Going to rip 2000 cds. Which software?
Data loss due to scratches up to about 4mm along the track is automatically corrected by Cross-interleaved Reed-Solomon error correcting code. Between 4-8mm player that operates in real time interpolates samples while scratches longer than 8mm result in pops and clicks. Programs like XLD can be set to very high numbers of retries while MAX can be set to "never allow to skip". Badly scratched disks can be completely recovered but it can take hours. Itunes went over the same bad CDs much faster meaning that it probably quits and interpolates just after few tries. In reality on decent CDs I cannot tell the difference between original CD and the copy made with Itunes/Toast. Playing ripped CDs from the computer can sound worse not because of deficient rip but because of greater amount of jitter created or different signal path (different D/A converter, different analog circuit etc.) |
Just to echo kijanki and say that XLD ripped some CDs bitperfect that I thought were goners. My GF found some old bare CDs in the glove compartment of her car that had been there for years. Jewel boxes totally MIA. Scratched, stained, and stuck together. Ugh. I cleaned them up as best I could and XLD turned a sow's ear into a silk purse. I couldn't believe it. YMMV but it taught me to put a little more effort into the ripping process. Of course, I would never treat my CDs that way. |
Update: I've begun ripping my cds. I'm using a MacBook Air with an Apple Superdrive and an external hard drive both attached via USB. I am using iTunes as the software. Settings are AIFF with error correction on. My first couple of cds ripped at about 18-20x. All subsequent cds dropped to about 5-8x. No idea why. My cds are all mint. No visible scratches or dust. I'm ready to give dbpoweramp a try. Does anyone know if it manages files as well as iTunes? Thanks in advance, Bob |
That speed change. It's why I think it is good to cold boot from time to time. I have no technical explanation for this. Except I could regain ripping speed by cold-booting. I used Superdrive as well. My rips using XLD start slow on each track, usually 1X,2X. Then they speed up to 2X, 4X, etc. For me, 8X isn't bad. I use AIFF as well. Disk space is cheap and it's compatible with both iTunes and other software that isn't compatible with ALAC. (FLAC is my first choice but it's not compatible with Apple.) I have no experience with dbPoweramp so I can't advise. There's a nifty piece of software, Tag Editor, you will probably find handy at some point. http://www.amvidia.com/tag-editor I use Google Images to find the album art that iTunes can't. Finally, echoing what someone else wrote, when I'm ripping I'm listening. I set a goal of 5-10 CDs at a time and have a nice listening session while I'm at it. My guess is that there's plenty of hidden treasures in your library that your ripping project will help you rediscover. |
