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Topic: "blips" and "static" in encoded AACs (Read 3792 times) previous topic - next topic
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"blips" and "static" in encoded AACs

I tried doing a search but didn't see any topics that decribe what I am experiencing...

I am using the latest version of iTunes, and I am hearing blips or static in a signifigant number of the songs I have ripped off CDs.  I hear the anolomies on both my new 40gig iPod and when listening to the same tracks on iTunes -- so it must be some kind of encoding problem.  I encode to 192 kbps AAC.  I know my CDs are not scratched, and I have the box checked that is suppose to do error correction on Audio CDs.  BTW, I have a 3.2Ghz Pentium Dell 8400 with 1GB of RAM and a 160GB Serial ATA drive.  So does anyone have any ideas on what the problem might be?

"blips" and "static" in encoded AACs

Reply #1 –
Rip to the tracks to WAV - can you still hear the problem ?

"blips" and "static" in encoded AACs

Reply #2 –
Did you say you ripped using iTunes?  Did you have error-correction enabled for your rips?

If your answer to both is Yes, you might consider using EAC to rip instead.  And then convert the WAVs with iTunes -- or use itunesencode with EAC.
WavPack 4.31 / LAME 3.98 alpha 3 -V9 -vbr-new

"blips" and "static" in encoded AACs

Reply #3 –
Quote
Did you say you ripped using iTunes?  Did you have error-correction enabled for your rips?
Maybe I'm using the wrong term when I use "ripped".  What I did was use iTunes to convert audio CDs to (192 kbps) AAC files.  And yes, I do have the error correction -- for reading audio CDs -- turned on.

I'll try converting them the tracks in question to WAVs first then convert those to AACs and see what I get.

"blips" and "static" in encoded AACs

Reply #4 –
After doing some more research, I am going to try grabbing the audio off the CD using EAC then call iTunes to do the AAC encoding.  It sounds like someone has determined how to get the track info ported from EAC to iTunes so it sounds like a fairly painless process.  Hopefully that will be a fool-proof method!  I am wondering if the problems I am having are due to the fact that I am using a DVD-ROM drive to read the CD.  My new Dell has two optical drives but they are both DVD based (one being a ROM and the other a +RW writer).

"blips" and "static" in encoded AACs

Reply #5 –
Okay I did some experimentation last night.  I re-ripped one of the songs (with these issues) again to 192 kpbs AAC.  Upon listening to it I didn't have the problem in the exact same place, but rather about 20-25 seconds later.  So I then ripped WAV and Apple Lossless versions, and both of them sounded fine.  Then I did a 160kbps AAC and 128kbps AAC.  Checking the known problem spots, the first had some of the issues but the second didn't.  Then I did another 128k, 160k, 192k, and a 192kpbs MP3 -- and none seem to have the issue (at least not at the known spots).  All of this was done with iTunes.  I guess iTunes just doesn't do a good of error correction when reading audio CDs.  I'll do some tests with EAC this weekend to see if it will consistantly give me good results.  It's too bad iTunes is so crappy...

"blips" and "static" in encoded AACs

Reply #6 –
Is this copy controlled CD's?

"blips" and "static" in encoded AACs

Reply #7 –
Quote
Is this copy controlled CD's?[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=268957"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
That's a good theory, but I really don't think so.  The CDs are Fleetwood Mac's "The Dance", Belly's "Star", and "Chant" by the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos.  If anyone is curious, they are all originals.

I'm going to rip the CDs/tracks in question on my friend's computer using iTunes and see what happens.

"blips" and "static" in encoded AACs

Reply #8 –
I concluded the anomolies I was getting are most likely due to my DVD-ROM not reading CDs very well (and iTunes software not being smart enough to do real error checking -- despite checking that option).  It a bummer that my new Dell came with such a cheapie DVD-ROM drive.