that was inspired by another posting i read in the forum on another thread.

--I tookd the file mentioned below and copied it.
--I used MP3Gain to remove the tags
--MP3Gain and Foobar 2000 both show NO track gain information
--I scanned my library so the file was known to slimserver 6.5

Guess what? Slimserver still reports a volume adjustment value of -14.97db!

please note that this file was never imported to iTunes. Granted, it's a copy of a file that was in iTunes before.

where is iTunes storing its sound check info? how can i get at that? I wonder if that's it.

[Mark Lanctot]

Have you looked at the tags using Mp3tag? In order for it to read MP3Gain's values, the values need to be written in an APEv2 tag, which is what MP3Gain will write by default.

Note, use MP3Gain's "Track Analysis" button only, don't apply the gain or it will change the volume in the file!

I suspect you have an inconsistency in your tag structure. I'm not sure where SlimServer expects to find the RG data, but in my case, this works:

- tags ID3v2.3 - NO ID3v1 tags!
- RG data written by MP3Gain in APEv2 tags

You can set Mp3tag to delete everything but these tags. However, set it to WRITE ID3v2.3 only first, then save all the tags - otherwise they will be wiped! Try this on a test file or two.

[Mark Lanctot]

Apparently, iTunes now applies RG data whether you want it to or not:

http://forums.slimdevices.com/showpo...9&postcount=15

[eschurr]

Mark, thanks.

Frankly, i'm a bit lost on the distinctions and implications of the various MP3 tag types. I'd like to learn more about them.

i tried Mp3tag and i didn't learn much from it. I looked at a file that MP3Gain and Foobar says have a Track Gain value, but i can't see it in Mp3Tag.

I am open to the fact that i may have issues with my tag structure, but i don't know how it would have happened.

Here's some more data:

-- On the copy of the file where i removed the APEv2 tags, Foobar shows there is no track gain value and says there are no APEv2 tags (makes sense)

-- on the original file, Foobar says there is a track gain value and says there is an APEv2 tag (again, makes sense)

-- BUT slimserver reports that both files have a volume adjustment tag of -14.97!

also, can you please explain in more detail what you mean by this recommendation:
"You can set Mp3tag to delete everything but these tags. However, set it to WRITE ID3v2.3 only first, then save all the tags - otherwise they will be wiped! Try this on a test file or two."

many thanks!

[Mark Lanctot]

Originally Posted by eschurr

Frankly, i'm a bit lost on the distinctions and implications of the various MP3 tag types. I'd like to learn more about them.

Me too. But I'm mostly using FLAC these days, and that's one of the advantages of FLAC - you don't have to mess with this stuff.

i tried Mp3tag and i didn't learn much from it. I looked at a file that MP3Gain and Foobar says have a Track Gain value, but i can't see it in Mp3Tag.

All Mp3tag will say is that you have an APEv2 tag.

Oh yeah, I just realized you won't see this in a default install. I can't recall how to set this and I'm away from my regular PC right now. IIRC you add a new column and set it to show "_%tag%_".

also, can you please explain in more detail what you mean by this recommendation:
"You can set Mp3tag to delete everything but these tags. However, set it to WRITE ID3v2.3 only first, then save all the tags - otherwise they will be wiped! Try this on a test file or two."

Once I get back to my regular PC I can walk you through this, but it's in Tools - Options. You can specify what tag types get written when you hit the save button and what gets deleted when you press the "X" button. However you have to write the new tag type BEFORE you delete the old tag types or you will delete your tags!

Essentially you want to WRITE ID3v2.3 tags and DELETE ID3v1 tags. Keep ID3v2.3 and APEv2 tags.