Editing Tags for Files Already On Pilot?

[Trunk666]

So, as I've said before, I still prefer iTunes as my MP3 player/library organizer. I'm slowly moving away from it for obvious reasons, but that's all besides the point. One thing that I like about it is that it isn't case sensitive when you're browsing your music. For instance, Outkast is the same as OutKast. However, the Pilot treats the two as separate artists. (I haven't decided whether I like that or not. On one hand, it's the same group regardless of what's capitalized. On the other hand, all of my music should be consistent on my computer in the first place.)

What I don't like is that when I hook up the player to my computer in media mode, I can't alter the file properties/tags. When I switch to file and folder mode, it allows to me think I'm changing the tags, but it's not really changing them. The Pilot reflects no changes.

The files aren't "Locked" in the Properties. They are, however, showing up as "Archived" or "Archives". I can't remember. What gives?

Am I really expected to remove the files from my Pilot, fix them on my computer, and then resync them? That just doesn't seem right to me.

If the BestBuy bundled software can do it, I'll use that for now, but I think it's kind of weird/crappy that I can't change the files on the player with Windows Explorer/Media Monkey/WMP. It's showing up as a disk drive. Why doesn't it act like one?

[Riolist]

You probably have to delete the database file so it's forced to rebuild it using the new tags.

[Trunk666]

Thanks, I'll try that.

[mattschuette]

Originally Posted by Riolist

You probably have to delete the database file so it's forced to rebuild it using the new tags.

Which database file? MSC mode, I assume, but I don't see any candidate files.

Originally Posted by Trunk666

Thanks, I'll try that.

Did it work?

[Trunk666]

I couldn't figure out how to delete the "database." I looked in the NS-DV forum to get an idea. The only thing that's been working is removing the files, changing them and adding them back. That's wack.

I think it's because the unit is designed to be synched. Basically you choose what's goes on the Pilot, and send it over. It's basically a mirror image of a portion of your library. It's not meant to be altered. There's gotta be a way around it, though.

[Almoxil]

Originally Posted by mattschuette

Which database file? MSC mode, I assume, but I don't see any candidate files.

I don't know about the Pilot, but even a MSC player may build a library or database on the ID3 tags to allow tag navigation. The Meizu M6, for example, can be set to work as an UMS/MSC device, but once you unplug it from the computer, it will recreate the library. This way you can choose between tag or file/folder navigation (the latter doesn't require the library, of course).

[Trunk666]

I tried again to edit via File & Folder mode. When I tried to apply the changes, I got an error that the file is in use by another application. I don't know if I've tried to do it on my Mac, though. Maybe later tonight.

I guess I need to read up on MTP devices some more. I have a feeling that it's the reason why we can't do this.

[mechvent]

Well, I was having a problem with the Ghost Dog OST not showing in my Album list. From file and folder mode (the only mode I use) I dragged the folder from the Pilot to foobar200 v0.9.5.2 (freeware, btw), selected all>right click>Properties>Properties tab and noticed id3v2 only. Went to File>Preferences>Advanced>Tagging>MP3>checked Force Preferred... then under Preferred tag writing scheme chose ID3v2+ID3v1 then Save All and Close.
Next I Select All>right click>Properties>Tagging. I chose to Remove tags from files then right click>Properties and entered Metadata, but I bet choosing to "Rewrite file tags" would have been a better choice. Anyhoo, it was all done with the files on the Pilot and now Ghost Dog shows up on my album list, RZA shows up on my artist list, and Rap shows up in my genre list.

[DigitalAxis]

One particularly irritating note about the Pilot and Ubuntu... It's been plugging in and mounting with permissions set to user:<me> and group:root. That unfortunately means I don't actually have permission to modify tags on those files. I can move and delete, but apparently not modify.

[mattschuette]

Originally Posted by DigitalAxis

One particularly irritating note about the Pilot and Ubuntu... It's been plugging in and mounting with permissions set to user:<me> and group:root. That unfortunately means I don't actually have permission to modify tags on those files. I can move and delete, but apparently not modify.

Become root and chgrp them to yourself. As for the mounting, you can probably change the default group in fstab. My Ubuntu box died several months ago, though, so I haven't tried any Pilot + Ubuntu goodness. If it's not straightforward, someone on ubuntuforums.org will know... it is, after all, just a standard usb device in MSC mode.

[mechvent]

Originally Posted by DigitalAxis

One particularly irritating note about the Pilot and Ubuntu... It's been plugging in and mounting with permissions set to user:<me> and group:root. That unfortunately means I don't actually have permission to modify tags on those files. I can move and delete, but apparently not modify.

What program are you using to modify tags? Using Hardy Heron and the newest version of wine and winetricks I successfully installed foobar2000. After installing lame I was able to convert from FLAC to mp3 no problem. I could also modify the tag format to ide3v2|ide3v1, but I could not change the Album Title in the Metadata tab. I could, however, change it in Rhythmbox with Edit>Select All>Properties.

Kind of a PIA to have to use two different programs but since I just started playing with this...

I was also going to suggest running whatever program you are using from the commandline as root. Rhythmbox did not have the option of altering the tag type, so I did not go with this option.

[DigitalAxis]

Originally Posted by mattschuette

Become root and chgrp them to yourself. As for the mounting, you can probably change the default group in fstab. My Ubuntu box died several months ago, though, so I haven't tried any Pilot + Ubuntu goodness. If it's not straightforward, someone on ubuntuforums.org will know... it is, after all, just a standard usb device in MSC mode.

Surprisingly, it won't let me chgrp them even as root, and I can't seem to do much when I mount as root either. I'll have to fiddle with the fstab.

Originally Posted by mechvent

What program are you using to modify tags? Using Hardy Heron and the newest version of wine and winetricks I successfully installed foobar2000. After installing lame I was able to convert from FLAC to mp3 no problem. I could also modify the tag format to ide3v2|ide3v1, but I could not change the Album Title in the Metadata tab. I could, however, change it in Rhythmbox with Edit>Select All>Properties.

I've been trying to use Wine + Winamp, because I have a few .ogg files whose tags the Pilot can't read unless they're edited with Winamp. Not Foobar2000, not Audacious, not Amarok... has to be Winamp, for some reason.

I admit I have not yet tried running Wine+Winamp as root when mounting the Pilot as root.