Do I need to --keep-foreign-metadata? Options

[OpTicaL]

I'm currently using FLAC frontend 1.7.1 to encode my WAV files to FLAC. I keeping getting this error, WARNING: skipping unknown sub-chunk 'LIST' (use --keep-foreign-metadata to keep). Do I need to --keep-foreign-metadata? Will not keeping foreign metadata have any negative effects on the output FLAC file? Is there benefits of keeping foreign metadata in my encodes?

[greynol]

Foreign metadata is just that. It has no bearing on the audio data. Whether you wish to keep it is up to you. Do you ever plan on converting them back to wave files? If so, what do you plan on doing with them? I'm guessing you'll never miss those LIST chunks. Except for some wave editors and a handful of other applications, they aren't really used. When they are used it usually isn't done in a standard way that makes them compatible between those applications.

How are you creating these wave files anyway? If you're using dBpoweramp (which writes this metadata by default), you might as well use it to convert them to flac. If you do it that way I'm pretty sure the metadata will be converted over to proper vorbis comments/flac tags.

[OpTicaL]

I'm using Nero to create the WAV files from CD. My other question is how do I encode all the WAV files in a directory to FLAC in command prompt? On FLAC's website it says use flac *.wav but that does seem to work. What should I use in place of *.wav?

[jcoalson]

http://flac.sourceforge.net/documentation_...oreign_metadata

edit:

http://flac.sourceforge.net/faq.html#tools...ards_on_windows

This post has been edited by jcoalson: Mar 11 2009, 05:56

[greynol]

I'll leave it others to discourage you from using Nero to rip your CDs.

Instead of *.wav you'll need to use a parameter passing scheme when typing at the command prompt:

CODE

for %g in (*.wav) do flac --keep-foreign-metadata "%g"

[greynol]

I see Josh beat me with his edit.

[OpTicaL]

Foreign metadata is just that. It has no bearing on the audio data. Whether you wish to keep it is up to you. Do you ever plan on converting them back to wave files? If so, what do you plan on doing with them? I'm guessing you'll never miss those LIST chunks. Except for some wave editors and a handful of other applications, they aren't really used. When they are used it usually isn't done in a standard way that makes them compatible between those applications.

How are you creating these wave files anyway? If you're using dBpoweramp (which writes this metadata by default), you might as well use it to convert them to flac. If you do it that way I'm pretty sure the metadata will be converted over to proper vorbis comments/flac tags.

Thank you all for all your help.

I'm a n00b when it comes to CD ripping (I haven't taken CD ripping seriously, until now). greynol recommends dBpoweramp and I've heard about EAC for the longest time. Which ripper is recommended? I visited dBpoweramps website and see that it's not freeware. Is there any practical advantage dBpoweramp has over EAC?

[saratoga]

EAC is the gold standard.

[timcupery]

Sure, EAC is the gold standard, because it's been around the longest as a secure ripping program. dBpoweramp and foobar2000 also offer secure ripping functionality. I use EAC most of the time, but you could go with any of these programs.

[OpTicaL]

Ok, I just started learning the ropes on how to use EAC and I followed the Wiki guide on how to configure EAC. However, if I want to add "--keep-foreign-metadata" where would I add the command line?

My current command line looks like this: -T "artist=%a" -T "title=%t" -T "album=%g" -T "date=%y" -T "tracknumber=%n" -T "genre=%m" -8 %s

Where would I plug "--keep-foreign-metadata"?

This post has been edited by OpTicaL: May 20 2009, 08:04

[greynol]

There's no reason to add that setting since EAC doesn't create any foreign metadata.