So I'm rounding out my system with a decent DAC (RME ADI-2) - and I'd like to be able to play some of my old CDs. Instead of getting a transport and a streamer, I'd rather just get a streamer and rip my old CDs.
Question is though - if I'm just using an external blueray/dvd drive to rip the CDs, is the external drive + ripping software applying any kind of bias or coloring to the audio? Is there a particular way to do this best?
Sorry if the question is dumb, I did do a search and didn't find anything addressing this particular question.
Question is though - if I'm just using an external blueray/dvd drive to rip the CDs, is the external drive + ripping software applying any kind of bias or coloring to the audio? Is there a particular way to do this best?
Sorry if the question is dumb, I did do a search and didn't find anything addressing this particular question.
Sounds like a huge upgrade in convenience if not playback quality.
I’m no expert, but I have always thought the file type that you choose will determine what is preserved.
Flac is the agreed best bet.
Keep in mind that CDs are 16/44 and won’t likely benefit from a higher level of resolution downstream.
I’m no expert, but I have always thought the file type that you choose will determine what is preserved.
Flac is the agreed best bet.
Keep in mind that CDs are 16/44 and won’t likely benefit from a higher level of resolution downstream.
I'm currently in process ripping on another PC; Exact Audio Copy with FLAC "compression" (confusing how they lump all conversion from .WAV under that category) works for me!
Exact Audio Copy
Exact Audio Copy
If you use FLAC Frontend, that's a 2-step process:
i) EAC to rip to WAVs
ii) FLAC Frontend to convert WAVs to FLAC.
It's more straightforward to configure EAC to compress with FLAC, then it's a one-step process. (Actually it's still a 2-step process, but EAC does it all).
I believe the latest version(s) of EAC already includes the FLAC encoder application. To check, go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Exact Audio Copy
and you should see a "Flac" directory containing "flac.exe". If not, download flac-1.3.2-win.zip and and extract it to that location.
Now launch EAC and in the menu go to EAC > Compression Options... > External Compression
Select "Use external program for compression"
For "Parameter passing scheme:" in the drop-down menu select "User Defined Encoder"
For "Use file extension:" .flac
Then for "Program, including path, used for compression" use the "Browse" button to select the flac.exe file mentioned in the previous step.
For "Additional command-line options:" leave the default values, as this will help with tagging.
Finally select "Delete WAV after compression" otherwise you will fill up your hard drive with the first-stage WAVs.
With your audio CD inserted, the rip process is started with -
Action > Copy Selected Tracks > Compressed...
i) EAC to rip to WAVs
ii) FLAC Frontend to convert WAVs to FLAC.
It's more straightforward to configure EAC to compress with FLAC, then it's a one-step process. (Actually it's still a 2-step process, but EAC does it all).
I believe the latest version(s) of EAC already includes the FLAC encoder application. To check, go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Exact Audio Copy
and you should see a "Flac" directory containing "flac.exe". If not, download flac-1.3.2-win.zip and and extract it to that location.
Now launch EAC and in the menu go to EAC > Compression Options... > External Compression
Select "Use external program for compression"
For "Parameter passing scheme:" in the drop-down menu select "User Defined Encoder"
For "Use file extension:" .flac
Then for "Program, including path, used for compression" use the "Browse" button to select the flac.exe file mentioned in the previous step.
For "Additional command-line options:" leave the default values, as this will help with tagging.
Finally select "Delete WAV after compression" otherwise you will fill up your hard drive with the first-stage WAVs.
With your audio CD inserted, the rip process is started with -
Action > Copy Selected Tracks > Compressed...
Attachments
But wait! EAC gives very accurate rips - provided it's calibrated for the correct offset for your optical drive.
So before you do any ripping, do this once-only calibration -
Go to EAC > Drive Options...
go to the "Writer" tab
click "Create Offset Test CD"
insert blank CD-R
Once test CD has been created, go to the "Offset/Speed" tab,
select "Use read sample offset correction" and press "Detect read sample offset correction..."
when complete, "Apply"
So before you do any ripping, do this once-only calibration -
Go to EAC > Drive Options...
go to the "Writer" tab
click "Create Offset Test CD"
insert blank CD-R
Once test CD has been created, go to the "Offset/Speed" tab,
select "Use read sample offset correction" and press "Detect read sample offset correction..."
when complete, "Apply"
No. It's a data-copy process. Note that I didn't say file-copy process, because data on an audio CD is raw streams, with no file structure.
Just be aware that a small number of very early CD releases have "pre-emphasis" applied, and rips from these CD's need to be de-emphasized, otherwise the audio will have too much treble.
Unofficial list of CD's with pre-emphasis here -
Pre emphasis list? | Page 16 | Steve Hoffman Music Forums
and here -
Pre-emphasis (release list) - cdHistory
I've been using EAC to rip CDs to FLAC since about 2005, and even then the program had been around for a while.
These are played from a dedicated NAS (SSD) by Roon to RPI based endpoints.
If anything a good streamer and dac seems to outperform the best players I can barely remember, and is a lot more convenient. Gives me Tidal HiFi as well.
These are played from a dedicated NAS (SSD) by Roon to RPI based endpoints.
If anything a good streamer and dac seems to outperform the best players I can barely remember, and is a lot more convenient. Gives me Tidal HiFi as well.
dBpoweramp software is what I use & rip the CDs to a FLAC file format. The only filter that I added is "replay gain".
You have to "calibrate" the software for your CD drive to get the best out of the software, which involves using a couple of old rubbish CDs, one you have to mark up with black felt tip.
I do have a very good LG brand CD,DVD, Blueray, MOdisc drive in my computer which does help!
You have to "calibrate" the software for your CD drive to get the best out of the software, which involves using a couple of old rubbish CDs, one you have to mark up with black felt tip.
I do have a very good LG brand CD,DVD, Blueray, MOdisc drive in my computer which does help!
To play your riped music, Foobar.
foobar2000
Foobar is free, very, very powerful and customizable software music player. Also can Rip your music CD
Regards
foobar2000
Foobar is free, very, very powerful and customizable software music player. Also can Rip your music CD
Regards
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Depends on how you want to use the music.
My computer could stream but I don't have my computer running all the time & prefer a separate system. So I have network player which is part of the separate hi-fi system which includes the amp & CD player.
Adding to HiDave's comments, a desktop PC or laptop, in combination with a decent DAC, are perfectly viable digital playback devices - but consider whether you wish to have your PC/laptop in the same location as your music listening setup, and also consider whether the cable connections between PC/DAC/amplifier are physically practical.
If no to any of the above, get a streamer.
Just about any 'ol POS IA (Core 2, Celeron, I3-5-7) PC that you were going to junk will run Daphile just fine.
If you had a laptop with the dead screen - Daphile doesnt use the PC's screen; it puts up a web page. You can rip CDs to internal storage, or play from a network attached storage (NAS) as I'm doing at the moment.
You'll need a USB DAC, but it'll use the PC's DAC - until you get a better one. It supports "bit perfect playback" which eliminates the software volume control - if that's what you want. Also streams radio stations, supports Tidal.
I'm using a laptop, so I can do a "Watch this! No AC - No ground loops!" for as long as the battery lasts, anyway...
If you had a laptop with the dead screen - Daphile doesnt use the PC's screen; it puts up a web page. You can rip CDs to internal storage, or play from a network attached storage (NAS) as I'm doing at the moment.
You'll need a USB DAC, but it'll use the PC's DAC - until you get a better one. It supports "bit perfect playback" which eliminates the software volume control - if that's what you want. Also streams radio stations, supports Tidal.
I'm using a laptop, so I can do a "Watch this! No AC - No ground loops!" for as long as the battery lasts, anyway...
If you have a lot of CDs to rip, go with Dbpoweramp. It has an automatic mode where you just have to drop CDs in the tray and it does the rest. Just make sure you're completely happy with the names and tags before ripping a stack of discs. And that it's using Accuraterip to verify quality, and that it saves a log file along with the audio files.
I think the original poster is long gone, but I will just add my 2 cents regarding dBpoweramp - this is a very good program, I have it myself. I mainly use it to convert WAV's to uncompressed FLAC's (yes, uncompressed).
But I still use EAC for ripping, because over the years I've come across a few damaged CD's which only EAC could rip - albeit slowly. EAC's secure mode takes a very long time when dealing with a damaged CD, but it usually gets there in the end.
EAC can do everything that dBpoweramp can do, but dBpoweramp works with a reasonably small amount of configuration. EAC's configuration, on the other hand, is complicated. But it's "doable". Just follow these steps -
1) create a test CD, then analyse this disc to set up EAC's drive offset.
2) configure the FLAC encoder so you can create FLAC rips as a one-step process.
3) set up the Metadata Provider (for tag information) as Built-in freedb engine, then provide either the gnudb database, or dBpoweramp database.
Regarding rip accuracy, EAC uses the CUETools Database, which is an extension of AccurateRip.
But I still use EAC for ripping, because over the years I've come across a few damaged CD's which only EAC could rip - albeit slowly. EAC's secure mode takes a very long time when dealing with a damaged CD, but it usually gets there in the end.
EAC can do everything that dBpoweramp can do, but dBpoweramp works with a reasonably small amount of configuration. EAC's configuration, on the other hand, is complicated. But it's "doable". Just follow these steps -
1) create a test CD, then analyse this disc to set up EAC's drive offset.
2) configure the FLAC encoder so you can create FLAC rips as a one-step process.
3) set up the Metadata Provider (for tag information) as Built-in freedb engine, then provide either the gnudb database, or dBpoweramp database.
Regarding rip accuracy, EAC uses the CUETools Database, which is an extension of AccurateRip.
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I was in opposite way, download Flac from so many source and rip them to blank cd 
i have hundreds of ripped cd, played with pioneer dv-300 as a mighty goldmunzator. bought tentlabs cdpro2 kits but never finished it, because i have used Deezer Hifi as my main source in htpc for main audio and LG V20 for desktop headphone
so for OP purpose, i had done too with some of my original cd collection. i forgot which sortware that i used (maybe ExactAudioCopy) but for sure it has capability to browse and find exact album. it will get all required tag such album name, song title, composer, year etc and it also can find album cover while ripping the cd. You can choose with any format that you want
i have hundreds of ripped cd, played with pioneer dv-300 as a mighty goldmunzator. bought tentlabs cdpro2 kits but never finished it, because i have used Deezer Hifi as my main source in htpc for main audio and LG V20 for desktop headphone
so for OP purpose, i had done too with some of my original cd collection. i forgot which sortware that i used (maybe ExactAudioCopy) but for sure it has capability to browse and find exact album. it will get all required tag such album name, song title, composer, year etc and it also can find album cover while ripping the cd. You can choose with any format that you want
I guess I must try EAC .... to date I have been happy with ABCDE and when that doesn't work then just copying the disc to the desktop and using Audacity to repair and save.....
You are linux'fan' are you not ?
Well years ago I used cdparanoia under Linux, until I learned that EAC was more actively and intensively developed.
Presently my desktop PC is set up to dual-boot between Windows 10 and Linux, but these days I rarely have need to boot to Linux ... but wait,
when I need a definitive answer as to whether an old CD has pre-emphasis or not - I use cdda2wav under Linux.
CUETools Database - CUETools
Presently my desktop PC is set up to dual-boot between Windows 10 and Linux, but these days I rarely have need to boot to Linux ... but wait,
when I need a definitive answer as to whether an old CD has pre-emphasis or not - I use cdda2wav under Linux.
That's quite handy, but I don't imagine it can deal with completely unreadable data - that's where CUETools Database comes in - it can (sometimes) fix the rip by comparing with a known-good rip in its database.
CUETools Database - CUETools