my songs sound rubbish in itunes

Not trying to start a war since I can clearly see that James is very emotionally attached to iTunes...

Things that piss me off about iTunes:

-It takes over your entire frickin computer-- starts on its own when windows starts and changes file associations without asking(ASK ME IF I WANT THAT-- DON'T DO IT AUTOMATICALLY!)

-Trying to listen to a 44.1k wav file, I just want to hear the frickin file, but if I launch with iTunes it starts automatically converting (wow thanks Apple-- too bad I don't want that). Some people don't WANT a program to organize their audio for them (I can handle that myself just fine) but if you are on a Mac, you are stuck with a bloated player unless you go third party.

-First impressions are a motherfucker. Should I really have to change a crapload of settings just to play my audio files the way they are supposed to sound? The reality is that my clients are referencing bounces that I send to them with their Macs. I guess I have to teach all of my clients how to turn off a myriad of default settings to hear the ACTUAL mix.

I'm glad some of you love iTunes, but IMO it fucking blows.:)
 
James Murphy said:
well it doesn't let you sort by length (time) in the main podcast window because the main podcast window is a "download bay"... and it wants to keep the newest on top for you (or on bottom, it gives you that discretion) so that it is always clear to you, looking in that window, that you have received the newest installments already, or need to download them.

the way to sort by time is to simply grab the main heading for the podcasts you want to sort from and drag them to an open space in the playlist column and let go.. this creates a playlist, which doesn't contain copies of your podcasts, just "pointers" to them. From the playlist view you can then sort by time, or any other heading, as you please: as you can see here.

simple and efficient. hope that helps.
Click to expand...
I get your point. Makes a lot of sense, thanks!

Nevertheless there's another thing that bugs me a little bit about iTunes. It's not something I would expect as given by any software but it would be nice: Say one chose to have is music library in AAC. Now he wants to burn MP3-CDs for his car system that doesn't support AAC. Boing, not possible unless you manually convert AAC to MP3. He could use iTunes to do that but wouldn't it be nice if the Software just temporarly converted the files, burned the cd and deleted the MP3s again? After all there is no need for a second (MP3) version of any file in ones library.

I already wondered if there is something like a feature-request around at apple. If so I'd definitely send this one in!

And of course I flipped through the preferences and found a button "Adjust volume" or something similar, dunno what it says exactly in the English version, maybe that's Soundcheck you guys were talking about already!?? Well, when I found that button I thought it was good cause if I had a CD that's mastered low volumewise or one that's extremely hyped than I wouldn't have to adjust manually. Of course I was worried what it would exactly do to the file so I browsed around a bit but I didn't find a specific technical answer. Only some hint that it might more or less normalize the file depending on its RMS value. I left it on so far and everytime I import a track it analyzes the file (process bar is shown in the iTunes window). Anyone know what it does exactly or why I should better turn it off?



Oh and btw: Does iTunes create a playlist automatically if you import an album? Wouldn't be too bad either..
 
lol all that cause my one question.btw a use a intel mac. Pman a tried what you said and it defo helped, it sounds alot better cheers for that Sinister Mephisto am goin to try what you said the night. A have alesis m1 actives and ubl speakers that am listening to the mix and itunes file with.
 
poisoned dreams said:
lol all that cause my one question.btw a use a intel mac. Pman a tried what you said and it defo helped, it sounds alot better cheers for that Sinister Mephisto am goin to try what you said the night. A have alesis m1 actives and ubl speakers that am listening to the mix and itunes file with.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear it. Sounds like sound enhancer was the biggest part of your problem though. It's a little misleading, as far as I can tell it's really a stereo image enhancer, or something similer.
 
Ravenous Enemy said:
itunes doesn't have a stop button.
Click to expand...

Neither does your mom. Sorry, had to. Proceed with the discussion.


p.s. I like Itunes pretty well once it's set up right. I just hate that when it updates, it changes the startup options, so I have to go back and adjust every time I get an update.
 
Shadow_Walker said:
Couldn't find it, sorry. How does winamp suck compared to iTunes?
Click to expand...
no no.... you tell me something Winamp can do that iTunes can't.... and i'll likely be able to refute that claim... that's the way this game will be played... lol... i am ABOVE THE LAW!!! :lol:

apple doesn't pay me, btw, ha ha... but his might be fun and even instructive... even perhaps to us iTunes pundits.
 
Well, I'm not familiar with iTunes because I have been perfectly satisfied with any version of winamp before 3.00.

I even have the default skin on as i personally feel it's the best layout, maybe not the pretiest but who cares when your expecting from it to play music, and do it without any coloration or artifacts other than those inherent in the compression used for the particular file.

Oh, and it loads everything as quickly as possible - a few thousand mp3 files in less than half a second, on a miserable celeron 2.66ghz PC.

I don't know about iTunes but besides having an automatic 'sort by title/filename/path&filename' it has a search function, activated by simply pressing 'j', then before you've written arch you already have Arch Enemy on the screen.

Another thing to note is winamp takes up very little room and you can have a whole bunch of windows on your screen simultaneously and if it's too small for you can always enlarge the playlist. It's really a no nonsense straightforward player and that's what I like most about it.

BTW, I also find the default visualalization very useful. Small as it is, I am so used to it that it actually helps me notice some things I've missed out.

And finally, you could always add a whole bunch of plugins and visualizations...and only if you need them.
 
James Murphy said:
takes 20 seconds, or less. one pass through the preferences, which is the least anyone should do with literally any program they use, period. are you saying that it's a given that programs should all be dumbed down for window-lickers? well it is actually... by default it's set up with all that shit turned on, exactly for the people who "just wanna listen to music".. and want to listen with all tracks at about the same volume (Sound Check) and have it hyped up for them (Sound Enhancer & EQ), and want to be able to quickly find and buy 99¢ songs (Store).

but this is a forum of AE's and folks who want to be AE's.... soooooo...... take the 20 fuckin' seconds.. because if you are, or want to be, an AE you really should care enough to not "just listen", but to listen critically. And for that my friend you will want to be turning off any EQ and/or psycho-acoustic bullshit processes designed to dumb down the experience for the plebes. it really is a great organizational tool for your finished mixes and reference material, as well as for your music, videos, movies, podcasts, TV Shows, and Radio that you listen to/watch strictly for pleasure. it's also, btw, one of the best apps for converting your mixes to virtually any mp3 or AAC bitrate you want, as well as a few other codecs, that i've found.... for free anyway.
Click to expand...

I'm not disagreeing with you...Not sure, but it reads like you think I am.

I was just posting a thought about the average user and what they do. Because, I could see it as a stumbling block for those of us who would know the difference. If a song sounds wierd or shitty from the effects, it could maybe detract from the listeners opinion of the music.

I DL'd iTunes once when our CD was listed on it...I just searched to see if it was there. I then deleted it because:
a.) Personally, I'll never use iTunes (or don't think I will)
b.) I had little pop ups all the time to download updates or something. OK...not all the time, but after the 2nd one, I just removed it from my PC.

Windows Media player did the same thing on my PC. When I got it, I disabled the SRS WOW effects ( I think it was called). All kinds of psychoacoustic shit.
 
yes, most every player has that psycho-acoustic shit.... so i don't get your point. people who want to listen without it turn it off, those who have no idea... well they have no idea. their opinion is not "detracted" because they listen to everything through that shit... and either never know it, or goof around endless with the EQ curves, fancying themselves some kind of sound-ninja. Audio pros, and wanna-be audio pros, should turn that type of thing off on any type of player app as a matter of course.

so you don't want to keep your software updated? weird, but you can just choose to not have it bug you about it again... and it wont. takes about half a second.
 
Just off the top of my head, some reasons why iTunes rocks:

  • Ease of finding tracks
  • All of the folder sorting
  • Automatic artwork downloading
  • iPod sync/usage obviously
  • Sharing libraries with other computers on the same network
  • Smart playlists

I have swayed SO many people to move on to iTunes and no-one has regretted it. I would love to see anyone try it properly for a week and see if they switch back.
 
James Murphy said:
yes, most every player has that psycho-acoustic shit.... so i don't get your point. people who want to listen without it turn it off, those who have no idea... well they have no idea. their opinion is not "detracted" because they listen to everything through that shit..... audio pros, and wanna-be audio pros should turn that type of thing off on any type of player app as a matter of course.

so you don't want to keep your software updated? weird, but you can just choose to not have it bug you about it again... and it wont. takes about half a second.
Click to expand...

I guess I just wonder when you are an amateur like me who has stuff on iTunes and the sound processing makes it sound worse (IMO, and I think even casual listeners could think the same way if they only knew), I worry about the impression it leaves with people. Obviously, on a level playing field with professionally produced material, the layer of shit on top is equal. To someone or some band that doesn't have a product at that pro level (like me), I think it can almost make it "more" worse. I know that may not make sense.

As for software and updates why should I worry or take time to update software I'll never use? Deleting it did just what you posted, so I'm puzzled as to why you made a comment about it.

Sounds like you are trying to argue, and I don't think I've presented you with any arguing points. I've not disagreed with a thing you've written, James.
 
Machinated said:
Just off the top of my head, some reasons why iTunes rocks:
  • Ease of finding tracks
  • All of the folder sorting
  • Automatic artwork downloading
  • iPod sync/usage obviously
  • Sharing libraries with other computers on the same network
  • Smart playlists
I have swayed SO many people to move on to iTunes and no-one has regretted it. I would love to see anyone try it properly for a week and see if they switch back.
Click to expand...
+1

and don't forget...
 
nwright said:
I guess I just wonder when you are an amateur like me who has stuff on iTunes and the sound processing makes it sound worse (IMO, and I think even casual listeners could think the same way if they only knew), I worry about the impression it leaves with people. Obviously, on a level playing field with professionally produced material, the layer of shit on top is equal. To someone or some band that doesn't have a product at that pro level (like me), I think it can almost make it "more" worse. I know that may not make sense.

As for software and updates why should I worry or take time to update software I'll never use? Deleting it did just what you posted, so I'm puzzled as to why you made a comment about it.

Sounds like you are trying to argue, and I don't think I've presented you with any arguing points. I've not disagreed with a thing you've written, James.
Click to expand...
no, but you are making inaccurate/confusing statements. first of all, the psycho-acoustic garbage in all player apps suck and make the music sound worse.... all of them.. not just iTunes.. there is nothing intrinsically worse about iTunes' version of it, in fact it's better than most, certainly better than the shit in WMP, but the fact remains that all that shit sucks So, though you seem to infer it in your posts, iTunes is not somehow "hurting" people's opinion of music.... all the other apps have the same crap in them. Thus my statements regarding simply turning them off.. it's easy and you have to do it with pretty much all players. So, I'm not arguing with you... you made some confusing and/or incorrect statements/assumptions... i clarified and/or corrected them.... that's a discussion.

:kickass:
 
HeadCrusher said:
Nevertheless there's another thing that bugs me a little bit about iTunes. It's not something I would expect as given by any software but it would be nice: Say one chose to have is music library in AAC. Now he wants to burn MP3-CDs for his car system that doesn't support AAC. Boing, not possible unless you manually convert AAC to MP3. He could use iTunes to do that but wouldn't it be nice if the Software just temporarly converted the files, burned the cd and deleted the MP3s again? After all there is no need for a second (MP3) version of any file in ones library.
Click to expand...

I have thought about this countless times. This feature would be enough for me to put money into Itunes.
 
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