Foobar2000 Setup/Issues/Fixes/Usage

[J. PUPSTER]

I thought a general thread for Foobar2000 was needed while looking into a question from a member (@Marplot) about random/shuffle play. Most of the threads I've found on the forum are about specific problems; and I found no similar thread that would be as wide ranging as this.

Here is the web page for the Foobar2000 Windows download (use at your own risk!)
https://www.foobar2000.org/download
I'm just a casual user of Foobar2000 myself and hopefully the more technical savvy members here can contribute info. for knowledge as it arises.

I have a number of SSD 1 & 2TB drives I use to store my files. I use Foobar2000 mainly for preview listening at my computer station; and reserve actual critical/casual listening on my main system through the SSDs plugged into my oppo and out via analog to my AVR. Some folks can probably do this with Foobar2000 from a laptop or NUC through an HDMI cable to an AVR.
The following screen shots shows what I've come up with so far as to this subject.

The first thing I did was add the location (starting at the lower "Menu" button) for where the folders/files are stored for the "New Playlist" located at the upper left corner (only took a few second to log in the whole drive.)

Next, I used the right hand header for the albums/folders, to sort the files as to Genre (be aware this may not be related to how it shuffles -not sure yet?)

Next, from the lower "Menu" button again, I choose- [Playback - Order - Shuffle (tracks)]

Notice the little symbol just to the right of the KBPS in the lower section, represents the playback mode (Shuffle here.)
I'm still looking into my options on all this and how it all works; so anyone that has additional info./experience please chime in

 

[Electric Moo]

thx for the details. Foobar is my media player of choice, but I haven't bothered setting up playlists etc

 

[Marplot]

I have not had a chance to dabble with your information yet pupster but thanks for the post.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Anyone know how to get the Dynamic Range Field to show up in the left panel while playing a song?
-Much appreciated.

 

[ssully]

youd be better off asking a hydrogenaudio.org. There's an entire subforum devoted to f2k there.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Found my Foobar2000 Dark One Manual (see attached file below)

In the past I've tried some configuration changes to the program and totally hosed it up, to a point I had to re-install and start over. So please proceed with caution attempting this stuff and at your own risk.

I was able to do some trial and error and get what I wanted out of it (now I'm wondering what else I could add )

Here's how I got the left side panel to show individual song Dynamic Range values (need to have the plugin installed and run the DR first I would guess for the values!)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First: right click on the INF button (highlighted in yellow below) and select "Splitter Settings"
- then go to PanelList tab and highlight INF
- Next hit the "Configure" button and the "Options -Items Properties" window opens.

-then: click the "New" button and create/edit the left Name field box with a name (Dynamic Range)
- then: hit the tab key on your keyboard to go to the Field box on the right and enter "Dynamic Range" and hit OK button at the bottom of that window.

That should do it. And with playing a song, the left INF panel now shows the DR number for the song (3 yellow dots to highlight it)

 

[J. PUPSTER]

One more note about the above DR field.

I input into those new fields "Dynamic Range"; Foobar must have been pre-programmed to recognize that data set instructions in order to know what to do with it.
You just can't put some weird configuration field instructions in there and expect it to automatically know what it is. I was guessing that it would know what to do with "Dynamic Range" and got lucky.

For instance, you couldn't put something like: Aunt Betty's Apple Pie recipe in one, and expect it to know what to do with it.

 

[humprof]

Anybody else having this problem? Lately my install of foobar2000 has been having trouble with ISOs. It'll start off playing the ISO just fine, then a few minutes in, it'll start lagging and stuttering and finally get so bad that I just have to stop and abort. At first I thought the problem was only affecting SACD ISOs, but today I've got the same issue with a DVD-A ISO (of a CD-4 conversion). No problems if I just select all the tracks in the playlist and then convert them to FLACs (and play the FLACs), but that's kind of a PIA when I used to just be able to load the ISO and hit "play"...

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Anybody else having this problem? Lately my install of foobar2000 has been having trouble with ISOs. It'll start off playing the ISO just fine, then a few minutes in, it'll start lagging and stuttering and finally get so bad that I just have to stop and abort. At first I thought the problem was only affecting SACD ISOs, but today I've got the same issue with a DVD-A ISO (of a CD-4 conversion). No problems if I just select all the tracks in the playlist and then convert them to FLACs (and play the FLACs), but that's kind of a PIA when I used to just be able to load the ISO and hit "play"...

I haven't noticed anything with mine; but I've got a pretty old one- v1.6.2; you should find your version with "Menu" -> "Help" -> "About" for reference here and also; what sort of Drive are you pulling from?

And of course as usual, when uncertain... reboot everything!

 

[humprof]

I haven't noticed anything with mine; but I've got a pretty old one- v1.6.2; you should find your version with "Menu" -> "Help" -> "About" for reference here and also; what sort of Drive are you pulling from?

And of course as usual, when uncertain... reboot everything!

1.6.6 for me--though it's true I haven't checked for an update (or updated components) recently, so maybe I should start there. Pulling from a relatively new WD 12TB drive, attached via USB 3.0.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

1.6.6 for me--though it's true I haven't checked for an update (or updated components) recently, so maybe I should start there. Pulling from a relatively new WD 12TB drive, attached via USB 3.0.

For me I always hate updating Foobar, because of all the re-configuration I have to do. Maybe @HomerJAU Garry has some ideas ?

 

[GOS]

Huh. I've never had to reconfigure after an update. Have I? Also, ISO on Foobar. Mine almost always skips. That's why I convert all fo flac.

 

[humprof]

Huh. I've never had to reconfigure after an update. Have I? Also, ISO on Foobar. Mine almost always skips. That's why I convert all fo flac.

Yeah--my updates are pretty seamless too. (ISO playback used to be, also. Oh well...just one of many first world problems.)

 

[Sal1950]

Yeah--my updates are pretty seamless too. (ISO playback used to be, also. Oh well...just one of many first world problems.)

From your description of the issues and when and with what they occurs it sounds like a computing power/speed issue. These ISO's we're getting now are getting more and more difficult to decode "on the fly". SACD's tend to be very demanding of data rates, then mix in 5, 7, etc channels, ouch. Possible your 12TB optical drive is the bottleneck, but it could be any number of places in your computer?

 

[humprof]

From your description of the issues and when and with what they occurs it sounds like a computing power/speed issue. These ISO's we're getting now are getting more and more difficult to decode "on the fly". SACD's tend to be very demanding of data rates, then mix in 5, 7, etc channels, ouch. Possible your 12TB optical drive is the bottleneck, but it could be any number of places in your computer?

Yeah...with the SACD ISOs I figured it must be some combination of computing power and data rates, although I'm not sure why I never used to have the problem on that same machine (an ageing Toshiba laptop). The 12TB drive is admittedly the newest link in the chain; maybe it transfers data more slowly than the previous 4TB. The most puzzling thing of all is the DVDA ISO problem--which it turns out is inconsistent. One wouldn't play without serious hiccups, but now another--same size, by the same converter--is playing without a hitch. I'm wondering if another factor might be Windows downloading updates in the background and siphoning off system resources...

 

[J. PUPSTER]

From your description of the issues and when and with what they occurs it sounds like a computing power/speed issue. These ISO's we're getting now are getting more and more difficult to decode "on the fly". SACD's tend to be very demanding of data rates, then mix in 5, 7, etc channels, ouch. Possible your 12TB optical drive is the bottleneck, but it could be any number of places in your computer?

That all sounds about right to me also; I'm usually running on a newer NUC with SSD so probably the reason I haven't got that issue. However, I seem to remember a couple times playing ISO's from an SSD into the front USB on my oppo 205, and being a large file with multi-channels, I've had it freeze up on me a couple times, unexpected right?

As to updating Foobar @humprof & @GOS - I just figure if it ain't broke I'm OK with it as is. But, if one of you guys do a future update, maybe you could be kind enough to offer up a detailed process of the update for us technically challenged old fogeys here, like moi? Usually if something goes wrong, which has happened, I'll uninstall and reinstall fresh, so maybe that's why I have to reinstitute all my settings -ugh!

 

[humprof]

But, if one of you guys do a future update, maybe you could be kind enough to offer up a detailed process of the update for us technically challenged old fogeys here, like moi? Usually if something goes wrong, which has happened, I'll uninstall and reinstall fresh, so maybe that's why I have to reinstitute all my settings -ugh!

When I go to Settings > Check for Update, it just opens a web browser to the download page if there's a new version and I give it the greenlight to update. When I click the downloaded executable file, foobar detects that there's already an installation, and offers to "update" the existing install, leaving all my settings intact...

 

[GOS]

Ah, yes. Well, if you uninstall, then yeah. The only time I get into trouble with Foobar is when I get punchy and try to change some fonts or other settings....then if fucks everything up...and I have to do a new install. I've learned to just leave thte damn thing alone.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Ah, yes. Well, if you uninstall, then yeah. The only time I get into trouble with Foobar is when I get punchy and try to change some fonts or other settings....then if fucks everything up...and I have to do a new install. I've learned to just leave thte damn thing alone.

and after the update, does it also retain the Dark One skin?

 

[humprof]

and after the update, does it also retain the Dark One skin?

For me, yeah--after a routine update. As GOS is saying, though: probably not after a complete uninstall/reinstall.