Squeezebox Touch-tips, tricks & tweaks

steveinaz

Looking for info on the best SB settings, directory structure, etc, any tips that will maximize perfomance/ease of use. For example, would it be better to have music in sub directories, by category (ie, Rock/Soul, etc)? What settings on SBS as well as the player are important to maximize performance? Have flac sent wireless, or have it sent as a wav?

tonyb

Can't comment on the SB Steve, since I am a Sonos user, but damn glad to see you jumping in head first. Don't know how you intend to use it, but for me, I use a cheap avr that has A-B speaker switching upstairs so I can use one source for both kitchen speakers and outside speakers. The cullen modded unit sits in the HT rig downstairs and one controller plays any zone, upstairs or down. I imagine you want to play it on those Carbon 7's by way of the benchmark. Given any thought as to the outside speakers ? Nothing beats sitting outside with a controller, a bunch of guests and some cocktails, thumbing through the music.

steveinaz

Method will be wireless from my Motorola Surfboard broadband modem, via my Asus laptop/800GB USB HDD; into my main rig. The touch will be connected via dig coax into the Benchmark.

I already have a patio/pool rig setup outside.

heiney9

Congrats Steve,

First you need to decide on a ripping program. I still highly recommend dB Poweramp. I believe they have a 30 day trial. Your file/directory structure should be simple and once you decide you simply make sure those settings are in your ripping program. In the SQB software you can set what info you want to display as in track number, artist, album, etc. I have chosen to arrange my artists last name, first name this setting is made in the ripping software.

FLAC and WAV are two different types if files. WAV files can't have an ID3 tag embedded so you don't want to use WAV because there will be no information displayed on the SQB. FLAC is what you want to use. I can't stress enough to make sure your files have the proper ID3 tags which are done at the ripping stage, if they don't, the display information is missing and then it's out of place in your music directory and it will be very hard to find when you want to listen to it.

My directory structure is simple

Root is named "Music Server"

then there is a folder for each artist

then a folder for each album

this is how you want to store your music. As far as subcategories like rock, soul etc let the SQB software do that for you, but be sure when you are ripping you fill in the "genre" field so it can be embedded in the ID3 tag, then the SQB software allows you listen to a certain genre from your listening chair.

This is why you should stick with one ripping program and really learn it. If the music you have already ripped didn't have "genre" field filled in you can go back and manually add it. But you can see it's better to get it right the first time. In fact you can go back at any time and edit the ID3 tags, but if you have a lot of music you can see it's better to think it out ahead of time. Also be aware that when the ripping program pulls the tagging information automatically it only fills in the fields that the person who uploaded the information filled in. Occasionally you may have to manipulate the data in each field.

As example; when pulling the info in there are times when the title of the song is in all CAPS, I always change those manually before I rip the cd. Sometimes titles are misspelled, I manually fix those. Sometimes they don't have track numbers so I fix that, etc, etc, As part of the album title I always indicate if it's a remaster or MFSL, etc.

As example this is how the field "album" would look in dB Powermap prior to ripping. Rumors (remaster) or Tumbleweed Connection (MFSL). When db Power amp pulls in the tagging information it will just show the title in the field and I manually add the rest of the identifying info for my own purposes.

Tumbleweed Connection is by Elton John. Depending on how the database provided the ID3 tag info ,the artist field will probably show Elton John. I arrange my artists as John, Elton so I would manually edit that field.

This is why deciding on a standard method for tagging is important from the very beginning to create absolute consistency. If you forget to change Elton John to John, Elton then it's stored differently in another folder and you can see the confusion it can cause if you are searching for it to listen to. You can do it anyway you want, just be consistent

Another area you need to decide is for artists with numbers in their name 10,000 Maniacs or Ten Thousand Maniacs. I prefer the former. I don't believe "the" and "a" are used for indexing. The Beatles shows under "B" not under "T" So if you were searching for artists that start with "B" The Beatles will be there as a choice.

This is all I can think of now, be sure and head over to the Squeezebox forums because I'm sure they have some stickies to help get you started.

It's not complicated, you just need to think about what information you want in the ID3 tag when you are ripping and then which of that info you want displayed on the SQB. Just because you fill in all the fields doesn't mean you have to display that info on the SQB, but it's there for later if you want to use it.

Hope this helps......it's less complicated verbalizing it than it is trying to write it out. What computer are you using? Make sure whatever HD you are using it has enough space for future music because the music has to stay in one dedicated folder, it can't be scattered over multiple drives because the SQB software only looks in the directory you specify.

H9

heiney9

So if I understand the only thing hard wired is the ethernet cable into your wireless modem? The computer has to be running with the SQB software when you want to listen to your library. The only other time you need the computer is for ripping files and updating those files to your directory. Otherwise the computer sits idle. Is this what you are thinking? Or are you thinking it needs to be plugged into the rig somehow and you need it with you to run everything?

The other cool thing is all the internet radio that is available, you don't need the computer on for this since it streams radio wirelessly from your modem.

My dedicated PC for my music server is in the basement.

AsSiMiLaTeD

There was some good discussion in a thread a while back that may help you. I have a process that I use that works 100%, also described in this thread:

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?115652-Consistent-tagging-of-digital-music-is-impossible!&highlight=folder

steveinaz

heiney9 wrote: »

So if I understand the only thing hard wired is the ethernet cable into your wireless modem? The computer has to be running with the SQB software when you want to listen to your library. The only other time you need the computer is for ripping files and updating those files to your directory. Otherwise the computer sits idle.

I have RG-6 coming into my cable modem (Motorola Surfboard "n"). My Asus laptop w/external 800GB USB HDD is were all my music is located. I'll be communicating with the touch via wireless. (The office is where my computer/modem are; main rig is in the livingroom).

steveinaz

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

There was some good discussion in a thread a while back that may help you. I have a process that I use that works 100%, also described in this thread:

Looks like you have decided to group albums under genre directories? I was thinking that might make navagation easier; especially with categories like Christmas music, which alot of times gets tagged as "folk."

It's alot easier to asks people who are actually doing this--rather than trying to "guess" at how it will work. I won't obcess over tag info/art, but I do want a logical directory structure.

In my CD collection dBase I have categories:

Rock
Popular
R&B
Jazz
Country Western
Classical
Holiday
Misc

heiney9

steveinaz wrote: »

Looks like you have decided to group albums under genre directories? I was thinking that might make navagation easier; especially with categories like Christmas music, which alot of times gets tagged as "folk."

It's alot easier to asks people who are actually doing this--rather than trying to "guess" at how it will work. I won't obcess over tag info, I do want a logical directory structure.

In my CD collection dBase I have categories:

Rock
Popular
R&B
Jazz
Country Western
Classical
Holiday
Misc

Steve, you do need to obsess over the tags in the beginning so you get it correct and consistent. If you don't fill in the "genre" field when tagging then you can't group/search for a genre when listening. Like I said, depending on who provided the database info you pull off freedb, etc all the fields may not be pre-filled correctly. As always current music you already have ripped can be manually changed (the ID3 tag) to add and delete whatever tag info you want.

If for instance you rip files and don't add a track number, when you pull it up to listen on the SQB, there will be no track number. So if you know track 6 is your favorite on a certain cd it makes it much more difficult to access track 6 because many times w/o a track number it arranges the songs in that particular album alphabetically not in the cd running order, which is based on track numbers. This is why I say you need to obsess a little bit in the beginning over getting the tags proper before ripping large amounts of music. Again, you can go back after the fact and edit the tags, but it a PITA if you have a lot if music to correct. That's why it''s best to get it right at the time of ripping.

H9

P.s. ID3 tags are the life blood of managing a digital library. The SQB simply reads what's on the tags, if it's not there or isn't consistent you will have some difficulties. If you forget to add a genre tag to Mel Torme's - Christmas Songs, you then tell the SQB to show you Christmas music (based on genre) that will not show up as a choice. Now if you search for "Mel Torme" all his selections will show up.

steveinaz

I do corrections at ripping, but some of the genere labels are hokey. Won't the touch be displaying your library with full song titles?

How involved is tag editing with MediaMonkey? Is it something you can explain here?

heiney9

Also, you DON'T organize by genre in the root directory. The best way is as I showed you.

Main directory
Artist
Album.

When you get the tags right then you can organize at the point of listening. Let the SQB and it's software do all the work at the point of playback.

H9

steveinaz

Brock, are you sending wireless the .wav (computer does the lifting), or are you letting the touch unfold the flac file?

mdaudioguy

steveinaz wrote: »

I do corrections at ripping, but some of the genere labels are hokey.

I totally got sick of all the crazy genre and sub-genre designations that people come up with. After all, some artists mix genres, while others define them. Some transcend genres altogether. Do whatever feels right to you. I chose to eliminate that field completely. I never organized my albums that way when they were vinyl or CD...

heiney9

steveinaz wrote: »

I do corrections at ripping, but some of the genere labels are hokey. Won't the touch be displaying your library with full song titles?

How involved is tag editing with MediaMonkey? Is it something you can explain here?

As to your first question, yes if the full title is in the ID3 tag, longer titles may have to scroll across the SQB screen so keep that in mind if you are adding a bunch of stuff to the title.

second question, MM is super easy and I use that for all my tag editing after the fact. Sometimes I forget to change the artist name Last, First so I can go into MM and correct it.

H9

heiney9

The thing about using the genre tag is so many artists can be more than one genre so you have to be consistent. You can't tag Jimi Hendrix as Blues genre one time and Classic rock genre another time because if you search for either genre selection one will be missing from your search. It makes sense for Christmas music. How do you classify Jewel? Rock, Folk, Vocal, etc. I am not sure if multiple genre tags are supported, IIRC, they are not.

H9

SCompRacer

Steve, a couple of screen shots showing two MM track properties fields. You can be as detailed as you wish. I've never gone past the basic tagging.

steveinaz

So, when a device like a squeezebox is displaying info such as Album title; is it getting this info from what you've named the folder, or is it getting it from the tag?

SCompRacer

After you get done ripping and tagging, the Squezzebox software scans your music folder and looks at the tags.

markmarc

Out of curiosity has Logitech solved the problem with using an outboard USB drive directly into the Touch? I've read on various forums that for whatever reason, its performance in that configuration was messy, to say the least.

heiney9

steveinaz wrote: »

So, when a device like a squeezebox is displaying info such as Album title; is it getting this info from what you've named the folder, or is it getting it from the tag?

The tag, the tag, the tag. Doesn't matter how you label it in Windows, those don't carry over at all. All the info is embedded in the ID3 tag.

H9

heiney9

markmarc wrote: »

Out of curiosity has Logitech solved the problem with using an outboard USB drive directly into the Touch? I've read on various forums that for whatever reason, its performance in that configuration was messy, to say the least.

It is sluggish and messy. That was put there as a convenience it was never meant as a way to manage and run a full music server. If friends brought tracks over on a jump drive, etc.

H9

falconcry72

heiney9 wrote: »

The tag, the tag, the tag. Doesn't matter how you label it in Windows, those don't carry over at all. All the info is embedded in the ID3 tag.

H9

What if you have files within the root directory that don't have any tags?

falconcry72

heiney9 wrote: »

Make sure whatever HD you are using it has enough space for future music because the music has to stay in one dedicated folder, it can't be scattered over multiple drives because the SQB software only looks in the directory you specify.

What if your root directory contains shortcuts to folders on other drives?

heiney9

falconcry72 wrote: »

What if you have files within the root directory that don't have any tags?

Then if you happen to run across it on the SQB the screen just shows 1. track 1, 2. track 2, 3. track 3......etc. It would be found under "no artist" when you are searching.

You can have shortcuts to the root directory so you can play your music via the computer, but once you set the file path in the SQB software when you initially set it up, if you change it or send music to another directory, that music will never register with the SQB because it only looks in the directory you tell it to.

H9

steveinaz

Thanks all, appreciate your patience. I cleaned up all my tags (so far), but still have 70% of my cd's to rip.

I'm already getting excited, ran my other coax today, prepping for the SBT. If you ever saw my cable management, you'd know that this is a project in itself.

BRING IT.

EndersShadow

steveinaz wrote: »

Thanks all, appreciate your patience. I cleaned up all my tags (so far), but still have 70% of my cd's to rip.

I'm already getting excited, ran my other coax today, prepping for the SBT. If you ever saw my cable management, you'd know that this is a project in itself.

BRING IT.

But always clean looking. Looking forward to pics

steveinaz

10-4, roger wilco, will do; as soon as this "hi-fi heretic" device arrives.

EndersShadow

steveinaz wrote: »

10-4, roger wilco, will do; as soon as this "hi-fi heretic" device arrives.

I think you will really enjoy the convienience of it all. Plus once everything is digital distribution to other zones is much easier

heiney9

steveinaz wrote: »

Thanks all, appreciate your patience. I cleaned up all my tags (so far), but still have 70% of my cd's to rip.

I'm already getting excited, ran my other coax today, prepping for the SBT. If you ever saw my cable management, you'd know that this is a project in itself.

BRING IT.

Here is my cable management. It's worse since moving to the Shotguns since the network boxes are bigger. Cell phone pics

tonyb

I think once Steve gets up and running with the SB, he needs to throw a party. The wife's been nagging me for an excuse to hit up Arizona again, though we like Sedona....way north, and Steve is south.

steveinaz

Sedona is beautiful, about a 4hr drive for us. Sierra Vista is quite nice as well--not at all like the desert you would expect. Love to have you guys out.