CD Rippers

FlakJacket · Post by **FlakJacket** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 12:13 pm

I want to transfer some of my CD's to Mp3 format for the computer so I was wondering if anyone knew any decent ripping software? Preferably somthing that's fairly simply and idiot proof.

Szechuan · Post by **Szechuan** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 1:26 pm

Find CDEx. It needs a little bit of user configuration for filename formats, but it accesses online CDDBs and names all the files for you.

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 2:26 pm

CDEX or iTunes. iTunes has incredibly simple one-click ripping/encoding, but the default setting isn't for MP3 files - it's for AAC files. You can change that in the configuration.

With CDEX, there's a variety of encoders you can use - I believe they're all packaged with it. LAME with VBR [variable bitrate] 160-256 was typically what I would use.

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 3:08 pm

FreeRip - http://www.tucows.com/preview/305350.html

It works nicely enough for me, it's simple, and it's free!

Ikarus7 · Post by **Ikarus7** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 6:40 pm

You can always do it with Windows Media Player

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 6:46 pm

Does WMP encode to MP3 now? I thought it only did WMA files.

sinsual · Post by **sinsual** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 8:05 pm

There is a plug-in that costs $9 to have the MP3 ripping in WMP.

Rev · Post by **Rev** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 8:25 pm

Real jukebox will do this too, and name all the files quite nicely (and play them back for you quite easily). However I don't reccomend it unless you already have installed it. It will put all sorts of crap all over your computer and torment you for the rest of you life. I think you have to pay for it to make the mp3's at more than 96kbps (at which some music, seemingly that with lots of harmonics ie enya, sounds bad).

It is very easy to use, unless you want to turn off the irritating pop up type things. After finally shutting all that down (which took me and a coworker a few hours) I am happy with it.

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 8:53 pm

ugh. At 96kbs, you may as well be listening to a half-dead cheap tape player in a rickety old car with your grandma singing along.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 9:02 pm

Soundforge'll do it.

Rev · Post by **Rev** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 9:09 pm

Heh heh, Adam.

Unfortunately Sound Forge is $400, and I think you have to pay another $20 or something for an mp3 plugin. I don't think it will do the cool naming stuff either.

GoldWave is the shareware equivalent of Sound Forge, if you want to get all hard core without spending much. It does not seem, to me, to be quite as easy to use as Sound Forge... but I'm not a real sound guy so I am barely using either program (especially goldwave).

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 9:12 pm

Yeah. But you can do cool stuff on SOundForge. Try listening to Don McClane's "Babylon" in reverse. I love the freaky backwards guitar.

Jestyr · Post by **Jestyr** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 10:04 pm

I'll throw in a vote for CDEX too. Simple, reliable, and fast. And free.

Kai · Post by **Kai** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 10:29 pm

CDex is pretty hard to not use correctly. With LAME is does nice encodes too.

Salvation122 · Post by **Salvation122** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 11:09 pm

Ancient History wrote:Soundforge'll do it.

Massive overkill.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 11:31 pm

I keep forgetting the price tag. I got mine for free. <shrug>

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 11:47 pm

Oh, and to be pedantic:

"Ripper" is a term for a piece of software that extracts the audio from CD in a lossless format. These files are normally about 10MB/minute.

"Encoder" is the term for the piece of softare that turns that file into a compressed audio file of another nature - typically MP3. There are many different MP3 encoders, thus the difference in quality between different pieces of software [bitrate and whatnot aside.]

Most pieces of software can handle ripping and encoding "on the fly," although if you have a slower machine with a faster drive you're probably better served ripping the tracks, then encoding them. Most software has options to switch this around.