Topic: Foobar Live ShowTagger issues

[yousef]

I've been using this relatively problem free for years but have hit a bit of an issue when tagging others' files.

I've downloaded a collection of Van Morrison outtakes from Dime but the files are untagged. I loaded the FLACs into Foobar, used the automatic track numbering function and then attempted to use the Live Show Tagger to tag them using a freshly prepared info file, named "VM Studio Demos info.txt", text as below:

Van Morrison
Studio Demos 1968-1971 

01 The Way Young Lovers Do
02 Ballerina
03 And It Stoned Me
04 Caravan
05 Come Running
06 These Dreams Of You
07 Brand New Day
08 Domino (3:56)
09 If I Ever Needed Someone
10 Wild Night
11 When That Evening Sun Goes Down
12 Nobody Really Knows
13 Bit By Bit
14 Hey Where Are You
15 I Need Your Kind Of Loving
16 Lorna
17 Rock And Roll Band
18 Funny Face

I removed the original text file from the directory to avoid any conflict but Foobar seems to want to ignore the new info file, prefering to look to an unrelated text file in the directory above the one the FLACs are stored in. I tried to point Foobar to the correct file using the "load" function in LST and although this brings up the tracklist in the right hand window, it blanks out the file list in the left hand window...

I deleted the file in the parent directory to see if that helps but Foobar then found another text file there to look at...

A similar thing happened with a torrent I downloaded yesterday but deleting the erronous file allowed Foobar/LST to see the good one.

Is this just a weird bug or am I doing something wrong here?

[morst]

You are working on a copy, you say?
No chance that you left the torrent live and it keeps trying to put your data back?

[yousef]

Yep, copy in a new directory - and my torrent client is shut...

You are working on a copy, you say?
No chance that you left the torrent live and it keeps trying to put your data back?

[roffels]

Make a new subfolder in the directory of your media files you're trying to update, move the files to the new subfolder, and try again.

I sometimes get similar issues with the Foobar Live Showtagger in certain directories and usually adding another layer fixes my problem.

[Twenty8]

At the start did you:

Highlight the files > right click > Remove tags

[Gordon]

Make a new subfolder in the directory of your media files you're trying to update, move the files to the new subfolder, and try again.

I sometimes get similar issues with the Foobar Live Showtagger in certain directories and usually adding another layer fixes my problem.

This!  Sometimes a stray texfile in the directory will throw it off.

[yousef]

Thanks for the further replies.

Having manually tagged the files I've not gone back to further-problem solve this but I can confirm that Foobar was looking outside of the files' directory for a text file, despite the correct file being the only one in the actual directory...

Also when I manually pointed it to the correct text file, it seemed not able to see the FLAC files... I'm thinking this is just an odd bug.

[roffels]

Thanks for the further replies.

Having manually tagged the files I've not gone back to further-problem solve this but I can confirm that Foobar was looking outside of the files' directory for a text file, despite the correct file being the only one in the actual directory...

Also when I manually pointed it to the correct text file, it seemed not able to see the FLAC files... I'm thinking this is just an odd bug.

Yep, it experience it all the time if there's a text file in a parent directory. Just something to be aware of.

[eman]

I wish Foobar would support having two sets but allowing it to be just a single list. My files are like band2023-01-20s1t2.flac and band2023-01-20s2t5.flac but my set lists just are a single sequential list with a line space between sets and a line space (CR) for the encore. It does ok for the first set but then after that it loses the thread and none of the data get assigned unless sometimes I manually fill in the track number (not Set 2 Track 1 but the next number in the set list ignoring which set it is) and then sometimes it might populate the song title. Disc number is a thing of the past. It is a giant pain. Single set shows are a joy. Foobar could look at my set list rather than my filenames and figure out what it is I want in my tags.

I was just thinking how "carriage return" refers to a manual typewriter and the paper was rolled in a moving carriage that you slid over with a bar that advanced the line spacing.

[roffels]

I wish Foobar would support having two sets but allowing it to be just a single list. My files are like band2023-01-20s1t2.flac and band2023-01-20s2t5.flac but my set lists just are a single sequential list with a line space between sets and a line space (CR) for the encore. It does ok for the first set but then after that it loses the thread and none of the data get assigned unless sometimes I manually fill in the track number (not Set 2 Track 1 but the next number in the set list ignoring which set it is) and then sometimes it might populate the song title. Disc number is a thing of the past. It is a giant pain. Single set shows are a joy. Foobar could look at my set list rather than my filenames and figure out what it is I want in my tags.

I was just thinking how "carriage return" refers to a manual typewriter and the paper was rolled in a moving carriage that you slid over with a bar that advanced the line spacing.

It works well if it's clear it's a second disc either in the file name or the tags.

[vanark]

...

[morst]

I wish Foobar would support having two sets but allowing it to be just a single list. My files are like band2023-01-20s1t2.flac and band2023-01-20s2t5.flac but my set lists just are a single sequential list with a line space between sets and a line space (CR) for the encore. It does ok for the first set but then after that it loses the thread and none of the data get assigned unless sometimes I manually fill in the track number (not Set 2 Track 1 but the next number in the set list ignoring which set it is) and then sometimes it might populate the song title. Disc number is a thing of the past. It is a giant pain. Single set shows are a joy. Foobar could look at my set list rather than my filenames and figure out what it is I want in my tags.

I was just thinking how "carriage return" refers to a manual typewriter and the paper was rolled in a moving carriage that you slid over with a bar that advanced the line spacing.

Here's a website which will take a list and add line numbers. For best results, I find that I need to remove gaps from the start and middle, and I like to add leading zeroes later.
https://www.browserling.com/tools/number-lines
Here's another one which will do it, this one stores my last list when I come back to it (must be a cookie!)
https://onlinetexttools.com/add-line-numbers


 

[eman]

It works well if it's clear it's a second disc either in the file name or the tags.

I haven't burned a CD in years and I don't think anyone else is doing much of that either. It should be clear that it's a second set because my filenames are band2023-01-01s2t01.flac so it would be nice if LST would just tag according to my set list. Alphanumerically the files still go in order with S1 files first and s2 after. Foobar just gives up when it gets to s2 named files, like I don't approve of what's going on here so you're on your own. Seems like an easy fix to just keep going in order with the song titles and numbers as I have laid them out clearly. Numbering my set lists is not an issue. It sounds like if I go with d2 instead of s2 in the filenames everything would be hunky dory, but that means I need to go back and edit the file names back to s2 later which is anther royal PITA, perhaps a little bit easier than manually entering the song titles into the tags. I use spaces to indicate set and encore breaks, and Foobar should just ignore that- why should it get upset about a CR? It's time for LST to say goodbye to CDs- if you want it to be clear how to lay out a set of CDs you should just indicate in the info file where the CD breaks should go. And I still love CDs, BTW, for my studio official releases, just not so fond of maintaining a clunky live CD collection. 

[morst]

. Alphanumerically the files still go in order with S1 files first and s2 after.

is it case-sensitive?

[vanark]

It works well if it's clear it's a second disc either in the file name or the tags.

I haven't burned a CD in years and I don't think anyone else is doing much of that either. It should be clear that it's a second set because my filenames are band2023-01-01s2t01.flac so it would be nice if LST would just tag according to my set list. Alphanumerically the files still go in order with S1 files first and s2 after. Foobar just gives up when it gets to s2 named files, like I don't approve of what's going on here so you're on your own. Seems like an easy fix to just keep going in order with the song titles and numbers as I have laid them out clearly. Numbering my set lists is not an issue. It sounds like if I go with d2 instead of s2 in the filenames everything would be hunky dory, but that means I need to go back and edit the file names back to s2 later which is anther royal PITA, perhaps a little bit easier than manually entering the song titles into the tags. I use spaces to indicate set and encore breaks, and Foobar should just ignore that- why should it get upset about a CR? It's time for LST to say goodbye to CDs- if you want it to be clear how to lay out a set of CDs you should just indicate in the info file where the CD breaks should go. And I still love CDs, BTW, for my studio official releases, just not so fond of maintaining a clunky live CD collection.

I have no issue with s1/s2 but my text file is likely different than yours. Would you mind providing an example rather than just a description of what you do? It would help me understand better and perhaps be able to provide some feedback.

[eman]

band2023-03-14s1t01.flac
band2023-03-14s1t02.flac
band2023-03-14s2t01.flac
band2023-03-14s2t02.flac
band2023-03-14s2t03.flac

Setlist

01. Song1
02. Song2

03. Song3
04. Song4

05. Encore

Live Show Tagger will have no problem with set 1 but will not get the numbers or song titles right for set 2.

My priorities here are that the show on a list is 5 songs, tracks 1-5 but the files as I generate them are from source files named band2023-03-14s1t.wav and band2023-03-14s2t.wav and I have no desire to go back and rename the files after creating them this way. It still should not be a problem for Live Show Tagger to just number numbers and song titles in order without getting too bogged down in what set or disc it is or if there are spaces in the list.

[vanark]

band2023-03-14s1t01.flac
band2023-03-14s1t02.flac
band2023-03-14s2t01.flac
band2023-03-14s2t02.flac
band2023-03-14s2t03.flac

Setlist

01. Song1
02. Song2

03. Song3
04. Song4

05. Encore

Live Show Tagger will have no problem with set 1 but will not get the numbers or song titles right for set 2.

My priorities here are that the show on a list is 5 songs, tracks 1-5 but the files as I generate them are from source files named band2023-03-14s1t.wav and band2023-03-14s2t.wav and I have no desire to go back and rename the files after creating them this way. It still should not be a problem for Live Show Tagger to just number numbers and song titles in order without getting too bogged down in what set or disc it is or if there are spaces in the list.

Well, you are asking it to do something it doesn't do. It will easily handle you numbering them the same as the file names, but doesn't like when the file names are different than the numbering in the text file. Seems like that is a feature and not a bug. Seems like you need to find a tool that is looser about matching file names and text file numbers.

[eman]

It's hardly a feature. It's a giant pain in the ass. I'm not about to do it differently, just looking for the best workaround when it can't handle an obvious match number to alphanumeric position. That it can handle disc numbers is stupid at this point. Considering that most shows have two sets and those files are likely to be numbered s1 and s2 in the filename yet we still have a list for the show with track numbers for the show not the set, I don't see why this is such an oddball thing to handle.

[vanark]

It's hardly a feature. It's a giant pain in the ass. I'm not about to do it differently, just looking for the best workaround when it can't handle an obvious match number to alphanumeric position. That it can handle disc numbers is stupid at this point. Considering that most shows have two sets and those files are likely to be numbered s1 and s2 in the filename yet we still have a list for the show with track numbers for the show not the set, I don't see why this is such an oddball thing to handle.

A giant pain in the ass to YOU. I am more than satisfied with this free software. Any issues I've had with it were my issues. The software works as expected for ME and I find the choices they have made as logical.

If you want to number your files set 1 and set 2, you only need to start numbering set 2 at track 1. I understand this does not fit how YOU have chosen to configure your text files, but easy enough to adjust going forward at least. Or not.

[vanark]

BTW, the "current" version was released on 2010-05-15, which explains why it handles disc 1 and disc 2. Not sure you can expect any changes at this point.

One thing I don't particularly understand is why you name your files s1 and s2 but decline to put "Set 1" and "Set 2" in your text files. It would seem to me that this inconsistency is at the root of the conflict you have with Live Show Tagger.

[Gordon]

I think if you pull in just set two, right click and manually add disc 2 in properties it will work.  But yea why not just list sets properly in the textfile to match your file names?

[eman]

Ah, if I just type out set 1 and set 2 everything will be fine?

[vanark]

Ah, if I just type out set 1 and set 2 everything will be fine?

No, the track numbers in the set list would need to match the track numbers in the file names.

Using your example:

band2023-03-14s1t01.flac
band2023-03-14s1t02.flac
band2023-03-14s2t01.flac
band2023-03-14s2t02.flac
band2023-03-14s2t03.flac

Set 1

01. Song1
02. Song2

Set2

01. Song3
02. Song4

03. Encore

[eman]

Oh, ok. I just did a tag with one of the untagged Phish shows I've recently downloaded (lazy ass tapers don't have time for this? Jeez Louise. Now my files are unshareable using the original torrent on etree) I get the 1.01, 2.01, etc. I suppose it will be easier to do it this way and edit the track numbers than have to enter the song titles. Sigh.

[vanark]

If I want to continue sharing for bit torrent, I create a copy for myself.

I also use a file rename utility that makes it easy to rename files to how I want/need. Can't recall the name at the moment, but will look when I get home.

[Gordon]

I also use a file rename utility that makes it easy to rename files to how I want/need. Can't recall the name at the moment, but will look when I get home.

Bulk Rename!

https://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Download.php

[vanark]

I also use a file rename utility that makes it easy to rename files to how I want/need. Can't recall the name at the moment, but will look when I get home.

Bulk Rename!

https://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Download.php

Thank you, Gordon. Yes, that is the one I use as well. Love it.

[roffels]

I also use a file rename utility that makes it easy to rename files to how I want/need. Can't recall the name at the moment, but will look when I get home.

Bulk Rename!

https://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Download.php

This, MP3Tag, and Foobar Live ShowTagger are all I really need to get things tagged as I like.
https://www.mp3tag.de/en/

[eman]

I suppose the people who don't tag their shows aren't reading this anyway. Making work and using up disk space for everyone else. Thanks for nothing.

[rocksuitcase]

I suppose the people who don't tag their shows aren't reading this anyway. Making work and using up disk space for everyone else. Thanks for nothing.

I have a taper friend who cannot seem to learn tagging. He actually tags his .wav files, but not the flacs!!! He is 50+ years taping, very savvy with R2R, Cassette and cable making, just won't take the time to learn tagging.
I have spent some time trying to explain foobar tagger to him, but he continually asks me to do it on his file sets. It is a bit of a bummer, as then, if he has no setlist, the usually wonderful recording is not really able to be shared-WITHOUT me putting time and HDD space into it.

Caveat here is at first, 7-8 years ago maybe, I wasn't into tagging. kindms was telling me how easy it is, and he would occasionally take my files and tag them for me. I would say, I can listen to it fine, I don't care about the other guys' iPods or car stereos etc.

Two things then happened to enlighten me re tagging:
1] Matt Vernon, as (one of the) LMA GD co-ordinator, told me that he would not accept my GD AUD entries without tags.
2] Then, a different friend showed me on my own car stereo how it would be easier. Sort of griped to me that I was being "selfish" by not tagging. LOLz.
So, now, I am a tagger. It is a relatively quick feature of the workflow.     

[roffels]

^untagged shows kind of comes with the territory, so I don't get too worked up about it. Unless they're untagged, and the accompanying text file is also a non-standard mess with un-numbered song titles, track breaks not covered in the next file, song length data next to the song, etc. Blood pressure rises, but ultimately I'm paying nothing but time and I'd have no recording if not for the tapers, so I'm thankful they shared.

[morst]

^untagged shows kind of comes with the territory, so I don't get too worked up about it. Unless they're untagged, and the accompanying text file is also a non-standard mess with un-numbered song titles, track breaks not covered in the next file, song length data next to the song, etc. Blood pressure rises, but ultimately I'm paying nothing but time and I'd have no recording if not for the tapers, so I'm thankful they shared.

I remove stuff like track numbers or timings using a search with a wildcard.

When Audacity exports labels, it give me the start and end times in decimals with a tab character between them so I search for the following string, then replace it with an empty line in Mac TextEdit
if it looks like
0.0000 (tab) 125.650 (tab)
125.650 (tab) 500.050 (tab)
500.050 ... etc etc

I search for #.# (tab) #.# (tab)
where the numberings are wildcards for any digits, and this works great.
Similarly, removing characters from a list starting with tabs and then open bracket, digits, colon, digits, close bracket will cover something that looks like (tab) [5:45].

[rocksuitcase]

^untagged shows kind of comes with the territory, so I don't get too worked up about it. Unless they're untagged, and the accompanying text file is also a non-standard mess with un-numbered song titles, track breaks not covered in the next file, song length data next to the song, etc. Blood pressure rises, but ultimately I'm paying nothing but time and I'd have no recording if not for the tapers, so I'm thankful they shared.

I know you are not replying directly to me, BUT, the thing with my "complaint" (minor though it is) is I am being sent raw files with no setlist or textfiles but being told "The show is all ready to share". He has been taping since the late 1970's and does not have excellent PC skills, BUT, I have over the phone described to him what most of us would refer to as "ready to share" is tracked, flac'd and tagged files WITH a text file. Discussed etree standards, showed him on LMA how the files look. He reads and DL's my private list stuff BUT, he still thinks tracking in .wavs, then sending it to me (without a textfile) is "ready to share".

The bummer is, he send me awesome music which is not in many folks' collections, but I am less able to share them as I need to finish the hundreds of shows I have of my own masters left untransferred.

[vanark]

^untagged shows kind of comes with the territory, so I don't get too worked up about it. Unless they're untagged, and the accompanying text file is also a non-standard mess with un-numbered song titles, track breaks not covered in the next file, song length data next to the song, etc. Blood pressure rises, but ultimately I'm paying nothing but time and I'd have no recording if not for the tapers, so I'm thankful they shared.

I know you are not replying directly to me, BUT, the thing with my "complaint" (minor though it is) is I am being sent raw files with no setlist or textfiles but being told "The show is all ready to share". He has been taping since the late 1970's and does not have excellent PC skills, BUT, I have over the phone described to him what most of us would refer to as "ready to share" is tracked, flac'd and tagged files WITH a text file. Discussed etree standards, showed him on LMA how the files look. He reads and DL's my private list stuff BUT, he still thinks tracking in .wavs, then sending it to me (without a textfile) is "ready to share".

The bummer is, he send me awesome music which is not in many folks' collections, but I am less able to share them as I need to finish the hundreds of shows I have of my own masters left untransferred.

Depending on the music, there may be folks out there willing to take it to completion rather than having it dumped on you. Not me, but I do have a couple folks I know I can reach out to finalize recordings from raw WAV's to ready (actually ready) to distribute. It might be worth trying to find someone. I used to do it for tapers before I became one myself.

[roffels]

^untagged shows kind of comes with the territory, so I don't get too worked up about it. Unless they're untagged, and the accompanying text file is also a non-standard mess with un-numbered song titles, track breaks not covered in the next file, song length data next to the song, etc. Blood pressure rises, but ultimately I'm paying nothing but time and I'd have no recording if not for the tapers, so I'm thankful they shared.

I know you are not replying directly to me, BUT, the thing with my "complaint" (minor though it is) is I am being sent raw files with no setlist or textfiles but being told "The show is all ready to share". He has been taping since the late 1970's and does not have excellent PC skills, BUT, I have over the phone described to him what most of us would refer to as "ready to share" is tracked, flac'd and tagged files WITH a text file. Discussed etree standards, showed him on LMA how the files look. He reads and DL's my private list stuff BUT, he still thinks tracking in .wavs, then sending it to me (without a textfile) is "ready to share".

The bummer is, he send me awesome music which is not in many folks' collections, but I am less able to share them as I need to finish the hundreds of shows I have of my own masters left untransferred.

Depending on the music, there may be folks out there willing to take it to completion rather than having it dumped on you. Not me, but I do have a couple folks I know I can reach out to finalize recordings from raw WAV's to ready (actually ready) to distribute. It might be worth trying to find someone. I used to do it for tapers before I became one myself.

Definitely, I've taped a few shows for artists I'm not familiar with and really didn't enjoy the set at all. Rather than let the tape rot on my drive, I've reached out to folks on Dime/wherever that are in the taping community and fans of the band. Takes the burden off me, and lets the fans enjoy the show.