Configuration > Tools (My Workflow & Settings)

General Discussion
1

Here is a list of all my Tools on right click>Tools that I use on a daily and sometimes seldom basis. This is my workflow so you can mod yours to your own liking.

NOTE Paths to the programs may differ to yours but the parameters must be the same.

1: VLC Player

Shortcut: ctrl+1/cmd+1 (I also have this as the double click function)

NAME: VLC Player
PATH: C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe
PARAMETER: --playlist-enqueue --one-instance "%_path%"
[✓] for all selected files

What the first code does is put all selected files in a playlist, 2nd one says only one instance of VLC player to open and the "%_path%" just points to the file.

I do this to preview the songs and sometimes rate them within mp3tag at the same time.

I got the code from the VLC players web page where it has a list of command-lines. Where you can find here http://wiki.videolan.org/VLC_command-line_help so you can mod yours to how you like.

2: Artwork - Artist/Album

Shortcut: ctrl+2/cmd+2

NAME: Artwork - Artist/Album
PATH: C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
PARAMETER: http://www.google.ie/images?q=$replace($regexp(%artist% %album%,'\s*\[.*\].*',), ,+)&hl=en&biw=1236&bih=1372&tbs=isch:1,isz:lt,islt:svga&source=lnt&sa=X&ei=-u1wTZTpPMK1hAeb0qkx&ved=0CAoQpwUoBA
[  ] for all selected files

This opens up firefox and searches google for 800x600px or larger images with the %artist% and %album% as the search function.

3: mp3val

Shortcut: ctrl+3/cmd+3

NAME: mp3val
PATH: F:\PROGRAMS\mp3val v0.1.8\mp3val-frontend.exe
PARAMETER:
[✓] for all selected files

This opens up mp3val which fixes MPEG audio files' integrity http://mp3val.sourceforge.net/
If anyone knows of a Parameter which loads the mp3 file/s into the program that would be great. At the minute ctrl+3 simply is a shortcut to open the program as quickly as possible.

4: Open In Explorer

Shortcut: ctrl+4/cmd+4

NAME: Open In Explorer
PATH: C:\Windows\explorer.exe
PARAMETER: /e, /select, "%_path%"
[  ] for all selected files

/e opens the explorer, /select highlights the file and "%_path%" points towards the file/s.

5: iTunes

Shortcut: ctrl+5/cmd+5

NAME: iTunes
PATH: C:\Program Files (x86)\iTunes\iTunes.exe
PARAMETER:
[✓] for all selected files

Only opens iTunes, but if anyone out there knows of any parameter which will loads the selected files in a playlist the would be great.

6: Mixed In Key

Shortcut: ctrl+6/cmd+6

NAME: Mixed In Key
PATH: C:\Program Files (x86)\Xone Mixed In Key 4\XoneMixedInKey.exe
PARAMETER:
[✓] for all selected files

Mixed In Key software here http://www.mixedinkey.com/ puts a key to your tags in actual key or through a Camelot wheel keycode formula. I have it so that it appends the comment from "5" which I first of all do and is the rating of the song to "4A - 5" This means I can quickly identify both the songs rating and key. Also handy for creating smart playlist within iTunes and so you can rate a song 4.5 etc.. and never be afraid of losing that info. :slight_smile:

But again this only opens iTunes, and if anyone out there knows of any parameter which will loads the selected files in a playlist the would be great.

Hope this was of some help.

2

The isn't a criticism of your workflow or advice, but just points out that everyone does things a little differently and uses different tools.

For me Windows Explorer forms the 'home' by which I manipulate my audio library.

My workflow setup is usually to have:

  • One Explorer window that is used for my 'working' directory on my PC, in which I rip, retag, download and edit cover images, etc.
  • Another Explorer window for the library on my server. Here I can see what I already have, how other albums are tagged, and then drag finished albums once they've been completed on the working PC.
  • A Chrome browser window with the following loaded in tabs (they're all kept in a bookmark folder in Chrome, so that they can easily be opened all at once): AllMusic.com, Amazon.com/Music, Google image search, Wikipedia, AlbumArtExchange.com.

From Windows Explorer I can:

  • view tags with a simple mouseover (using dbpoweramp's Explorer integration).
  • play a song in my default Windows audio player by double clicking it.
  • retag the album using Mp3tag by right clicking its folder.
  • view and edit artwork using my image editor, again by double-clicking.

Other than that description of my work environment, I

  • probably get 80-90% of my covers from Album Art Exchange, then use Google image search and sometimes Amazon for the remainder.
  • don't use song ratings or iTunes.
  • don't download Mp3s, so have no problems with broken ones.
3

Thank you for the vlc command line link.

4

This was simply the options that I have, my workflow involves using Windows Explorer of sorts, Firefox, iTunes, mp3val and Mixed In Key.

1. Download Music from a particular source like www.beatport.com

2. Save it to my desktop.

3. Open mp3tag and drag the files into app.

4. ctrl+3 to open mp3val to check .mp3's integraty.

6. Run my script for that particualar album / release to populates Tags.

7. Press ctrl+1 to open VLC player and let the song play while I listen.

8. While I am listening to the songs I press ctrl+2 which automatically opens firefox and googles images greater than 800x600px.

9. Save the artwork and open it in irfan view to resize it to 1000x1000px with a file limit of 200kb while still listening to the song in the background.

10. Drag the artwork to mp3tag, save files.

11. and then rate the them while I listen by adding 4, 4.5, 5 etc to the comment field.

12. Press ctrl 5 to open iTunes and then drag files into it.

13. Later on once I have say 20+ new songs to run through Mixed In Key I drag them to it and run which leave the comment now looking something like this "4A -5"

14. And thats it DONE :smiley:

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