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Hiya,I've got an IBook set up on a network of about 8 MACs, - including our shared ITunes server in the basement. My IBook is connected via routers and hubs to the G5 and I'm getting some really nice playback, - no latency. But, I'm frustrated with the ITunes program.
I don't get emotional about the MAC vs PC wars. But, I can't get ITunes organizized!!!!
First, - compilation CDs are organized into a compilations folder.... I don't want to browse by songs, or artist, = but by CD title. Plus, - whenever I transfer a CD to the server, - I have to pay very close attention that I'm connected/networked to the server, or without warning, the CD gets transferred to the hard drive of my IBook..... nasty....
Does anyone have any ITunes insight as to how I can trick it into a better organizational methodology?
Also, does anyone have an opinion on investing in high quality USB cable? I have a USB/printer cable going into an APL breakout USB to SPDIF converter box, then a really nice silver digital cable going into the Digital input of the APL....
thanks for any thoughts....
In arenas he kills for a prize, Wins a minute to add to his life. But the sickness is drowned by cries for more, Pray to God, make it quick, watch him fall
Follow Ups:
iTunes is a very powerful database with a lot of flexibility. You just need to learn how to use it.If the CD is labeled as compilation in the CDDB database then it puts it in the compilation folder. You can override this by doing a "get info" on all the songs before you import and unchecking the compilation if it is checked. Keep a window open with the storage location showing while you rip to see if it is creating compilation folders. If you missed it up front, you can also reorganize after you rip it, Do a "get info" in the library and uncheck the compilation box. If you do it right away then it will delete the compilation and put it in a folder with the artists name.
Make sure you have "keep iTunes folder organized" checked in the general preferences.
Sometimes it won't move the files when you uncheck compilation. To get rid of these; create a folder with the artists name and drag the CD folder out of compilations and into your new folder. ITunes won't be able to find it now. Delete the entry from your iTunes library, then drag and drop the new folder into the library and it will be back and point to the new folder.
It doesn't matter if iTunes puts them in a compilation folder or not. It still can be organized by song title, album title, artist, whatever. In the menuus click on "show browser." You can then right click on the title bar and chooose what fields are displayed and how you want them sorted.
If you turn on your mac and it isn't connected to the external storage drives, it reverts back to the internal iTunes default folder. I check everytime I start a rippong session to see where it will go.
If you screw up and forget to change the storage location, delete the CDs from the iTunes library, move them to the preferred drive, then drag and drop the folders into the library and it will add them. Or you can delete them from the library, then drag and drop from the internal drive with the box checked to "copy files to iTunes folder" in the general preferences. This will copy them to the prefered location as it adds them.
yeah,Sorry about the whining....
There are a lot of other programs in the world that are worse, and also not intuitive.
I wish that ITunes was written better, and had some more clearly accessible options, - that didn't require one to watch over things so closely, and, didn't have all of these "workarounds."
I need to set up remote desktop on this MAC IBook upstairs, and thereby gain greater control of the ITunes server...
Cheers,
In arenas he kills for a prize, Wins a minute to add to his life. But the sickness is drowned by cries for more, Pray to God, make it quick, watch him fall
The fact that it defaults back to the internal drive when the externals aren't connected is only logical. It would be better if it told you it was doing it though.The "work arounds" are not iTunes fault. It puts things into compilation folders based on what it finds in the CDDB database, which it does not own or control, and many of those entries are just wrong. If the person who uploaded the album info checks the compilation box then that is what iTunes uses.
Try importing a classical album. They are full of errors; the composer is often entered as the artist. I don't think Mozart performed on many of his recordings :> )
My problem with compilations is when you're browsing by Artist you have all these one-song Artists you have to sort through, so I got rid of them all with an Apple Script from Doug's ITunes Scripts called Put This After That. It allows you to group select all the tracks on a compliation, append the Artist info to the Name info, and then delete the info from the Artist tag. So now my Nuggets compilations, etc. will read: "Rosalyn - The Pretty Things" and the Artist tag will be blank.Personally, I'd rather keep actual compliation albums in the Compilations folder for organizational/genre sorting purposes. But there are a lot of "Best of" albums that are listed in CDDB as compilations, when to my mind an album is only a compilation if it contains a bunch of different artists. So yeah, I always check and see what the database says before importing.
It matters if you are trying to organize your hard drive folders by artist, but iTunes only uses the tag information when it sorts the library and doesn't care where the files are or what the folders are named
Yes,I hear that.
I guess sometimes I want both.
I have a couple of songs that appear about 7 times, due to them being on various compilations. I want to do some clean up. I also need to build more playlists....
In arenas he kills for a prize, Wins a minute to add to his life. But the sickness is drowned by cries for more, Pray to God, make it quick, watch him fall
I have just got into the iPod thing myself. Found the same thing with the compilation albums and it is a bit annoying.
Up until recently I have been ripping tunes with EAC and storing in an external drive, but will soon be adding an NAS server. I have the external drive set up as the default destination and now rip uncompressed with iTunes and if the drive is not online then iTunes stops. Not noticed any difference in the sound of the rip either... but with the iTunes I get the organised folders and album art that I didn't have before... but it could do with being organised better.At the moment, I output via firewire to an M-Audio 410, normally I play with Wavelab set to ASIO, and then the 410 flips it to S/PDIF and sends it down a VdH cable to my MF X-Dac V3 and X-Cans... Now I have several firewire cables, the stock stuff and some silvered 'better' cables. The better specced cables did sound cleaner and general more pleasing. I got mine for nothing so no prejudice or guilt about the money spent in the decision... so I would do the same again if I get a USB Dac in the future.
Asked about, maybe somebody has a cable you could try before you buy... or maybe a friend has something...
If I find out anything about organising the files...I'll let you know.
Have fun,
K
I rip outside of itunes, store in folders on a separate (D:) drive, then import folders into itunes. No files on the main drive (C:).I would find it hard to believe that the quality of the USB cable makes a difference, but I can't say I have tested any high dollar ones.
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