Let’s be real here, OK? iTunes has never been a great program where sound quality is concerned. Steve Jobs famously said that music was in Apple’s DNA.  That may be, but I wouldn’t call Apple an audiophile company. Despite that, I use iTunes every day mainly because it’s just so darned easy, plus it does sound good enough.

And there lies the problem. We learn to settle for inferior audio either because we don’t know better or it’s too complicated to deal with. But what about the rest of you? It’s not lost on me that each link in the audio chain can be – and often is – not cheap. Sometimes it can be outrageously expensive. Everyone just knows that good audio costs. That’s a given. Or is it?

As it turns out, there is a way to improve audio quality a bit without breaking the bank, or even denting it. If you listen to music on a Mac (sorry, no Windows yet), and use iTunes, there is an app/plugin that can increase the resolution – and quality – of your music. It’s called BitPerfect and it costs a whopping $5 in the Mac App store.

Before I go further, let me state that The Gadgeteer is not an audiophile site, and I am not going to get into charts or esoteric terms to show off. There are other very good audiophile sites where you can get as much info as you could ever want. I’m just trying to provide a little educational nudge towards improving audio.

One of the fun ways to improve your audio is to increase the bitrate of your music (called upsampling) or just start with higher resolution (high res) files. When I say high res, I am not talking about 128k MP3 files ripped from CDs, bought from iTunes or “ahem,” acquired online. I mean files that are at the very least, 256k AAC from iTunes on up to really high res 96khz/24 bit files.

If you’re eyes are beginning to glaze over right about now, what this simply means is that the higher the number, the more music you can hear with less distortion. Everything just sounds better.

Tim Murison has singlehandedly done what Apple has so far refused to do: make iTunes sound better. Tim wasn’t satisfied with what he heard, so he developed BitPerfect. He wasn’t the first. There are other programs that improve the audio quality of iTunes, but they completely take over the player and are prohibitively expensive. BitPerfect works within iTunes. It’s invisible. Once you install it, you can forget that it’s there.

BitPerfect performs a lot of complicated maneuvers behind the scenes to improve the sound right out of the box. However, if you are curious and adventurous, the app allows almost infinite variations. The point though, is that you don’t have to do anything once installed.

Tim has also written an extremely helpful manual that explains in detail what I am purposefully glossing over. I highly recommend reading it before buying.

This is not a review of BitPerfect. I bought it late last year and have used is almost every day when listening to iTunes. I can say that BitPerfect will make your music sound better. How much better depends on your source material.

Note: I also use an external digital audio convertor (DAC) all the time as a headphone amp. A DAC is a very good sound card that bypasses the one in your computer. While a DAC can dramatically improve audio quality, they can also be expensive. However, whether you decide to use a DAC or not, BitPerfect still makes music sound better.

For $5, you can’t go wrong.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Audio, iTunes, MP3

BitPerfect High-quality Audio Player for OSX originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 7, 2012 at 12:00 pm.

Here’s a question for you: If you are less than satisfied with how your favorite music sounds using iTunes on a Mac, where would you first look for a solution? Better speakers? A DAC (digital audio converter)? Soundcard? Higher resolution files? While all of these possible choices will usually improve the audio, chances are you didn’t think of a software solution, such as an iTunes plugin. Well, maybe you should think about Channel D’s Pure Music before you spend hundreds of dollars on new hardware.

I have used Pure Music for a couple of months now and I am still trying to get my head around all it can do. If I was writing an audiophile review, I could bring out sampling conversion charts, waveform data and all kinds of audio geekery to make a point. But The Gadgeteer is not that kind of site and frankly, it would bore the heck out of 99% of anyone reading this.

For instance, taken from Channel D’s website, here’s an edited list of some of what Pure Music can do:

• Supports Apple Remote App for iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch
• Automatic sample rate switching
• Gapless track playback and Memory Play
• Adjustable Dithered Volume Control
• Supports CoreAudio / DACs / Audio Interfaces.
• Supports all iTunes Compatible Audio File Formats
• Plays tracks from networked volumes
• Optional REAL-TIME 64-bit upsampling
• CoreAudio Device HOG Mode support
• Internal Audio Device Selection and Setup (or use Apple Audio MIDI Setup)
• Up to 384 kHz sample rate
• Supports AudioUnit Audio processing plug-ins (parametric EQs, etc.)
• Uncompressed audio streaming support (up to 384 kHz and up to four separate connections)
• 64-bit Adjustable 2/3/4-way Crossover with time alignment and minimum phase filters
• Our own proven, optimized algorithms – not built from a patchwork of “open source” software
• Native FLAC playback
• Optional FLAC file conversion and downsampling

… pure audio geek heaven and that’s not even everything.

So in this review, I am going to concentrate on why I think Pure Music is important and why you might consider it if you listen to your music using iTunes, have a Mac (sorry PC people) and can appreciate the quality of Apple Lossless over a 128kbit MP3 file. If you either can’t hear the difference or don’t really care, then PureMusic will be a waste of money. However those who prefer to play music files in only the highest bit rates possible and can store those massive files on multi-gigabyte hard drives or iPods will appreciate what Pure Music can do.

First, let me be honest. Pure Music is not an OMG! piece of software. Better headphones or speakers will provide that kind of dramatic improvement. In fact, when I first tried Pure Music, I heard improvement, but I began to wonder what all the fuss was about. I only realized what I was missing when I didn’t use it. I sensed that the music was less “there.” It’s hard to visualize: When Pure Music is used, it’s like a layer of aural gauze has been lifted from the sound. Songs appear more transparent and open and you hear more clarity and definition. Everything just sounds more focused.Pure Music is bbased on Channel D’s famous Pure Vinyl software that edits and archives analog LPs into high resolution digital files.

According to Channel D, Pure Music achieves this by totally taking over the playback of iTunes songs. Consequently, iTunes becomes just a database for music files letting Pure Music do its magic. It can upsample song files which can help the songs sound less digital and more organic.

As software, Pure Music exhibits some irritating quirks. If the iTunes window is close to the bottom of the monitor screen (where I usually keep it), then part of the plugin is off screen. I have to drag iTunes away from the monitor’s edge to view the whole plugin, since Pure Music sticks to the edges of the iTunes window. It’s not a major deal, but it bugs me. Now, there is a Hide music server control choice which creates a small button that attaches to the iTunes window – sort of. If I drag around the iTunes mini-player window on my desktop, that tiny button follows behind and only snaps to the window after I stop dragging. Another quirk is that Pure Music insists on placing the iTunes window at the front of your monitor with every song change regardless of what else is on your screen. It just pops right on top of everything, even if you’ve selected Hide in the iTunes prefs. Also, Pure Music won’t hide itself from the screen at all, no matter what you do. It’s just there.

Visually, Pure Music looks – well, let’s just say it has a great personality! It wraps itself around the upper left corner of the iTunes window showing all the necessary buttons along with some options. However, it looks visually nothing like iTunes or anything else Apple for that matter. I would have preferred an iTunes-like brushed aluminum face, or a similar look. The color scheme and buttons look like something out of Windows 95. But you know what? Once you get used to all the quirks and that Retro95 look, it’s the audio improvement that really matters.

As I said earlier, Pure Music seems to lift an aural gauze from the music. Vocals feel more intimate. Cymbals shimmer a bit more. The bass kicks more without becoming  overpowering. In fact, I think that’s part of the magic: Nothing is enhanced or improved at the expense of anything else. Everything just sounds … more better. Let me say that this can be achieved using Pure Music “out of the box” with no customizing done at all. If you are a knowledgeable audio-head, Pure Music does give you infinite settings and choices for that ultimate in tweaking. I’m not going to get into that for this review. There are other, more detailed reviews out there for reding and Channel D’s own website delves into what Pure Music is capable of in excruciating detail. I will recommend that at first, just use the plugin as it is. You can always tweak it later once you become more comfortable with it.

I have been using Pure Music with my iMac and a pair B&W MM-1 speakers which come with a built-in digital audio convertor (DAC). I think this DAC is necessary as the iMac’s soundcard is just awful. And even using the fantastic MM-1 speakers, Pure Music makes it sound better.

I have been reacquainting myself with Pink Floyd’s first album from 1967, “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.” If your knowledge of Pink Floyd begins with “Dark Side of the Moon,” then this album can be a shocker. It is nothing like later Pink Floyd. Founder Syd Barrett was a major influence on the band’s early sound. So what you have is quirky, weird, psychedelic pop that just happens to be recorded very well. Listening to these songs using Pure Music brings out detail that I hadn’t noticed before. Note however that this detail is only noticed when you are paying attention. Play the album while doing other things, and those improvements will be much harder to appreciate.

Which brings up an unexpected aspect to Pure Music. In the old days of vinyl records, albums were almost events. You brought the album home and would listen to it from beginning to end, sometimes with friends. There was little talking and you paid close attention. Much of today’s music is more disposable commodity than art. If you listen to music on the go or as background, then Pure Music is a waste. Using Pure Music has forced me sit down, stop whatever I was doing and just listen. I had almost forgotten what a pleasure it is to play an album from start to finish with no shuffling! Only then did I truly appreciate what Pure Music does.

Another complete album that benefited from Pure Music was Brian Eno’s “Just Another Day on Earth.” There is so much subtle stuff going on here that with Pure Music, the songs took on another dimension. There are layers upon layers that I was able to differentiate. Although the album is sometimes laden with extreme bass that can easily overwhelm lesser speakers. But Pure Music tames the bass when it gets out of hand., making it more an integral part of the songs rather than letting the bass fight for the lead. Listening to this album became an absolute treat, all over again.

With its ability to extract the best from high resolution music files, Pure Music – especially paired with a decent digital audio convertor and decent speakers – can make your Mac sound as good or better than a high-end CD player costing hundreds or thousands of dollars. That alone makes Pure Music a bargain.

There is a full working 15-day Pure Music demo available for download here.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: iTunes

Channel D Pure Music iTunes Plugin Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 22, 2011 at 5:56 pm.

It’s official, The Beatles’ complete catalog is available on iTunes.  Individual songs are $1.29, and each single album is $12.99; doubles are $19.99.  Apple says each album comes with iTunes LP, which features lyrics, photos, and more.  There’s even The Beatles Box Set for $149, featuring every album, single, and B-side, and the albums are of course given the iTunes LP treatment.  The box set also includes mini-documentaries about the making of each album and a video of the complete 1964 show at the Washington Coliseum, their first show in the US.  Santa – are you taking notes?!

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: iTunes, The Beatles digital catalog

Just in Time for Christmas – The Beatles are in iTunes originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 16, 2010 at 5:12 pm.

My iTunes library has over 10,000 songs. I’ve been accumulating music for years now and in that time, I’ve built my collection from ripping my own CDs and umm… by other methods too. As a result, my library is pretty messy. I have tracks with very descriptive names like Track 1 and Track 2 and unforgettable artists names like Unknown. That’s why I accepted an offer to try out an iTunes plugin called TuneUp. Let’s see if it can tame my wild musical forest.

TuneUp is compatible with both PC and Mac versions of iTunes and has the following features:

• Clean mislabeled music (artist names, genres, track numbers, genres, etc.)
• Find missing cover art
• Alert users of local concerts by their favorite artists
• Pull in the best music content from the web to enhance the listening experience (e.g. YouTube videos, Google News, etc.)

You can download a free version that will give you 500 track cleanups, grab 50 album covers and receive unlimited concert info and news. The Gold version is $11.95 per year or $19.95 lifetime and has no limitations.

Click thumbnails to see full-size image

The install is simple and once completed, it will add a window to the right side of iTunes, with the TuneUp options.

Basically, there are 4 main features: Clean mislabeled music, Album art finder, Now playing and Concerts.

Cleaning Mislabeled Music

To clean your mislabeled music, you have to select the songs in the main iTunes panel and drag them into the TuneUp window. They suggest that you do about 500 tracks at a time.

I’ve mainly been doing several albums at a time and have found that it’s pretty slow even doing less than 50 songs at a time. The problem here is that you have to use the tool interactively. First you drag the music to the window and then wait for it to find matching track info in the database (you obviously have to be online for this tool to work…) and then you click the Save All button for it to apply the changes.

Sometimes TuneUp won’t be sure that it’s found the right data for your tracks and will list them as likely matches. When this happens, you’ll have to click Save on each match instead of allowing the Save All button to do all the work.

This is the feature I used the most while testing this plugin. Although it does a very good job finding and fixing track information, I found the whole process to be slow and and monotonous. There really  needs to be a one click do it all kind of button. Dragging chunks of music at a time and waiting for it to find the info so I could click the Save All button got old really fast for me. Also I had a lot of beach balling (Mac speak for an app that freaks out and is too busy to allow access) activity going on with this plugin. Quite often, I would drag music to the window and it wouldn’t accept them. I would have to click on one of the other tabs and then go back to the clean tab before it would allow me to drag and drop the tracks.

Finding Missing Album Art

TuneUp does have a feature where it will scan your whole library for missing artwork and allow you to click a Save All button to fix them in one shot.

The first time I tried this feature, I had 427 missing cover art. I pressed the Save All button and came back hours later and it had only fixed about 25 of them… That’s when I noticed that each song could have several cover art choices associated with them. If you click on the art for a song, it will show the various choices. You can then pick the one you want and have it save that one. So again, this is an interactive feature that will take time to use. If you have a big library, it will take quite a bit of time.

Now Playing

While a song is playing the Now Playing screen will give you options to other content such as YouTube videos, concert notifications for your area, other song purchase recommendations and news.

Honestly, I wish I could turn off this screen because when I am working on cleaning up my library, I don’t want to automatically load this info and switch over to this tab every time I click play on a song.

Concerts

The concerts tab is useful for keeping up on shows in your area.

It shows dates, times, prices and even links to purchase tickets.

There’s also an Analyze screen that will show you a graph of what specific information is missing out of your iTunes library.

Hmmm, it looks like mine still has a LONG way to go…

TuneUp does a good job at finding and fixing missing information, but do wish it was faster and had a less interactive mode. As is, the price is not bad at all and I do have my fingers crossed that it will evolve as time goes by.

What methods or applications do all of you use to keep your iTunes library in tip top shape?

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear

Tagged: iTunes, MP3, Music

TuneUp iTunes Library Management Plugin Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 15, 2009 at 3:58 pm.