Skip to main content

Notice

Please note that most of the software linked on this forum is likely to be safe to use. If you are unsure, feel free to ask in the relevant topics, or send a private message to an administrator or moderator. To help curb the problems of false positives, or in the event that you do find actual malware, you can contribute through the article linked here.
Topic: Prevent file renaming while transcoding (Read 6278 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Prevent file renaming while transcoding

Hi, all,

I am transcoding my AIFF library to FLAC format with XLD. I can't see any preference that would prevent the app from renaming files. Specifically, it adds the artist's name by inserting it between the track number and the track title. There must be some simple way to tell the app to leave the file name alone, but I can't find it. I would appreciate help with that. I am using the latest version of HLD on MacBook Pro running OSX Mountain Lion.

AllEars

Prevent file renaming while transcoding

Reply #1
I don't use XLD, but could it be honoring a file naming convention set elsewhere in the options, perhaps the same one used for ripping?

Prevent file renaming while transcoding

Reply #2
Well, the CD Rip preference pane does not contain anything that would change the naming/renaming behaviour. There is a separate File Naming preference pane, though, which includes two alternatives: Default and Custom. The Default gives me as a result a file that is renamed. I have no idea how to use the Custom alternative.

Any more suggestions, please?

Prevent file renaming while transcoding

Reply #3
So, you've ruled that out, because you can't be bothered to figure out how "custom" works and then test it?


Prevent file renaming while transcoding

Reply #5
Hi, korth,

This was somewhat helpful, in that I now know the %t placeholder stands for the title of the song - which is fine. But adding the %n (track number), changes the original track number, which is replaced by the one assigned by XLD. If I don't use the %n placeholder at all, then no track number is written to the file's name (which means that I lose the track number from the original disc).

My goal is to retain the original name without altering it in any way. I only want to transcode the file format from AIFF to FLAC and embed the artwork. Is that possible with XLD?


Prevent file renaming while transcoding

Reply #7
Couldn't you use command line and -o to <oldfilename>.FLAC?


Hi, Porcus,
This sounds so simple, but I am not a programmer/coder. Command line is a mystery to me. Could you elaborate just a little bit more? I never used Terminal before, so hand-holding would be much appreciated. Sorry for my ignorance...

Prevent file renaming while transcoding

Reply #8
This was somewhat helpful, in that I now know the %t placeholder stands for the title of the song - which is fine. But adding the %n (track number), changes the original track number, which is replaced by the one assigned by XLD.

I don't have access to a working mac right now and it has been a while since I last used XLD but from what I remember if the metadata is correct then %n should be correct.
You could check 'Edit tags before convert' on the 'Metadata' tab. This will force XLD to stop and prompt you to review and edit the tags before the conversion. You should be able to fix the track numbers there.
korth

 

Prevent file renaming while transcoding

Reply #9
Couldn't you use command line and -o to <oldfilename>.FLAC?


Hi, Porcus,
This sounds so simple, but I am not a programmer/coder. Command line is a mystery to me. Could you elaborate just a little bit more? I never used Terminal before, so hand-holding would be much appreciated. Sorry for my ignorance...


Well, I usually mess up command lines myself.  And syntax differs from shell to shell ... I don't even know what the fruitware uses. And I cannot test the XLD syntax.

Maybe this is something for you: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/max-the-multi...nverter-in-mac/


Prevent file renaming while transcoding

Reply #11
xld seems to support CLI interface. To convert foo.aif to foo.flac,  something like the following should work:
Code: [Select]
xld -f flac -o foo.flac foo.aif

Converting multiple files keeping the directory hierarchy can be done like the following. It can be achieved by a relatively simple script, but it might be difficult if you have never used shells in the terminal:
Code: [Select]
#!/bin/sh
case $# in
2) SRCDIR="$1"
   DSTDIR="$2";;
*) echo usage: $0 SRCDIR DSTDIR 1>&2
   exit 1;;
esac
(cd "$SRCDIR" && find . -name '*.aif' -o -name '*.aiff') | while read FILE
do
    FILE="${FILE#./}"
    mkdir -p "${DSTDIR}/${FILE%/*}"
    xld -f flac -o "${DSTDIR}/${FILE%.*}.flac" "${SRCDIR}/${FILE}"
done


Prevent file renaming while transcoding

Reply #12
Converting multiple files keeping the directory hierarchy can be done like the following. It can be achieved by a relatively simple script, but it might be difficult if you have never used shells in the terminal:

Thanks a lot! When I'll find the courage to mess around with the Terminal, I will certainly try your script. But I will also be on a lookout for some other application that does not force me to rename my audio files or to start a computer-science course in order to prevent it from altering the file's name. 

I'd like to thank all of you who tried to help me with this predicament...