After seeing many people ask about ripping and encoding audio CDs here, I have decided to make a little tutorial for people who want to make the best possible rips as well as encoding quality. EAC (Exact Audio Copy) is used to extract the audio as well as direct the encoding and tagging of the extracted wav files. EAC uses the best in audio extraction and error correction to ensure the highest possible end result. This guide will cover both MP3 and OGG audio compression options. MP3 is the most popular standard with very good transparent quality possible. OGG Vorbis is also used which is a newer compression which delivers better compression then MP3 as well as growing support.

I. Downloading needed files.

ASPI - allows your CD-ROM to rip audio
EAC – used in ripping, encoding, tagging
EAC profiles – easy setup pre-configuration of EAC
LAME MP3 – the MP3 codec
Ogg Vorbis – the OGG codec

II. Installation

First install the ASPI files. After installing you must REBOOT for these files to take effect. Second is to install EAC, it will ask you to search for LAME.exe and ask question about audio ripping, skip these as the profiles will take care of this. Next is to install the EAC profiles which should be extracted to the C:\Program Files\Exact Audio Copy\Profiles\ directory. Second is to download and extract the lame.exe and oggenc.exe into the C:\Program Files\Exact Audio Copy\ directory.

Now lets get EAC setup to we can start ripping and encoding audio. Let’s first set the default output directory to which you want your encoded files to go. To do this go to File, EAC options, and then the Directory tab and direct EAC where you want your files to go. Next let’s check out your CD-ROM/RW/DVD drive specs to see what ripping methods it supports. Go to File, Drive Options, and then Detect Read Features. You will want to have an Audio CD in the drive now that has a few light scratches so EAC can detect your drives features. Its best to use secure mode but if its too slow for you and you don’ care so much about quality and possible clicks, check burst mode.

Lastly you need to put in an email address of any kind from the File, freedb settings. It’s also good to update the freedb server listings here too. Now you can select the profile of the format you want encode and click load. Click on the CD icon to get the artists and song title info, make any changes to the genres or enter the date. Next, simply click the MP3 icon on the left to rip and encode to your specifications.


This is a work in progress here, just really want people to start using decent audio compression as well as good quality ripps.

Stuck You know you wanted me to

That was a bit brief. You didn't cover the one thing that I had a huge problem with when I first started using EAC:
Getting it to use a CONSTANT bitrate instead of a variable one.

This is what I finally came up with in my compression options:

thats what this thread is all about though, the main purpose it high quality and accurate ripping, as well as encoding options

as for CBR, i would go with --alt-preset cbr 160 as the --alt-preset has the best tuned lowpass filter built in

When you rip to ogg, how can you have EAC tag your files?

When using high bitrates (-q5 to -q10) use Oggenc GT3 by gharf over at sjeng.org. Results almost rival Musepack. It fixes "preecho" and allows for better bit allocation.

Your URL for LAME also seems to be broken. Latest stable binary can be found here at Rarewares. When ripping with LAME it's better to set it up as an external encoder rather than using the EAC DLL which produces unpredictable results.

Secondly, C2 correction should be disabled even if your drive is capable of it.

Or you can just use CDex which has all of those Codecs built in.

I believe tags itself, if you tell it that you're using Ogg Vorbis in the external encoder pane.

Why would anyone use CBR?

Yeah, just tried it again, and it did tag the files--first time might have been a fluke. I am digging ogg though. Just wish there was greater hardware support, and a WMP plug in would be nice.

WMP plug-in via DirectShow filter is availible here: http://tobias.everwicked.com

^_^

I'm fond of "--alt-preset standard"

if you notice the profiles i have to download, there is a Ogg GT3 one, thats what i use personally, didn't mention it in the thread because i don't want to get too complicated here


If you use the profile, it will tag it automatically, make sure the "add id3 tag" is disbled as well for ogg vorbis
should look like this

you will want the commant line to be this
and you can change the comment tag to you liking


but EAC has is more secure ripping for quality, but CDex does the job nice too

Is there any good user manuals for encoding with ogg? I recognize some of the parameters that you listed but It'd be nice if there was something that I could look at as a reference and as a means to learn more about this format.


edit:
Is there anything that I could use in order to join ogg files? I have some classical stuff that I just ripped but the one piece is broken up into movements by track on the CD and I'd like them all to be in one ogg file, if you know what I mean. Or is there a way to rip a grouping of tracks into a single file?

IMHO, you should remove the link to the LAME MP3 codec in the post. It is a link to the source files, not the binaries.

You can get LAME and Vorbis MP3 binaries at rarewares.hydrogenaudio.org

www.hydrogenaudio.org has lots of tutorials and discussion

Wrong topic

So what is the difference between EAC and Easy CDDA Extractor or Audiograbber? Don't they do the same thing?

thanks guys, I've managed to get much better sounding mp3's just by adding a few command line parameters.

You shouldn't forget Musepack, Case has done tutorial for setting mpcenc for EAC.

How to make AAC audio files on PC

all i can say is: --alt-preset standard -Z

may i just suggest an awesome plugin for Winamp which allows ripping CDAs to MP3s? no need for a software, if you're using Winamp, simply download, install, download the CD-reading applet/patch/plugin and you're set.

Chun Yu Shei-'s MP3 Ripper for Winamp (don't ask about the name)

Because there are more options and settings, with other programs.

Hydrogenaudio wiki: AAC

Can someone provide a profile for EAC for AAC encoding?

I want to make a ABR (as they are better than VBR, or so I have read) and am wondering how to do it? I use Dibrom's LAME version as that is said to be the best. I am wondering if this can be done? I want to make 192bit MP3s if possible. Thanks.

Ever considered 128/160/192 OGG?

Yeah I did but but iPod only plays MP3/AAC sorry .

depends on what bitrate you encode at, 128ABR is better then CBR 128, but -aps VBR is better then ABR 192

for ABR encoding use this switch

--alt-preset ###

--alt-preset 128

Ah so for my ABRs all I need to do is use --alt-preset 192 and that will give me ABR? Thanks!

--alt-preset standard or --alt-preset standard -Z for me

Yup, CDex served me well. Ripped 500+ albums with it to MP3, but now I'm re-ripping my albums in .aac

i still find mp3 the best overall quality but i now have winamp pro with aac and mp3 too so can use either, i also have been using cdex for years using qmode0 in lame and vbr 192-224 and wihtout fail the audio clarity is superb each time, lame version 3.93 btw, rips a 4 min track in about 25 seconds at 12x realtime

I used to use CDex @ 192. I then ripped a few albums at 320 and was very impressed with the quality.

I then encoded the same albums using the Musepak encoder in EAC with a variable bit-rate which peaks about 215.

They sound great and are so much smaller than a 320 mp3

you know....honestly i disagree about EAC being the best ripping program....in fact i think it is very overrated and ever since i got into the scene i have had problems with the program....and for two years i have been ripping cd's with a much better program (at least in my eyes)...

while its not free-ware....i think its a hell of a lot better...and it doesnt have a WIN-DOS pop up....heh


Easy CD-DA Extractor ...... here

-V 1 -b 128 -m j -h -q 1

so is that the best commandline to use? thats the one they gave on the site. I used to use CBR but VBR is so much better but then again the files are alot larger. Just wondering I guess.

i use



It produces excellent quality yet with a predictible filesize

well you are just dead wrong... sorry

Thread Moved to Moving Pictures & Sound Editing Studio

Radish™

Is it me, or is this guide out of date. I just installed EAC and I couldn't find half the options.

yeah, there is a new version of EAC as well as lame... have to update it when i get some time

Hi..all! thanks to err... username mountaineer dude 4 the guide, really appreciated by me, a newbie. Great stuff.

I've a question if ya dont mind - I'm encoding a couple of songs at various bit rates lame and ogg to find which is basically the lowest file size that i cant tell from the original.

When trying a few ogg encodings to compare to lame, should I use the variable bitrate xxx kbps options or the quality x options? Whats the difference? Also when encoding to mp3 should i use the vbr xxx kbps or the xxx kbps? and whats that alt- preset standard thingymigib?

am very confused

hope someone can help!

sach

that's a nice one
thanks

Don't know if you guys have seen this site...

http://www.chrismyden.com/nuke/modules.php...B&file=painless

or

http://www.ubernet.org/

Why is it that everyone always goes for the most complicated solution?

because sometimes it matters....

I hope, that I'm not doing anything bad replying on 2 years old thread. The link to the EAC profiles appears to be broken.