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Topic: CD conversion project (Read 6314 times) previous topic - next topic
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CD conversion project

I am new to the forum.  What a great resource. 

I am about to embark on a CD conversion project and want to do the right thing.  I have been reading here off and on for days, and I think I have found great information on how to accomplish the various possibilities, but my questions relate more to why I would select one option over another.

I am obviously not super-knowledgeable, but I hope I am at least not being redundant.

I have about 1200 cds.  My initial goal was to convert them to a format for an ipod I use in car and elsewhere.  My plan was simple--insert cd into laptop, rip and convert with I-Tunes, dump onto ipod.  Now I realize that there is much more to consider.  Here are my questions:

1.  Do I correctly understand that it is preferable to rip with EAC and then convert to a lossy format, rather than simply ripping and converting all at once with I-Tunes?  If so, is that simply because of sound quality?

2.  Ripping with EAC best preserves the original cd content.  Compressing to lossy reduces file size with some sound quality loss.  What purpose does lossless compression serve?  Sort of a compromise between the two?

3.  The reasons that you might want to "back up" your cds are twofold: (i) protection from loss and (ii) reduction in physical size (ie conversion from multiple little disks to fewer discs or to one hard drive)--this could theoretically eliminate the need for putting cds in a tray, if you had the right hardware.  Any other reason for doing this?

4.  Here is my basic issue.  I don't have much time for this project.  Why is it stupid for me to simply go with my initial plan of using i-tunes to rip and then compress the cds to, say, AAC.  I can then dump the AAC files onto the ipod.  I can keep a backup copy of the compressed file in the event that the ipod is destroyed, so I dont have to do this again.  And, if all my cds burned up in a fire and if I saved the compressed back up elsewhere, at least I would have compressed copies of the cds saved (of course, the compressed quality is not as good as the original).  I get the feeling this is a stupid plan, but despite my best efforts to learn, I am not sure why it is stupid.

5.  I guess what I want to make sure is that if I am going to the trouble of manipulating each of these 1200 cds that I make the best use of the effort that the project will necessarily entail.

Any thoughts are most welcome.  Thanks.

CD conversion project

Reply #1 –
just for use on the iPod, your plan is ok for me. the only added benefit of EAC, is if you have suspicious CDs (with scratches). If you want to also have a backup in case your cds get burned, rip them first to a lossless format, lice FLAC, and to AAC for iPod use.

CD conversion project

Reply #2 –
Thanks!

If I decided to also make a back up in a lossless format, any reason that I can't simply use i-tunes to rip the cd and compress it with the apple lossless encoder.

then take that lossless file and convert it to aac for use with ipod?

thanks again!

CD conversion project

Reply #3 –
Unless you're using an Apple machine, ALAC is pretty limited in terms of software support.
we was young an' full of beans

CD conversion project

Reply #4 –
thanks again.

since i would hopefully never need the alac files and would only be creating them for disaster recovery, maybe thats not a big deal?

CD conversion project

Reply #5 –
Check my signature for a guide for lossless archiving. Im in favor of this as you can do the process of ripping your CDs once and then convert from lossless to any lossy format you want in the future, plus you have a perfect backup in case your CDs are ever lost/stolen/damaged.

CD conversion project

Reply #6 –
Thanks.

I swear--how in the world is a regular person supposed to keep up with this?!  Just the terminology is a bit overwhelming.

I appreciate the link in your sig, but I am so unsavvy, I am sure I would screw up that process somewhere. 

Recognizing that EAC rip is the best method, if I nonethless went with the I-Tunes alternate route and ripped into ALAC, is that a terrible mistake?

And, how about this:  is there any difference between a lossy file (AAC) that is compressed from a lossless file (ALAC) versus one compressed from the original file (the cd itself).  In otherwords, can I rip into ALAC and then go to AAC?  Or would it be better to do two separate rips while the cd is in the computer:  one for ALAC and one for AAC?

Thx

CD conversion project

Reply #7 –
Quote
And, how about this:  is there any difference between a lossy file (AAC) that is compressed from a lossless file (ALAC) versus one compressed from the original file (the cd itself).  In otherwords, can I rip into ALAC and then go to AAC?  Or would it be better to do two separate rips while the cd is in the computer:  one for ALAC and one for AAC?

Thx
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=354621"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


no alac is a, in all sense and purpose, exact replica of the cd audio wav file.

So in a sense alac to aac would make more sense and save u time instead of rippin the cd twice, once for alac and again for aac.

Just to a rip to alac then select everything in ur library to convert to aac. then you can use smart playlists to seperate them if u want or ... etc

Quote
since i would hopefully never need the alac files and would only be creating them for disaster recovery, maybe thats not a big deal?


ppl have a concern for using alac becuz its a closed platform. u must USE itunes. FLAC & Monkey Audio has been around for a while and u can use a lot of differnet front end programs to transcode them to a lossy/uncompressed format if you need. w/ALAC you must use Itunes.

CD conversion project

Reply #8 –
great.  this is very helpful.  thank you all for your patience!

CD conversion project

Reply #9 –
Quote
Recognizing that EAC rip is the best method, if I nonethless went with the I-Tunes alternate route and ripped into ALAC, is that a terrible mistake?

if you are sure your cds are OK, EAC gives NO benefit over iTunes or any other ripper (note that i have NOTHING against EAC, in fact, i use it regularlly, but only if i suspect the quality of a CD).

Quote
And, how about this:  is there any difference between a lossy file (AAC) that is compressed from a lossless file (ALAC) versus one compressed from the original file (the cd itself).  In otherwords, can I rip into ALAC and then go to AAC?  Or would it be better to do two separate rips while the cd is in the computer:  one for ALAC and one for AAC?

no diference. as stated before, the only issue with ALAC, is that is more or less a mac only format.

CD conversion project

Reply #10 –
I am in the very early stages of the very same process -- have ripped ~50 of  1200+ CDs for archival and transcoding to mulitple digital players. After MUCH reading and research I decided on the following approach.

1. Rip to FLAC with EAC. The document at this location (http://users.pandora.be/satcp/eac-qs-en.htm) is an excellent guide for setup and configuration. EAC with AcurrateRip provides a high degree of confidence that the resulting FLAC filles are an accurate representation of the CD audio. The cost of disk space to archive (and mirror) the extracted audio is miniscule compared to the cost in time of having to re-rip my huge collection.

2. Use dBpowerAMP's Music Selector and Encoder to transcode FLAC files to Ogg Vorbis for my iAudio X5L, and to LAME VBR MP3 for my wife's iPod. The music selector allows multiple nodes (folders and files) to be selected (checked) for batch transcoding. It allows you to place the encoded files in their original folders, in some specified folder, or in some specified location while maintaining the source folder structure. This VERY COOL and easy to use feature is well worth the $14 Power Pack registration fee. dBpowerAMP also has many available codecs to choose from, including AAC.

With this approach I can choose any portion of the archive I want to transcode, the format and bitrate I want, and where I want the results placed. If I want to re-encode some selections in with a higher bitrate or to a different format I simply repeat the process.

The disadvantage of this approach from the iPod perspective is that none of the FLAC archive is usable directly. I intend to allocate space for an MP3 library that my wife can keep populated with dBpoweramp and then manage with iTunes.

HTH ...

CD conversion project

Reply #11 –
Quote
I am in the very early stages of the very same process -- have ripped ~50 of  1200+ CDs for archival and transcoding to mulitple digital players.  . . . The cost of disk space to archive (and mirror) the extracted audio is miniscule compared to the cost in time of having to re-rip my huge collection.

[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=354639"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]



Thanks.  The thought of re-ripping later is exactly the concern that makes me want to do this right.  I have a follow up question for you.

How are you handling the storage of the FLAC files?  They would be similar in size to ALAC files, right?  So, 1200+ cds will result in over 300GB of data.  Are you storing them on a hard drive?  If so, which one and how much did it cost?  If not, are you storing on mulitple DVDs?

Thx

CD conversion project

Reply #12 –
Quote
no diference. as stated before, the only issue with ALAC, is that is more or less a mac only format.


not mac only.

Apple Itunes only.

heheh i use ALAC on both my PC and my powerbook with no problems.

CD conversion project

Reply #13 –
Quote
Apple Itunes only.

i mean to say it is a closed apple format. there are some reverse-engineered decoders, but there is no oficial documentation afaik.

CD conversion project

Reply #14 –
Quote
Thanks.  The thought of re-ripping later is exactly the concern that makes me want to do this right.  I have a follow up question for you.

How are you handling the storage of the FLAC files?  They would be similar in size to ALAC files, right?  So, 1200+ cds will result in over 300GB of data.  Are you storing them on a hard drive?  If so, which one and how much did it cost?  If not, are you storing on mulitple DVDs?

Thx
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I store all of my FLAC files on an external harddrive. I would suggest investing in a external case w/ fan and buying the HD separatly. For 1200 CDs you may require as much as 500gb of storage for lossless (I have about 600 albums on my 250 external drive)

CD conversion project

Reply #15 –
Quote
How are you handling the storage of the FLAC files?  They would be similar in size to ALAC files, right?  So, 1200+ cds will result in over 300GB of data.  Are you storing them on a hard drive?  If so, which one and how much did it cost?  If not, are you storing on mulitple DVDs?


I am going to use hard drives for archival. I shudder at the thought of using many, many DVDs.

I have 100GB of space available to start the project. I will visit pricewatch.com and search for "seagate 400gb ata" (I am a fan of Seagate drives -- reliable and very quiet). Bare 400GB drives are about $215. I have space in the machine on which I am ripping for one drive and space in another machine for a second (mirror) which I consider essential. I would place one drive in an external enclosure if I didn't have internal space for a mirror and the network over which to mainttain it.

HTH ...

CD conversion project

Reply #16 –
Thanks.  I think a simple large (500gb) external would work best for me.  I have found one by LaCie that seems reasonably priced.  Any thoughts on this drive?

CD conversion project

Reply #18 –
Prepacked USB or firewire hard-drives are often slower than ones you can fit in an external hard-drive box;  However, if this is simply a static backup, you should be fine. (as long as you keep it in a dust-free place)

I suggest you consider FLAC, as if your computer and iPod burn, think you might only have a PC with no itunes support to convert the ALAC to AAC;  Also consider what mp3 player you might buy if your ipod burns?  Will new technologies be available?  For such a reason, mp3 might be a better bet than FLAC.  As for EAC, if you are sure your CDs are pristine (no scratches), you can rip with any other program, but EAC can automate a certain number of batch events with MAREO or WACK or whatever.. such as having a duplicate Lossless/ lossy on extract.  Much faster than converting yourself.

As for the rest, if you have more questions, post away and we'll be glad to help you.

Peace,
Tristan.

CD conversion project

Reply #19 –
Thanks.

Last question.

Looks like for 500gb USB external hard drives, there are products offered by LaCie and Maxtor.  Does either brand have a particularly good or bad reputation?

CD conversion project

Reply #20 –
Quote
Thanks.

Last question.

Looks like for 500gb USB external hard drives, there are products offered by LaCie and Maxtor.  Does either brand have a particularly good or bad reputation?
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=354956"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I think LaCie uses toshiba or hitashi drives.  Maxtor use their own.  Might have a better quality control on the Maxtor for that reason, and be less prone to failure.  Also, you're not paying for Porshe™ design, so you should have a better product for the same price, or a less expensive one at the same quality.

Edit / correction to previous post ::

For such a reason, mp3 might be a better bet than AAC

CD conversion project

Reply #21 –
Quote
Looks like for 500gb USB external hard drives, there are products offered by LaCie and Maxtor.  Does either brand have a particularly good or bad reputation?
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=354956"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

They are both bad. Asked and answered in your other thread. Please do not crosspost.
The object of mankind lies in its highest individuals.
One must have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.
 

CD conversion project

Reply #22 –
Quote
Quote
Thanks.

Last question.

Looks like for 500gb USB external hard drives, there are products offered by LaCie and Maxtor.  Does either brand have a particularly good or bad reputation?
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=354956"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I think LaCie uses toshiba or hitashi drives.  Maxtor use their own.  Might have a better quality control on the Maxtor for that reason, and be less prone to failure.  Also, you're not paying for Porshe™ design, so you should have a better product for the same price, or a less expensive one at the same quality.

Edit / correction to previous post ::

For such a reason, mp3 might be a better bet than AAC
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=354967"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Thanks again