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Topic: Using Offset when archiving to Hard Drive? (Read 5031 times) previous topic - next topic
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Using Offset when archiving to Hard Drive?

Do the Read Sample Offset and the Write Sample Offset values for my drive (NEC 1300A) need to be entered when using Flac and MP3 if I am just copying to hard drive and dont plan on putting them back on CD-R's?


I have read Coaster Factories Tutorials on this and done quite a bit of seraching and reading but am still a little confused. I am going to be using FLAC and LAME and am only going to be placing flacs and mp3s on my harddrive.

Thanks!

Using Offset when archiving to Hard Drive?

Reply #1 –
If you want dead-on trackmarks for every single extracted file, i can never hurt to use the correct read offset correction.

If you rip an image with cue sheet, the offset is more interesting if your drive can read data from the lead-in/out ... and the write device should of course be able to overwrite into the lead-in/out.

My suggestion: Just set the correct offsets and don't bother ...
The name was Plex The Ripper, not Jack The Ripper

Using Offset when archiving to Hard Drive?

Reply #2 –
In three years of browsing and moderating forums, among maybe one hundred questions about offset, I can remember two cases, or at least one, where offset correction introduced an audible loss of data that was not present without offset correction. It was a CD beginning several ms before the track 01. But I never witnessed any problem of this kind that was solved by offset correction.
Offset correction can also sometimes introduce read errors at the end of the CD (with some drives).
So in your case, although it won't have much influence on your rips, it is a bit safer not to use it. But it may be useful in the future if AccurateRip implements checking of flac files. You'll be able to check if your files were properly read.

Using Offset when archiving to Hard Drive?

Reply #3 –
Pio-

I know of one disc in particular that the correct offsets count.  Def Leppard - RetroActive, the electric version of Two Steps Behind.
"You can fight without ever winning, but never win without a fight."  Neil Peart  'Resist'

Using Offset when archiving to Hard Drive?

Reply #4 –
dreamlinner,

Are you saying there is no reason in my case to use the read and write offsets?

I use a NEC 1300A and the read and  write offsets are readily available.

Using Offset when archiving to Hard Drive?

Reply #5 –
Every time you read, regardless of where you store and how, the read offset matters.

Now, it is a question of belief whether this will actually audibly impact your files.

However, as you have read offset readily available, it doesn't make your ripping harder, then why don't use it?

I don't see a reason not to uset it myself.

Using Offset when archiving to Hard Drive?

Reply #6 –
In theory the offset matters, in real life it's somewhat different.  You will *almost* never hear the difference between an offset corrected rip and a non-corrected rip.  You need a few things to happen to hear, usually a large drive offset and a track that starts with audible info from the 1st sample.
"You can fight without ever winning, but never win without a fight."  Neil Peart  'Resist'

Using Offset when archiving to Hard Drive?

Reply #7 –
windmiller, The Write offset is not a factor unless/until you write the tracks back to disc.

For the NEC ND-1300A: Read Offset: +48 (from Eac-Audio.de: OffsetBase)
Enter the read offset value under EAC|Drive Options|Offset / Speed (tab)|'Use read sample offset correction'.
---
For the greatest, most flexible future-proofing, I wouldn't "archive"  a disc with "Combined read/write sample offset correction". The reason being You then have to use the same CD Recorder to write the disc (or one with the same write offset) to achieve a 0± final sample offset.

Personally, I always use read offsets, and I have never noticed a correlation between offset correction and the elevation of error percentages, perhaps using properly configured Plextors has mitigated this problem, for me.
This may differ for you, windmiller.

Hope this helps, tec

p.s. I believe dreamliner77 wasn't aiming his comment at you, windmiller, per se.

Using Offset when archiving to Hard Drive?

Reply #8 –
Thanks for the clarification Tec9sd!

I have done alot fo reading about offsets but still wasnt clear. Thanks for all the replies and comments. This forum has been incredibly helpful. I am on a timeline to start archiving and so Ive got 5 more days until I have to start. This is why I have so many posts

Using Offset when archiving to Hard Drive?

Reply #9 –
I recall that 99% of CDs are recorded completely offsetted to begin with. When you correct the offset of the drive, you don't necessarily achieve any more accuracy than without offset correction.
While among CD manufacturers, the offset reference that we use seem to be quite common, the master CD or tape made by the studio, and of which the final  manufactured CD is a copy, use a completely random offset.
This is constantly reported by unhappy users who can't find a reference CD in order to calibrate EAC or AccurateRip : commercial CDs are all offsetted from each other.
Using offset correction on one pressing of a CD can very well give you the same data as not using offset correction with another pressing of the same album.

Using Offset when archiving to Hard Drive?

Reply #11 –
Or to put it another way - if you're seeding audio (for BitTorrent or newsgroups, etc) or archiving CDs - as noted, use only the read offset (if anything).  You don't know what writer will be used later on if they are burned, and write offsets aren't relevant if the file is being played from a digital format.

And, offsets are by far the least important of the settings in EAC, in terms of how they affect the quality of the final set of files.  Best to make sure everything else is set properly (see the Coaster Factory), rather than agonizing over offsets.

I'm intrigued by Pio's comments, too.

Using Offset when archiving to Hard Drive?

Reply #12 –
Offset correction can be VERY important when treeing or weeding live shows, because of the chance that each new branch/weed copy along the journey will add to the missing samples tally.

IMO, there's not much point in using correction for single rips from pressed CDs, or when vining live shows (where the same physical disc gets sent to the branches). Of course, by correcting offsets you can feel confident that you've ripped an exact copy of the source disc, but as Pio2001 has often pointed out, the practical effect is negligible.

The author of EAC, Andre Wiethoff, has said that he doesn't use offset correction himself, because he's mostly ripping from commercial discs and doesn't trade live music.

Using Offset when archiving to Hard Drive?

Reply #13 –
Quote
And, offsets are by far the least important of the settings in EAC, in terms of how they affect the quality of the final set of files


I dont rip many live shows..thanks for the post