Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Peter A, Sweden]

I noticed that some music that I ripped sounded bad, with clipping distorsion during loud parts. I  have done some testing:

- The clipping is both when ripping to mp3 and wav (setting normalization to a lower value does not help).
- It's not clipping on the original CD (I made a low level analogue recording from my external CD-player, and it was OK).
- It's both when ripping with Media Jukebox and CDex.
- I have removed the analogue cable from the CD to the sound card, so it's not analogue clipping at the sound card.
- I have tested ripping from both my CD-player and my CD-writer -- clipping from both.
- I have checked the device manager, and enabled digital CD playback and lower CD playback volume. Still clipping.

It seems like it is a level mismatch for the digital transfer from the CD to the wav-file. Is this possible? Does anyone know what the problem might be? Would be very grateful for suggestions.

[JimH]

Not all drives will support digital playback without errors.

Another possibility is mouse activity or other program activity during the rip.

[Peter A, Sweden]

Thanks for your suggestions Jim.

Well it seems as the drives support digital playback. And it could not be other program activity in the computer that is disturbing, since the rippings are perfect, except that the level is too high, so that some peaks are higher than 100 % and therefore are clipped. If you try again it's exactly the same (I have checked the waveforms).

My PC is a mix of components from different manufacturers. Is it possible that there is a lack of standard regarding interpretation of the sound-level in the digital code from the CD? (Sounds unlikely to me...)

[JimH]

Try turning digital playback off.  You'll need to put the audio cable back on the CD drive.  Just to see what happens.

Your comment:
> Well it seems as the drives support digital playback.

True, but it may not work correctly.

[Peter A, Sweden]

Thanks again Jim for suggestions.

I put the audio cable back and turned the digital playback off. And lowered the CD playback level. However, no change, still clipping.

I'm running out of ideas...

[JohnT]

Make sure you have DSP and EQ turned off for playback in MJ.

[Charlemagne 8]

I get bad clipping with DSP off. I need the "clip protection".
I rarely use EQ and DSP together.
CVIII