[grawk]

Max has the advantage that it uses quicktime for it's alac conversion, so it's guaranteed to be compatible with itunes/ipod/airport express/etc.

 

[Jaska]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grawk /img/forum/go_quote.gif Max has the advantage that it uses quicktime for it's alac conversion, so it's guaranteed to be compatible with itunes/ipod/airport express/etc.

It uses Core Audio, and there have been many posts in the Max forum to the effect that there have been problems relating especially to AirPort Express. I believe most of this has been taken care of by now, but the Apple Lossless files Max outputs are not exactly the same as those encoded with iTunes.

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grawk /img/forum/go_quote.gif Max has the advantage that it uses quicktime for it's alac conversion, so it's guaranteed to be compatible with itunes/ipod/airport express/etc.

Max don't use QuickTime, it use Core Audio. But you are right about the second part, even if there have been some AAC specific problems if I remember correctly.

 

[xenithon]

Jaska - is that why you convert FLAC to ALAC with Max and then again with iTunes? If so, do you do that when you "import" the ALAC files from Max into your library?

 

[grawk]

I use max, and until VERY recently used an airport express. I've had no problems. But everyone's welcome to their own level of paranoia.

 

[Jaska]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif you are right about the second part, even if there have been some AAC specific problems if I remember correctly.

Don't the words "atom" and "magic cookie" ring any bells? There have been lots of problems reported with Max-generated Apple Lossless files, and people getting around them by using AtomicParsley, etc.

As far as I understand it, Core Audio Apple Lossless files will work fine for playback purposes in iTunes, but there is certainly no "guarantee" that they will work with AirPort Express.

 

[Jaska]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xenithon /img/forum/go_quote.gif Jaska - is that why you convert FLAC to ALAC with Max and then again with iTunes? If so, do you do that when you "import" the ALAC files from Max into your library?

Yes. I have multiple iTunes libraries, and I actually don't use Max to add the Apple Lossless files directly to my iTunes library (although this is a very cool feature). Instead, I have them sent to a specific folder where I can easily keep them isolated from the rest of my music files, then add them to my iTunes library, select them all, and convert them with iTunes to Apple Lossless again. Once the conversion is complete, I just hit the Delete key to remove the still-selected Max Apple Lossless files from my iTunes library, and then delete the contents of the folder where these files had been.

 

[krmathis]

Most of my Apple Lossless files are encoded with Max, and I can't remember having any issues playing any of them over AirTunes to my two AirPort Express'.
Might just be me and my usual luck though...

 

[Jaska]

I have experienced the problem of not being able to play Max-encoded files from shared iTunes libraries in the past, but haven't tested this in a while, so have no idea if it's been fixed or not.

Max has good user support, though, and if anyone has an issue with the software, most likely krmathis will solve it in the forum

 

[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaska /img/forum/go_quote.gif Max has good user support, though, and if anyone has an issue with the software, most likely krmathis will solve it in the forum

I'll do my best, thats for sure!
Quite familiar with Max, so we will probably be able to sort most issues...

 

[ojnihs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaska /img/forum/go_quote.gif As far as I understand it, Core Audio Apple Lossless files will work fine for playback purposes in iTunes, but there is certainly no "guarantee" that they will work with AirPort Express.

where the heck are you hearing this? i've never had problems using ALAC encoded with either Max or XLD with my airport express. never. ever.