Virtual CD question

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noisebeam
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Joined: Tue May 29, 2012 11:33 am

Virtual CD question

Post by noisebeam »

I created over 1000 Virtual CDs from my CD library so I could catalog them and create/correct meta data without spending time ripping them on my old slow system. Instead I would rip when I had time or when I played the CD again. When I finally get around to ripping the CD the meta data would correctly populate - and again if I ripped it a second time say to flac. I have two views in MM4 - one called 'Local' which only displayed my digital music, not the Virtual CDs and another called 'Entire Library' which showed the Virtual CD songs in a grey color.

I now see that Virtual CD is not supported in v5 which has caused me to hesitate to move to it.

If I do will I still be able to rip the nearly 1000 CD left for which I created metadata for? Will I still have a local vs. entire library view?
Peke
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Re: Virtual CD question

Post by Peke »

Hi,
When you install MM5 and import MM4 library all Virtual CDs are converted into normal Library tracks. As Virtual CDs are only temporary cache of CDs and non maintained tracks it can be lost at any time even in MM4 I would suggest that you move to MM5 as at least then tracks will be in library.

You can always RIP CDs at any pace and then remove+delete low quality tracks taht were once Virtual CD tracks.

NOTE: MM5 works parallel with MM4 all your MM4 settings will be preserved.
Best regards,
Peke
MediaMonkey Team lead QA/Tech Support guru
Admin of Free MediaMonkey addon Site HappyMonkeying
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noisebeam
Posts: 49
Joined: Tue May 29, 2012 11:33 am

Re: Virtual CD question

Post by noisebeam »

Thank you Peke!

I don't have any audio associated with the VirtualCDs, just meta-data that I have carefully curated :). I don't know what is meant by temporarily cached as the VCDs follow my MM database and get backed up with it, from a user perspective they are as 'in' the library as any other track, just with no associated media file so they show as 'greyed' out. But when I put in the CD from which I created the VCD all the meta data gets populated for that CD so when I rip it I don't have to do any more meta data work.

Now after I move to MM5 and my VCD tracks get converted to normal library they will still have have no media file associated with them.

Two key questions:
Can I set a view in MM5 to not see the prior VCD tracks (tracks with no media file)?
Will they still transfer meta data to the original CD files when I rip them?

It sounds like I can install and play with MM5 and keep using MM4 as my primary until I have this understood and then if I ever uninstall MM5, MM4 and it's db will remain unharmed with no special action on my part?
Barry4679
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Re: Virtual CD question

Post by Barry4679 »

I had a brief play with this.

Health Alert: I don't use MM for ripping and have no productive experience with their Virtual Discs facility either. So have no expertise in this area.

I would ignore any comfort that you got from Peke's answer. I don't think that he is answering a question that is fully relevant to your query.
noisebeam wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:53 pm Can I set a view in MM5 to not see the prior VCD tracks (tracks with no media file)?
A couple of questions:
  • will you have the Gold version of MM5? ... ie. can you configure custom collections
  • are your ripped tracks local, or are they on a network drive?

MM5 does have a new metadata attribute called "Source" ... (I think that it is new?)
It looks like MM5 is aware that the tracks from Virtual Disk, or on a CD somewhere ... but the Collection configuration tool doesn't allow you to create a collection that is filtered upon Source equal to anything that equates to a CD or a Virtual Disc source, as far as I can see.

I was able to build the collection that you need, by filtering on Source=Local, but that is only because I have no local tracks ... they are all Source = Network, ie on my NAS

So usefulness to you depends upon my top two questions.

Maybe they could fix that issue where the Source criteria setter has no value that would allow you to select|exclude your Virtual Disc "tracks"? ... ie. provide a better migration experience for people who made significant use of discontinued Virtual Disc facility.
noisebeam wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:53 pm Will they still transfer meta data to the original CD files when I rip them?
The answer appears to be No.
  • I created a VDisc in MM4.
  • I changed the metadata for a track tag
  • I imported the database into MM5
  • the virtual disc tracks are still in the database, as Peke said
  • but when I ripped the track from the CD, using MM5, it ignore my overridden track tag
noisebeam wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:53 pm It sounds like I can install and play with MM5 and keep using MM4 as my primary until I have this understood and then if I ever uninstall MM5, MM4 and it's db will remain unharmed with no special action on my part?
Yes. They are parallel separate applications, with no ongoing linkage.
You should install MM5 as a "portable" installation just to be safe. ... It is the same MM% download, just select the Portable option during the installation.


So not much good news I afraid.

I did have some difficulty creating my Virtual Discs
  • MM4 shut down after it created each Virtual Disc ... ? is it supposed to do that?
  • I couldn't find a way to suppress the creation of the .mp4 tracks that Peke was talking about
  • one of my Virtual Discs was imported with Source set as described above, but the other was created Source set point to the Virtual Disk folder on my local drive ... so I don't know why they were different
Hopefully no error on my part lead to erroneous conclusions.
Want a dark skin for MM5? This is the one that works best for me .. elegant, compact & clear.
Ludek
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Re: Virtual CD question

Post by Ludek »

I think you are mixing two separate things together:

Virtual CDs: These are CDs that were ripped using MM4, i.e. already have associated audio content.
These tracks are converted to normal library tracks during the MM4 > MM5 update.

CDs in your library: These are CDs added to your library, but not ripped yet. This is unchanged from MM4 and you can still rip them anytime later also with MM5. All the metadata will be preserved.
Barry4679
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Re: Virtual CD question

Post by Barry4679 »

Ludek wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 9:24 am I think you are mixing two separate things together:

Virtual CDs: These are CDs that were ripped using MM4, i.e. already have associated audio content.
These tracks are converted to normal library tracks during the MM4 > MM5 update.

CDs in your library: These are CDs added to your library, but not ripped yet. This is unchanged from MM4 and you can still rip them anytime later also with MM5. All the metadata will be preserved.
Hi Ludek, it is not clear to whom you made those comments.

You don't seem to be answering the OP's essential questions.
noisebeam wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:53 pm
Two key questions:
Can I set a view in MM5 to not see the prior VCD tracks (tracks with no media file)?
Will they still transfer meta data to the original CD files when I rip them?
If you are addressing me, I was trying to follow the instructions in the MM4 online help regarding Virtual CDs

What I did was:
  • insert a CD
  • when it appeared in the Media Tree, I used the SendTo>Virtual CD menu item
Want a dark skin for MM5? This is the one that works best for me .. elegant, compact & clear.
Ludek
Posts: 4945
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2007 9:00 am

Re: Virtual CD question

Post by Ludek »

OK, I just wanted to say that tracks on Virtual CD are already ripped (in the location for Virtual CDs).
So if you decide to re-rip them then you will end up with duplicate tracks.

As for the original OP's question: I have just tested it and by conversion of tracks on Virtual CD to normal library tracks (MM4 > MM5 update) the links to the original CDs are lost. So if you plan to re-rip them to FLAC with the metadata prepared in MM4 you can (also later in MM5), but you need to remove them from Virtual CD at first (in MM4).

i.e.
1) Run MM4, select all CDA tracks on Virtual CDs > right-click > Properties > Virtual CD > [Remove from Virtual CD]
2) Install MM5 and import the database from MM4
3) Rip the CDs to FLAC as you want (with the metadata from MM4 availbale under Entire Library > Location > ...)
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