How to compare actual track length with length from Tag Source?

[bitskream]

I'm finding myself defeated by a tagging challenge that I hope someone here can assist with. I have performed some batch tagging via source scripts, which is remarkable accurate, but also occasionally mis-matches. In order to help identify the mismatched tracks, I wish to compare the known track length with the "Time_Check" field that came from the Tag Source; in this case Beatport. Good matches usually have an accuracy of +/- 2-3 seconds for these values. Consequently. I would like to create a calculated field value to help identify any tracks whose variance between these two fields is greater than 3 seconds. I cannot find a suitable combination of functions to accomplish this, seemingly simple, task. Anyone have a trick/method that I could employ to accomplish this? Thanks.

[ohrenkino]

@bitskream

create a calculated field value

The arithmatic functions are described in the documentation:

Scripting Functions – Mp3tag Documentation

As you do not say what the data in

@bitskream

Time_Check

looks like, it is hard to go into more details than
$sub(%_length_seconds%,%time_check%)
would return the difference.
It could be that you have to transform %time_check% into seconds as well:
$add($mul($num(%_length%,1),60),$num($right(%_length%,2),2))
(this works only for files of a length shorter than 1 hour)

@bitskream

I would like to create a calculated field value

I would not clog up the tags but use a filter with GREATER or LESS

[bitskream]

Great suggestions. I'll be experimenting with these to see what works well/best. Much appreciated!

EDIT:

That was exactly the hint I needed to do this, so many thanks.

First, I created a Calculated field column to show the variance:

$sub(%_length_seconds%,$add($mul($num($meta(_TIME_CHECK),1),60),$num($right($meta(_TIME_CHECK),2),2)))

Then, I added a filter to show only items whose variance was greater than 3 or less than -3. NB. I could really use an $abs() function here, but don't see documentation for one anywhere.

$sub(%_length_seconds%,$add($mul($num($meta(_TIME_CHECK),1),60),$num($right($meta(_TIME_CHECK),2),2))) LESS -3 OR $sub(%_length_seconds%,$add($mul($num($meta(_TIME_CHECK),1),60),$num($right($meta(_TIME_CHECK),2),2))) GREATER 3

These seem to be solving my initial problem quite well. Many thanks.