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Topic: Part #1: Ripping CD's with Easy CDDA Extractor (Read 3391 times) previous topic - next topic
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Part #1: Ripping CD's with Easy CDDA Extractor

Hi,

I basically have a two part  question which I will present in two different posts as to keep the discussion specific to each.

Basically I want to create the best possible quality when listening to my MP3's from my computer via my home stereo.

So first, in terms of CD Ripping, I was wondering what people think about Easy CD-DA Extractor. I'll be ripping to 256kB/s quality. I am also considering using the LAME encoder but would like to avoid having to learn a whole set of command line instructions. As far as I know, CD-DA uses LAME as its default encoder anyhow, right?

Thanks.

Part #1: Ripping CD's with Easy CDDA Extractor

Reply #1 –
Around here most people like Exact Audio Copy to rip and encode.  A smaller group likes CDEX.  Both are free and both use Lame.  Try one of these before spending money on something else.  There is also a free audio player around here Foobar2000 which can rip and encode with Lame.  Foobar2000 does a respectable job and includes a grreat tagging system.

Exact Audio Copy is preferred because it has a secure mode which tells you if your rip is perfect.  However, the difference between perfect and not may not be audible or may just be a single faint click in a track.  The secure mode is slower than all other ripping methods, and in the case of some of the newer drives that cache audio data, very slow.  However, EAC also has a fast mode, (it works for me)  a nice way to copy a cd while adding CD text and bunches of other features.

Another free ripping program is Dbpoweramp.  Dbpoweramp can compare your rip to a database to see if it was of perfect quality.

Part #1: Ripping CD's with Easy CDDA Extractor

Reply #2 –
I know you're asking about mp3, but from the other threads you've just started, I assume that using other formats than mp3 might be what you really want. What about using lossless (Wavpack, Monkey's Audio, Flac, ...) or another modern format that should give better quality than mp3 at ~200kbps bitrates like musepack (mpc) or AAC/MP4/M4A (-> Nero/Quicktime)?

To answer your question: According to this, LAME is default mp3 encoder. For best possible quality/size ratio use a setting from the 1st post of List of recommended LAME settings thread. For ~ 256kbps this would be --alt-preset extreme.
Let's suppose that rain washes out a picnic. Who is feeling negative? The rain? Or YOU? What's causing the negative feeling? The rain or your reaction? - Anthony De Mello

Part #1: Ripping CD's with Easy CDDA Extractor

Reply #3 –
To Mp3 or not to Mp3. I have seriously considered other formats knowing that they will be of better quality.  The problem is that while I ripped the majority of my MP3 collection from my own CD's, I obtained some via alternative means (which I will not discuss explicitly for obvious reasons), and there is no source for me to obtain these in a format other than MP3. I suppose I could mix formats, but I'd prefer to have my whole collection in a single format.

From what I have gathered, using a bitrate of 256 should produce quality which is essentially transparent. Do you think I would be able to tell a difference between a 256mp3 and another lossless format?

Thanks.

Part #1: Ripping CD's with Easy CDDA Extractor

Reply #4 –
Quote
From what I have gathered, using a bitrate of 256 should produce quality which is essentially transparent. Do you think I would be able to tell a difference between a 256mp3 and another lossless format?

Lame --alt-preset extreme (VBR ~256kbps) will sound transparent in most cases. There will be a few cases where there's still an audible difference, most of them are related to pre-echo (i.e. transients like percussion are smeared/less crisp). This difference is very small though, if you hear it at all depends a lot on training. You'll find more about this in the FAQ if you're interested. It might be better though to stay ignorant and simply enjoy the music instead of hunting for artifacts

So, to answer your question generally: I'm 99% sure, if you use best encoder/best settings @ 256kbps, you won't hear a difference right now, no matter how good your equipment is. (But after some training you'll probably hear small differences in very few places.)
Let's suppose that rain washes out a picnic. Who is feeling negative? The rain? Or YOU? What's causing the negative feeling? The rain or your reaction? - Anthony De Mello

Part #1: Ripping CD's with Easy CDDA Extractor

Reply #5 –
The latest version of Easy CD-DA Extractor uses LAME 3.95.1.  For quality assurance the LAME build recommended here is 3.90.3.  You could encode using 256kbps CBR but I don't see why you would want to.  LAME --alt-preset standard will give you transparent quality at lower bit rates (192~230).  If you find that Standard is not enough for you then you could try --alt-preset extreme.  Since the alt-presets have been introduced in LAME 3.90.2 the only command line you really need to learn is --alt-preset standard/extreme/insane.

Before you pay for Easy CD-DA Extractor I would suggest trying Exact Audio Copy which will give you more accurate rips than Easy CD-DA Extractor for free.  It's fairly easy to setup Exact Audio Copy with the LAME EXE encoder found here: http://www.rarewares.org/files/mp3/lame-3.90.3.zip

You might want to check out this quickstart tutorial by Coaster Factory on Exact Audio Copy: http://www.ping.be/satcp/cd2mp3-en.htm  It should get you up and running EAC in about 10 minutes.  Here is a more in-depth guide: http://www.ping.be/satcp/tutorials.htm

Though if you don't care about having the best quality encoder and ripper and just want simplicity and ease of use I would suggest just downloading Apple iTunes and ripping/encoding with it.  It has an MP4/AAC and MP3 encoder built in and it's free.  If you use 256kbps with its MP3 encoder I'm sure you'll be satisified with the results.  But again, you will probably get better quality with LAME at lower bit rates using its presets.

Part #1: Ripping CD's with Easy CDDA Extractor

Reply #6 –
Excellent.

Since this post, I read through the tutorials, downloaded LAME 3.90.3 and EAC, and have been "--alt-preset extreme"ing to my hearts content. The quality is quite impressive and I saved $30 in the process.

I truly appreciate your help. HA exemplifies exactly what a knowledge forum should be.

Thank you.