In article , Bob Latham
wrote:
In article , Jim Lesurf
wrote:
In article , RJH

Gapless recording is where, by design, there is no gap between
tracks. For example, live music.

In practice I tended to assume this might happen anyway before I got
into playing audio files.. So when generating files from Audio CD I
usually make 'contiguous' tracks into one long flac file. Became a
habit I found convenient anyway. However in practice, when I haven't,
it doesn't normally seem to give me a noticable 'gap'. So its not
really been a problem here. How lucky I've been, I dunno.

But surely the player and the controller and the UPnP server should all
be totally unaware if there is an intended silence gap or not.

Well, the problem may be in the "should" returning "false". :-)

But it could be other problems. Above I was just saying I tend not to get
the problem.

AIUI.

A. music playing in track 3 B. Music fade out and end of track silence
(track still playing) C. XXXXXXX = this is what gapless is about. D.
music playing from track 4.

Machines that cannot do "gapless" introduce a silence (C above) between
the tracks. Intended silence (by record companies) is supplied in 'B'.

Question here is what it meant by "Machines". It could be a communication
problem between particular machines which fail to ensure the parcels are
passed in good time.

So the player may know there is not meant to be a gap, but doesn't get the
start of the next file in time to avoid it. Possibly because it didn't ask
the source machine in time to send it.

If the music doesn't call for a silence between movements then area 'B'
= 0 length.

Area 'C' should ALWAYS be = 0 in length. If it isn't, the system isn't
playing gapless and it doesn't matter if area 'B' is zero or not.

That is why I have no understanding of a gapless track. The intended
silence is part of the track, there is no gap.

Sorry we may be talking at cross purposes here.

I have CDs and other recordings where there are 'tracks' or index points
indicating a time just before another movement begins. But the background
noises - e.g. audience noises - are continuous. Having tracks lets you
choose to start at a movement other than the first. But you don't want a
short 'total silence' at the handover.

Some classical works have sections or movements with no break at all. Yet
may be 'tracked' on a CD. FWIW I downloaded the high rez flac files of
Britten's War Requiem (superb!) and Peter Grimes, and they have 'file
splits' like this because you can buy individual items from the entire
work.

I suppose I should mention that the start of 'D' could have a very brief
intended moment of silence but again this is the track playing, there
should be no gap 'C' in a playback system.

I guess the problem might be pop songs that start right at the beginning of
a track and end right at the end. Then the abrupt immediate start of one
song may disturb your reaction to the previous one. But I dunno, I'm just
guessing, as its not a problem I tend to run into.

Maybe you need a silent gap after listening to Def Leppard if the next song
your random-play mobile chooses is Val Doonican crooning gently. Or vice
versa! 8-]

I should declare that my music collection lacks the works of both. ;-)

Jim

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