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    The Computer Audiophile

    By The Computer Audiophile •

    Converting Linn Records Studio Master FLAC On Mac

    <img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/lr.gif" style="padding: 10pt 8pt 10pt 7pt;" align="left"><img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/maxlogo.png" style="padding: 5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;" align="left"> Some of the Computer Audiophile members have made it clear that they want information about converting the Linn Records Studio Master FLAC files on their Macs. Linn suggests people use the MAX application and I agree 100%. So, without further ado I present a step by step guide to converting Linn Records Studio Master FLAC file on a Mac with the MAX application.<!--more-->

    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Please feel free to suggest additional steps if I missed anything or recommend a change if you find an error. These instructions may seem remedial to some Computer Audiophile readers, but there are many readers just starting out with these downloads who have requested a little help. So, here we go.

     

     

     

    First you'll need to download and install the MAX application. Click this link to bring up the MAX download page http://sbooth.org/Max/#download .

     

    You'll have two options to download the application. Select the smaller of the two files pictured here

     

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    <img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-1-full.jpg" alt="Converting Linn Records Studio Master FLAC On Mac"></a>

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    Find the file you just downloaded. It will be titled Max-0.8.1.tar.bz2 (until the version changes then the number should be a little different). Double click the file and OS X will automatically decompress it to a folder named Max-0.8.1 as pictured below.

     

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    <img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-2-full.jpg" alt="Converting Linn Records Studio Master FLAC On Mac"></a>

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    Open the Max-0.8.1 folder. The contents should look like the picture below.

     

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    <img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-3-full.jpg" alt="Converting Linn Records Studio Master FLAC On Mac"></a>

    </center>

     

     

     

     

    Drag the file titled Max over to the Applications folder on the left and drop it there. This will install the application. See picture below.

     

    <center>

    <a href="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-4-large.jpg"><img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-4-small.jpg" alt="Converting Linn Records Studio Master FLAC On Mac"></a>

    </center><center>click to enlarge</center>

     

     

     

     

    Open the Max application from your Applications folder. The following box should appear. If the box does not appear, this sometimes happens, skip to the little workaround at the bottom.

     

    <center>

    <a href="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-5-large.jpg"><img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-5-small.jpg" alt="Converting Linn Records Studio Master FLAC On Mac"></a>

    </center><center>click to enlarge</center>

     

     

     

     

    First set the preferences in Max before converting any files. From the Max menu at the top click Preferences as pictures below.

     

    <center>

    <a href="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-6-large.jpg"><img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-6-small.jpg" alt="Converting Linn Records Studio Master FLAC On Mac"></a>

    </center><center>click to enlarge</center>

     

     

     

     

    Click on the Formats icon at the top of the Preferences screen. Double-click on AIFF - Core Audio as pictured below and make sure there is a check mark on the left if AIFF (Linear PCM) at the top.

     

    <center>

    <a href="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-7-large.jpg"><img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-7-small.jpg" alt="Converting Linn Records Studio Master FLAC On Mac"></a>

    </center><center>click to enlarge</center>

     

     

     

     

    Select AIFF (Linear PCM) at the top then click Encoder Settings. If you are converting Linn Studio Master 24/96 files make sure you select Linear PCM, 24 bit ... as pictured below.

     

    <center>

    <a href="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-8-large.jpg"><img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-8-small.jpg" alt="Converting Linn Records Studio Master FLAC On Mac"></a>

    </center><center>click to enlarge</center>

     

     

     

     

    Select the output icon at the top of the Preference screen. I make sure my output location is the same as my source files, but you can change this to whatever you want as long as you remember where the converted filed will end up. Example pictured below.

     

    <center>

    <a href="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-9-large.jpg"><img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-9-small.jpg" alt="Converting Linn Records Studio Master FLAC On Mac"></a>

    </center><center>click to enlarge</center>

     

     

     

     

    If you're going to use iTunes click the iTunes icon at the top left. Make sure there is a check mark by Use iTunes compatibility mode. Example pictured below.

     

    <center>

    <a href="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-10-large.jpg"><img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-10-small.jpg" alt="Converting Linn Records Studio Master FLAC On Mac"></a>

    </center><center>click to enlarge</center>

     

     

     

     

    An easy way to queue up your files to be converted is to drag them into the Max application window. See example below.

     

    <center>

    <a href="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-11-large.jpg"><img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-11-small.jpg" alt="Converting Linn Records Studio Master FLAC On Mac"></a>

    </center><center>click to enlarge</center>

     

     

     

     

    When all your files to be converted are in the Max window click the Convert icon at the top of the Max screen. A progress window should pop up telling you what files still need to be converted. When the conversion is complete this progress window will disappear and there will be no files in the Max application window. Browse to you output location listed in a previous picture to find your files.

     

    <center>

    <a href="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-12-large.jpg"><img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-12-small.jpg" alt="Converting Linn Records Studio Master FLAC On Mac"></a>

    </center><center>click to enlarge</center>

     

     

     

    To add these new AIFF files to your iTunes library you can either drag them into the iTunes window or once in iTunes select File from the top menu, then Add To Library. The browse to the folder containing your newly converted files. Select the freshly converted AIFF files and iTunes will copy them into your library. The original files are no longer needed if you are confident you have a good backup system for your your iTunes music.

     

     

     

     

     

    ***Little workaround at the bottom***

     

    Once in a while Max will open but not present a window to add music. If this happens you should see the Max menu at the top of your screen shortly after selecting the application from your applications folder. See picture below.

     

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    <img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-13-full.jpg" alt="Converting Linn Records Studio Master FLAC On Mac"></a>

    </center>

     

     

     

     

    Select "File" the select "Convert Files" as pictured below.

     

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    <img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-14-full.jpg" alt="Converting Linn Records Studio Master FLAC On Mac"></a>

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    The following window will appear giving you two options to continue. you can either browse to your music you want to convert or you can select cancel on this screen. I recommend selecting cancel and following the rest of the instructions above this little workaround.

     

    <center>

    <a href="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-15-large.jpg"><img src="http://www.computeraudiophile.com/files/max/max-15-small.jpg" alt="Converting Linn Records Studio Master FLAC On Mac"></a>

    </center><center>click to enlarge</center>

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    The Computer Audiophile

    Thanks for the link Jeff. <br />

    <br />

    I am a little skeptical of this app because it forces iTunes to do something it is not designed to do. So, when the next iTunes upgrade comes out there is a chance the FLAC files will not play without a corresponding upgrade to the app. <br />

    <br />

    For some readers this is a godsend, but for me I'll be skipping this one.<br />

    <br />

    Thanks again Jeff!

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    carlseibert

    I'll give it a try on 24/96 files and report back, well, after I've given it a try. (Things have been a little crazy lately.)<br />

    <br />

    I'm not a fan of iTunes by any stretch, but it is metadata-driven. The only Mac app I've found to date that will play 24/96 FLACs is Cog, which is a bit short in the creature comforts department.<br />

    <br />

    This is all an issue, of course, because I'm too cheap to buy a Transporter. Speaking of.....Hey, did anybody else just see that Drew Baird at Moon Audio is selling Transporters and the SqueezeBoxen now? That's a new and interesting development. If SlimDevices is going to have dealers that means we can actually go and listen to the products. It seems to me that it will be a heck of a lot easier to drum up enthusiasm for expensive audiophile toys if they're not asking people to slam down their gold cards sound unheard.<br />

    <br />

    -Carl

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    rgbyhkr

    Like so many other net companies, Slim will let you try it out for 30 days. I have done that with 2 different versions of the Squeezebox on the past. Sure, it's not as easy as returning it to your local brick and mortar, but it's an option. They do have a list of retailers, albeit limited, here:<br />

    <br />

    http://www.slimdevices.com/au_resellers.html<br />

    <br />

    One noticeable omission on that list is Fry's, which I saw carrying stock on the Squeezebox Classic just the other day.<br />

    <br />

    As for Fluke, it's not doing any magic hocus pocus or altering iTunes in some major way. The app lets iTunes "see" .flac files and adds them to the iTunes library. Most of the heavy lifting done by the app is to add the codec to QuickTime to allow it to playback .flac files. Even that is nothing major since adding codecs to QT is something that Apple sells as an add-on themselves (http://www.apple.com/quicktime/mpeg2/).<br />

    <br />

    As an complete alternative on the Mac, you could just use Songbird instead of iTunes, since it natively supports .flac.<br />

    <br />

    http://getsongbird.com/<br />

    <br />

    Jeff

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    carlseibert

    ... but neither Songbird nor Fluke-enabled iTunes was able to play my 24/96 FLACs, so Cog it will be, at least for the present, I guess.<br />

    <br />

    Fluke was a bit tweaky, but it did work fine for 44.1 files, BTW.<br />

    <br />

    -Carl

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    darrenwm

    Thanks for the guide. I discovered it via Google, as I had some OGG and FLAC to convert.<br />

    <br />

    It's good but I seem to lose tagging, and then once in iTunes I have to convert again to Apple Lossless.<br />

    <br />

    Also, will it understand CUE sheets? My FLAC file is over 1hr long symphony.

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    The Computer Audiophile

    Hi Darren - I hear you about the tags being stripped out. So, far this is the only way to keep the high sample rate. I haven't looked into it since I wrote the article, so there may be something else out there now. I haven't tried CUE sheets with Max.

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    chilest

    Folks, here is a naive question. I am beginning to download music from Lynn and other sites as FLAC files. I have used Max to convert these files to AIFF and then import into iTunes. My question is how do I determine if the conversion is correct? In other words, if I download a 24/88.2 FLAC file from Lynn, how do I confirm that I have a 24/88.2 AIFF file following Max conversion? In Max I use AIFF with the setting at 24 bit. When I check the "get info" in iTunes the converted AIFF file is 24/88.2--is this correct?<br />

    <br />

    tom

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