Ripping to WAV using Apple Music and Copying File to B2

[Chris Coles]

Hi All,

I have a Bob Dylan CD that was not recognised by my B2 using either the internal drive or an external LG drive. So I had a go at connecting it to my Mac and Apple Music recognised it and let me import (i.e. rip) the CD. I was able to change Apple Music import setting and import the music to WAV format (the Apple default is AAC).

I have my B2 NAS enabled, so am able to see the contents of the music folder using Mac Finder. So I copied my Bob Dylan album to the B2 music folder in the correct format (i.e. Artist - Album - Track).

I then performed a Scan Disk function from the B2 Settings Menu and, hey presto, the album appeared in the Web UI listing. However ...

The track names appear twice in the Web UI, normally and then prefixed with a full stop and underscore (._). For example track one is:

01 Subterranean Homesick Blues

but I can also see:

._01 Subterranean Homesick Blues

If I navigate to the correct folder using Mac Finder, the track only appears once.

Can anyone explain to me what is happening here?

Many Thanks,

Chris

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Chris,

The Mac creates and manages files is a different way to other systems.  So when you are using the Mac normally you will see the most recent version of a given file in Finder, in your example 

'01 Subterranean Homesick Blues'.  What Finder doesn't show you is the '._01 Subterranean Homesick Blues' file because the MacOS uses the '._' prefix on a filename as a way of hiding the 'control data' element of the file.  The MacOS does this '._' in many other situations to maintain hidden control files.

When you copy the directory out of the Mac environment into the B2 environment, then the '._' files are exposed because the B2 doesn't know about the 'hidden file mechanism.  The same situation happens when you copy these directories to a Windows environment.  It is a nuisance, but it's an Apple thing.

You can delete the '._' files from the B2.  They don't perform any function when outside of the MacOS environment.

Brennan even provides a function to search and delete these files.  It is found in 'Settings' --> 'Maintenance' --> 'Cleanup'. 

If you run this function then run 'Scan Disk' afterwards.

Regards,

Peter.

[JFBUK]

Hi Peter,

I assume if Chris had used the Upload function of the Web UI then presumably he would not get this issue as the B2 is building the folder and track files for the album itself  in the B2 HDD file structure?

Thanks

John

[Daniel Taylor]

Hey John (JFBUK), that's a good question.  I'm interested to know the answer, too.

[Chris Coles]

Hi Peter,

Brilliant, thanks. The more I do with the Brennan, the more I discover it has a solution to most problems. The Cleanup function, followed by Scan Disk removed the mystery Track names.

Kind Regards,

Chris

[Peter Lowham]

Hi John,

That is a good question and I don't yet know the answer.  I mainly use NAS for managing my files, but I do all of my ripping and compressing on one of my B2s, so I don't see the problem myself.  However I do have a MacBook Pro, so I'll give it a test when I get a chance.

@ Chris; Glad that you are sorted out.  You will need to run this process each time you import files from the Mac to the B2.

Regards,

Peter.