Returning user

[MarkSealey]

Terrific, @AndyLubke. Thanks. And thanks too to @Antoine.

From what I’ve read, it really is only a question of pointing Origin 2 (which I haven’t actually installed etc yet) at my library and pressing ‘Go’ (so to speak).

But I have read of ‘iTunes integration’ and want to get my existing files into the Audirvana environment; and then pretty much dispense with Apple Music.

My experience of Roon is that it intelligently searches either its own database and/or that/those of AllMusic and Discogs for more precise identification of files. I imagine that Audirvana Studio but not Origin does that?

Because I’m not sure how much of such metadata exists with my MP3 files, or of whether there is preferred good practice with Origin to bring that in in full from my Apple Music (old iTunes) files/database/directories, I thought I’d wait for the experts and get it right.

Yet again, your help greatly appreciated!

[Antoine]

@MarkSealey

But I have read of ‘iTunes integration’ and want to get my existing files into the Audirvana environment; and then pretty much dispense with Apple Music.

I think you should take a look at this

Pros/cons of Sync folder v. iTunes/Music sync

Hello @tmthylance, There are a lot of differences between one and the other: Sync folder: Pros: You get all metadata of the tracks including it’s artwork. The metadata are also editable. You can create playlists with the tracks/albums you synced. The overall performance of sync is better that the iTunes one. If a change is made in your folder, it is automatically synced. Cons: Any metadata change you do in the app is also replicated in your track metadata. Your folder structure can somet…

@MarkSealey

I imagine that Audirvana Studio but not Origin does that?

You are right. In Audirvāna Studio, we analyse the tracks then gather information from Musicbrainz and display them (we do not add those information on the track itself, if you want to do this, you can use the Musicbrainz software). In Audirvāna Origin we jsut display the metadata of the track you synced.

[MarkSealey]

Thanks, @Antoine.

Today I installed Origin and started to set it up on the 30 day trial, ready to pay.

My aim is to be able to move away from iTunes/Music completely.

First I tried Sync folder and immediately ran into this snag: half of my tracks would not import, display or play - apparently because they are .mp4. When I tried to convert them with this software, I got the error that they were protected by DRM and could not be converted.

So I tried iTunes/Music sync: ‘Tracks (not audio, DRM, not downloaded) ignored: 1068’. Not what I expected. In fact, I never subscribed to Apple Music so there is nothing actually undownloaded.

Not sure what to do now. I do like the look of Audirvana; I certainly prefer its interface and functionality to that of Apple Music.

But - unless I am missing something (which I probably am ) - I’m actually no further forward.

I suppose I need to know whether these (.mp4 etc) files in my iTunes library can be converted - even if only to .mp3; and whether there really is a digital rights issue.

If so, why doesn’t Audirvana Origin allow me to import, display and play them - albeit from iTunes/Music.

Suggestions gratefully received…

Thanks!

[MarkSealey]

Having had a good twelve hours experimenting with Origin (2.2.3 on macOS 13.2.1), I have made some progress:

because I have read that Audirvana is unable to read files protected by DRM inside iTunes/Apple Music (am I correct, please?), I have focused on Sync folder.

But I have discovered numerous what I take to be bugs… I’d be delighted to learn, please, that they’re the result of my unfamiliarity with Origin… I really want it to work for ma .

I created ~/Music/Audirvana and pointed Origin there to synch with whatever I put in it. No errors at all

Their formats (because of their extensions) were:

• .aiff
• .m4a
• .mp3
• .mp4

Some were in (their own) (filesystem) folders.

Although I ran the various Settings > Library > Maintenance routines - all without error - Audirvana Origin kept putting some of the files into a (‘pseudo-’?) folder called ‘Audirvana’. I tried - but failed - to see whether I could find a correlation between which files/folders it left in its root and which it appeared to be creating ‘Audirvana’ folders for.

I tried to edit the files out of that by using the ‘Edit metadata’ routine. That sometimes worked; sometimes not .

I selected all of that string (‘Audirvana’) in the General > Album field; even being able to remove the string ‘Audirvana’ didn’t work consistently; I was aware of the need to be sure that there were no leading or trailing spaces etc.

What it then started to do was combine tracks and albums into new spurious (‘pseudo-’?) folders also called ‘Audirvana’.

It also opened the wrong track from this pseudo-album, when I clicked on one of them instead of the other; and cross-displayed the wrong artwork.

I really want Audirvana to work for me. I’d love to think I’m experiencing these bugs (if that is what they are) because of something I’m doing, please?

Should I have gone about this all differently?

I also found that when I tried to populate the General > Artists field, it keeps adding spurious strings like ‘Music’, ‘Artist’; and expands the dialogue box laterally to an unusual width if I put a list of cast members… am I using the wrong combination of LF/CR/hard LF-CR, perhaps?

Any help for this will be gratefully received and acted upon. TIA!

[MarkSealey]

@Jim_F,

Thanks. No - I’m talking here about mostly my own files, which I’ve happened to store in iTunes/Apple Music until now.

No streaming involved; I specifically want a local library.

Of my two most recent posts, it’s the second that concerns me most: the apparent bugs.

I don’t think I can get around DRM etc…

[Antoine]

@MarkSealey

because I have read that Audirvana is unable to read files protected by DRM inside iTunes/Apple Music (am I correct, please?), I have focused on Sync folder.

It doesn’t depends on the way you sync them. There are tracks that can’t be played outside of iTunes (they are thus skipped in Audirvana):

• the DRM protected tracks (usually files ending with .m4p), due to the copy protection mechanism, like the ones coming from Apple Music

• the iCloud/iTunes Match tracks, using an iTunes specific protocol for retrieving the audio data. To get them to play in Audirvana, you need to download all the songs you want to play thru Audirvana into your computer library by clicking the cloud icon present showing the album is in the cloud, not the library.

• the tracks in a Home Sharing library, for same reason (using an Apple non public sharing protocol). If you are using this, there is a workaround that consists in sharing the audio files on the server (to be able to access them from the Finder on the client Mac), and then import the track files in iTunes, or just add the shared folder to the synchronized list in the Library page of Audirvana preferences. This way, standard file sharing protocol is used, and Audirvana is able to access the audio files.

@MarkSealey

Audirvana Origin kept putting some of the files into a (‘pseudo-’?) folder called ‘Audirvana’.

Audirvāna Origin does not create a folder when you sync tracks with it. Can you send some screenshot of what you are talking about as I can’t understand what you are referring to here.

[MarkSealey]

Thanks, @Jim_F. Yes, I’d really be looking for a reliable tool, to remove the DRM in macOS.

Otherwise shall keep them in Apple Music.

[MarkSealey]

Thank you, @Antoine!

Audirvāna Origin does not create a folder when you sync tracks with it. Can you send some screenshot of what you are talking about as I can’t understand what you are referring to here.

1. I copied non-DRM etc files of my own, which I had previously been playing with iTunes into ~/Music/Audirvana
2. I set up ~/Music/Audirvana as my synch folder in Audirvana Origin
3. when I launched Audirvana Origin three or four of the files and at least one folder (again, in ~/Music/Audirvana) were grouped in an album called ‘Audirvana’ in the main display
4. several had the image (which I had dragged onto ‘Artwork’ ) for one piece of music/file/folder visible for others
5. I wasn’t able reliably to remove the Album name (Audirvana) in the General > Album field

Secondly, when I tried to populate the General > Artists field:

1. it kept adding spurious strings like ‘Music’, ‘Artist’
2. It also expands the dialogue box laterally to an unusual width if I put a list of cast members… am I using the wrong combination of LF/CR/hard LF-CR, perhaps?

The only way I could fix this was by removing the albums and tracks and re-adding them, so I don’t have screenshots, sorry.

Are these known bugs?

As I say, I am most definitely not criticizing. I just want to make the most of Audirvana Origin.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions !

[Ironz]

Can’t promise this’ll work, but worth a try?

Has the benefit of not being illegal.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252624261

[MarkSealey]

Thanks, @Ironz, I’ll give that a try!

[Ironz]

Hope it works.
Good luck Mark

[Antoine]

@MarkSealey

were grouped in an album called ‘Audirvana’ in the main display

I know understand what you are referring to.

When Audirvāna can’t find the artist/album linked to a track, we use the folder name instead as the album, which is why you got this behavior. It’s not a bug, it’s how Audirvāna works.

@MarkSealey

• it kept adding spurious strings like ‘Music’, ‘Artist’
• It also expands the dialogue box laterally to an unusual width if I put a list of cast members… am I using the wrong combination of LF/CR/hard LF-CR, perhaps?

That is strange however. So for the tracks that was in this Audirvāna album, you had this issue?

[MarkSealey]

@Antoine,

Aha. I see. thanks. I see what happened. I was puzzled, though, because it only happened with certain tracks and one album.

And then Origin got very confused and kept putting the graphic/image for the album cover with the wrong record/track in the database.

I encountered what I really do think is a bug for the Artists metadata field. Here is an example for a file which I called ‘Anonymous_Tales from the Norse Legends (YT).mp3’, a video downloaded from here. All I needed to do was enter the string, ‘Benjamin Soames’ once in the Artists field:

Please know that these are not criticisms. I can see how good Audirvana is and am becoming a ‘fan’

I hope this helps?

[Antoine]

I will try to reproduce this and come back to you

[MarkSealey]

Thanks, @Antoine !

As I say, I hope this is a help …

[Antoine]

Hi @MarkSealey,

Can you send me your file at support@audirvana.com? I would like to reproduce your behavior on my side.

[MarkSealey]

Thanks, @Antoine; have emailed you

Please note that I have experienced this with several files…

[MarkSealey]

Thanks for your help here - and answers to my several emails with examples/screenshots.

My trial period ends on March 16.

I really want to support a small, independent, European company - by subscribing regularly.

But I’m nervous about sinking as much money as I need to keep using Audirvana Origin when there appear to be fairly significant bugs (as described: imported files ending up in the wrong place; wrong associated images; bugs in adding metatags etc).

Not a complaint!

I have no doubt you’re all working hard and dealing with lots of feedback and questions.

I’m just not sure what to do, please

[MarkSealey]

I have made every attempt to correct the errors, successfully imported two more albums without errors. Still have to assume that ‘New Artist’ is a bug. But I’ve put that down to metadata in the files in question.

Today I confirmed my subscription after my trial was graciously extended by a week.