ReplayGain

[simbun]

So it's clear that at this point you ARE modifying the actual MP3 audio data itself as if you'd just performed an Analysis step you wouldn't have had the MP3GAIN_UNDO tag (as there would be nothing to undo), but it's a losslessly reversible process so that's fine.

MP3Gain will be using the original ReplayGain algorithm whereas foobar by default now uses the newer EBU R128 implementation, which will account for some of the differences.

When you calculate ReplayGain in foobar (as long as you don't 'Apply gain to file content') you'll just be adding ID3 tags which is why they're picked up by ffmpeg.

At this point it's really down to you. If all your players support the ReplayGain tags then this is the best approach as you can calculate both track and album gain and flip between the two if desired, but if you have some players that don't support the tags then you'll need to use MP3Gain as foobar doesn't generate undo tags so 'Apply gain to file content' is a destructive process.

[simoncn]

Or alternatively, use foobar2000 or dBpoweramp to add TXXX replaygain tags and use MinimStreamer and ffmpeg transcoding to apply replay gain. The output format from transcoding can be WAV or L16.

Correction to original post: the output format cannot be mp3 when transcoding a local file, only a network stream.

[simbun]

I was really thinking about other players like DAP's and desktop media players e.t.c. as the OP has already tested using foobar to add ReplayGain tags with MinimStreamer.

[simoncn]

I understand but if not all the OP's players support the tags then applying replay gain with MinimStreamer might be preferable to modifying the files using mp3gain.

[simbun]

(16-04-2023 14:57)simoncn Wrote:  I understand but if not all the OP's players support the tags then applying replay gain with MinimStreamer might be preferable to modifying the files using mp3gain.

But DAP's aren't served by MinimStreamer so is it preferable to keep one copy with tags and one copy "gained"?

Maybe I should have been more explicit in my original post, something like:

(16-04-2023 09:46)simbun Wrote:  If all your players support the ReplayGain tags, either directly or indirectly via MinimStreamer, then this is the best approach as you can calculate both track and album gain and flip between the two if desired, but if you have some players that don't support the tags and you don't want to store multiple copies of your tracks then you'll need to use MP3Gain as foobar doesn't generate undo tags so 'Apply gain to file content' is a destructive process.

I'll try and be more verbose in future.

[simoncn]

Thanks for clarifying that the scenario where a separate copy would be needed is a situation where no UPnP server is involved.

[jes]

This has been a helpful conversation, thank you. I obviously did not fully appreciate that Mp3Gain does modify the mp3 files, which I'm not a big fan of. Thankfully, I was able to undo the gains to restore the original audio. I used foobar2000 to calculate the replaygains, which are now stored in id3v2 tags (without applying them to the file directly). I also deleted all APE tags (and id3v1) to have now just one set of tags. Better outcome overall I think.

[simbun]

(30-04-2023 07:00)jes Wrote:  This has been a helpful conversation, thank you. I obviously did not fully appreciate that Mp3Gain does modify the mp3 files, which I'm not a big fan of.

It was the first time I'd looked at MP3Gain and I found it quite clever in the way it took advantage of how the frames were encoded to offer such functionality, especially given that it was a lossless process and transparent to all players.

Having said that the limitations of only one gain (track or album) and the 1.5dB steps mean it's a bit of a blunt instrument compared to ReplayGain tags, assuming all your players support it (not just your UPnP ones).