[guygee]

Originally Posted by leesumitter

(...)
2. In FLAC Frontend (which I've never used for encoding before), it seems that the DOS window INITIALLY lists all files as converting properly (one line per track, with a percentage that scrolls up to 100% as encoding progresses).

BUT then, after encoding is (seemingly) finished, the window shows a BUNCH (10-15 lines per track) of track-by-track info, which indicates "General Error 1" (as I remember). It SEEMS like the error is related to trying to add tags (my SUSPICION is that the frontend is trying to create tags (whatever they are!) and I haven't given it the info to do so successfully). Sorry to be so vague.

But I guess my question is: what options should I be checking when encoding using FLAC Frontend? I've currently got it set to level 8, and have checked "verify," "add tags," "replaygain" (with sub-option "treat as whole album"), and "align on sector boundaries." U THINK these were the default settings. Other than the last one re: SBEs, I don't know what in the heck these options do, and I'm wondering if I can un-check one or all. (Having used CDWave for tracking, I'm assuming there's no SBE issue.)

HELP!

I am currently re-encoding a shn version of "Live Trane Underground" to FLAC, using essentially the same settings as you tried, so I am having to deal with the same issues, especially issues with Replaygain.

I am working with FLAC Frontend v1.7.1 with Options:
Level 8, Verify,Add Tags,Replaygain(treat input files as one album),
align on sector boundaries, Dec. through errors(NO).
running on top of flac 1.1.2 encoder. The options I give to FLAC Frontend result in the folowing options to flac 1.1.2:
--delete-input-file --sector-align -P 4244 -b 4608 -m -l 12 -e -q 0 -r
0,6 -V

1) If you want to know what replaygain does, check out http://www.replaygain.org/

2)I am reasonably sure that the "General Error 1" you are getting is the result of FLACs failure to "guess" a tag format and find a tag. This is an example of the the output I get when encoding a WAV file:

F:\Coltrane-LiveTraneUnderground-d01t05.flac
"Tag guessing failed."
(...)
"** ERRORS:
General errors: 1
Tag - Automatic Tag from filename"

So "Tag guessing failed", but a tag is most certainly "automatically" created, as I have verified with both Flac Frontend after creating the flac file, and also with TagScanner. So "General Error 1 - Tag guessing failed." is more like a warning that the original file was untagged (as would be expected in a shn>wav>flac conversion).

3) As for using Replaygain, it can be a nice feature but you have to be careful. For example, on Live Trane Underground Disk 1, there are two different show fragments, tracks 1-4 and tracks 5-7. My idea is to encode tracks 1-4 together and tracks 5-7 together, with Replaygain(treat input files as one album), to account for different recording levels at the different venues, and to preserve relative volume amplitudes within each show. But wait! Track 05 is just a brief radio announcement (voice only), so it get boosted massively, while the music on Tracks6-7 get attenuated:

"F:\Coltrane-LiveTraneUnderground-d01t05.flac
Tag guessing failed.
Format: FLAC
Details: 44100 Hz Stereo, 590 kbps, playtime 00:15
Tag: FLAC
Title:
Artist:
Album:
Year:
Track:
Genre:
Comment: Encoded by FLAC v1.1.2a with FLAC Frontend v1.7.1
REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_PEAK=0.31860352
REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN=+7.95 dB
REPLAYGAIN_ALBUM_PEAK=0.91534424
REPLAYGAIN_ALBUM_GAIN=-2.59 dB
FLAC tag written.

** ERRORS:
General errors: 1"

So my solution is to treat music and voice tracks seperately - no Replaygain on voice (who cares) and music tracks from seperate venues or sources Replaygain'ed as one album.

4) What is more confusing is the Replaygain data, which is supposed to be stored in the tag. I can't seem to find a tag editor that can read this metadata, but the replaygain information is certainly there! At least, it takes effect when I play my flac files back through Winamp with the Flac plug-in. If I play that track 05 announcement back though Winamp, the flac version is definitely louder than the shn version.

But how to see, access or edit the Replaygain metadata (supposedly in the tag)?

Here I am stuck with no answer.