Replaygain / APEv2 vs. ID3v2

[quiet please]

Hello,

sorry for being a bit confused, but I have read several (older) threads about replaygain in this forum and the tag where it comes from (where it is read from).

Today we had strange experience.

• RadioBOSS is set to use replaygain per track.
• Some mp3 files have been changed in Mp3gain before.
  AFAIK this program writes additional information in APEv2 tags, including replaygain_track_gain.
• For good reasons, we now use replaygain from Foobar2000 which writes the information in ID3v2 tags.

It seems that replaygain is not taken into account when the replaygain_track_gain value is stored in APEv2, but in ID3v2 it seems to work.
Can you confirm this behaviour?

If RadioBOSS makes a difference where the information is stored: Would you please explain why?
Wouldn't it be logical that all possible tags are read in order to get all information needed?

Thank you for your help.

 

[djsoft]

IIRC, mp3gain does not write a tag, but it modifies the data bins instead, changing their level. So the resulting mp3 has different level by itself. Compared to ReplayGain / Normalization in RadioBOSS which do not touch audio data and only write tag and this level is only applied during playback.
For mp3's, RadioBOSS will read ReplayGain from ID3 tag, not from APE. It will also ignore ReplayGain entirely if a track has the Level tag set in Track Tool.

Wouldn't it be logical that all possible tags are read in order to get all information needed?

RadioBOSS has its own Normalization and it also supports standard ReplayGain in case it's needed. If you use the ReplayGain, make the software that processes the file write to the appropriate tag, it looks like the easiest solution.

 

[quiet please]

IIRC, mp3gain does not write a tag, but it modifies the data bins instead, changing their level.

After having tested this with a "fresh" CD rip, I can confirm that Mp3gain does not only alter the file itself, it also writes metadata only in APE:

• MP3GAIN_MINMAX
• MP3GAIN_UNDO
• REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN
• REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_PEAK

The last two are written by replaygain too, but - as far as I know - in ID3v2, not in APE. This might cause confusion.

For mp3's, RadioBOSS will read ReplayGain from ID3 tag, not from APE.

A very helpful hint. I will pass this information on to the members of our radio who use RadioBOSS.

It will also ignore ReplayGain entirely if a track has the Level tag set in Track Tool.

Good to know, thank you! I can't remember having read this in the documentation; maybe I haven't found it...

If you use the ReplayGain, make the software that processes the file write to the appropriate tag, it looks like the easiest solution.

We do this using replaygain via Foobar2000 from this year on (bye bye, Mp3gain). Indeed, it is easy, but we can not see if the REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN and REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_PEAK values come from APE or ID3v2.
As you have confirmed that this makes a difference for RadioBOSS, we have to take care of this.

RadioBOSS has its own Normalization (...)

Yes, you already gave me the information about this feature.
Unfortunately, most of our users don't have a database and create their playlist by dragging and dropping files directly from Windows Explorer or a directory tree.
I don't remember there being a setting in RadioBOSS that normalizes these files "on the fly" when they are dragged into the playlist. For some users, this is a problem.

Thank you very much and happy season's holydays!

 

[djsoft]

• MP3GAIN_MINMAX
• MP3GAIN_UNDO
• REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN
• REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_PEAK

The last two are written by replaygain too, but - as far as I know - in ID3v2, not in APE. This might cause confusion.

RadioBOSS does not read MP3GAIN_* tags, only REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN (or the _ALBUM, if set in the settings) is used (and in case of mp3, only those present in the ID3 tag).

We do this using replaygain via Foobar2000 from this year on (bye bye, Mp3gain). Indeed, it is easy, but we can not see if the REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_GAIN and REPLAYGAIN_TRACK_PEAK values come from APE or ID3v2.

The standard tag for MP3 is ID3, not APE so it's logical for Foobar to write the information there, and not to APE.

I don't remember there being a setting in RadioBOSS that normalizes these files "on the fly" when they are dragged into the playlist. For some users, this is a problem.

There's no such option, but you can schedule automatic library update (in the Music library, menu Tools - Schedule automatic update) and make it Normalize all tracks in the folder, it may be instructed to only normalize the tracks that were not normalized yet (this way the operation will be completed much faster).