Feedback Requested for How-To Documentation

[LtData]

I plan on starting making some thorough how-to documentation on setting up and using dMC. Therefore, I am requesting areas you maybe had some trouble with or had some confusion with to make sure I pay the proper attention to those areas.

Also, I'm trying to decide if I should make them downloaded html files or a forum thread.

[Kim K.]

Re: Feedback Requested for How-To Documentation

Thank you in advance for taking on this endeavor. It is much needed. To me, the material on the website is written more with the aim of convincing the reader that dbpoweramp is the best ripping/conversion product rather than targeted to the user who wants to set it up and tweak it to get the most out of it.

I am a new user of dbpoweramp reference 13. I used EAC a couple of years ago for ~100 cds but stopped as it was difficult to use and it did not provide the assurance of a truly accurate rip. Otherwise, I employed iTunes because it was easy to use. Last month, I decided to rip my collection. I bought dbpoweramp because of the promise of accurate rips, ease of use, and flexibility in transcoding, but archival quality rips was the paramount criteria.

As a new user, the frustration with the dbpoweramp revolves around the lack of a quick start guide, a comprehensive user’s manual and concrete advice on drive selection and integration. I spent ~30 hours reading forum posts and guides before I felt comfortable starting my project. I created my own guide, which I posted last week as “setup cheat sheet for newbies”. I was surprised that only you and Spoon replied - thank you. I thought there would be more discussion from other forum members as to the choices I made. I am still unsure whether my choices appropiate. I hope my responses below to your request are helpful.

Workflow
I would surmise that dbpoweramp users bought it for different projects. Among these are the ‘paranoid audiophile’ who wants perfection and wants to be certain he got it, the ‘format changer’ that re-encodes his collection often to fit different hardware, and the ‘setting up a music server’ user. I suggest a section in terms of workflows centered on specific projects. For example:
- I want to rip my collection at the highest level of accuracy. I will then encode that for use on a media server and on an ipod.
- I have an existing ripped collection but I want to add artwork or better tags
- I want to rip my collection quickly with minimal fuss balancing quality and accuracy
- All my cds are scratched but I want the best I can get out of them.
Maybe in a future release a utility could set the proper options according to project.

Drive Selection & Integration
AccurateRip is a great invention which makes drive selection nearly irrelevant. But since the quality of C2 implementation varies, drive selection and integration do matter. Time after time people ask for drive recommendations but the response is that no recommendation can be made since there are too many to opine on and the models change too frequently anyway. This does not answer the question whether or not the user’s drive is the best they could use (or at least adequate). I understand Illustrate is not in the business of being a review site for drives, but when drive selection and integration appears critical for the use of its software an answer is important.

Maybe, a feedback tool which assesses a user’s drive, submits feedback to Illustrate, and builds a drive database on the website... or the use of a second drive integrated into the software that matches the results from the two drives… or a partnership with a drive review site that addresses the quality of C2 implementation… or a joint venture between Illustrate and a drive manufacturer resulting in a ‘dbpoweramp certified’ drive.

Given the current version, what is the precise process for integrating the drive?

Drive Settings
- What process can I use to ensure the test’s result?
- C2. The C2 test is great, but accurate detection is not always assured either because of false positives or that the disc wasn’t scratched enough. To increase my confidence in the test result, I used Nero’s info tool. The guide should provide more help determining the presence of C2.
- Cache. Test said no in my case, but I’m certain.
- FUA. Irrelevant unless you have a Plextor – should say that in the settings.
- HTOA. Again, test said no in my case, but I’m certain. Under what circumstances should I look for a drive that has it?
- Secure Ripping. For the 100 Mobile Fidelity and DCC discs I have and are surely not in the AccurateRip database, I determined I could use secure rip to ensure a 100% accurate rip. I also enabled ultra and changed passes to 3. I think that’s right but I am not sure.
- Naming scheme. I went with the default but the amount of discussion about this topic makes me feel I maybe missing something. I saw the guide in the forums but it would be better if there was a guide that gave suggestions by project or intended use, for example, what is the scheme so my rips match my iTunes purchases.

Preferred Output
For me, a downloadable pdf is the preferred format. Forum threads are disjointed, can go off on a tangent, and at times do not reach a conclusion as to the correct answer. I want a document that has the latest best practice on using dbpoweramp.

[LtData]

Re: Feedback Requested for How-To Documentation

Note that the forum thread would be in the FAQ section of this forum, and a feedback thread would take the user's posts.

I don't think this would be the best place to discuss drive selection/integration, personally, so I am unsure if it will be included.

Also, I plan on making a basic "quick start" guide then a more advanced guide useful for exposing the advanced features of dMC.

[Kim K.]

Re: Feedback Requested for How-To Documentation

Would it be possible to turn on the edit feature? For some reason when I copied and pasted my post from word some prefixes were dropped, e.g., uncertain became certain - which of course changes the meaning of the sentences.

[LtData]

Re: Feedback Requested for How-To Documentation

The edit feature is only active for a certain amount of time, currently, for normal users. However, if you want to PM me what to fix, I can edit your post for you.

[catch22]

Re: Feedback Requested for How-To Documentation

...As a new user, the frustration with the dbpoweramp revolves around the lack of a quick start guide, a comprehensive user’s manual and concrete advice on drive selection and integration. I spent ~30 hours reading forum posts and guides before I felt comfortable starting my project...

Spot on!
I admit I didn't spend 30 hrs yet, but a fair amount already just to find "how to play a complete cd in Play Audio CD (the icon came along with DL the software)" and still don't have a clue.
I have to go back to Explorer every time to click playing the next track. (Any ideas where I can find the appropriate thread?)

Also directly (without opening explorer) adding songs from the music library to an existing playlist is a mystery.

Most posts I see are about "ripping" and "codecs"; half of them sound like rocket-science to me :blush:
It would be a shame to dump this great player just cause there's too many questions on how to...

(detail: I hope you don't mind I'm not a registered paying user :blush

[LtData]

Re: Feedback Requested for How-To Documentation

catch22: You're talking about the audio player, not the music converter. And it's fine you aren't a registered paying user, everybody can get support here.

[catch22]

Re: Feedback Requested for How-To Documentation

catch22: You're talking about the audio player, not the music converter...

Indeed I am, and I still don't know which would be the appropriate forum-segment to post about CD-player issues :o

[LtData]

Re: Feedback Requested for How-To Documentation

The section for the Audio Player, here: http://forum.dbpoweramp.com/forumdisplay.php?f=15

[catch22]

Re: Feedback Requested for How-To Documentation

The section for the Audio Player, here: http://forum.dbpoweramp.com/forumdisplay.php?f=15

Thank you! :komisch12