> > Hi Alex--
>> Excellent idea as long as its simple to do. We could flag "grouping"
>> to expand into more fields that nature recordists could attempt to
>> standardize and use "comments" or another field for another expansion
>> set. Know anyone "looking" for such a project? ;-)
>>
>> We also have the .wav files/iTunes ID3 tag incompatibility to work
>> out towards the "free and cross-platform" goals. Anyone with iTunes
>> on PC, can you add a tag to a.wav file? If not, can you try changing
>> your Preferences ->Advanced -> Export default format to AIFF(?) and
>> convert a .wav to aiff and then see if you can tag it? Rob D.
>> --
>>
>
>Rob,
>it appears I was too rash. I just checked again, and it seems that
>iTunes uses its own (proprietary) format to save its library. The XML
>file is merely exported every time the library changes, but it is not
>used by iTunes. In plain English: you can access all iTunes data
>without opening iTunes, but you won't be able to change anything.
>Would make sense from Apple's point of view given their efforts in
>keeping their own applications closed.
>However, the XML file could still be used to initially parse the
>library and extract useful information.
>
>As for the metadata in .wav and .aif files: I wouldn't use the chunks
>to store important data; although they shouldn't according to the
>specs, some applications trash all (non-compulsory) metadata they
>don't recognize when they save a file (for example after an edit)
>instead of passing them on.
>
>Alex
> e All-Bran
If we do get a programmer to help us, your tag/flag idea sounds like
it could be the ticket to getting the exact fields we desire. True,
the .aiff tags might not survive out of iTunes but they would allow
one to more easily create records of the sound files in a master
record sheet for searching.
I'm curious if people think if the iTunes/Word "solution" is too
complicated. Below is the "work-flow" I see at this point for
entering a set of sound files into a personal archive. Following that
are some possible improvements if perl, mysql or python was used to
make a custom freeware program for us.
A. Personal Media Archive: Record Entry Steps with iTunes, Word and
OS finder/search engine
(1) Create a folder with the date/name of your recording Outing on it
such as "20080311PB_squirrels_woodpeckers" or
"20080311PB_hanson_woods." (option: copy the exact folder name to
your clipboard).
(2) Move/copy the sound files downloaded from your Recorder/outing
into the new folder.
(3) Open iTunes, select, "New Playlist." Name the Playlist with the
same name you gave the folder. (option: paste it from your clipboard).
(4) Open the iTunes Playlist window.
(5) "Drag-Drop" the folder containing the sound files into the
Playlist window. The audio file names will appear. You can edit your
audio file names at this point by selecting it and using File->Get
Info and changing the file name field.
(6) Shift-Select all of the files in the Playlist window, use File->
Get Info -> and enter date, place, weather, equipment, etc -- all
information you want to add to all of the recordings made in this
outing.
(7) In the iTunes Playlist window, select individual recordings or
smaller groups of sound files and use "Get Info" to enter more
specific content into the tag(s) like species, quality rating and
other conditions.
(8) In iTunes, use File-> Export Playlist-> Text (tab delimited) to
export the ID3 tags as a text document to the folder with the sound
files. (Note that you can add ID3 tag info to .wav files but you must
export this info as per below to
(9) Open this .txt doc in Notepad/Textedit and copy all of the
contents to your clipboard (Control+A; Control+C)
(10) Open a new Master Record .doc (a template you can customize)
and scroll down to the ID3 tags table. Paste in (Control+V) your tag
info into the provided, empty chart. Each sound file will have its
own row in the table.
(11) Add other info including photos and web-links concerning the
Outing to the Master Record document.
(12) Save the Word .doc in the folder with the sound files or in
another nested folder hierarchy you can preserve like :
My Media Archive (folder)
Master-Record-Documents (folder) ->
Message: 20080311PB_squirrels_woodpeckers.
Subject: doc
Sound-Files (folder) -> 20080311PB_squirrels_woodpeckers
(folder)-> individual sound files
(13) SEARCHING: Use Spotlight or the Windows equivalent. Spotlight
searches tags created by iTunes very thoroughly. You can right-click
on a match and play the sound file in your sound editing program. To
find the "Master Record Sheet: for a sound file, search the file
name. Right-click on the .doc to open it.
(14) Taking this archive on line. There are some AppleScripts that
work within iTunes to create playable html links the sound files in
exported Playlists. These html docs could be pasted into the Master
Record .doc and this doc saved as a web page and uploaded to the web
preserving your folder structure. After the web robots cache your
site, folks can Google-Search any part of your archive you want to
upload.
B. Possible Programming Improvements: (perl, mysql, python?)
(1) Use the ID3 tags created by iTunes (or created by the same app)
to automatically create a new "record" or database "entry" page for
each new sound file added to the database/archive. This page should
have a playable link to the sound file and a link to "Master Outing
Record" page (or automatically extract the Master Record and and
display it below)
(2) In the same database app, have the ability to create "Master
Outing Record" page for each outing with fields for additional
categories, text, photos and links. The ID3 info from all the sound
recordings (with playable links) would also be included.
(3) The above features can be realized off-line and transferred
on-line in part or whole.
Rob D.
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