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Topic: Archiving FLAC CD's, Best Format (Read 6955 times) previous topic - next topic
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Archiving FLAC CD's, Best Format

If you are going to store 700 CD's to a disk what is the best FLAC Format.

Below is an example of CD that was ripped with Metadata.

So for this album I have 7 individual files.  With 700 CD's that is a lot of files.

Is there anyway to combine tracks (files) for a CD into one CD image?

These tracks are easily playable unless streaming?

Would it be better to just have the FLAC audio file?

I do not want to start this process until I understand what I am doing.

Ideas?

Thanks


Re: Archiving FLAC CD's, Best Format

Reply #1
Can you please let us know what OS you are using?
Not all tool are available for Linux, Mac etc.
Personally I am in the process of ripping my CD collection.

I use FLAC + CUE, It's just a personal preference, lossless is lossless.

I rip using EAC secure mode.
And sometimes I use CUERipper for slightly damaged CDs

Re: Archiving FLAC CD's, Best Format

Reply #2
I am using Mac with dbpoweramp. 

Easy application for me.  I tried Windows EAC but this is so user friendly.

However, they both produce the same file structure, long list of FLAC files tagged with metadata. 

I ripped 5 CD's and now have about 50 tracks all listed together in the same folder.

Not sure if that is the best way to store archived CD's.


Here is an example of a file name:

Compilations\Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on Bald Mountain [Maazel]\01 - Night on Bald Mountain - Modest Mussorgsky.flac

Comments?

 

Re: Archiving FLAC CD's, Best Format

Reply #3
I'm confused. Why wouldn't you saves the flac files for each CD in a unique folder?! Obviously dumping them all in one folder will be a mess (though a player that builds a database based on tag information will still be able to sort through it)

Beyond that you could use something like Musicbrainz's Picard to clean up the tags and automatically sort files in folders based on artist/genre/album

Re: Archiving FLAC CD's, Best Format

Reply #4
Thanks, Musicbrainz cluster grouped the tracks into an album folder.  How do I save, put that Album folder back into my Music Library.  If possible that would be great. 

Re: Archiving FLAC CD's, Best Format

Reply #5
I use XLD on a Mac and put every album in a separate folder and i actually use the hint from the Hydroaudio Wiki: %A - %T (%y) [%f]/%n - %a - %t

So my folders are named: Album Artist – Album Title (year) [codec]/Tracknumber – Artist – Title

I only have to manual change this for album with more than one disc, because XLD doesn't have the feature to put a number in front the track number in case of that.

https://wiki.hydrogenaud.io/index.php?title=XLD_Configuration

Re: Archiving FLAC CD's, Best Format

Reply #6
I do not want to start this process until I understand what I am doing.

The content of an audio CD is one long spiral ‘groove’ with pits and lands. There are no files on a CD but a table of contents telling where each track starts and end.

You can rip the CD to a single file.
You can’t tag the tracks as there are none.

The solution is a CUE sheet. This is like the TOC of a CD. It tells the media player where it can find the next track and supplies information about the name and the artist.
The down side is that you have to keep CUE sheet and audio file in sync.
If you change the name of the audio file, you have to change the name inside the CUE sheet as well.
If you move the audio file to another directory, you have to move the CUE as well.
The tags supported by CUE sheets are very limited.
The big plus is because it is a single file, it will play gapless always.

Most media players today support gapless but in case of streaming audio (DLNA) gapless is often not supported.

The alternative is ripping to a file per track.
This has the advantage of full tagging support.
You can delete tracks you don’t like.
This is my personal preference.
The downside is small white spaces in live recordings or classical if the media player doesn’t support gapless.

dbPoweramp has a template for the naming: http://www.dbpoweramp.com/cd-ripper-setup-guide.htm
I recommend to use Album as the first element.
Certainly when you use a file per track it is very convenient to have all tracks, artwork, PDF's in a single directory per CD

Maybe this part of my website is of use: http://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/Intro/Ripping.htm
TheWellTemperedComputer.com

Re: Archiving FLAC CD's, Best Format

Reply #7
Thanks, great explanation.  I have been using the trial version of dbpoweramp.  I will buy it, their support has been excellent.  It is very useful, easy application, but the naming feature is difficult to understand, and syntax even after reading all the guides.  Tried several naming options and all bounced the rip with errors.  You have to rip the CD to test the name string, no syntax tester.


Did get a good string from customer support with nested folders for composer, and album cover.

I did not see in dbpoweramp how to rip high res flac files?  Support says no reason to since CD is predetermined.

Naming is the key and for most folks like myself it is difficult to get a handle on.

Thanks

Re: Archiving FLAC CD's, Best Format

Reply #8
I did not see in dbpoweramp how to rip high res flac files?  Support says no reason to since CD is predetermined.

Correct, an audio CD is 2 channel 16 bit 44.1 kHz by design.
However, if you download e.g. a 24/96 WAV, you can use dBpoweramp to convert it to 24/96 FLAC or even downsample  to 16/44.1


TheWellTemperedComputer.com

Re: Archiving FLAC CD's, Best Format

Reply #9
I did not see a way to do that in the App.  I must be missing something.

Thanks

Re: Archiving FLAC CD's, Best Format

Reply #10
Use the DSP effects 'Resample' and 'Bit Depth', to reduce the sample rate or bits, however as pointed out there is little point in increasing CD 44/16 to anything higher.

Re: Archiving FLAC CD's, Best Format

Reply #11
I have a Mac copy.  I do not see DSP effects in the App.  It looks like there is an add on for Windows.

Where is it or how do I get it?

Thanks

Re: Archiving FLAC CD's, Best Format

Reply #12
Don't know anything about the Mac version but in Win beside the Ripper there is also the dBpoweramp music converter.
TheWellTemperedComputer.com

Re: Archiving FLAC CD's, Best Format

Reply #13
You have to rip the CD to test the name string, no syntax tester.

Not correct. In the screen where the naming string is entered, you can see below what output it will give you in terms of folder/file naming. If a CD is inserted, you can even click on that option in that screen and see the actual names created by the naming string (all without ripping the CD).

Did get a good string from customer support with nested folders for composer, and album cover.

That was me. I'm not customer support. Just another user trying to help you get started.  You do seem quite confused.  But everyone has to start somewhere.  One piece of advice is to actually answer the questions people like me ask you when trying to help. Virtually everything I ask you for clarification gets ignored.  You may not think my question is relevant, but then again, you don't really know yet, because you're confused by the basics at this point.   I'm happy to help, but you have to meet me half way.

edit: and p.s. the string I gave you had nothing whatsoever to do with composer. Do you see composer listed anywhere in that string? I gave you a string that would produce ARTIST or ALBUM ARTIST folder, then ALBUM folders underneath. That seemed to be what you wanted, but then again, you've yet to actually answer a specific question about what you'd like the organization to look like when done. dbpa will do almost anything, but it can't read your mind.


Re: Archiving FLAC CD's, Best Format

Reply #14
Thanks for your help.

I did find this process confusing.

But you helped me and I thank you.

 

Re: Archiving FLAC CD's, Best Format

Reply #15
Thanks for your help.

I did find this process confusing.

But you helped me and I thank you.

Happy to help. Another recommendation while I'm at it.  Be very precise in your language/questions/response. This is software and things have specific meanings.  So being careful in both what you read and what you respond with is key.  (For example, above you mentioned that you were given a naming string involving COMPOSER at the dbpa forum even though that is not the case. You were confusing ARTIST  with COMPOSER, yet these are two very different things and different metadata fields.).  All this said, trial and error and then questions and complete responses will be the best learning approach.  Once things are setup properly all the ripping is essentially the same thing over and over, without having to mess about with settings and naming strings.  Good luck.