Best ripping/imaging software for scratched CDs?

2024-01-26 21:11:30

Hi, I just hooked up my cd burner after a few years of not having it in my pc and wanted to look into going thru my CDs and ripping ones that I accidentally lost the .wav's over the years. A lot though have scratches and were never able to be fully ripped in the past. I've always used EAC, but when I went to download it, I noticed its the same version from when i last used it in 2020. Is there any other preferred software when dealing with extracting scratched CDs or is EAC still the best choice?

Before I started this post, I did a quick search and saw this post, although it's pretty old..

https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php/topic,37511.msg330951.html#msg330951

And deals with using H2cdimage, but i still would need to read more about it..  Thanks in advance.

Re: Best ripping/imaging software for scratched CDs?

Reply #1 – 2024-01-27 00:44:32

Yes EAC.  Software doesn't need updates if it's as good as it can be.

If you still get read errors, you could consider polishing out the scratches and having another go.

Re: Best ripping/imaging software for scratched CDs?

Reply #2 – 2024-01-27 03:42:40

Sometimes you can play a CD that you can't rip, and in that case you can record it with Audacity while it's playing.

There was an old ripper called AudioGrabber that had a similar "analog" recording option built-in and it still seems to be available but I think it's adware or spyware now.

I've never had any luck polishing CDs, although cleaning may have helped once or twice.   Sometimes a different drive works better.

The problem with polishing is that the data layer is on the label side.   The CD is read through the full-thickness of the polycarbonate.  CDs can be easily damaged from the top and polishing the top can only further-damage the data layer...  If you sandpaper the label side you'll destroy it!

A few times,  when I've had one or two tracks that wouldn't rip I bought MP3s from Amazon.

Once, I was lucky enough to be able to borrow a copy that I could rip.   At-least once, I bought a replacement.

(DVDs are a sandwich with a data-layer in the middle, and Blu-Rays have the data-layer on the bottom with an additional thin "protective layer".)

Re: Best ripping/imaging software for scratched CDs?

Reply #3 – 2024-01-28 17:10:54

If reading errors occur on these scratched discs, you will not copy them accurately. It also depends on what drive you will use. Some cope with such problems better, others worse. Old Plextors had good error correction, but I don't know exactly which models now. I think it's one from the px-40 series.
If this does not help, ripping the disc in fast or burst mode can sometimes give better results than secure mode on scratched discs.

Re: Best ripping/imaging software for scratched CDs?

Reply #4 – 2024-01-28 19:10:09

Try EAC, but if the disc is proper screwed try this: https://github.com/superg/redumper

Apparently this is a gui for redumper that I can't vouch for, but it's an option if you struggle with commandline: https://github.com/SabreTools/MPF

Some drives with fancy features: http://wiki.redump.org/index.php?title=Optical_Disc_Drive_Compatibility

Re: Best ripping/imaging software for scratched CDs?

Reply #5 – 2024-01-28 19:38:43

It depends on your drive firmware.  Check if there is enough buffer to make the correction.

Re: Best ripping/imaging software for scratched CDs?

Reply #6 – 2024-01-28 21:49:22

Beware "imaging" software: those will read it once, with all errors, and if you try to "rip from" the image with a CD ripper, you will get the same error every time, it will just "look" OK.

Often your best shot will be
* Alternate between different drives, and between EAC, dBpoweramp, CUERipper;
* Try to get something that CUETools can repair.
Of course this depends on the CD being "common enough".