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Copying, ripping music CD's


greg928gts

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"Ripping" is for making compressed MP3
or WAV files, typically using Windows Media Viewer. "Copying" with no
compression or added artifacts needs something like Nero. As another
poster mentioned about his computer, it was bundled with mine, so I
haven't tried any other programs. It seems to make good copies.


Islander,

In the interest of accurate communication, I think some terms need clarifying and some facts need explaining. "Ripping" is the process of extracting the audio data from the CD and placing it in a file or a collection of files on your hard drive. While an MP3 or other compressed file might be the ultimate destination, compression is not part of the ripping process per se. WAVs are uncompressed PCM audio files, and are generally the format in which your ripped data is found. Compression is not necessarily lossy and doesn't have to change anyhting about the file other than its size.

A properly made FLAC or APE or M4A file will have a waveform that is
identical to the WAV file from which it was made, so if you employ the right software and a good set of processes, it's possible to rip a CD, make compressed data files for storage, uncompress those data files, and write them back out to CD with no loss of data and, consequently, no loss of sound quality. This means it's not necessary to make a bit-for-bit copy using a program like Nero or Toast, though if it's just a copy you're after, those programs are definitely more convenient than ripping and re-writing.

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Thanks for the clarification. I"ve got limited experience in this, just having made a few CDs and having ripped some other CDs to load the tunes into my cellphone. As I understood it, the CDs are bit-for-bit copies, while the WMA files are definitely compressed, but good enough for portable use.

I'm still amazed at being able to load the contents of 30 CDs into a micro-SDHC card the size of my baby fingernail.

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And let me add thanks for all the thoughtful comments. I still have to follow up on file formats.

But let me ask for comments on a related matter.

When I make an exact copy, the CD-R does play on all the CD players I've used.

When I put a CD in the laptop, Windows media player is set up to convert it to a file on that laptop at the default amount of compression. And it is handy to tranfer those to the HTC cell phone with Active Sync.

However, Let's assume we want to take those compress and converted files to the car's CD player or a run of the mill CD player. How many car, etc. units will read the converted files? Any tips on the use with old types of players or the new ones?

Wm McD.

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Good info here, gents. I need to make backups (actually, listening/car copies) of my Beatles remasters.

I should add that iTunes is very suspect as a ripper. I've personally had iTunes rips come out with pops and skips that other programs didn't impart, and similar stories are plentiful on the internets. Rip uses the AccurateRip database to confirm file checksums and it also does C2 error correction; consequently is every bit as good as Exact Audio Copy for the PC. In PC-land, EAC is the reference ripper.

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And let me add thanks for all the thoughtful comments. I still have to follow up on file formats.

But let me ask for comments on a related matter.

When I make an exact copy, the CD-R does play on all the CD players I've used.

When I put a CD in the laptop, Windows media player is set up to convert it to a file on that laptop at the default amount of compression. And it is handy to tranfer those to the HTC cell phone with Active Sync.

However, Let's assume we want to take those compress and converted files to the car's CD player or a run of the mill CD player. How many car, etc. units will read the converted files? Any tips on the use with old types of players or the new ones?

Wm McD.

Will, many, many modern car decks will decode MP3 and WMA files. I think every major manufacturer now has models with that capability, and a lot of them have USB inputs so you can plug a thumb drive into the stereo -- no CD needed at all. Many of these decks also include iPod controllers, so if you have one of those, yet another copying step and/or conversion is taken out. When I was looking at new decks a year or so ago, these features could be had in units from Clarion and Kenwood for around $300 from Crutchfield.

I don't know when this became a fairly mainstream feature, but it's easy to find out if your deck can do it. Make a disk and put it in, and you'll either get music, a read error, or a horrid screeching noise. [;)]

Most relatively new DVD players will play MP3 files as well. If yours can, you can browse the file structure on your TV with your DVD's remote and play the songs you want. CD players, not so much.

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