AccurateRip: Uncorrupting Corrupt Files?

[Redd]

I'm easily baffled. When I run dbPoweramp and AccurateRip reports a corrupt file, what do I do about that besides take notes?

The file may be from an LP I digtized, or an "original" CD which has since been remastered, which often changes the music. I find that track break points on live sets are often changed and done incorrectly in the remasters, among other audible changes to the mix.

But even if I am ripping from a CD, and the CD looks perfect to the eyeball, and the CD drive is running at the slowest speed and has proven reliable in the past, what can I do about a track that is reported as corrupt?? I'm not going to go out and buy a dozen more copies in the hope of a better pressing. I'm not hearing any problem with the music. So, is this feature really going to help me find the promised land in some way? What am I missing??

[garym]

Re: AccurateRip: Uncorrupting Corrupt Files?

Rerip on another drive, buy another copy of the CD and rip, or just live with it. By the way, a corrupt file could be a few microseconds of bad data that are not audible to the listener. I've had brand new CDs, never played and only ripped trigger some problems. Could be a manufacturing defect, etc. By the way, using a slow drive speed in ripping may be the worst thing to do. Some drives are more accurate rippers at higher speeds.

Note: I'd be surprised that ACCURATERIP could check your own digitized LPs. These wouldn't match exactly the existing CD rips, regardless of pressing version.

[Redd]

Re: AccurateRip: Uncorrupting Corrupt Files?

"Rerip on another drive, buy another copy of the CD and rip, or"
As I said, I'm not going to throw out money on a dozen more copies expecting one of them might be better. In the LP days it was not uncommon to get a bad pressing, return the LP for another one, find the same defect, even three or four times in a row. If the master is corrupt or the pressing is from a bad batch, it won't be the only bad one.

If all that AccurateRip can do is tell me "there's a potentially inaudible problem here" then frankly, it has no use to me. If there was a surefire way to correct the problem--that would be worth something.

It will check the digitized LPs, but of course they are "corrupt" versus the CD images. Even though some of them are actually superior, i.e. having the track breaks in the RIGHT places.

[garym]

Re: AccurateRip: Uncorrupting Corrupt Files?

"Rerip on another drive, buy another copy of the CD and rip, or"
As I said, I'm not going to throw out money on a dozen more copies expecting one of them might be better. In the LP days it was not uncommon to get a bad pressing, return the LP for another one, find the same defect, even three or four times in a row. If the master is corrupt or the pressing is from a bad batch, it won't be the only bad one.

If all that AccurateRip can do is tell me "there's a potentially inaudible problem here" then frankly, it has no use to me. If there was a surefire way to correct the problem--that would be worth something.

It will check the digitized LPs, but of course they are "corrupt" versus the CD images. Even though some of them are actually superior, i.e. having the track breaks in the RIGHT places.

You should read up a bit on ACCURATERIP. I don't think you fully understand what it does. See, for example,

http://www.accuraterip.com/

Essentially, it is a test for the fact that the CD rip you have done (from a CD) is bit perfect. Without AccurateRip, one would only "assume" that it is bit perfect with no errors. A second step would be to rip the same CD on a different machine and compare the track CRC values to determine if they are identical. But even here, you are comparing two rips of the SAME physical CD. What ACCURATERIP does is compare your rip of a CD to the many other people around the world that have ripped that same CD (yet different physical copies), using many different computers and CD/DVD readers, and then determined that the track CRCs are identical to your rip. This is amazing insurance that your rip is in fact bit perfect back to the CD.

[Redd]

Re: AccurateRip: Uncorrupting Corrupt Files?

I understand that gary. And I have read up on it.

It just makes no sense to me to have software that says "This file is imperfect" without the other half of the picture, i.e. How then does one get or make it perfect?

It is like someone saying "We're all going to die one day." Okay, yes, we all certainly will. So?

If I can't hear any errors, and can't fix any errors, other than by throwing more pasta at the wall [sic] to see if any sticks, then what good does it for me to know "there's probably an inaudible uncorruptible error in this file." I was hoping that there was another piece to this picture, and a way to correct the file. From some repository, or some other means.

"Keep buying more CDs and maybe one of them will be better, but your ears won't know that anyhow" doesn't seem really useful to me. Then again, I never figured out why anyone would iron their socks, either, and some people feel compelled to do that.

[garym]

Re: AccurateRip: Uncorrupting Corrupt Files?

I understand that gary. And I have read up on it.

It just makes no sense to me to have software that says "This file is imperfect" without the other half of the picture, i.e. How then does one get or make it perfect?

It is like someone saying "We're all going to die one day." Okay, yes, we all certainly will. So?

If I can't hear any errors, and can't fix any errors, other than by throwing more pasta at the wall [sic] to see if any sticks, then what good does it for me to know "there's probably an inaudible uncorruptible error in this file." I was hoping that there was another piece to this picture, and a way to correct the file. From some repository, or some other means.

"Keep buying more CDs and maybe one of them will be better, but your ears won't know that anyhow" doesn't seem really useful to me. Then again, I never figured out why anyone would iron their socks, either, and some people feel compelled to do that.

You would be interested in this function of cuetools.

http://www.cuetools.net/wiki/CUETools_Database

[Redd]

Re: AccurateRip: Uncorrupting Corrupt Files?

Yes! Thank you, gary. That looks like what I was hoping to find in AR. Now of course, I just have to remember which tracks were flagged as bad. Across the whole library.
Or maybe just set it up for the future.<G>

[FredipusRex]

Re: AccurateRip: Uncorrupting Corrupt Files?

I would also highly recommend CueTools for difficult discs. Nothing beats dbPowerAmp for ease of use and streamlined ripping/converting, but it's error recovery is really quite poor in comparison to CueTools. I can routinely get perfect, AR'd rips from CDs that dbPowerAmp simply chokes on (I once let dbPA gnaw on a disc for over an hour and got errors, switched to CueRipper and got a perfect rip in two minutes). The error recovery feature, when even CueRipper can't rip cleanly, is a separate step via CueTools but is almost like magic - takes a bit to set up right the first time but once done, it automatically pulls error correction codes from CueTools DB and suddenly you've got perfectly AR'd tracks.

The unfortunate bit is the CueTools is a disorganized mess from a GUI and workflow perspective. Use dbPA for most of your ripping/encoding (it's a breeze) but keep CueTools for problematic discs. If the CueTools devs ever get a decent GUI designer, Illustrate will have some real competition. Until then, a great but niche product.

[Redd]

Re: AccurateRip: Uncorrupting Corrupt Files?

CueTools is a bit, well, baffling to me. But I started to run it against my FLAC directory and it has created a FLAC/Converted directory. Is it rash to assume that it is taking my FLAC files and....putting "fixed" versions of any defective ones in the Converted directory? Or...what?

[garym]

Re: AccurateRip: Uncorrupting Corrupt Files?

CueTools is a bit, well, baffling to me. But I started to run it against my FLAC directory and it has created a FLAC/Converted directory. Is it rash to assume that it is taking my FLAC files and....putting "fixed" versions of any defective ones in the Converted directory? Or...what?

I've not used it much. Played with it a bit, but was not very user friendly. I'm not sure if they have their own forum (cuetools), but I know that there are several threads from users over at hydrogenaud.io. I suspect this would be a good place to ask. For example, try this thread.

http://www.hydrogenaud.io/forums/index.php?showtopic=79882&hl=cuetools

[Redd]

Re: AccurateRip: Uncorrupting Corrupt Files?

I'm so confused. I'd better check the mirror to see if I'm a blonde.(G)

The hydrogenaudio files are really lengthy and technical but don't seem to discuss actually how to use CT.

CT's wiki page has recently grown, still doesn't seem to have a basic README or quickstart guide, but ominously says:
"So make sure you have original .cue sheet and EAC .log available. "

Cue sheets? No, who keeps them in a music library? EAC? No, it looked like that was orphaned a couple of years ago, I dumped it in favor of the integral ripper in DBPA.

So...If I believe the wiki, Cuetools will be useless without the CUE sheets, which won't exist unless I physically reload and rerip every last CD?

Maybe I can chase down the author (of CT) and put together a plain English quickstart file for him.

I never realized how blonde I was before.(G)

[garym]

Re: AccurateRip: Uncorrupting Corrupt Files?

I'm so confused. I'd better check the mirror to see if I'm a blonde.(G)

The hydrogenaudio files are really lengthy and technical but don't seem to discuss actually how to use CT.

CT's wiki page has recently grown, still doesn't seem to have a basic README or quickstart guide, but ominously says:
"So make sure you have original .cue sheet and EAC .log available. "

Cue sheets? No, who keeps them in a music library? EAC? No, it looked like that was orphaned a couple of years ago, I dumped it in favor of the integral ripper in DBPA.

So...If I believe the wiki, Cuetools will be useless without the CUE sheets, which won't exist unless I physically reload and rerip every last CD?

Maybe I can chase down the author (of CT) and put together a plain English quickstart file for him.

I never realized how blonde I was before.(G)

No, newer versions of cuetools don't actually require that you have saved the album rips as a cue file. It will work with individual track rips. but this forum is not really the place to get help on cuetools. It is a competing product. Sorta like going to a Ford website to get help on questions about your Honda. I do agree that cuetools is not the most user friendly. But currently it is the only program I'm aware of that will do the "corrections" you seek. :smile2:

[S80_UK]

Re: AccurateRip: Uncorrupting Corrupt Files?

Now of course, I just have to remember which tracks were flagged as bad. Across the whole library.

No - As I found out today - press the "i" button (not marked as a button) on the results screen to see a log of the albums and tracks which were found to have errors. You can save this as a text file for later reference.

[rupertone]

Re: AccurateRip: Uncorrupting Corrupt Files?

If it sounds ok what's the problem leave it alone regards.

[rupertone]

Re: AccurateRip: Uncorrupting Corrupt Files?

Re I found a lot of my collection marked as corrupt but I don't think so people can be to picky if you like it keep it best regards.