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Topic: ALAC and Continuous Mix CDs (Read 3439 times) previous topic - next topic
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ALAC and Continuous Mix CDs

I'm ripping all my CD collection to Apple Lossless but am having a problem with my many continuous mix CDs. If I use "Join CD Tracks" I get one big file with no gaps but all under the one track name i.e. no track listing and no ability to skip to the next track as I can on the original CDs.

If I rip without joining tracks I get all the info on track names and times etc. but with the annoying gap between songs.

How can I keep the track name and time listings but avoid the gaps? It seems to me I will have to Join CD tracks but somehow force the import of the track and time info from CDDB? There doesn't appear to be a definitive answer to using cuesheets or similar in iTunes. Please bear in mind that I have to rip over 800 CDs so I want to avoid multistep terminal processes. Also I would prefer to do this on my Mac (though I can use a PC if this is unavoidable - no prejudice just a preference! )

ALAC and Continuous Mix CDs

Reply #1 –
You may want to check out this guide, it shows you how to join the tracks together and chapterize them so that you can navigate through the tracks in iTunes with all the information and track names included.  This is the only way to achieve gapless playback in iTunes besides using crossfade (which isn't really gapless at all).  However, the chaptertool only seems to work with AAC files, I've tried to chapterize ALAC using these methods, but with not luck, it doesn't seem to be currently supported.

ALAC and Continuous Mix CDs

Reply #2 –
Undergorund Sound  - thanks very much for the pointer here - much appreciated. This is a great step toward what I need to do. Its just such a great shame that ALAC is not supported then it would have been perfect. I'll keep on looking. This is such a basic and popular requirement that I can't believe that Apple are not delivering on it.

Joe

ALAC and Continuous Mix CDs

Reply #3 –
Quote
Undergorund Sound  - thanks very much for the pointer here - much appreciated. This is a great step toward what I need to do. Its just such a great shame that ALAC is not supported then it would have been perfect. I'll keep on looking. This is such a basic and popular requirement that I can't believe that Apple are not delivering on it.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=341032"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

BTW, you can have ALAC-gapless-playback with foobar 

... just drag and drop the files (from iTunes) ... in case you're on Windows ...

ALAC and Continuous Mix CDs

Reply #4 –
Quote
Undergorund Sound  - thanks very much for the pointer here - much appreciated. This is a great step toward what I need to do. Its just such a great shame that ALAC is not supported then it would have been perfect. I'll keep on looking. This is such a basic and popular requirement that I can't believe that Apple are not delivering on it.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=341032"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

This must be a joke. Apple makes a lossless format and iTunes can't play it gaplessly. Actually nothing can play it gaplessly at the moment...

Quote
BTW, you can have ALAC-gapless-playback with foobar 

... just drag and drop the files (from iTunes) ... in case you're on Windows ...
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=341047"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

... not even foorbar. After the recent iTunes/QuickTime updates foobar can't play new ALAC files at all.

I tried hard to find a player that could play the current ALAC gaplessly, but couldn't find any.