Good MP3 Ripping Software ?

[BigLance]

Hey guys/gals

I have this old cheezy ripping software I use but it will only let you grab half the songs on a CD (wihtout buying it). I was wondering, I'm sure some newer apps let you have full capability without haveing pay anything right ? Please recommend some programs... thanks for your time !

 

[Radboy]

EAC

 

[Cosmo]

CDex is a good freeware program that uses the LAME encoder. Easy to use and quick to set up. I'm currently using EAC which is a bit more complex to set up but really powerful. You can use whatever encoder you want together with it, although I think most people will tell you LAME is the best. And its free

Get CDex at download.com or something and EAC here http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/
Download LAME.dll to use with EAC at http://www.chat.ru/~dkutsanov/~index.htm

 

[MuffD]

I like Xing Audio Catalyst.

 

[Workin']

<< I like Xing Audio Catalyst >>

Then you must not have ever used anything else. Xing makes the worst-sounding mp3's available.

BigLance, do yourself a favor and get CDEX. It is a great ripper and includes the LAME mp3 encoder, which is by far the best one out there. CDEX and LAME are both freeware. Also very easy to use. EAC is also good when used with LAME but CDEX is easier to use and there is no quality difference between them since they both use the LAME encoder.

 

[Shudder]

I just wish I could tell on napster which mp3s are coded with what. I'd only get lame ones baby!

I'm thinking about adding it to my filenames just to be a nice guy.

 

[MikeO]

I second Exact Audio Copy (EAC).. far best I've used.
Gives you good report after ripping for peak and quality
levels. Combine that with LAME and you have top notch
mp3 creation kit.

edit ..and both of 'em are free of course. As
far as I know

 

[tristramshandy]

I agree with Radbody and mto81: EAC is just the best. But has anybody sent that poor German kid who wrote the program a postcard like he asked? I haven't.

 

[tristramshandy]

Download it! http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/eac6.html

 

[CraigRT]

I as well like CDEX, it's great freeware

 

[Workin']

<< I just wish I could tell on napster which mp3s are coded with what. I'd only get lame ones baby! >>

Indeed. It's hard to make a bad one with LAME. If it said 160kbps (or some odd VBR rate) LAME you know you'd be good to go!

 

[rpeAMP]

WinDAC w/ the LAME encoder plugin is the best one I've ever used. You can find it at: http://www.windac.de/

 

[BigLance]

Thanks a bunch guys !!!!!!

 

[sd]

I just use musicmatch. Does that suck?

 

[BigLance]

Oh, I have Win2K and it said I may have trouble w/ it. I downloaded the patch but I'm not sure I should install it, I have a Panasonic 8x4x32x Burner and Use Adaptec 4.0 Will it hurt anything ?

Thanks !

 

[The Mudman]

Musicmatch is way faster than cdex. and personanly i havent seen a difference in quality.
Just my 2 cents

 

[MikeO]

<<< But has anybody sent that poor German kid who wrote the
program a postcard like he asked? I haven't. >>>

Yeah, really should do that, support him. I wish he could get some
ads on that prog for decent support. They really cant bother people
that much, and if you could turn them off by choice, that would be
great.

When the program is free, you usually forgot that someone put real
effort on wroting it...

 

[PliotronX]

EAC is the only ripping program which will correct offsets of not only drives, but MP3 encoders as well. If you really want the best possible rips, I highly suggest EAC. However CDex is a near second place. If CDex had offset correction, it would be too close to call, but for now EAC is the best you can get period.

 

[Shudder]

Biglance: I use Win2k and I can't rip audio from cds with it, however, MusicMatch works just fine. I just use the .wav -> .mp3 though with cdex.

 

[Workin']

<< I just use musicmatch. Does that suck? >>

Well, it doesn't necessarily suck, but it is certainly NOT the best you can do. The mp3 encoder it uses is a crippled version of Fraunhofer's, which makes it place maybe 3rd or 4th in the competition for mp3 quality.

<< Musicmatch is way faster than cdex. and personanly i havent seen a difference in quality. >>

Faster, yes. And you won't notice a quality difference listening over cheap (or even not so cheap) computer or &quot;multimedia&quot; speakers. But try listening over a high-performance stereo system, and the difference is readily apparent.

 

[Workin']

Hey PliotronX - I understand what you are saying about EAC, but there is no difference with my system between EAC and CDEX. Every time I have a ripping error with CDEX, I get the same errors with EAC. Do you think it is type of error is simply not recoverable, or is the problem with my drive, a Pioneer 16x DVD-ROM? I also get the same results using a 40x Toshiba CD-ROM, a 24x Pioneer CD-ROM, and a 2x2x6 BTC CD-RW. The rips using EAC take forever, and the result is the same as with CDEX, which runs lickety-split. WTF?

 

[divinemartyr]

<< Then you must not have ever used anything else. Xing makes the worst-sounding mp3's available. >>



Yes definitely, Xing mp3's are horrible especially in the upper frequencies. Xing can't even encode a 320kbps mp3 correctly.

Biglance

You certainly will not 'hurt' anything by trying to use it. EAC/LAME combination works wonderfully for me under win2k, I just had to install an ASPI layer. Search google for &quot;ForceASPI&quot; and download it, you should be fine after installing this.

Another vote for EAC + LAME 3.87 VBR encoding. Best archival quality/size ratio available.

In case you'd like some more reading on it, check out The r3mix files, best reading regarding mp3 encoding that I've seen on the net.

dm