Music Media Helper (Tools for Multichannel Audio & Music Videos)

[HomerJAU]

I've been mucking around with an idea to allow users to create their own channel mappings and got to this. Looks like it will work, just drag a new 'channel map connector' from source to output.

Their are a few threads here on QQ with recommendations and conjecture regarding channel swaps for some commercial MCH releases. This may help users
"experiment':

Here's an example showing a 7.1 to 5.1 channel mapping, but you could just swap LF and LR etc too:

I'll finish it off over the weekend. EDIT: This has added in MMH 3.5.3 (July 2019)

 

[HomerJAU]

Just to let anyone using this app I finally fixed the automatic tagging of MKV to FLAC conversions and also added a new Tagging menu option when using the Rename Media Files tool.

Here's an example for Split of an MKV to FLAC. Enter the Album Artist and Album then 'Find' and MMH tags and renames the FLACs based on the selected release found in the online MusicBrainz music database:

 

[Robert van Diggele]

Totally forgot about this nice software. Now with the INXS release I will give it a try to get a 5.1. Did a downmix now in Jriver, but I like to do a dowwmix just once and leave the rest as is. Thanks!

 

[HomerJAU]

Another update today:

[*][Several Bugs fixed
[*][Added a new 'Export/Print' command to the Media Manager to enable direct printing and/or export to PDF, Word or Excel
[*]Added new 'Hide Columns' checkbox in Media Manager to hide system columns (hidden columns are not exported/printed)
[*]Grids now uses DirectX (faster painting/scrolling) with large datasets[*]Improved Column filters in grids (Excel style).
[*]All file and folder selection are now 'skinned'

Known Issue: Folder/File dialogs do not show folder names in sorted order on a Linux mapped drive (e.g A NAS). This will be fixed when the 3rd party grid is updated (should be very soon - I will post here when updated)

New Print Preview in Media Manager:

 

[olgitnorm]

I have used Music Helper on the 7.1 audio from Inxs Kick30 in the following way:
1. Used MakeMKV to make a mkv file of the 7.1 audio
2. Used Music Helper to convert to Flac and split into individual tracks
3. Used new Music Helper feature to convert the 7.1 to 5.1

All seems fine but noticed that the file size before and after conversion are different, e.g Track one as a 7.1 flac file is 77.3mb whereas after conversion to 5.1 is only 61.3mb.
To my untrained mind this suggests that information has been lost as opposed to simply moved.
Is there a logical reason for the reduction in file size or have I used your wonderful software (I much prefer using it than AudioMuxer) incorrectly?

 

[JediJoker]

All seems fine but noticed that the file size before and after conversion are different, e.g Track one as a 7.1 flac file is 77.3mb whereas after conversion to 5.1 is only 61.3mb.
To my untrained mind this suggests that information has been lost as opposed to simply moved.
Is there a logical reason for the reduction in file size or have I used your wonderful software (I much prefer using it than AudioMuxer) incorrectly?

Because you have folded-down 8 channels to 6.

Forget FLAC file compression for a moment. You have an 8-channel uncompressed WAV file. No matter what each channel contains—whether it's chock-a-block full of sound, sparsely populated, or completely silent—the file size is the same. Each channel always "runs" at the same bitrate. Whether you remove 2 channels or fold-down to 6 channels, the reduction in file size is constant due to the reduction from 8 channels to 6. The WAV file is totally ignorant of content. When you fold down 2 channels into 1, you create a new waveform that gets reencoded and takes up the exact same space as every other channel at the same bitrate.

Now, it is true that FLAC is somewhat content-aware. However, folding down from 8 to 6 channels is still going to reduce file size, though potentially by a lower factor based on channel content.

 

[HomerJAU]

New version 3.2 uploaded today:

New Feature:

• Merge multiple FLAC files into a single file and create a CUE file. Modify track start times, split new merged FLAC file into new track files with new times retaining existing tags or just use the new CUE to play the new merged FLAC

This tool enables you to do the following:

• Merge separate FLAC files into a single file
• Create a CUE file with from the original individual files (storing original track tags and duration)
• Edit the original durations (change start time)
• Split a FLAC from the CUE file created back to individual FLAC tracks
• Or just Use the new large FLAC with all tracks and the new CUE to enjoy playback from the CUE

The new tool can be used to change the original track start times and is useful to correct some discs that have been converted to FLAC with incorrect track start times (e.g from a BDA or DVD with incorrect chapters times)

 

[HomerJAU]

Other new features in latest release:

• Ability to view tracks in the Media File Manager grid, hide columns and search for any text value
• Add tracks to the Music Media Helper's PlayList dialog by double-clicking on any track in Media Manager grid view.

The Media list now shows each albums' tracks in a sub-grid (see below). Just double-click on a track to add to the current Playlist opened in Media Helper:

NOTE: The Latest Media Manager grid also has filters available in all the columns to easily filter on Codec with 4Ch (Quad) or Albums with 'BDA etc)

The track (above) is added at the current track position in the current open Playlist:

 

[HomerJAU]

A new update to Music Media Helper just posted:

• Added a new option in the 'Remix' tool to Invert Phase for any Channel(s) (in a 6Ch mix) - For titles like Porcupine Tree - In Absentia whre Centre needs Invert Phase

This will retag new FLAC files based on original (source) flacs. There is an option to overwrite or create new in a sub-folder

EDIT: I just posted another update that support Phase Invert of any channel(s). (Originally this was hardcoded to invert on Centre Channel only). This feature currently only supports 6 channel (5.1 layout )input files.

• Bug fixes

 

[HomerJAU]

A update for those who subscribe to the Music Media Helper app thread:

Another new release was uploaded today which improves 'Invert Channel Phase' allowing selection of any channel(s) to invert.

(apologies: Yesterday I edited the previous post here so you may have missed this app update)

 

[HomerJAU]

Another new update posted today:

Changes:
Now using latest versions of MediaInfo, MKVMerge, ffmpeg & DevExpress (all 3rd party utilities used by Music Media Helper)
Improved speed of new FLAC Merge tool added in previous release
A few bug fixes and other minor improvements (including PlayList Editor)

 

[himey]

Another new update posted today:

Changes:
Now using latest versions of MediaInfo, MKVMerge, ffmpeg & DevExpress (all 3rd party utilities used by Music Media Helper)
Improved speed of new FLAC Merge tool added in previous release
A few bug fixes and other minor improvements (including PlayList Editor)

Any way to add a tool that will read the folder, for example, Rush - A Farewell To Kings, and look up the files within it, and update the flac tags of each file? Don't need it to rename the files themselves, just use the name of the folder for the lookup info and update tags. The individual files are in the proper order. Foobar does something similar but only from the tag artist and album. If something could use the folder, it could be more than helpful. Thanks for the very useful program!

 

[HomerJAU]

Any way to add a tool that will read the folder, for example, Rush - A Farewell To Kings, and look up the files within it, and update the flac tags of each file? Don't need it to rename the files themselves, just use the name of the folder for the lookup info and update tags. The individual files are in the proper order. Foobar does something similar but only from the tag artist and album. If something could use the folder, it could be more than helpful. Thanks for the very useful program!

Yes. The tool 'Rename Media Files' will load all the files from a folder and allow tagging (if they're FLACs).

Once loaded into the grid click the 'Get Tracks From MusicBrainz'

You will need to enter: Artist (Rush) and Album Name (A Farewell To Kings), then you can tag/retag.

Let me know if you'd like to change anything, for example I could auto load the Artist and Album name by reading the folder name. Also, not sure if it adds all the tags you want.

 

[himey]

Yes. The tool 'Rename Media Files' will load all the files from a folder and allow tagging (if they're FLACs).

Once loaded into the grid click the 'Get Tracks From MusicBrainz'

You will need to enter: Artist (Rush) and Album Name (A Farewell To Kings), then you can tag/retag.

Let me know if you'd like to change anything, for example I could auto load the Artist and Album name by reading the folder name. Also, not sure if it adds all the tags you want.

Please do! Most people do either Artist - Album or Artist-Album. Sometimes I will add (info here) to the end if you could somehow get it to ignore that part. example "Pink Floyd - Meddle (5.1 FLAC 24.96)"

Tag with just, artist, album, song title works for me. That is the most time consuming. Thanks!

 

[HomerJAU]

Please do! Most people do either Artist - Album or Artist-Album. Sometimes I will add (info here) to the end if you could somehow get it to ignore that part. example "Pink Floyd - Meddle (5.1 FLAC 24.96)"

Tag with just, artist, album, song title works for me. That is the most time consuming. Thanks!

Firstly, apologies himey. The current 'Rename' tool does not support re-tagging only renaming based on what's in the grid (which can come from MusicBrainz or from a cut and pasted list of tracks from a text file).

However, I will add a new 'Tag Only' command to the 'Rename' tool dialog (so it will become a 'Rename and Tagging' tool).

It will also support auto pre-filling the Artist and Album Names based on your scenarios:
Plus: It will support getting from folders in this format ARTIST\ALBUM (a common folder structure
Plus: If it will attempt to read any existing tags for those values from the first file added (i.e it will support re-tagging files)

I'll attempt to do this today. Standby for the announcement.

 

[himey]

Firstly, apologies himey. The current 'Rename' tool does not support re-tagging only renaming based on what's in the grid (which can come from MusicBrainz or from a cut and pasted list of tracks from a text file).

However, I will add a new 'Tag Only' command to the 'Rename' tool dialog (so it will become a 'Rename and Tagging' tool).

It will also support auto pre-filling the Artist and Album Names based on your scenarios:
Plus: It will support getting from folders in this format ARTIST\ALBUM (a common folder structure
Plus: If it will attempt to read any existing tags for those values from the first file added (i.e it will support re-tagging files)

I'll attempt to do this today. Standby for the announcement.

Wow thanks!

 

[HomerJAU]

Please do! Most people do either Artist - Album or Artist-Album. Sometimes I will add (info here) to the end if you could somehow get it to ignore that part. example "Pink Floyd - Meddle (5.1 FLAC 24.96)"

Tag with just, artist, album, song title works for me. That is the most time consuming. Thanks!

A new update just posted:

Added: The previous 'Rename Media Files' tool changed to 'Rename/Tag Media Files. New functionality enable users to get album/track tags from the MusicBrainz online database and tag selected files. This tool attempts to get tags from existing files on loading otherwise it will attempt to create tags based on folder names and file names. Then the MusicBrainz search can be used to update tags and you can rename files based on song titles etc.

Edit: If your source media file folder has album art (either 'folder.jpg' or 'cover.jpg') the files are auto tagged with the album art.

Changed: The 'Split MKV to FLAC' tool has updated logic to get album/track tags from the MusicBrainz online database (when there is more than one artist with same name.) Previously if search found more than one matching artist name it ignored all but the first artist. (e.g 'Rush' returns several artists - if more than one found MMH now asks you to select from the list of artists, then searches for the album name for that artist).

Please let me know if you find any issues or would like any more changes/functionality.

THX
Garry

 

[himey]

A new update just posted:

Added: The previous 'Rename Media Files' tool changed to 'Rename/Tag Media Files. New functionality enable users to get album/track tags from the MusicBrainz online database and tag selected files. This tool attempts to get tags from existing files on loading otherwise it will attempt to create tags based on folder names and file names. Then the MusicBrainz search can be used to update tags and you can rename files based on song titles etc.

Edit: If your source media file folder has album art (either 'folder.jpg' or 'cover.jpg') the files are auto tagged with the album art.

Changed: The 'Split MKV to FLAC' tool has updated logic to get album/track tags from the MusicBrainz online database (when there is more than one artist with same name.) Previously if search found more than one matching artist name it ignored all but the first artist. (e.g 'Rush' returns several artists - if more than one found MMH now asks you to select from the list of artists, then searches for the album name for that artist).

Please let me know if you find any issues or would like any more changes/functionality.

THX
Garry

Thanks again! Your skill is extraordinary.

 

[HomerJAU]

Thanks again! Your skill is extraordinary.

Thanks himey! In my past life I worked in software development. Nothing extraordinary. I use MMH all the time to get my media files into shape for Kodi playback. I've put it online for hopeing others will use it too.

Always interested in getting feedback and adding more useful tools etc. So everyone please feel free to post ideas and/or queries.

The Split MKV to Flac tool works pretty well now and is faster than Audiomuxer and adds the tagging from MusicBrainz too. Not had any feedback on that yet, hopefully you give it a try for BDA conversions.

 

[JerseyEd]

Hi Homer,

Can you please tell me what the newest version number is, and if the link in posting #17 should lead me to it? Each time you post an update I keep getting the same version 3.0. If this link is not correct could you post the right one?
Thanks, Ed