Encoding legacy SP: end of track truncation

[jrhughes]

I thought I'd better start a thread of my own, since the one I've commented on ("Are the new RH1 upload features worth it?") I think may be a different problem to mine. I'm using the RH1, legacy MD discs recorded both digitally and via analogue, and the latest version of SS.

This is a problem I've only just noticed, because I've only just uploaded some SP data where each track blends in to the next. It doesn't matter whether the original was CD or vinyl, the result is the same: each track has a small chunk (probably less than 0.5 sec.) missing from the end, so that it jumps into the next track. There is no gap, but the transition is not smooth. I have not noticed it before, because I have been uploading some vinyl recordings whose tracks are separated by silence. Each new track starts at the right place, so I suppose only a small piece of silence was omitted. Now, though, I have horrible jumps as one track ends and the other begins for any album which is mixed so as to be continuous.

I can upload in PCM and this preserves the structure as it should be. That's great, but I want to be able to have A3+ encoded uploaded SP data. I have even tried encoding on the PC from PCM to ATRAC3+ 256, but the encoding process results in the same track truncations. So, no matter whether I upload as A3+ 256, or as PCM and encode later (either on the PC or by transfer to Hi-MD), I can't get smooth track transitions.

I'm aware of the comments about misplaced track marks but I don't think this is the same problem, since data is omitted in this case.

Does anyone have any advice? Am I alone?

Thanks in advance...

[jrhughes]

OK, I guess I am alone. I have just found a workaround, so, for those who are interested, here's a rather long winded way of keeping the flow of gapless albums (eg., DJ mixes, concept albums) intact:

Use the RH1 to upload the SP MD and set SS to use PCM. Track contunuity is preserved.

Create an audio CD (I'm using a CD-RW since I don't want to keep it on CD).

Import from the CD.

This seems to be the only way to have ATRAC3+ imports of legacy MD uploads whilst maintaining continuity. All other ways that I've tried lop off about 0.5 sec (maybe less) from the end of each track. It's not much, and doesn't matter for most albums, but for those whose tracks merge, it does.

Cheers

[Richard]

OK, I guess I am alone.

Not quite - see also here http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=18220

* Moved to Software Discussion

[jrhughes]

Not quite - see also here http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=18220

* Moved to Software Discussion

Thanks, Rich. I did do a couple of searches before posting and came across that post, but, at the time, the last bit read:

"To avoid the gaps, make sure you have the view in SS set to Albums / Playlists and then transfer the entire top-level album as opposed to going into the album / group and selecting all tracks."

I have this view set but, with a legacy MD (not a Net MD), I don't see how to select the top level album. I don't think the concept actually exists with SP MDs, since all I'm presented with is the title of the disc and tracks. Am I missing something?

Again, there aren't actually any gaps, as such. One track still goes immediately to the next, but the very end of the previous track is lopped off, creating a nasty jump to the next. It has to be a limitation of the encoding process, since I can take a list of PCM tracks uploaded from legacy MD, which sound perfect, and encode them directly on the PC to A3+, which results in track truncation. The only way around it that I have found is to create an audio CD from the PCM upload and then import the CD as A3+.

Cheers

[jrhughes]

OK, I'll retract slightly from the above: importing as PCM does not always sound perfect. In about 30% of the tracks there is a very small (much smaller than importing as A3+256) "pop" in the transition of one track to the next, as a tiny amount of the end of one track may be lopped off. This is only apparent with the types of album that are continuous and is so small in comparison that I can live with it.

It's still the case that PCM needs to be written to audio CD and imported from there, to have acceptable A3+ continuous mix albums or recordings. I'm grateful that it's possible at all - wonderful RH1!