Software help archive

A read-only archive of old serato.com help threads.

Can't import songs

Product
ITCH
Version
-
Hardware
Vestax VCI-300
Computer
PC
OS
Platform
-
cc567@charter.net 1:37 AM - 3 July, 2009
Product: itch
Hardware: vestax-vci-300
Computer: pc
OS Version: vistasp1
---

I bought a new laptop to use with the vestax vci-300/itch. I burned all my songs from my computer, most are iTunes files, onto cd's. But I can't figure out how to import them. I have the cd in, I can drag the songs onto crates, but if I close itch or take out the cd then the crates go away. I have the cd's ripped onto the laptop, but I don't know what to do now. Please help.
Serato, Forum Moderator
Matt-C 4:06 AM - 3 July, 2009
Hey cc567@charter.net.

When you burn CDs you convert the audio from your computer and turn it into CDA (CD audio). You will have to rip this audio back into your computer if the actual audio files don't exist there already (you can use iTunes or the like).
If you have the original mp3s on the computer's hard drive, then you should use those.

A crate won't stay if there is no music in it - and as the audio is being removed when the audio is on the CD, then the crate will disappear.

If you find the audio mp3 files that you ripped from the CDs, then use that as your tracks to play with. It's best to start an ITCH music library - better get in a good habit for your music library now.
cc567@charter.net 8:08 PM - 3 July, 2009
I don't have iTunes on the laptop. I ripped the music from the cd's onto the laptop, so they are on there. I can play them on itch as long as the cd is in the laptop. But when I take the cd out, I can't. I can still listen to the songs on the laptop with windows media player, without the cd being in though.
Serato, Forum Moderator
Matt-C 10:29 PM - 5 July, 2009
When you say you ripped the music from the CDs, which program did you use to rip the audio?
cc567@charter.net 2:43 PM - 6 July, 2009
When I put the cd it came up in Windows media player, and I ripped it in that.
Serato, Forum Moderator
Matt-C 11:45 PM - 6 July, 2009
What were the rip/import settings in WMP?
cc567@charter.net 2:27 PM - 7 July, 2009
I don't know, default settings? Where would I find out?
Serato, Forum Moderator
Matt-C 9:59 PM - 7 July, 2009
Up in the top task bar of Windows Media Player. The Tools menu, then 'Rip Music'.
Go to the Rip Settings, select the format as MP3 - then select the Audio Quality as Best.
It's set as worst to begin with (128) which is pretty noticeably poor.
cc567@charter.net 3:23 PM - 9 July, 2009
Oh thank you. I finally got it to work. It was set on something for WMP.

Whats the difference between MP3 and WAV? I forgot which one you said before I did it, and picked WAV because it said lossless. Should I redo them all as MP3s?
Serato, Forum Moderator
Matt-C 10:43 PM - 9 July, 2009
WAV is lossless - which means it will keep as much data as possible - and be the best quality for a music file on your computer.

MP3 is lossy - which means it will enocde the data, which basically takes what it feels to be the most importand chunks of data and get rid of the rest. These are worse quality, but sometimes the difference between MP3 and WAV aren't great.

MP3s are a lot smaller than WAV files, so it's a great way to have a big music collection with less hard drive space. You can also encode MP3 files from your WAV files, as the WAV is almost like the 'original' of the track, being much better quality. You can't encode an MP3 as even more data will be lost.

Anyhow - for DJing a good quality 320kbps MP3 will be fine, unless you are playing on some of the best soundsystems in the world, there's not a huge difference in sound.