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Author Topic: how to check APE files quality?  (Read 5336 times)

zevele10

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how to check APE files quality?
« on: October 09, 2002, 12:32:12 am »

I am ripping quite a lot of cds to APE.
Here are my settings
copy mode:digital large buffer
encode: APE fast
rip&encode NOT checked

Average rip speed: X8

No connected,no firewall,anti virus and other programs running in the back

How do i know my APE files are fine? With no pop,or any artefact?

If i do not get any message error,it means the files are ok?

All the cds i rip are not mine,so i would like to b sure before to give them back
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michel

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #1 on: October 09, 2002, 01:18:38 am »

Quote
How do i know my APE files are fine? With no pop,or any artefact?


Normally, decompressing an APE file should give you exactely the same binary file as the original one (you can use the DOS compare function).

I read that FLAC (another lossless format) is able to do this check "on the flight" (if you request it as it is probably time consuming). May be APE has also this ability.
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zevele10

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2002, 08:17:05 am »

BUMP before i give the cds back
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Matt

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2002, 10:00:12 am »

APE definitely stores exactly what you feed it, and it's protected by very strong error-detection routines.

The only hitch is if you feed it garbage from bad rips, you'll have perfect garbage.  That's why "Digital Secure" mode exists.  But you pay the price of a little speed...

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Matt Ashland, JRiver Media Center

Glen

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2002, 10:52:26 am »

Here is the method to my madness when ripping/encoding. It is not the fastest but it is accurate, at least I have not been able to hear any oddities in my music.
Use MJ to rip to uncompressed wav using digital secure mode. (slow but accurate)
Then I use the ape utility from their web site (latest is 3.97) and I use this to both encode and check at the same time. If, after the monkey is done there are no errors showing then I assume (hopefully correctly) that I now have an exact copy of the C.D.
Hope this helps. :)
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Matt

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2002, 10:59:58 am »

Just to chirp in, there's really no reason to use the Monkey's Audio instead of MJ to encode.  Just let MJ do it while you rip.  Monkey's Audio and MJ are built atop the same APE SDK. (if anything, MJ is more up-to-date than Monkey's Audio)

Should save you some time.

And it never hurts to "Verify" your APE files, but if you have good hardware, you shouldn't really have to.  I've done 10,000's of APE files and never had one go bad.

The only folks who ever report "Verify" failures are overclockers and people with cooked RAM.
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Matt Ashland, JRiver Media Center

zevele10

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #6 on: October 10, 2002, 12:04:22 pm »

.  That's why "Digital Secure" mode exists.  But you pay the price of a little speed...

[/quote]
Reading it,i had a smile meaning'a little speed= few minutes more'....

But i just ripped few cds on 'Digital Sure' and the price is really VERY little speed.
I assume that  Rip & encode NOT checked and 'digital Secure' check put me on the safe side.
Will start over all the ripping.It is faster than to listen to the first ones.

But look like i will ugrade from Pentium 3 to the faster 4
very soon.I have so slowwww speed when i rip.

Thank you for the answer

Glen
in case you  do not know it:Matt is the 'father' of APE


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michel

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #7 on: October 10, 2002, 12:15:05 pm »

Quote
But look like i will ugrade from Pentium 3 to the faster 4 very soon.I have so slowwww speed when i rip.


P4 will not improve rip speed if you encode on the flight because cd extraction in digital mode is slower that encoding. Better to buy a fast cd reader such as Plextor.
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zevele10

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #8 on: October 10, 2002, 12:55:37 pm »

ok,so

rip to wav=5/6 minutes
rip to Ape=idem
rip to mp3=18 minutes

This are average speed i got for a cd
The faster i get is with RealJukebox rip to mp3 VRB 192kps=5/6 minutes.

I really want to improve the speed.
What i need to upgrade?

I have a very old cdw and a  new LG DVD cdr

I do not care about burning speed
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michel

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #9 on: October 10, 2002, 01:18:29 pm »

It is needed to distinguish:

t1: the time to extract a track from a cd
t2: time to encode

if you encode "on the flight", t2 is in parallel of t1 (with a little late).

In my experience, with a P3 cpu: t1 (secure mode) > t2 (Lame).

So, assuming you do encoding "on the flight" (there is no reason not to do it when it is possible) you have to improve mainly the extraction time.

A good way to do it: use a Plextor without secure digital mode (only with cd in good condition) since it is a very secure cd reader. Also you could try EAC as I get at least 8x in paranoia mode with the couple EAC - Plextor (except with damaged cd which are very very very slow to be extracted).

NB.
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zevele10

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #10 on: October 10, 2002, 01:55:42 pm »

OK,look like Plextor i will have next week.

I am not mad about speed,and will not try to find how to get 45 seconds less..

But there is something i really do not understand:
Average speed i get is 7\8 rip to wav or APE.
With RealJukebox i get 13x.Rip to wav or to mp3.
Why ?
13x is much faster than 7\8x,i mean more than you can imagine reading the numbers

And
What i need to get faster encoding? In this case a Pentium4 would help?
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michel

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #11 on: October 10, 2002, 10:10:01 pm »

Quote
What i need to get faster encoding? In this case a Pentium4 would help?


Encoding is mainly cpu work so pure encoding of wav files would benefit of P4. But if encoding time is masked by extracting time (with a little late), it is not very useful.

"if" because that depends of the software used and may be of the audio format. Could someone confirm that MJ is able to run in parallel extraction and encoding for mp3.

Also I am talking about mp3 encoding, I have no experience of APE. May be encoding time for APE is > extracting time on a P3.

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zevele10

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #12 on: October 11, 2002, 05:44:20 am »

So it is not encoding ,but converting  that i mean.
To make short:
One cd to Mp3 192 KPS using MJ=around 18 minutes

How can i get faster speed?
A Plextor and Pentium 4? A Plextor AND a Pentium 4?

I mean using MJ and 'on the fly'
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michel

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #13 on: October 11, 2002, 07:09:00 am »

Quote
One cd to Mp3 192 KPS using MJ=around 18 minutes


Before all, try with and without secure digital extraction.

If without secure digital extraction you get a much better time it is better to improve first the reader. Try also secure digital with EAC to compare speed. Using a better cd unit reader you can improve it (some are better for DAE Digital Audio Extraction). Moreover, if you use a Plextor you can take the risk to do normal extraction and improve very much the speed because it is a very secure DAE cd reader (it is the reference for DAE).

If without secure digital extraction you get more or less the same time, it is better to buy a P4.
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zevele10

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #14 on: October 18, 2002, 07:15:24 am »

I started with the easy part.I got a 40x12x40A  Plextor.
Not the last one,i know,but at $100 on special offer.....no way to resist.
I do get faster speed with quite a lot of programs.But only a little improvement with MJ.
The cdw is with a Nero cd.I use EasyCd creator,since years,any problem to use it instead of Nero?

I know Nero better than Easycd Creator Platinium .But i may burn 5 redbook cd and 20 mp3cd a year on average.All my friends and family in France have this program,so i can help them if they have problem,and i do not feel to learn a new program.
After few days ,i feel i did a good choice with my cd-w

Anyway,i do need to upgrade to P4,but latter.
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khaos100

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #15 on: October 18, 2002, 08:11:36 pm »

Another person overpays for a Plextor when they could of had a Lite-On. :o
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zevele10

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #16 on: October 19, 2002, 12:22:18 am »

If you are in music go Plextor

If you burn non musical cds go Lite-on

I saw it in a forum not long ago.

Anyway my Plextor in special offer was less than any Lite-on.It was at the price of all the cheap-junk brands.
So now tell me if i can use any kind of burning software with it,or only the one giving with the cdw
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michel

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #17 on: October 19, 2002, 12:52:57 am »

Quote
o know tell me if i can use any kind of burning software with it,or only the one giving with the cdw


Any one. Nero for example.
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michel

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #18 on: October 19, 2002, 01:00:19 am »

Quote
If you are in music go Plextor
If you burn non musical cds go Lite-on
I saw it in a forum not long ago.


It is true to rip (go Plextor), I am not sure it is true also to burn. It is probably better to burn audio cd at x2 with a Lite-on rather than to burn it at x24 with a Plextor.

See also the Advanced Audio Master Quality of Yamaha to burn more accurately (?) audio cd.
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zevele10

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #19 on: October 19, 2002, 01:23:54 am »

Yes,you are right,was about rip.
This is the most important thing to me.Becaus of Matt and your posts i wanted to buy Plextor.
And this one was at 500 shekells[more or less 100+ euro or $].Next price was 900 shekells.SO.......

Last summer i brought he Yamaha: 3 out of the box not working.so i stayed with my old HP-good but so slow.

Concerning burning,i want to try a x40 burn.I may be \wrong,but i cannot imagine you can get good redbook cds at this speed.
I hoppe to be able to burn at more than x2,not using the computer for other task.x4 or x5 would make me very happy.
If not, x2 is twice the speed of my HP,so not bad

Merci pour les conseils et bon week-end
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michel

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #20 on: October 19, 2002, 01:36:47 am »

Quote
I hoppe to be able to burn at more than x2,not using the computer for other task


I am not sure the problem is from cpu load. Most people think about audio cd as they think about data cd: digital technology so it is accurate. It is not so simple in case of audio cd (a lot a good web site explain it very well). I am talking about ripping. Until a few month ago I was thinking there is no problem to burn at high speed, so I ripped with a Plextor with EAC (paranoia mode) and I burned at 8x (the max of my burner). But then I read there is also a problem to burn accurately audio cd so it is recommended to burn at low speed. The fact manufacturer developp technology such as Advanced Audio Master Quality seems confirm this point (but that could be pure marketing also).

Somebody can confirm that is so important to burn audio cd slowly than to read them in paranoia/digital/secure mode with a good cd reader ?
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zevele10

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Re: how to check APE files quality?
« Reply #21 on: October 19, 2002, 01:59:05 am »

A side comment
I tried EAC yesterday for the first time.
There is a fonction where you set about cds not in good condition.I must have put around 50 cds in the drive,but was not able to find one with any problem.
Look like that if you take care of your cds,there is no need for secutity when ripping.
Or,once again,i'am wrong?
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