[Tilpo]

The foobar2000 help thread.

With reasonable frequency I get technical questions about foobar2000 from people all around the forum. While I love to help those people, usually it's simply off-topic.

Furthermore, I don't regularly check the forums for new threads, and I assume it's the same thing for many others. Therefore asking it in a thread like this will mean that your answer will be answered quicker too.

You can ask anything here related to foobar2000.
Looking for a plugin? Ask here!
Got technical problems? Ask here!
Do you want a comparison of foobar2000 with other players? Ask here!
Do you want to discuss the sound science of bit-perfect playback? Heck, go ahead and ask here!

 

[JoeinLA]

I just started working with Foobar, based on all the threads on this forum. 
 
My first noob question: recommended skins?  I'd like one that displays playlist and currently playing - the default skin, at least as I'm able to configure it, only show the "now playing" on the top and bottom of the windows (both positions are small and hard to see), and doesn't move the playlist to show the currently playing tune...
 
Also, I've recorded most of my CDs using Windows Media Player at 320; but I'm reading here alot about FLAC and "lossless".  I may redo my CD's, but would love to hear that it's worth it before spending all that time  
 
Also, FLAC recording seems quite complicated (whole CD with a track list vs. by track, etc.); is there a program for idiots that just does "record my tracks in lossless FLAC format please"...?
 
Thanks!!!

 

[Tilpo]

I just started working with Foobar, based on all the threads on this forum. 

My first noob question: recommended skins?  I'd like one that displays playlist and currently playing - the default skin, at least as I'm able to configure it, only show the "now playing" on the top and bottom of the windows (both positions are small and hard to see), and doesn't move the playlist to show the currently playing tune...

Also, I've recorded most of my CDs using Windows Media Player at 320; but I'm reading here alot about FLAC and "lossless".  I may redo my CD's, but would love to hear that it's worth it before spending all that time  

Also, FLAC recording seems quite complicated (whole CD with a track list vs. by track, etc.); is there a program for idiots that just does "record my tracks in lossless FLAC format please"...?

Thanks!!!

If you want a premade skin, have a look around DeviantArt

If you want to do it yourself (which I prefer myself), then I suggest you read a guide on how to do it first. I can recommend this one.

Furthermore, it sounds like you're looking for a different playlist panel. I personally love ESPlaylist, but I have some others listed in my foobar2000 resource thread.


Regarding FLAC vs. MP3:
Flac is theoratically better, but in most cases the differences between Flac and 320 are inaudible. Unless you know exactly what to listen for, you probably won't ever notice the difference.
I personally like to get Flac instead of MP3 if I have the choice. If not only for the 'safe' feeling that I'm not missing out on anything.

My advice is to not rerip everything from CD. That'll just be wasted effort.
However, you can choose to rip new CD's on Flac instead of MP3 if you wish. Instead of Windows Media Player, most people here use EAC.
Please read this guide (and also the guide mentioned there) for using EAC with Flac for optimal results.


If you have any more questions, I'd be happy to help.

 

[imackler]

This shows how little I know:
 
If Foobar can play ALAC now that its become open source, can any DAC play those files as well since Foobar can? So I guess I'm asking does the data go from comptuer > foobar > dac or is foobar taken out of the flow when you're going from computer > DAC...
 
My DAC has yet to arrive and I'm trying to get my computer ready to go...

 

[Tilpo]

This shows how little I know:

If Foobar can play ALAC now that its become open source, can any DAC play those files as well since Foobar can? So I guess I'm asking does the data go from comptuer > foobar > dac or is foobar taken out of the flow when you're going from computer > DAC...

My DAC has yet to arrive and I'm trying to get my computer ready to go...

As long as foobar can play it, your DAC can play it.

Foobar2000, as well as any other thing that makes sound in the operating system (even system sounds), will send information to the sound drivers.
The sound drivers will then mix everything together and send it to the DAC, or whatever audio output device you have selected.

 

[imackler]

Hello!
 
What am I supposed to do with the data from accuraterip when burning tracks from cd into flac in foobar? My correction offset should be +6 if I'm reading the chart correctly. But that is data I don't know what to do with! Does accuraterip with foobar correct it automatically or do I need to reburn the tracks? 
 
Thanks! 

 

[Tilpo]

Hello!

What am I supposed to do with the data from accuraterip when burning tracks from cd into flac in foobar? My correction offset should be +6 if I'm reading the chart correctly. But that is data I don't know what to do with! Does accuraterip with foobar correct it automatically or do I need to reburn the tracks? 

Thanks! 

I have never heard of AccurateRip, so I had to do a quick google.

AccurateRip is a utility for the ripping software itself, and is separate from foobar. Once you have ripped the tracks with a program that uses the AccurateRip plugin, you can import them in foobar and you're done.
If you're asking how to use AccurateRip itself then I might not be able to help, since this is my first time hearing about it.


Also note that 'ripping' is the term used when retrieving data from a CD and putting it one a PC, and 'burning' is used for putting data on a CD from a PC. You seemed to mix the two terms up.

 

[AurorionWing]

Hi Tilpo, I used iTunes to attach multiple images to my music files (mp3 and so on) but want to move to foobar. However, when I play my songs on foobar, the wrong album art shows up. It displays correctly in iTunes, WMP, and even Windows Explorer, so I'm pretty sure it's foobar that's the problem. I'd really love some help for this.
 
Thanks!

 

[Tilpo]

Hi Tilpo, I used iTunes to attach multiple images to my music files (mp3 and so on) but want to move to foobar. However, when I play my songs on foobar, the wrong album art shows up. It displays correctly in iTunes, WMP, and even Windows Explorer, so I'm pretty sure it's foobar that's the problem. I'd really love some help for this.

Thanks!

If you navigate to the folder where the album is located, is there an image file for the album art? If so, what is it called (give a few examples if they are different).
Then go to options -> Display.
You'll see a box titled 'Album art'. Try playing around with the search patterns there. If you don't understand how they work, you can take a screenshot and I'll try to help you further.

If there is no image file containing the album art in the folders then your foobar has a problem with embedded album art. It's very unlikely that this is the case, but if it is, I'd be happy to do a bit of googling to see if I can come up with a possible fix.

 

[AurorionWing]

Quote:

If you navigate to the folder where the album is located, is there an image file for the album art? If so, what is it called (give a few examples if they are different).
Then go to options -> Display.
You'll see a box titled 'Album art'. Try playing around with the search patterns there. If you don't understand how they work, you can take a screenshot and I'll try to help you further.
If there is no image file containing the album art in the folders then your foobar has a problem with embedded album art. It's very unlikely that this is the case, but if it is, I'd be happy to do a bit of googling to see if I can come up with a possible fix.

Nope, I made sure that no images are in the folder with my album (even after un-hiding protected OS files). For safe measure, I copied song files individually to a different location (not the folder), but it still displays the wrong cover for foobar. It's so strange that other players show the right one :\

 

[AurorionWing]

This includes a sample file which shows the problem.
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=97336

 

[lg777]

I think I have a similar problem with artwork in Foobar 2000.   I ripped about 300 CD's using EAC - FLAC and added album artwork.  The artwork is usually a jpg and named Artist - Album Title.jpg and is in each folder. 
 
When I play them in Foobar, it doesn't recognize the album artwork but would have to manually add them which would take quite a long time.  I still have a few hundred more CD's to rip so I just want to make sure I can save myself some grief with managing album artwork.
 
So the questions are:  When I rip to FLAC in EAC, is there a way to embed the artwork into the file versus a jpg file in a folder?  Or is there an easy way to get Foobar to look at the album folder for artwork?
 
Thanks,

 

[Destroysall]

So what would be the proper rip settings to use with foobar2000? 

 

[Roller]

Quote:

Hello!
 
What am I supposed to do with the data from accuraterip when burning tracks from cd into flac in foobar? My correction offset should be +6 if I'm reading the chart correctly. But that is data I don't know what to do with! Does accuraterip with foobar correct it automatically or do I need to reburn the tracks? 
 
Thanks! 

 
Basically, AccurateRip offset settings are only required during the ripping process. Afterwards, it's just a data reference file for which drives with respective settings were used, as well as tracks that were ripped.

 

[cb2222]

Hi,

I was just wondering if you know of a way that Foobar can retrieve CD information automatically when I decide to listen to the physical CD instead of MP3/FLAC. I have hundreds of CDs that I don't have time to rip to FLAC format and would love to see the album information when I put it in my computer's dvd/cd drive. Is there a way that Foobar can do this automatically? The way it is right now, I have to do it manually and it is quite tedious. Any tips or ideas would be appreciated.