Read offset for Plextor Premium 2

[RobertJA]

I have just started using dBpoweramp and I'm trying to verify that I am getting an exact rip on a CD-R that is not in the AccurateRip database. I bought a Plextor Premium 2 to get all the features and ensure that I could read into the lead in and lead out. dBpoweramp measures the drive offset at +30 (using a different CD). PlexTools reports the drive offset as 0. Which is correct and does this difference have anything to do with the issue I saw reference to in these forums of the calculated read offsets between drives being out by about 30?

Thanks. I didn't realise all this was so complicated. :smile:

[Spoon]

Re: Read offset for Plextor Premium 2

+30 is correct (using dBpoweramp & EAC referenced offsets).

[Thg6276]

Re: Read offset for Plextor Premium 2

I have also a Plextor Premium 2 and it is as mentionned by Spoon : +30

See one of my log file :

Ripping with drive 'H: [PLEXTOR - CD-R PREMIUM2 ]', Drive offset: 30, Overread Lead-in/out: Yes

[RobertJA]

Re: Read offset for Plextor Premium 2

I set up dBpoweramp to use Ultra Secure ripping - minimum of 2 ultra passes - with c2, fua and read into Lead-in and Lead-out, with an offset of +30. I used this to rip my CD-R and then ripped the same disk using PlexTools Professional XL V3.16 with 'Audio error detection' and 'Read again upon error'. I then used EAC's Compare WAV to compare tracks from the two rips.
Track 1 showed PlexTools with 30 repeated samples at 0:00:00.025
Track 2 showed dBpoweramp with 24 missing samples at 0:00:00.000 and PlexTools with 6 repeated samples at 0:00:00.037. Of the ten tracks ripped, 7 had differences similar to track 1 and the rest similar to Track 2.

Can anyone explain what is happening here? Thanks.

[Spoon]

Re: Read offset for Plextor Premium 2

Plex tools is ripping with a different offset...

[RobertJA]

Re: Read offset for Plextor Premium 2

Can you give me any more details on how this works?

I thought offsets were in samples but the timing shown indicates the differences in the third frame on most of the tracks.

Thanks.

[anthonyp]

Re: Read offset for Plextor Premium 2

Robert,

I know how this sort of problem can drive someone crazy, so I created an
account here for the sole purpose of answering your concern:

PlexTools Professional XL V3.16 has a bug - it does NOT detect/correct
the offset!

The free LE version, IIRC, *does* apply the +30 correction. Go here:

http://www.plextools.com/download/download.asp

and download "PlexTools Professional LE."

The problem with the LE version is that the option to create cue sheets is
grayed out!

Also, if you can "downgrade" to an earlier version of XL, it should work fine
as far as offset goes.

Let me know if this helps you at all. I feel badly no one else had chimed in
with this information!

Best,

Anthony

Can you give me any more details on how this works?

I thought offsets were in samples but the timing shown indicates the differences in the third frame on most of the tracks.

Thanks.

[RobertJA]

Re: Read offset for Plextor Premium 2

Thanks Anthony,

I have done as you suggested and used PlexTools Professional LE 3.13, re-ripped and compared the WAVs with those done with dBpoweramp; they are exactly the same now. Thanks again for taking the trouble to assist.

[mp3_is_crap]

Re: Read offset for Plextor Premium 2

PlexTools Professional XL V3.16 has a bug - it does NOT detect/correct
the offset!

I just wanted to revive the thread to re-establish the truth. Latest PlexTools Pro XL v3.16 is perfectly right when it says Premium 2 offset is 0. AccurateRip database is wrong as its original reference is actually off by 30 samples. Just check :

http://www.digital-inn.de/exact-audio-copy-english/28787-andre-wiethoff-who-feels-have-say-offsets.html

http://wiki.hydrogenaudio.org/index.php?title=AccurateRip

At worst, absolute zero reference is a myth so neither AccurateRip nor Plextools are right (or wrong).