Saving Track Names in Batch Job

gdg63 wrote on 3/19/2019, 9:50 AM

This is for Sound Forge Pro 12 on a Windows 7 PC.

I've been ripping a lot of old mono albums I inherited from the 1950's.

I record each side as a WAV file via a USB turntable. I split the recording into regions, enter track names and extract as separate wav files. So I have a couple of questions.

1. Once I split up into separate tracks, is there a need to keep the original recording of each side of the album? I personally do not see a need.

2. I created some batch jobs that add de-click, de-hiss, EQ and volume effects to the tracks for each album. When I run a batch job, I can make adjustments to the level of the effects and save with the job. The only thing I cannot do is save the file names (tracks) with the job. Each time I want to re-process some tracks, I have to open the job and manually add the tracks or drag them from file explorer. Am I missing something, or is this by design? I would like to have a batch job with the track names and appropriate settings for each album. Is there a way?

TIA

Comments

gdg63 wrote on 3/20/2019, 3:06 PM

Not a very active board huh?
I did try Reddit on the sound engineering sub but that's more general in nature.

Anybody have any suggestions as to where else I could ask?

BradMoe wrote on 3/20/2021, 4:23 PM

I use mp3-id3 editor rather than the cd-text editor to stuff meta-data, then the file names should appear as track names. I had only needed to type the track names once into the mp3-id3 editor... ([]save as individual files).

rraud wrote on 3/20/2021, 5:28 PM

1 Once I split up into separate tracks, is there a need to keep the original recording of each side of the album? I personally do not see a need.

> That is up to you. I keep 'important' PCM masters if further editing or different format end user formats may be needed. Saving the batch job does does not save the files that were added.

2. I would like to have a batch job with the track names and appropriate settings for each album. Is there a way?

> Not exactly, but in the "Save > Add Save Options". you can 'Append to name' which may make it faster to re-name afterwards. All the other parameters can be saved in the batch job preset though.

FWIW, the recently published SF Pro-15 batch tool has been redesigned, but the above limitations seem to be the same.

btw, welcome to the Magix Sound Forge users forum @gdg63.

condex wrote on 3/21/2021, 7:41 AM

 I keep 'important' PCM masters if further editing or different format end user formats may be needed

There are 2 basic rules with audio and video editing. Rule 1: ALWAYS keep a copy or even better multiple copies of your original media as well as all of your edited work preferably on 2 or more devices which are preferably not directly associated/connected with your computer (i.e. an external HD, memory stick/card, or cloud). Rule 2: refer to Rule 1.

External HDDs whether desktop or portable are cheap these days. If you have access to a generous cloud account, then that's another backup option.

Not even considering addressing going back to re-edit edits made by destructive editing, what happens if an HDD fails (which does happen even with SSDs) and you have no back up copy of the media or your edited work?

David_M-62. wrote on 3/21/2021, 5:26 PM

I have Sound Forge 9.0c, and the Batch Converter does not save the Files To Convert list with the Batch Job, (However it does remember whatever you enter in the metadata tab for some reason.) I assume this is by design since most people would not want to repeatedly apply the same processes, or save options to the same group of files.

Regarding your fist question I always keep the original vinyl rip, but I first combine sides A and B into a single file, trim off any silence at the ends, put in the markers, name the tracks, make regions, and save that as a single file with the metadata and/or save a copy of the regions list file (.sfl) That is now my backup archive which I can return to in the future if necessary.

I find it quicker and easier to apply Click And Crackle etc. to this single file of the whole album, which means there is no need to use the Batch Converter and you can use Extract Regions at the end when you've finished.

 

gdg63 wrote on 3/22/2021, 11:32 AM

OP Here. I keep the original rip, as a wav, unprocessed as a backup. It takes extra space but with the price of storage nowadays, no big deal. I keep individual tracks also as wav files. I convert to MP3 and process with different effects and filters using the batch converter. I have found this to be the best solution for me. I want and need individual tracks with track title, artist, album etc for playback purposes on my PC and my phone. Sound quality is just fine with 320k MP3 for this specific music. We are talking about mainly mono audio from the 1950s and early 60s.

rraud wrote on 3/22/2021, 1:35 PM

Sound quality is just fine with 320k MP3 for this specific music.

In case your are not aware, if you have mono material you need only one channel, and can encode an MP3 mono file, which essentially doubles the resolution. For instance, a 320kbs mono MP3 has the equivalent resolution of a 740kbs stereo file, at close to the same file size. In my experiments with spoken word content, my sum/difference tests with the master PCM almost totally cancel out, at least exceeding -130 dBFS which is close to a mirror image. Music OTOH is more complex, so it may differ 10dB or so, but is still impressive.

FYI, SF versions prior to SF-15 did not have the 320kbs mono option, so I always needed to use a third-party encoder that supported hi res mono (320kbs is the max for the MP3 format).

gdg63 wrote on 3/22/2021, 1:54 PM

In case your are not aware, if you have mono material you need only one channel, and can encode an MP3 mono file, which essentially doubles the resolution. For instance, a 320kbs mono MP3 has the equivalent resolution of a 740kbs stereo file, at close to the same file size. In my experiments with spoken word content, my sum/difference tests with the master PCM almost totally cancel out, at least exceeding -130 dBFS which is close to a mirror image. Music OTOH is more complex, so it may differ 10dB or so, but is still impressive.

I'm aware. I rip in mono and I encode in mp3 mono. I am not taking anything away from these recordings by encoding in MP3 either, trust me. Most are 70 years old, literally. Dynamic range, almost non-existent, Frequency response was akin but not quite to AM radio levels, more like what FM radio is. Most albums have early 50s dates on them. You can take a guess as to how "state of the art" recording equipment was. I even have older 78s, did not bother with those. On top of the lower quality recordings was of course the surfaces of these albums. I did my best to clean them but some stuff you just can't remove. That's where modern technology comes in.