Tech: Ri pping CDs - notes facility

Subject: Tech: Ri pping CDs - notes facility
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 03:27 AM

We're ripping our CD collection onto an external drive for easier access and convenience, and I was wondering if there are any programmes around that give a facility for making notes as you go.

We're using Window's Media and I often use Media Monkey, but I can't find any place to write notes.

Some of the CDs I'm ripping haven't been heard for years - two I had to take out of the celophane! I'd like to be able to put a short note on some of them - some info on the sleeve notes that doesn't get downloaded, or notes on some of the field recordings, that sort of thing. I'd also like to be able to describe some of the World music we have - reading sleeve notes written in Icelandic is not one of my skills...

Anyone got any ideas? I'd rather not have to make another directory. Particularly as this lap top has a sticky keyboard and the 'o' and 'k' are tempramental to say the least!

Remember, although I share a house with a computer programmer, he is not a teacher and I am a Luddite at heart - I am not in the least bit technical.

LTS

Subject: RE: Tech: Ri pping CDs - notes facility
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 03:40 AM

What I often do is scan the sleeve notes, turn it into a pdf, which I can then save to my computer where I have access to it, or make it a part of the CD itself. I burn a hybrid CD, which will play the audio in a CD player but also contain the graphics file which I can read on the computer.

Hope this helps.

Subject: RE: Tech: Ri pping CDs - notes facility
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 03:55 AM

Thanks, but I was thinking more on the lines of a column or a space in the album description where I can put the 'track 3 jumps', 'must learn track 8 properly', 'Field recording taken in a busy pub by a deaf drunkard, hence crappy sound' sort of note.

We aren't burning copies, we're storing the rips on an external hard drive. Once we've downloaded all our music onto the external drive, we can delete a whole heap of stuff in a bid to free up some of the main computer memory. Rather than have a pdf attached to each mp3 file, I'd like to be able to read quick notes as I look at the main contents page.

Subject: RE: Tech: Ri pping CDs - notes facility
From: Lester
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 04:01 AM

If you were to use iTunes to rip your CDs it has a "comment" facility which is displayable in the main track listing and is searchable.

Subject: RE: Tech: Ri pping CDs - notes facility
From: DMcG
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 04:25 AM

Assuming you are storing them as MP3 and using windows XP or later, you can put a comment against any individual track and edit and display it. Just go to the folder where the music is stored and select its properties. "Customise" it and make sure it is set to the music template. Then open the folder to see the list of tracks and set the display to 'Details'. Right-click on the grey header and you will see the set of things you can display and edit. One of these is 'Comment', and you can put any notes you like.

This sounds far more complicated than it is! Most rippers will set the folder template by default.

Subject: RE: Tech: Ri pping CDs - notes facility
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 05:03 AM

I think I get that, thanks DmcG, I just have to remember to view list for each file and add the comments column where necessary. I just wish I could add/edit columns in WindowsMedia. I don't need to see how many stars I gave a track, but I would like to see if I marked it to learn or if it skips.

LTS

Subject: RE: Tech: Ri pping CDs - notes facility
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 05:51 AM

Lester - my understanding is that iTunes is downloading from the Internet? We're not doing that, we're copying all the discs we've already purchased, onto an external hard drive, storing them as MP3s. We aren't burning disk copies, we aren't disposing of the original CDs (except possibly 1 or 2 of the 5 versions of the Mozart Requiem I have) and we aren't adding new music from any other source. Because we have several versions of the same songs by different artists, I'd like to be able to put, in the main display, a column of notes pointing out the differences, extra verses, differing lyrics, that sort of thing. I can see how to do it in via the properties thingy, but I'd really prefer a programme that puts in the main display, without having to open every individual file.

LTS

Subject: RE: Tech: Ri pping CDs - notes facility
From: gnomad
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 05:56 AM

You can choose columns in Windows Media Player; right click in the header field, then click "choose columns". You can resize the columns, drop unwanted ones (5 stars etc) rearrange column order, and add one or two custom columns if you wish.

The main drawback to adding custom columns I have found is that you end with an over-detailed display if the comments are of more than a word or two. If you want to make extensive notes I suppose that a reference number in the custom column referring to a separate comments database might be one way to tackle it.

Subject: RE: Tech: Ri pping CDs - notes facility
From: Lester
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 06:48 AM

Liz
iTunes will rip your own CDs, that is what I have done with my whole collection. It would appear to do exactly what you want so worth a look, after all it's free.

Subject: RE: Tech: Ri pping CDs - notes facility
From: Newport Boy
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 06:57 AM

Liz

You might look at OrangeCD Catalog Website here

I use it to catalogue all my CDs after trying many others. For what you want, you would have to click on the individual CD - you then get a display which includes the Cover image, track listing, category, and more space for notes than you would ever need.

Phil

Subject: RE: Tech: Ri pping CDs - notes facility
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 07:34 AM

As mentioned, edit the mp3s metadata.

Here is the first search result I found for mp3 metadata.

Subject: RE: Tech: Ri pping CDs - notes facility
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 16 Mar 08 - 01:07 PM

Liz - iTunes can automatically convert a CD into various diffferent formats including MP3. The default is something which only plays on an i-pod, but you just change it to your preferred format.
It will name the tracks ripped if it can find the CD in whichever internet database it uses.
It saves each CD in a separate sub directory If the database lists two albums as the same artiste, the albums are nested withing a directory for the artiste.
I would probably just type a descriptive simple (notepad) text document containing any notes about the album/tracks/artiste and save it in the same sub folder as the ripped album tracks. That does leave the option at some later date, to cut and paste from the text into some other location.
Quack!
GtD.