Thanks again BP. Yes, Mac and though I've used XLD, which purports to be more thorough, I saw(heard) no benefit for those managing files in Tunes. So yes, both can point to same HD, and I love cake.
However, still would like to know without attempting, is the ripper in MC functional ? If so, and as a virtual drive, can MC stand on it's own ie is it a fully functional piece of software that, in this case, only requires OSX ? I realize this seems elementary, but there's little to confirm from documents. I find it strange that so much is presumed in the computer audio world, that it will remain daunting for mere audio mortals.
Anyway, going forward, this is powerful software, and with the multitude of downloadable file formats, ITunes seems redundant and exclusionary. As for ripping in MC, does it point to a storage device, or will this be a 2 step process of sorts ?