Using REACT 2.0 - I need help.......

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Using REACT 2.0 - I need help.......

2008-04-01 21:41:08

Hi
I started to use REACT 2.0. Or better I'm trying to use it.
I used EAC some month ago converting all my cd in .APE format.
Now I need to encode new CDs and I would like to create APE and NeroMP4 in one shot with te same output directory and naming convention.
I have read the wiki. I understood that, as a non ninja, probably I can do alle the configuration editing the .INI file. I'm just looking the file. I do not understand:
1) Can be added the .APE format to the script? How? Or do you suggest to use .flac?
2) I remember that in EAC I used the MAC.exe or similar call to create the .APE file and the end of the waw creation. Where is it. How is managed?
3) I do not understand how the program perform the creation of the loosless file and the compressed file.

What I need:
Create from a CD .APE (or .FLAC fles) and a Nero AAC file. And in the same time dowload the covers. In the same directory. With replygain. I see different option but I would like you suggest the most simple option.

Other questions:
What is the difference between AAC, NeroAAC, MP4. ItunesAAC. What is the best for my Nano. What do you suggest as bitrate? And where do you set this bitrate?

I have converted in the past other cd's with eac in .APE format. Now I need to convert those files creating a new files in AAC or what else, NeroAAC....
Can I use EAC? Or REACT2 or Foobar?
What I use to dowload covers for these files?

Sorry if I did not find the info directly in the forums.
If you have a .INI configuration ready to use to do what needed it will be appreciated.

Thanks for your support to the future REACT ninja

By

Using REACT 2.0 - I need help.......

Reply #1 – 2008-04-01 22:35:57

REACT currently does not support APE creation. I don't know why. If you know a thing or two about writing BAT scripts, you can easily follow (replicate) the process outlined in the REACT-track.CFG (or just do like I did and copy it, "trial and error"). You can skip this by just using FLAC or WavPack. While neither can compress as much as MAC, is that extra 3MB saved for the album worth it. Also, in my experience, WavPack creates smaller lossless files than FLAC and is faster.

To your EAC questions: EAC just calls the MAC.exe encoder as if you typed commands into command prompt (CMD.exe). The encoder can be set to tag it or EAC can tag it. I do not know as I haven't used EAC to tag files for a long time. REACT just tags files via the encoder or appropriate external application (located in the folder "tools").

REACT is no different than EAC. Its name implies this "Run Exact Audio Copy Tasks." Instead of EAC doing any work calling an ecoder, EAC calls REACT, and REACT creates a BAT script based on the scripts outlined in your CFGs. As far as I understand, the language in the CFGs is copied into a BAT file and that BAT file is run with the variables meant for Artist ans Album, etc, are replaced with their appropriate values.

I don't know the difference between the various AAC types, and I don't know anything about MPEG-4. I use Vorbis.

In my opinion, the easiest way to encode files from lossless files (especially APE tracks) is to just use FooBar2000. I don't know what to use for downloading album covers.

Using REACT 2.0 - I need help.......

Reply #2 – 2008-04-02 06:34:47

I can not help with the others but you could try Album Art Downloader. Works like a charm. This requires .Net Framework 2.0.
Download from here:http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=51896

Using REACT 2.0 - I need help.......

Reply #3 – 2008-04-02 09:40:42

Quote from: katoblepa on 2008-04-01 21:41:08

1) Can be added the .APE format to the script? How? Or do you suggest to use .flac?

If you have no preference as to the lossless format that you use then it may be easiest to switch to FLAC, or WavPack. It is certainly possible to add APE support to the CFG of your choice. You could probably do so quite easily by following the instructions in the wiki to add TAK support, and substituting relevant details (TAK => APE; TAKC.EXE => MAC.EXE).

Quote from: katoblepa on 2008-04-01 21:41:08

2) I remember that in EAC I used the MAC.exe or similar call to create the .APE file and the end of the waw creation. Where is it. How is managed?

It is probably in "C:\Program Files\Monkey's Audio". You can download an EXE from the shntool site.

Quote from: katoblepa on 2008-04-01 21:41:08

3) I do not understand how the program perform the creation of the loosless file and the compressed file.

Take a look at the REACT wiki page for an explanation.

Quote from: katoblepa on 2008-04-01 21:41:08

Other questions:
What is the difference between AAC, NeroAAC, MP4. ItunesAAC. What is the best for my Nano. What do you suggest as bitrate? And where do you set this bitrate?

I would suggest another thread for this question.

Quote from: katoblepa on 2008-04-01 21:41:08

I have converted in the past other cd's with eac in .APE format. Now I need to convert those files creating a new files in AAC or what else, NeroAAC....
Can I use EAC? Or REACT2 or Foobar?

You could use foobar.

Quote from: katoblepa on 2008-04-01 21:41:08

What I use to dowload covers for these files?

Quote from: poleepkwa on 2008-04-02 06:34:47

I can not help with the others but you could try Album Art Downloader. Works like a charm. This requires .Net Framework 2.0.
Download from here:http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=51896

REACT also uses Album Art Downloader to retrieve artwork.

Using REACT 2.0 - I need help.......

Reply #4 – 2008-04-04 20:52:52

[quote name='Synthetic Soul' date='Apr 2 2008, 02:40' post='556421']
[quote name='katoblepa' post='556302' date='Apr 1 2008, 21:41']1) Can be added the .APE format to the script? How? Or do you suggest to use .flac?[/quote]If you have no preference as to the lossless format that you use then it may be easiest to switch to FLAC, or WavPack. It is certainly possible to add APE support to the CFG of your choice. You could probably do so quite easily by following the instructions in the wiki to add TAK support, and substituting relevant details (TAK => APE; TAKC.EXE => MAC.EXE).

I started to modify the REACT2.INI in order to manage.APE compression.

I do not know if it is ok.
For sure I do not remember the parameters for APE conversion and Nero AAC compression.

Then I will modify the config file.

Here what I changed in the .INI:

[Settings]
Version=2.0
ImageExt=ape
ImageNaming=$artist$ - [$year$] $album$
ImageHotKey={F10}
TracksHotKey={F4}
TracksHotVal=+{F5}
VA=Various Artists
CreateAllCuesheets=0
RunCoverDownloader=1
CoverDownloader=E:\Programmi\REACT2\coverdownloader\albumart.exe
EAC=E:\Programmi\Exact Audio Copy\EAC.exe
Tools=E:\Programmi\REACT2\tools
MinimizeCompressionWindow=1
ProcessPriority=1
Sla_Bks_Col_Qst_Bar_Quo_Ast_Lt_Gt=-|-|-||!|'|#|[|]

[UserTrackFormats]
Flac=0
Wavpack=0
LameMP3=0
NeroAac=1
iTunesAac=0
OggEnc2=0
APE=1

[UserOutputNames]
OutRoot=@mymusic@\EAC
ImageDir_Flac=@OutRoot@\FLAC-images\$cdartist$
ImageDir_Wavpack=@OutRoot@\WV-images\$cdartist$
ImageDir_MP3=@OutRoot@\MP3-images\$cdartist$
TrackDir_Flac=@OutRoot@\FLAC\$cdartist$\[$year$] $album$
TrackDir_Wavpack=@OutRoot@\WV\$cdartist$\[$year$] $album$
TrackDir_MP3=@OutRoot@\MP3\$cdartist$\[$year$] $album$
TrackDir_AAC=@OutRoot@\AAC\$cdartist$\[$year$] $album$
TrackDir_OGG=@OutRoot@\OGG\$cdartist$\[$year$] $album$
TrackDir_APE=@OutRoot@\APE\$cdartist$\[$year$] $album$
TrackName_SA=$track$ - $title$
TrackName_VA=$track$ - $title$ [$artist$]
TrackName_SA_acdir=$n - $~t
TrackName_VA_acdir=$n - $~t [$~a]

[UserSettings]
Debug=0
Comment=Created with EAC/REACT2, @curdate@
EmbedCover=1
ReplayGain=1
ApplyAlbumGain=1
AdjustAlbumGain_dB=+3.0
AddCuesheetAG=0
UseWaveGainAG=0
Opt_Flac=-5 -f
Opt_Wavpack=-hmy
Opt_LameMP3=-V5 --vbr-new --noreplaygain --nohist
Opt_NeroAac=-lc -q 0.21
Opt_iTunesAac=-d -s 2000
Opt_OggEnc2=-q 3.0
Opt_APE=?

%s %d -c2000
Ver_Flac=1.1.3
Ver_Wavpack=4.40
Ver_LameMP3=3.97
Ver_NeroAac=1.0.0.2
Ver_OggEnc2=2.83 Lancer aoTuV b5
Ver_APE=3.9.9.0

Could you please verify if I did something wrong (a part the parameters for APE e Nero compression?

Thanks

Giorgio

Using REACT 2.0 - I need help.......

Reply #5 – 2008-04-05 19:39:46

[/quote]

Now I'm changing .cnfg file to add APE support. I'm following the instruction created to add TAK support. http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....showtopic=54544
Some doubt on this part in bold:

IF NOT @ImageExt@==tak GOTO end_tak_image
   SET dest="@ImageDir_Tak@"
   IF NOT EXIST %dest% MKDIR %dest%
   @tools@\takc.exe -e @Opt_Tak@ "@source@" "@image@"
   @tools@\tag.exe %RG_Tak% -t "%ArtistField%=@cdartist@" -t album="@album@" -t totaltracks="@numtracks@" -t year="@year@" -t genre="@genre@" -t comment="@comment@" -t encodedby="%USERNAME%" -t encodersettings="TAK @Ver_Tak@ @Opt_Tak@" -f cuesheet="@cuesheet@" -f eaclog="@eaclog@" "@image@"
   MOVE /Y "@image@" %dest%
   MOVE /Y "@cuesheet@" %dest%
   IF %have_cover%==1 COPY /Y "@cover@" %dest%\"@basename@.jpg"
:end_tak_image

Do I need this part of code with ape? Why use tag.exe with APE

Quite the same question about this part. I did not use acdir with EAC before.

IF NOT @Tak@==1 GOTO end_tak_tracks
   SET dest="@TrackDir_Tak@"
   IF NOT EXIST %dest% MKDIR %dest%
   PUSHD %dest%
      IF @various@==1 SET VA_tag=-t $qalbum artist=@VA@$q
      @tools@\acdir.exe --overwrite --output "%TrackName%.wav" --extract "@sourcecuesheet@"
      @tools@\acdir.exe --exec "@tools@\takc.exe -e -overwrite @Opt_Tak@ $q%TrackName%.wav$q $q%TrackName%.tak$q && @tools@\tag.exe %RG_Tak_acdir% %VA_tag% -t artist=$#a -t album=$#T -t title=$#t -t track=$n/$N -t year=$q@year@$q -t genre=$q@genre@$q -t comment=$q@comment@$q -t encodedby=$q%USERNAME%$q -t encodersettings=$qTAK @Ver_Tak@ @Opt_Tak@$q $q%TrackName%.tak$q && DEL $q%TrackName%.wav$q" "@sourcecuesheet@"
      COPY /Y "@eaclog@" "EAClog.txt"
      IF %have_cover%==1 COPY /Y "@cover@" "folder.jpg"
      IF EXIST "@albumfile@.

.cue" COPY /Y "@albumfile@.
.cue" .
POPD
:end_tak_tracks

Then I see the section REACT-track.cfg. But I do not find it in my cnfg file.

Could you please help me?

Thanks

Using REACT 2.0 - I need help.......

Reply #6 – 2008-04-06 09:21:21

Do I take it that you want an APE image with cuesheet, with MP4 tracks?

Quote from: katoblepa on 2008-04-05 19:39:46

Do I need this part of code with ape? Why use tag.exe with APE

Yes you do. MAC.EXE cannot tag while encoding, unlike LAME, FLAC, WAVPACK, etc., so you need to encode with MAC.EXE and then tag with TAG.EXE.

Quote from: katoblepa on 2008-04-05 19:39:46

Quite the same question about this part. I did not use acdir with EAC before.

If you are ripping to an image you need some way to split that image into tracks, or you'd have to rip twice. ACDIR is used to split the source WAVE into tracks to send to an encoder.

Quote from: katoblepa on 2008-04-05 19:39:46

Then I see the section REACT-track.cfg. But I do not find it in my cnfg file.

There are two config files: REACT-image.cfg and REACT-track.cfg. If you want an APE image then you will be ripping to image, and only need to concern yourself with REACT-image.cfg.

The first thing to clairify is: do you want one APE image file per CD, or do you in fact want track files?

Using REACT 2.0 - I need help.......

Reply #7 – 2008-04-07 10:25:14

BTW, I have now created a wiki article, REACT:Adding Support For Monkey's Audio, and have an updated INI and CFG available (which will be included in any further mod I release (if indeed I do)).

If you let me know whether you want APE tracks or one APE image I will post an INI and CFG for you.

FYI: the wiki article is basically a hack of REACT:Adding Support For TAK, although I have also added in a section explaining how to use the shntool version of MAC.EXE to pipe from ACDIR to MAC.EXE, rather than have to create temporary WAVE files.

Using REACT 2.0 - I need help.......

Reply #8 – 2008-04-09 11:27:25

Quote from: Synthetic Soul on 2008-04-07 10:25:14

BTW, I have now created a wiki article, REACT:Adding Support For Monkey's Audio, and have an updated INI and CFG available (which will be included in any further mod I release (if indeed I do)).

If you let me know whether you want APE tracks or one APE image I will post an INI and CFG for you.

FYI: the wiki article is basically a hack of REACT:Adding Support For TAK, although I have also added in a section explaining how to use the shntool version of MAC.EXE to pipe from ACDIR to MAC.EXE, rather than have to create temporary WAVE files.

Hi Synthetic!!
I will go to see wiki and thanks for what you do.

I answer to your previous question. Yes I would like to have separate tracks in .APE and in .MP4. Now I'm doing this using EAC in the "old way" to convert CD in APE and then I use foobar for conversion in .MP4
For the moment it works.

Thanks again

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