8 replies to this topic

[Anthony A]

I am looking at both these programs. What one do the audio experts here use and recommend and why?

[Andavari]

I'm no audio expert however I've learned much on the Internet about it, mostly from Hydrogenaudio.org.

EAC:
For secure ripping, meaning you'll be getting acurate rips with errors reported most of the time you'd want to use EAC.

The first time EAC is launched you'll be presented with a config wizard, just pop store bought audio CD's (yes plural) into all of your CD/DVD drives attached to your computer and tell EAC to use the secure ripping method for accurate results.

You'd do good to find some EAC configuration guides online, heck there's even pre-configured secure ripping configurations. A guide will instruct how to enable secure ripping and how to properly configure your CD/DVD drives with it, and encoders like LAME, OGGENC, FLAC, etc. A guide isn't totally necessary if using the configuration wizard and if you've already downloaded LAME (lame.exe, lame_enc.dll), but configuring EAC manually isn't for the faint hearted. Note: EAC absolutely must be configured properly, therefore you're best to use it with AccurateRip. On the EAC download page there's a link to get AccurateRip, highly recommended!

CDex:
CDex is not a secure ripper! Meaning errors could go through unnoticed and uncorrected even when using the Full Paranoia mode. You just wouldn't know there was an error(s) until you listened to the extracted audio later on. This is especially the case with modern CD/DVD drives that cache audio data and from what I've seen most do. CDex is more-or-less useless with drives that cache audio because of errors getting through (not kind words at all for an app I literally charished and used for years, sorry).

[Anthony A]

Andavari, on Dec 27 2007, 01:51 AM, said:

I'm no audio expert however I've learned much on the Internet about it, mostly from Hydrogenaudio.org.

EAC:
For secure ripping, meaning you'll be getting acurate rips with errors reported most of the time you'd want to use EAC.

The first time EAC is launched you'll be presented with a config wizard, just pop store bought audio CD's (yes plural) into all of your CD/DVD drives attached to your computer and tell EAC to use the secure ripping method for accurate results.

You'd do good to find some EAC configuration guides online, heck there's even pre-configured secure ripping configurations. A guide will instruct how to enable secure ripping and how to properly configure your CD/DVD drives with it, and encoders like LAME, OGGENC, FLAC, etc. A guide isn't totally necessary if using the configuration wizard and if you've already downloaded LAME (lame.exe, lame_enc.dll), but configuring EAC manually isn't for the faint hearted. Note: EAC absolutely must be configured properly, therefore you're best to use it with AccurateRip. On the EAC download page there's a link to get AccurateRip, highly recommended!
CDex:
CDex is not a secure ripper! Meaning errors could go through unnoticed and uncorrected even when using the Full Paranoia mode. You just wouldn't know there was an error(s) until you listened to the extracted audio later on. This is especially the case with modern CD/DVD drives that cache audio data and from what I've seen most do. CDex is more-or-less useless with drives that cache audio because of errors getting through (not kind words at all for an app I literally charished and used for years, sorry).

Hmm this sounds more involved than I thought. The music end of computers is not something I have much experience at to be honest. Never really had a need. I would rip and burn the odd CD and use WMP to do it. Not much to doing that. Rip the tracks you want and than select burn and put in a blank CD-R and that is it. Now I want to rip and burn a lot of my friends CD's so I am getting more into this and doing a lot of reading.

I read a few of the manuals for EAC. One said I need to install a ASPI driver and one didn't mention it. What are your thoughts on that.

As for Lame I don't plan on ripping the CD's and keeping the files on the computer. I will rip them and burn them back on to CD's so there is no need to convert them to MP3 if I have this correct. I might be totally off base here. Or is there an easier way to rip a bunch of CD's and burn them all.

[Andavari]

Anthony A, on Dec 27 2007, 01:44 AM, said:

One said I need to install a ASPI driver and one didn't mention it. What are your thoughts on that.

As for Lame I don't plan on ripping the CD's and keeping the files on the computer. I will rip them and burn them back on to CD's so there is no need to convert them to MP3 if I have this correct. I might be totally off base here. Or is there an easier way to rip a bunch of CD's and burn them all.

An ASPI driver is really only needed for Windows 9x/Me systems, i.e.; the Adaptec ASPI or something like Vob ASAPI. With Windows NT+ based systems such as 2000, XP and newer the Microsoft interface can be used which is what I personally use myself.

For just ripping and burning
(never used EAC for this myself, and do note my instructions may not be totally correct):

• You'd just click the button that reads IMG on the left, and EAC will rip the audio to an image with a CUE sheet.
  
• Then eject the audio CD once ripping is finished.
  
• Put in a blank CD-R.
  
• Click the button that reads WRI on the left, and EAC will open CD Layout Editor.
  
• In the CD Layout Editor menu click File->Load->CUE Sheet.
  
• Select your ripped audio CD's CUE Sheet, it's the file that ends with .cue.
  
• Finally click in the CD Layout Editor menu CD-R->Write CD.

[Anthony A]

Andavari, on Dec 27 2007, 04:06 AM, said:

An ASPI driver is really only needed for Windows 9x/Me systems, i.e.; the Adaptec ASPI or something like Vob ASAPI. With Windows NT+ based systems such as 2000, XP and newer the Microsoft interface can be used which is what I personally use myself.

For just ripping and burning
(never used EAC for this myself, and do note my instructions may not be totally correct):

• You'd just click the button that reads IMG on the left, and EAC will rip the audio to an image with a CUE sheet.
  
• Then eject the audio CD once ripping is finished.
  
• Put in a blank CD-R.
  
• Click the button that reads WRI on the left, and EAC will open CD Layout Editor.
  
• In the CD Layout Editor menu click File->Load->CUE Sheet.
  
• Select your ripped audio CD's CUE Sheet, it's the file that ends with .cue.
  
• Finally click in the CD Layout Editor menu CD-R->Write CD.

Thanks for that.

[Andavari]

Anthony A, on Dec 27 2007, 01:57 PM, said:

Thanks for that.

You're very welcomed.

I just tested out my instructions in post #4 and they are correct. I've just found out that it's probably the easiest, and fastest way of making an audio CD backup -- I should've been using it for years myself.

[CeeCee]

Andavari, on Dec 28 2007, 03:08 AM, said:

making an audio CD backup

Why make a backup of an audio CD?

[Andavari]

CeeCee, on Dec 28 2007, 06:20 AM, said:

Why make a backup of an audio CD?

Why not! It costs nearly nothing to do with what CD-R prices are now. Also you could play the backup instead of the original and get it all scratched up, or lost and still have the original stored away safely.

[CeeCee]

Andavari, on Dec 29 2007, 10:06 PM, said:

Why not! It costs nearly nothing to do with what CD-R prices are now. Also you could play the backup instead of the original and get it all scratched up, or lost and still have the original stored away safely.

Hmmm... Maybe it's not an bad idea after all... You could take a backup CD, if you want to take the CD with you somewhere and not worry about, if it get lost.