Topic: How Many Rip in Mediacenter? (Read 3978 times)

Scarpad · « **on:** December 20, 2006, 07:58:14 am »

Just Wondering how many are using Mediacenter 12 or 11 for ripping CD's. If so what they are using for a codec, I've always used WMA usually VBR at the next to Highest level, but I tried using the Lame encoder at a VBR level 256k or thereabouts and it sounds pretty nice using the next to highest quality level.

dcwebman · « **Reply #1 on:** December 20, 2006, 08:01:56 am »

I have been using MC 12 exclusively for ripping since I got into the beta. I use MP3 Encoding VBR High target quality. You'll get a lot of replies about people doing lossless ripping but my ears aren't that good anymore, or maybe they never were.

BartMan01 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 20, 2006, 08:10:57 am »

I've done all my recent (as in for at least a few years) ripping with MC (using secure mode).
After ripping my stuff to lossy format once (years ago), and then deciding to re-rip as MP3 encoding improved - I went with APE the second time around. Lossless means never having to rip again (barring data loss), and HD space is cheaper than the time it takes to rip even a medium sized collection.

Scarpad · « **Reply #3 on:** December 20, 2006, 08:28:34 am »

I've been using Itunes on my Mac Mini to do apple lossless, I might switch over to Ape or Flac

JohnM · « **Reply #4 on:** December 20, 2006, 08:38:42 am »

Quote

I've done all my recent (as in for at least a few years) ripping with MC (using secure mode).
After ripping my stuff to lossy format once (years ago), and then deciding to re-rip as MP3 encoding improved - I went with APE the second time around. Lossless means never having to rip again (barring data loss), and HD space is cheaper than the time it takes to rip even a medium sized collection.

Ditto... almost (take away the re-rip to mp3)
My only drawback when ripping to a lossless (or any format not supported by our portables) format (APE) is... having an old computer with a slower processor... that it takes a while to transfer the music to our portables when the music files has to be encoded/converted to mp3 or wma before the actual file transfer. This issue is easily fixed with a new computer...
BR John

JimH · « **Reply #5 on:** December 20, 2006, 08:45:05 am »

Quote from: JohnM on December 20, 2006, 08:38:42 am

..it takes a while to transfer the music to our portables when the music files has to be encoded/converted to mp3 or wma before the actual file transfer.

MC12 has a cache that saves converted files. When you synch the next time, it checks the cache to see whether a file's been converted. This means that only newly added files must be converted.

Scarpad · « **Reply #6 on:** December 20, 2006, 08:54:21 am »

How is that Cache handled Jim I take it that it caches on the local Drive? Is this changable, and are'nt you in essance then keeping two sets of libraries? I do like 12's option to use a lossless library and have it convert to a certain bitrate for portables.

Scarpad · « **Reply #7 on:** December 20, 2006, 10:05:30 am »

How easy is it to maintain two libraries in Media Center? I use my laptop connected to a 500GB external drive. I'd like to keep my Lossless library on it, but maintain a Lossy Library on the Laptop's drive for when I use the notebook on the go...

Listener · « **Reply #8 on:** December 20, 2006, 10:10:08 am »

I use MC 11 in secure mode for all my ripping. All Flac files.

Bill

benn600 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 20, 2006, 10:53:14 am »

That is funny how people still use lossy in this day and age. I feel sorry for iTunes purchasers.

I just bought a 250GB external hard drive--which would almost hold my entire 10.5K song collection which comes to 267GB for $80, free shipping, no tax! Few people, generally speaking, have that many songs on studio CDs. Lots of people may have that many songs but most of them were downloaded. My point here is that for $80, most collections could be saved in lossless! You should double the price to get a second for backup, too!

A 500GB drive is $180! Talk about cheap! I remember when we upgraded our first *real* computer. It had a 2.5GB hard drive (I know, some go back to the 5MB drives for $500). We upgraded it to a 20GB drive for $100 at Sams Club. 12 times the space for less money. Funny how mp3 usually compresses to about 1/10 or so (in lower modes)...so you can use a 20GB hard drive to store approximately the same songs as a 250 in lossless.

BartMan01 · « **Reply #10 on:** December 20, 2006, 12:00:08 pm »

Quote from: Scarpad on December 20, 2006, 08:54:21 am

How is that Cache handled Jim I take it that it caches on the local Drive? Is this changable, and are'nt you in essance then keeping two sets of libraries? I do like 12's option to use a lossless library and have it convert to a certain bitrate for portables.

It puts the files where you specify in the options. There is also an option to pre-cache the files, but I don't like the current implementation. You have to have the device hooked up to see it, and then (at least as of the last time I tried it), it runs in the background with no status update that I can see. So you have no way of knowing if it is really running or when it is done. It doesn't keep them as a 'library' item, just as a folder with pre-converted files in it. You don't 'see' them at all in MC.

dcwebman · « **Reply #11 on:** December 20, 2006, 01:27:55 pm »

Quote from: Scarpad on December 20, 2006, 10:05:30 am

How easy is it to maintain two libraries in Media Center? I use my laptop connected to a 500GB external drive. I'd like to keep my Lossless library on it, but maintain a Lossy Library on the Laptop's drive for when I use the notebook on the go...

It isn't "too" bad. I use a different library for already converted files for my smartphone. It's easy to switch libraries but the problem is that the Options that are library related like file locations doesn't change so you have to change the Options manually if you need those functions.

KingSparta · « **Reply #12 on:** December 20, 2006, 01:44:36 pm »

MP3 Is A Standard And More Portable Than Other Formats.

Who Supports A Format And Does Not Include MP3? Or Away To Convert On The Fly From MP3 To There Format On A MP3 Player?

None

lalittle · « **Reply #13 on:** December 20, 2006, 06:45:04 pm »

Quote from: Scarpad on December 20, 2006, 07:58:14 am

Just Wondering how many are using Mediacenter 12 or 11 for ripping CD's. If so what they are using for a codec, I've always used WMA usually VBR at the next to Highest level, but I tried using the Lame encoder at a VBR level 256k or thereabouts and it sounds pretty nice using the next to highest quality level.

I've been using MC for ripping for a while now. I currently use VBR MP3 with the default encoder (LAME) using the "high" quality setting (which averages 192kbps.) This seems to be the "sweet spot" for quality/space. I rip in "Secure" mode to ensure a good read. If I want to listen "losslessly," I just use the original CD, but in my experience this level of MP3 is actually pretty transparent.

When listenning in the car or on an iPod, there is WAY more degradation to the sound due to the amp and environment than there is due to the encoding.

Larry

mightybrick · « **Reply #14 on:** December 20, 2006, 08:46:26 pm »

Ripping in Media Center with secure mode is the way to go. I rip my stuff using the aotuv ogg vorbis encoder @ -q4 (~128kbps). It's transparent to my ears, and the perfect size for my iPod.

johnnyboy · « **Reply #15 on:** December 21, 2006, 06:38:12 am »

I use mp3 at VBR Extreme.
Unless you're using high end equipment and have really good ears it's as good as lossless pretty much for Mr Jo Average (I do most my music listening on my computer with some $100 speakers and onboard sound card or on my mp3 player with some good quality $40 Sony ear plugs - either way, lossless is going to make no diff).

Your better off with mp3 as it has absolutely no DRM built in so you'll never get bitten in the ass and also the fact that its around as totally cross platform/device as is possible to get.

Scarpad · « **Reply #16 on:** December 21, 2006, 07:33:44 am »

Quote from: lalittle on December 20, 2006, 06:45:04 pm

I've been using MC for ripping for a while now. I currently use VBR MP3 with the default encoder (LAME) using the "high" quality setting (which averages 192kbps.) This seems to be the "sweet spot" for quality/space. I rip in "Secure" mode to ensure a good read. If I want to listen "losslessly," I just use the original CD, but in my experience this level of MP3 is actually pretty transparent.

When listenning in the car or on an iPod, there is WAY more degradation to the sound due to the amp and environment than there is due to the encoding.

Larry

I see alot of talk of ripping in "Secure" mode , what exactly is this ?

dcwebman · « **Reply #17 on:** December 21, 2006, 07:48:35 am »

Quote from: Scarpad on December 21, 2006, 07:33:44 am

I see alot of talk of ripping in "Secure" mode , what exactly is this ?

Please see about Secure under Copy mode: http://wiki.jrmediacenter.com/index.php/Advanced_CD_Ripping_Settings

(Hey, this Wiki might work great after all)

Magic_Randy · « **Reply #18 on:** December 21, 2006, 11:19:24 pm »

99% of my collection is ripped from CDs + a few DVDs
All of my ripping is with MC - except for the DVDs
All are MP3 CBR 192kbps - I redid everything last year, before that they were MP3 CBR 128kbps
All are stored on an external drive
The external music drive is backed up to another external drive
I find MP3 CBR 192kbps to be good enough for the PC and iPod
If I want top quality playback on the home theater system - I play the original CDs or DVDs

modelmaker · « **Reply #19 on:** December 22, 2006, 04:15:17 am »

I have used MC to rip since MC 9.0, 90% of the time). 25% ape (classical & some jazz), 75% VBR 256 extreme (rock, pop, jazz). 40k+ tracks, cost is still an issue with my budget.

grahamk · « **Reply #20 on:** December 27, 2006, 08:30:13 am »

Now that winter is here and I am generally stuck inside I am about to re-rip all of my CDs in ape. Previously I ripped them in 320 CBR, but I have more storage now. My library is on a NetApp FAS960 - don't ask where I got that. ;-)

I previously used cdex to rip because it was the only program that allowed me to rip from more than one drive at a time, I have 3 drives in my PC. Previous versions of MC didn't allow you to rip from more than one drive at a time - if MC12 allows this (haven't tried it yet) I will probably use it to rip...

Graham

Mr ChriZ · « **Reply #21 on:** December 27, 2006, 08:34:27 am »

Quote from: grahamk on December 27, 2006, 08:30:13 am

Now that winter is here and I am generally stuck inside I am about to re-rip all of my CDs in ape. Previously I ripped them in 320 CBR, but I have more storage now. My library is on a NetApp FAS960 - don't ask where I got that. ;-)

I previously used cdex to rip because it was the only program that allowed me to rip from more than one drive at a time, I have 3 drives in my PC. Previous versions of MC didn't allow you to rip from more than one drive at a time - if MC12 allows this (haven't tried it yet) I will probably use it to rip...

Graham

Remember to select Secure Rip Mode.
MC12 allows multi drive ripping, as did 11, and even possibly 10, I can't remember.

NetMage · « **Reply #22 on:** December 31, 2006, 06:48:43 pm »

After trying a few, I purchased Media Center specifically to rip.

I always rip to wave, then convert from wave to MP3 VBR Extreme afterwards. This is so I can rip at full speed on my CD drive (I typically rip multiple albums at a time) and then leave MC11 converting overnight.

lalittle · « **Reply #23 on:** December 31, 2006, 08:08:02 pm »

Quote from: NetMage on December 31, 2006, 06:48:43 pm

I always rip to wave, then convert from wave to MP3 VBR Extreme afterwards. This is so I can rip at full speed on my CD drive (I typically rip multiple albums at a time) and then leave MC11 converting overnight.

Did you try using the "rip and encode simultaneously" option? I thought that this was what that setting was for.

Thanks,

Larry

NetMage · « **Reply #24 on:** January 02, 2007, 06:49:42 pm »

In previous versions, that didn't run at full speed - since I used to encode with external LAME MP3 (before I knew how to update MC's LAME and set it up properly) it seemed I was either exceeding disk bandwidth (esp. since MC would copy the wav file to a temp location, then run external LAME, then delete both wave files *sigh*) or it isn't entirely simulataneous so there would be a pause between ripping and my Lite-On CD Player would drop down to slow speed and then speed back up again - greatly slowing down the overall CD RIP speed. Plus multi-drive RIP would crash a lot on the previous versions for me.

I'll have to try it again with internal LAME and see how it does.

benn600 · « **Reply #25 on:** January 02, 2007, 08:20:58 pm »

You want the three drop down's in the Advanced CD options to be 1, 1, 2. That way, it will rip one (without encoding simultaneously) and encode later. The way I have it (which should be like I described) lets it rip at full speed and it encodes each track after it has been ripped. With FLAC quality 8, it takes a lot longer than it takes to rip but at least I can pull the discs and the drive can spin down when it's finished. It takes over twice as long to encode compared to the rip process.

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Author Topic: How Many Rip in Mediacenter? (Read 3978 times)