Program for Burning/Ripping CDs

[redsquirrel0249]

I ran into an issue the other day using Windows Media Player to burn a CD as I realized it doesn't support AIFF. This is a bit silly to me, because a lot of my library is in AIFF. I plan to compress it to different formats later, but I figured this was as good a time as any to get recommendations from the audio community about a functional, reliable, compatible CD utility, paid or free. I don't want to have to convert a list of songs just to have to burn a CD. iTunes can't even get it right, they have some mismatching with song length and can't properly recognize that 79 minutes of audio can fit on an 80 minute disc.

 

I'd also be interested in a helpful utility for multi-track conversion. I can convert to almost anything in Audacity individually, but that would take forever. I've used Oxelon and FreeStudio before, but the former had some codec problems, creating noise in my files at the end that was enough to nearly deafen me, and the latter has a terrible interface. All comments greatly appreciated.

[Mira Yurizaki]

For burning I recommend ImgBurn. For CD audio ripping, I use Exact Audio Copy

[redsquirrel0249]

@M.Yurizaki Perfect, I'll try those. I'd heard of EAC, isn't that a format or something, as well?

[Mira Yurizaki]

Just now, redsquirrel0249 said:

@M.Yurizaki Perfect, I'll try those. I'd heard of EAC, isn't that a format or something, as well?

I don't think so. At least not in the context of audio.

[redsquirrel0249]

Huh, guess it was just the program then.

[MarcCz]

EAC does require some set up, It has LOADS of feature I recommend starting with this article, it as links to several good guides

 

https://wiki.hydrogenaud.io/index.php?title=EAC

[Kalm_Traveler]

I've been lazy lately and just use MediaMonkey to rip my audio CDs to max quality FLAC. 

 

Haven't heard of anyone using AIFF since the early 2000s, what a throwback! 

[redsquirrel0249]

12 hours ago, Kalm_Traveler1 said:

what a throwback!

I just use it because it's an iPod compatible uncompressed lossless format that supports tags and artwork (unlike WAV) and isn't compressed. I had heard noise about how compressed audio codecs didn't decompress right in certain systems, and that reduced quality of playback, but I've since realized that's nonsense. So my AIFFs will soon become ALAC. I'll only use FLAC if I stop using my iPod. iTunes is rather convenient.

 

I'd like to move away from Apple, but I don't know any other DAPs with good interfaces, a custom equalizer, and a pricetag under $300. I'd also like something I can run with, so something durable. I might just get an android phone for music, but I have no idea where to start.

[Kalm_Traveler]

6 hours ago, redsquirrel0249 said:

I just use it because it's an iPod compatible uncompressed lossless format that supports tags and artwork (unlike WAV) and isn't compressed. I had heard noise about how compressed audio codecs didn't decompress right in certain systems, and that reduced quality of playback, but I've since realized that's nonsense. So my AIFFs will soon become ALAC. I'll only use FLAC if I stop using my iPod. iTunes is rather convenient.

 

I'd like to move away from Apple, but I don't know any other DAPs with good interfaces, a custom equalizer, and a pricetag under $300. I'd also like something I can run with, so something durable. I might just get an android phone for music, but I have no idea where to start.

understandable. I have a very nice home theater setup that also doubles as my PC sound so I keep FLAC here locally, but for being mobile I upload everything to Google Play Music which downconverts it to 320kbps MP3, though that is fine for streaming in my car since there's so much road noise I'd never be able to tell a difference even with quality speakers, a good DAC and amp, and sound treatment.

For exercising, I just throw the FLACs on a microSD card in a cheap little Sandisk Clip Zip. Super durable (haven't broken one in 5 or 6 years), battery lasts several hours, with Rockbox firmware you can set a custom EQ along with quite a few other tweaks and I'm never worried about losing or breaking it since they are dirt cheap to replace. No bluetooth, but it does the job with some Shure 'water (sweat) resistant' earbuds.

[redsquirrel0249]

23 minutes ago, Kalm_Traveler1 said:

home theater setup that also doubles as my PC

I'd like to do this, I just don't have a speaker setup. I've just got integrated speakers on my TV. Sony Bravias don't do bad, but they're not great, either.

 

I just burn CDs for car use, I don't even have an AUX jack in my car. I'm surprised you don't do that with your

15 minutes ago, Kalm_Traveler1 said:

Sandisk Clip

I've read reviews of those, I just would hate the interface. I don't think they have the best DACs either. I knew about Rockbox, though. Can you view music according to tag information, rather than folders? I'm sure windows type playlists work on there. I've been trying to find a good method to store and edit large playlists, as well. I have like 15 playlists of 50-150 songs each, and they're a mess to manage. I currently have the "grouping" tag set with each playlist name for each song, so I remember a particular song belongs to all of its relevant playlists. then I sort by this (after listing [playlist1/playlist2/playlist3] alphabetically) and add alphabetically until the entire library is sorted into inclusive lists. iTunes does this admittedly well, I just wonder how you manage yours (if you use playlists).

 

I use some cheap Tennmaks for sport use. They're not the best, but they're cheap enough I wouldn't care if they broke, and they function well for $30. Though, I'm not sure water resistance is even necessary for sweat. I wouldn't mind getting a nicer sport pair. I have some 1More triple drivers, but they don't fit well enough to run in. That's my nicest earbud, anyway. I bike with it, though. Bluetooth just hurts sound, anyway. It's not too noticeable if you get a really nice pair, but it's still diminished, especially for the price.

[Kalm_Traveler]

6 hours ago, redsquirrel0249 said:

I'd like to do this, I just don't have a speaker setup. I've just got integrated speakers on my TV. Sony Bravias don't do bad, but they're not great, either.

 

I just burn CDs for car use, I don't even have an AUX jack in my car. I'm surprised you don't do that with your

I've read reviews of those, I just would hate the interface. I don't think they have the best DACs either. I knew about Rockbox, though. Can you view music according to tag information, rather than folders? I'm sure windows type playlists work on there. I've been trying to find a good method to store and edit large playlists, as well. I have like 15 playlists of 50-150 songs each, and they're a mess to manage. I currently have the "grouping" tag set with each playlist name for each song, so I remember a particular song belongs to all of its relevant playlists. then I sort by this (after listing [playlist1/playlist2/playlist3] alphabetically) and add alphabetically until the entire library is sorted into inclusive lists. iTunes does this admittedly well, I just wonder how you manage yours (if you use playlists).

 

I use some cheap Tennmaks for sport use. They're not the best, but they're cheap enough I wouldn't care if they broke, and they function well for $30. Though, I'm not sure water resistance is even necessary for sweat. I wouldn't mind getting a nicer sport pair. I have some 1More triple drivers, but they don't fit well enough to run in. That's my nicest earbud, anyway. I bike with it, though. Bluetooth just hurts sound, anyway. It's not too noticeable if you get a really nice pair, but it's still diminished, especially for the price.

oh my car stereo has an Aux input, so I stuck a phone mount in the CD reader and have a short 3.5mm TRS cable that stays in the aux jack, then plug that into my phone for Google Play Music streaming.

Far as the Sandisk Clip Zip, the interface with Rockbox is fine (I'd used Rockbox on older players and didn't want to deal with whatever Sandisk's UI is). Not super worried about ultimate sound quality at the gym anyway, but it sounds fine for what I need (blasting angry music for an hour or so), and yes as far as I know you can view/play based on tag info and playlists rather than actual folder/file info. It is far more customizable than I make use of. 

 

The earbuds I have are Shure SE215-K - I think they're about $100 which is a lot for ear buds, but they've been mostly great. Sound is good for an earbud, I like that the cable is detachable, though I had to warranty replace one of the earbuds after about 6 months because it died randomly (this was several years ago, and I suspect that it died from sweat getting in there). They make bluetooth versions but I really like using the Sandisk player due to it's all-around cheapness, it gets the job done and I never have to worry about breaking or losing it - plus as you said bluetooth just compresses the sound anyway, and moreover you'd then have to be charging 2 things instead of just the player.

[Guest]

On 2018-05-24 at 10:55 PM, redsquirrel0249 said:

@M.Yurizaki Perfect, I'll try those. I'd heard of EAC, isn't that a format or something, as well?

I find EAC mysterious to use. My vote - Foobar2000 .

[redsquirrel0249]

11 minutes ago, PrometheanCat-1970 said:

mysterious

Ahh, how enlightened. I'm so very inclined to take your opinion at face value due to your exquisite inclusion of such fine details.

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, redsquirrel0249 said:

Ahh, how enlightened. I'm so very inclined to take your opinion at face value due to your exquisite inclusion of such fine details.

Pshhhh! Always get a second opinion, eh. I’m just one voice in a sea of proud nerds! Seriously, my first stop is how to geek for such queries.

[redsquirrel0249]

11 minutes ago, PrometheanCat-1970 said:

one voice

Yes, but your voice says nothing. I just wanted you to be more specific. And How to Geek is nice if you enjoy a 2005 aesthetic. I did do a quick search and found you can apparently rip CDs with VLC, but their interface just hurts my eyes. I might as well just search google, which I already do on a regular basis.

[redsquirrel0249]

16 minutes ago, Kalm_Traveler1 said:

my car stereo has an Aux input

Why not just put FLAC on your phone?

 

17 minutes ago, Kalm_Traveler1 said:

Shure SE215-K

I'm iffy about Shure's reliability and durability for the money. I've heard my Tennmaks compared to 215s. From what I understand, my 1More's are a better value. My Tennmaks also have detachable cables, but I see no purpose in it unless the drivers come with a 3-5+ year warranty. I think they have a 1 or 2 year warranty.

 

44 minutes ago, Kalm_Traveler1 said:

Not super worried about ultimate sound quality at the gym

Yeah, but I like to push my margins. 5G iPods have decent DACs (though, I'm not sure how much this really contributes to overall quality) and support 48/24 lossless. I only use 44.1/16 most of the time, but it's nice to know I'm getting my file's worth at 44.1/16.

 

Yeah, the Sandisk Clip is rechargeable, or battery powered?

[anothertom]

On 25/05/2018 at 3:47 AM, redsquirrel0249 said:

I'd also be interested in a helpful utility for multi-track conversion. I can convert to almost anything in Audacity individually, but that would take forever.

As in, a batch process? You can create 'Chains' in audacity to apply a process an individual file or multiple files at once. For instance you can create a single chain which would apply a high-pass filter, compression and then export the file automatically. You can then choose to apply a chain to multiple files at once to apply the same changes/conversion/effects to however many files you want.

[redsquirrel0249]

@anothertom Thanks, didn't know. I'll look into that

[Zodiark1593]

On 5/25/2018 at 10:51 PM, Kalm_Traveler1 said:

I've been lazy lately and just use MediaMonkey to rip my audio CDs to max quality FLAC. 

 

Haven't heard of anyone using AIFF since the early 2000s, what a throwback! 

I had a bunch of FLACs I wanted to put on my old iPod, though iTunes does not support it in the slightest. To maintain lossless (very few free programs converts directly to ALAC), I converted the files to AIFF then imported them into iTunes and converted to ALAC before I can finally move it to my iPod.

 

For car audio though (I used my iPod for this), I've considering the use of CD-RW (because I don't, need to pull them out of the car on a hot day) though the caveat is that only .mp3 and .wma files are supported, where much of my stuff is also FLAC (not a big deal) and AAC (deal-breaker).

[Kalm_Traveler]

20 hours ago, redsquirrel0249 said:

Why not just put FLAC on your phone?

 

I'm iffy about Shure's reliability and durability for the money. I've heard my Tennmaks compared to 215s. From what I understand, my 1More's are a better value. My Tennmaks also have detachable cables, but I see no purpose in it unless the drivers come with a 3-5+ year warranty. I think they have a 1 or 2 year warranty.

 

Yeah, but I like to push my margins. 5G iPods have decent DACs (though, I'm not sure how much this really contributes to overall quality) and support 48/24 lossless. I only use 44.1/16 most of the time, but it's nice to know I'm getting my file's worth at 44.1/16.

 

Yeah, the Sandisk Clip is rechargeable, or battery powered?

could - I guess it never occurred to me since car audio reproduction quality won't ever match FLAC, and I already have my library auto backed-up to Google.  That's not a bad idea though, especially if I ever have a car with decent sound proofing.

yeah I didn't look too much into value - just did some google searches for durable earbuds and those Shures came up near the top of a few lists at the time. Been happy with them but if they break now that the warranty is up I would definitely look at other brands.

Clip Zip is rechargeable. Mine is I think from 2013 and the battery still lasts about 5 or 6 hours with high-ish volume (pretty good considering how tiny, cheap, and lightweight it is IMO). I had an older Sandisk MP3 player from 2011 but it fell under my car seat and I couldn't find it so I bought the Clip Zip, then years later found the original player when I took the passenger seat out of that car to install an amp. Oh well

[4 Fawkes Ache]

For ripping cd's i use dBpoweramp, for burning aiff you could use CDBurnerXP

[redsquirrel0249]

6 hours ago, Zodiark1593 said:

converted the files to AIFF then imported them into iTunes and converted to ALAC before I can finally move it to my iPod

That's my plan.

 

7 hours ago, Zodiark1593 said:

only .mp3 and .wma files are supported

I've never heard of CDs like that... most audio CDs exclusively use WAV, right? Isn't that why the data of 700 MB can be converted to 80 minutes?

 

7 hours ago, Kalm_Traveler1 said:

won't ever match FLAC

More quality always helps, unless there's a literal ceiling in the car's DAC. I think.

 

The Clip definitely seems like a good value. I just want something that's easy and simple to keep synced when I update my library all the time without having to re-copy an entire 30 GB collection.

[Zodiark1593]

12 minutes ago, redsquirrel0249 said:

That's my plan.

 

I've never heard of CDs like that... most audio CDs exclusively use WAV, right? Isn't that why the data of 700 MB can be converted to 80 minutes?

 

 

 

iTunes is really quite picky about lossless for some reason. Even if Apple doesn't intend for iTunes to play FLAC, some provision to easily convert it to ALAC upon import would have cost a very minimum of resources and a lot less hassle in conversions.

 

 

Sorry, should have clarified. The limitation is with my Car's CD player. Obviously, it can play the Red Book standard (WAV) like anything else within the past few decades, though I wouldn't be able to fit more than a couple episodes of Cabin Pressure, or a single music album. The CD player can also read .MP3 files and .WMA audio files burned to the CD, though it does not support AAC, which comprises about half of my library.

 

While FLAC to MP3 is fine, a double lossy conversion (AAC to MP3) isn't an appealing thought.

[redsquirrel0249]

2 minutes ago, Zodiark1593 said:

burned to the CD

Oh, you're talking data discs, too.

 

And double lossy sucks, but if you're already 256 or higher, it's not the end of the world. I've done it for some things, like I really want to edit a song I only have in lossy, for example

[Kalm_Traveler]

28 minutes ago, redsquirrel0249 said:

 

The Clip definitely seems like a good value. I just want something that's easy and simple to keep synced when I update my library all the time without having to re-copy an entire 30 GB collection.

Yeah I mean if you can still get them for dirt cheap, it's worth checking out I would say. Might not be ideal for every situation but I've been happy with it for an exercise-time music player. I wouldn't pay more than probably 40 or 50 USD for one, but I see on Amazon they have newer models with 16gb onboard storage for about that (mine is a 4gb model, with microSD card slot which is of course where my music is stored lol)