Rekordbox import color issue

[djphaidon]

Not sure I understood :
- you want to change the xml that Cross is reading from
- now you want Cross to write into a xml...

I don't want to change the xml that Cross is reading from. I was trying to get rekordbox to read the Cross database file. To no avail. Here's why.

When you import a collection to Cross, from either iTunes or rekordbox, the files get imported with the current "tag" stuff you have in iTunes. If you want to change anything in Cross, and have it reflect back into iTunes or rekordbox, you have to go through each file individually and hit "write tag". Why, if I'm changing multiple attributes every night based on crowd reactions while I'm DJ'ing, should I have to remember to hit, "write tag" on my DJ software, on every change I make? And even if I did, there are reasons why it's not working (see final quote response)

This is the solution
1) make an option to have Cross write all tags instantly when something is changed in Cross
1a) while updating the Cross tags every time you import a playlist from iTunes or Rekorbox so that changes made in either location follow
-While
2) updating Cross so that all the tags work up to either/or iTunes or rekordbox on a 1 to 1 level

OR
3) have the ability to scan a folder/iTunes playlist/rekordbox for tag changes on startup or on keystroke. (Traktor does this)
-While
4)
developing a 1 to 1 working relationship with rekordbox so that Cross users can manage their libraries with rekordbox and have instant on startup mirroring of said library

What are you trying to do ?
Reading the Cross collection from Rekordbox ? Not possible.

Sure it's possible. It might not be developed, or currently possible, but it's possible. SQLite and XML databases are fairly easy to get to coexist. And if you can already import iTunes and Rekordbox .xml files, that means the software already has the frameworks in place to be able to do the same in reverse. Rekordbox already has the ability to read .xml files similar to iTunes databases, and I'm pretty sure you can find somebody at mixvibes who knows the parameters of the .xml to make them work together. Easy sauce.

All 3 softwares are based on tags, so you need to reload the tags each time you have write into them from the software you're using. If not tags won't be updated.

Writing tags only works when your tags are supported in the software you are using. Cross has been reported on the forums to have tag issues with FLAC files. I am currently having AIFF tagging issues. So yes, I would agree with you that tag writing/updating might fix the problem, but it's not my problem, it's Cross's.

As an aside, I love Cross. Best DJ software I've used, and the list is extensive. It just isn't working how it could/should, and I want to help make it better.


AND, to get back on topic. With a 1 to 1 mapping of color from rekordbox to Cross, you could tag your colors in Rekordbox "WITHOUT" increasing the play counter in Cross, if say, you use playcounter in Cross to rate your highest played songs in a smartplaylist. I tend to listen to songs several times to get the right tags, but if I'm also using playcount to judge how many times I've played a song out, it's scewed by how many times I've listened to a song to beatgrid/tag.

[/endrant]

[Support@MixVibes]

If you want to change anything in Cross, and have it reflect back into iTunes or rekordbox, you have to go through each file individually and hit "write tag". Why, if I'm changing multiple attributes every night based on crowd reactions while I'm DJ'ing, should I have to remember to hit, "write tag" on my DJ software, on every change I make? And even if I did, there are reasons why it's not working (see final quote response)

There is a preferences to 'Write to tags' (check or uncheck as you wish).

This is the solution
1) make an option to have Cross write all tags instantly when something is changed in Cross

Already in the software.

1a) while updating the Cross tags every time you import a playlist from iTunes or Rekorbox so that changes made in either location follow
-While
2) updating Cross so that all the tags work up to either/or iTunes or rekordbox on a 1 to 1 level

Cross doesn't write into other softwares databases but only into the medias so you need to reload/refresh from the other softwares.

OR

3) have the ability to scan a folder/iTunes playlist/rekordbox for tag changes on startup or on keystroke. (Traktor does this)

This can be a very long process based on your database size. But there is also a 'refresh tags' if you have selected all or a few tracks from collection/playlist.

4)
developing a 1 to 1 working relationship with rekordbox so that Cross users can manage their libraries with rekordbox and have instant on startup mirroring of said library

To this kind of process you need to have both side agree on the subject.

Sure it's possible. It might not be developed, or currently possible, but it's possible. SQLite and XML databases are fairly easy to get to coexist.

Easy on the bench, not into the real world.

And if you can already import iTunes and Rekordbox .xml files, that means the software already has the frameworks in place to be able to do the same in reverse. Rekordbox already has the ability to read .xml files similar to iTunes databases, and I'm pretty sure you can find somebody at MixVibes who knows the parameters of the .xml to make them work together. Easy sauce.

We are allowed to read : not write.

Writing tags only works when your tags are supported in the software you are using. Cross has been reported on the forums to have tag issues with FLAC files. I am currently having AIFF tagging issues. So yes, I would agree with you that tag writing/updating might fix the problem, but it's not my problem, it's Cross's.

So let's fix these issues with the information you can provide on these.

As an aside, I love Cross. Best DJ software I've used, and the list is extensive. It just isn't working how it could/should, and I want to help make it better.

We're open here at MV and always welcome user like you that can make thing go better and higher, and I really hope to work/exchange with you in the futur.

AND, to get back on topic. With a 1 to 1 mapping of color from rekordbox to Cross, you could tag your colors in Rekordbox "WITHOUT" increasing the play counter in Cross, if say, you use playcounter in Cross to rate your highest played songs in a smartplaylist. I tend to listen to songs several times to get the right tags, but if I'm also using playcount to judge how many times I've played a song out, it's scewed by how many times I've listened to a song to beatgrid/tag.

If you don't want the playcount to grow you need to use the preview player not the decks.

[djphaidon]

This weekend I will commence extensive testing on the new Cross 2.1 with reading/writing tags of multiple file types, and I will let you know the progress. Also, I will test with jaikoz audio tagger, to ensure that it's not a iTunes or Rekordbox issue.

[djphaidon]

So here is my test that I ran tonight.

I made 3 folders; Original, iTunes, and rekordbox. In each of the fields that were available to me in my converter, MAX, I put the "name" of the test, ie

Track Name: Original
Track artist: Original
.....

For the iTunes test it was
Track Name: iTunes
Track Artist: iTunes

I did this for FLAC, M4A, OGG, and MP3. Coincidentally, neither iTunes or Rekordbox have support for OGG or FLAC, so they didn't really matter.

I then imported each of the tests to Cross from the tested program, so I had 4 files with exactly the same info in them for each program they were to reflect the changes in. Original was imported by folder directly into Cross.

I then went into Cross and changed all the available fields to "[name of test] changed", so for iTunes it was "iTunes changed". Then I went to the test program and updated the tags. This is what I found from both the import and re-read of the tags.

From Recordbox
-BPM was imported from a m4a, but not the mp3
-hotcues were not imported
-loops were not imported
-comments were not written on the mp3

From iTunes
-comments were not written on the mp3

From original
- using only Cross, if you write "[name of test] changed" to ALL fields that are accessible, every field writes using mp3. When you use m4a, the Mix Name, Remixer, Original Artist, and Label categories all disappear. You can check this easily by changing the tag, writing it, and then reading again right afterwards.

Using the same test as above, in FLAC and in OGG, the Mix name, remixer, original artist, Producer, label, and grouping are not written.

This test doesn't take into account tags that cannot have values written to them, cause I'm not familiar with the tagging abilities of all the formats. However, those files that use ID3 tags are still not 100% correct in their reading/writing.

In Addition, AIFF does not update any tags in iTunes, and using the write/read test from above, it seems that nobody even knows how to write AIFF tags, cause iTunes, Rekordbox, and Cross don't. Even inside Cross, all the tag info disappears from updating the tags after writing/reading.

[Support@MixVibes]

So here how we tested it :
4 files (ogg,mp3,flac,m4a) in 3 fodlers nammed : Original-Itunes-Rekordbox.

Original -> Cross (track artiste/track title=Cross)
iTunes -> iTunes (track artiste/track title=iTunes)
Rekordbox -> (track artiste/track title=Rekordbox)

Importing each folder in it's own application (empty databases).

Importing Rekordbox files into Cross with the 'import 3rd party db'
Importing iTunes thru iTunes panel
Importing original with drag & drop from explorer to Cross

Changing all tags into Cross : artiste/title/comments/Producer/ ect ect to '**** changed'.

Cross have saved to tags (preferences box is checked). It must be !!!

Checking with a tagging software (mp3tag) we have seen that :
- comments are not saved into MP3s (will fix this)
- m4a and mp3 bpm are saved

Now opening iTunes we still have the old BPM values.
right click to read tag information automatically refresh the BPM value to the one computed by Cross.

Opening rekordbox, still have the old bpm values
Then reload tags, and no love at all : still the old values.
Rekordbox doesn't reload the bpm value.

[djphaidon]

Awesome! At least you got a few of the issues duplicated, and it wasn't just me.

Did you run into the same issue with flac and ogg? I didn't have access to a media program that would use them other than Traktor, but that could introduce other problems so I didn't use it.

Thanks guys. Really loving the 2.1 update. Have some more issues that I'll post when I can get a screen shot or video of them happening.