Strange sequences of hexadecimal numbers persistently appearing in comments

jonnyb 8:18 PM - 6 November, 2009

Product: scratchlive
Version: 1.9.2
Hardware: scratchlive-sl1
Computer: mac
OS Version: 10.6.0
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Hi,

I have noticed for a long time a tendency for strings of hexadecimal numbers to appear seemingly all by themselves in my scratch live library comments field. for example

00000180 000001DD 00000D66

these numbers vary for each track, but it is always the same pattern of 3 groups of 8 digit hexadecimal. they don't appear on all tracks, only some and on some tracks they will disappear when the track is loaded (suggesting they aren't stored in the ID3 comment tag)

i use the following software with my libary:

main library organised through itunes
scratch live reads the itunes library
also use mixed in key (latest version) for pitch analysing

i have all of my tracks artworked and i wonder whether that might have something to do with it but still doesn't explain the odd behaviour. deleting the numbers doesn't appear to have any detrimental effect but i'm wondering what is causing this

thanks

j

dj_rome 4:39 AM - 8 November, 2009

Hey jonny,

I noticed the same thing. I don't think it has anything to do with Scratch or mixedinkey, but from what little I could find on the subject, I think the hex codes are gain data (ReplayGain? iTunes auto-gain-thingy? not sure) being written to the comment field. Some tracks come with them, others I noticed appear later. I also noticed that it doesn't overwrite the comments but appends them, ie.

"0000096D 0000006C 0000C522 00005FD5 00030805 0001587D 00008544 000084BB 0001D80A 00017B2F; comment comment"

It's that, or a conspiracy by someone to track mp3 usage.

*shrug*

Konix 3:14 PM - 8 November, 2009

Do or did you ever use Traktor or another DJ program with these tracks?

Michael R 11:14 PM - 8 November, 2009

Hey jonnyb,

Are these files you've ripped yourself or bought online?

jonnyb 10:45 PM - 13 November, 2009

no pattern, they are a mixture of files from shops & my own rips. i have used traktor with them occasionally, but i swear i keep deleting them and they keep re-appearing. the software i use regularly with my library is the above

jonnyb 10:49 PM - 13 November, 2009

i think i may need to rebuild my serato library

jonnyb 11:01 PM - 13 November, 2009

ok, i did a little experiment

i moved my SSL folders to the desktop and restarted SSL so that it would make a new library (from reading itunes). i then found tracks with the mystery numbers and cleared the comments - sorted the library by comments field, selected all the tracks with the numbers, erased one of the comments, clicked yes to apply to all and SSL went and (supposedly) wrote the tags on the files

then i exited SSL and repeated the process - move the new dummy library folders to the desktop and reloaded SSL, again making a new library. the result: the numbers reappear

this would lead me to believe that it is a bug in the way SSL reads the comments field, or could be connected to something in the way it reads the itunes library

let me know if i can provide any further info

Michael R 11:07 PM - 16 November, 2009

Hey jonnyb,

Are you able to attach one of the files you are having this issue with to this thread, I'll take a look at it and see if I can reproduce it here :)

12:52 PM, 17 Nov 2009

jonnyb attached a file: 06 Edge Of Madness (Sublove Remix).mp3

Download· Permalink

jonnyb 1:00 PM - 17 November, 2009

here you go. as i said before i currently have quite a lot of entries with the numbers, but quite a lot of the numbers disappear when i actually load a track. here is one of the ones where the numbers remain

VJ Justin Allen 1:09 PM - 17 November, 2009

I have this same issue as well...just on assorted audio files (no video files). And yes, I use iTunes as well.

Michael R 5:34 AM - 18 November, 2009

Hey guys,

Ok I've found out what these characters are :) They are CDDB information that iTunes stores in its own comments field. We initially get all tag information for your iTunes files from the iTunes Music Library.xml file, which is were iTunes is storing these "comments". Once you load a track to the deck Scratch Live will read the actual ID3 tag, and as this information is not there (remember it's in the Tunes Music Library.xml file) it won't display it.

VJ Justin Allen 12:55 PM - 18 November, 2009

Do you think that in the future analyzing your files will remove these characters? Is this something you can write code for?

VJ Justin Allen 12:56 PM - 18 November, 2009

Oh, and thanks for letting us know :)

jonnyb 6:23 PM - 18 November, 2009

so we should just go ahead and erases this info in the serato library?

i still have a suspicion that the numbers reappear, but i'll let you know if it does

Michael R 4:51 AM - 19 November, 2009

I believe if you use the rescan ID3 tags function it should remove these.

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Strange sequences of hexadecimal numbers persistently appearing in comments

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