I've avoided using iTunes and when I was using a Mac, avoided quicktime as
much as possible unless I was doing video work. Macs are not agile in
changing sample rates, in my experience, and you can have resampling going
on without indication. iTunes does have some interesting processing
available, and if you don't look into the settings, one of them may be
enabled without you knowing it. For instance, when I took over a job from a
graphics guy who was moonlighting as an audio guy, I found that his iTunes
was set to enhance-something. I wondered why nothing sounded right compared
to other apps and that was the reason. OTOH, it can be creatively valid. Ry
Cooder said that he wasn't happy with the mastering of a project until he
played it thought iTunes with one of its settings enabled. That was it, he
said, and insisted that the project be mastered with that output. I think it
was 'Chavez Ravine.'

Questions of style and familiarity aside, it is the relative obsolescence of
the file system that concerns me. I've read that instances of file system
corruption is not uncommon with Mac OS and I've had people tell me of their
Macs going blank. It's rather rare with MS's NTFS. I'm told they are both
inferior to the common linux FS (the name escapes me).

I just got a handmedown iPad2. There's a free app that works as a client for
a DNLA library, apparently no relation to Quicktime. I'm anxious to try a
Camera Connection thing, which allows you to hook the machine to a USB DAC.
Will it resample? Be gapless? Sound good? We'll see.

-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lou Judson
Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2015 4:54 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Is it time to rethink FLAC ?

. and furthermore. iTunes can be set to convert to any format you might
wish, except WMA, and doe an da dmirable job of it. If you don'tconvert
theaudio youdrop into it, it uses your computer's built-in D/A and output
devices, which may be why it doesn't sound so good on Windows comps. I don't
use windows so do not know about that. Perhaps there is a way to optimize a
Windows comp for audio.

But I have a client who produces compliation CDs, and she uses iTunes to
assess, preview, and sequence her selections. While I wish she would use a
more professionally respected audio player, she gets excellent results and
produces great CDs.

<L>
Lou Judson
Intuitive Audio
415-883-2689

On May 17, 2015, at 1:34 PM, David Glasser <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> iTunes is not a format. It is a media player app. iTunes will play pretty
nearly every audio file except FLAC and DSD.
>
> David Glasser
> Airshow Mastering
> Boulder, CO
>
> Sent from Weathership Tango Delta
>
>> On May 17, 2015, at 14:08, John Haley <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>> I am pretty sure that iTunes on a Mac used to grab everything and convert
>> it to iTunes, which is incompatible with everything else. Maybe this is
>> no longer true. I have always figured that iTunes is a format I can
>> do fine without. But then I am old and grumpy.
>>
>> Best,
>> John Haley
>>
>>
>>
>>> On Sun, May 17, 2015 at 2:23 PM, Jamie Howarth <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
>>>
>>> Wavs play full res native on every Mac and recent years the OS as
>>> shipped plays up to 96/24 max without downsampling out the headphone
>>> jack. 192 is downsampled to 96.
>>> The onboard D/A on all Macs and IPhones since the 4S is a Wolfson
>>> that sounds great.