New drive - have a few questions - please help!

Hi all,

Just took delivery of an ASUS TurboDrive BW-16D1H-U external USB 3 drive for my ripping needs. I have a few queries I was wondering if you could help me with:

1. dBpa could not locate the drive in Accurate Rip offset database when inserting a disc (which was in the db) - Is it "safe" to rely on the list here [url]http://www.accuraterip.com/driveoffsets.htm?[/url] Only two people have submitted a value of +6 - how do I know this is correct?

2. Even if I had entered the "wrong" offset - let's say + 5 rather than +6. What would that do to my rips?

3. The drive supports C2 but I have to tick the C2 pointers over USB for it to work - is that common? If I do not tick the USB option it will not rip properly simply creating 4kb files.

4. Re C2 vs AccurateRip - could I safely rip in burst mode instead of secure mode and rely on this rip AS LONG AS it is an accurate rip?

Thanks all!

Nubben

To use the drive with accuraterip you have to keep feeding discs until it configures, you cannot manually configure.

You would have to create a test scratched CD to test that c2 works. AccurateRip can work without c2 pointers for secure mode, no need to use burst.

Thanks Spoon.

However it allowed me to add a number manually - in this case +6 which I did. There is no way for me now to undo this - or is there? As soon as I insert a CD it shows +6 as the offset but it has not configured it automatically like I have seen on other drives using the same discs.

I know in some previous versions of dBpa you could in fact re-set the offset but no longer it seems?

I'm on a Mac - can I do this by deleting a file or anything (similar to the Win registry)?

Ah yes on the mac you can set the offset.

[B]1. [/B]So if I would like to re-set the value I would have to completely delete dBpa and its settings and start over?

[B]2. [/B]The drive was identified successfully but in [B]dBpoweramp 15.1[/B] (needed three key discs) in Windows 7 with a sample rate offset of +667 and not +6 as in the drive list - how can that be? I keep feeding discs on the Mac to no avail. Does this mean this drive is not a "good" drive?

3. I also created an EAC Offset CD in Win to manually verify it and it too cam euphorias with +667.


Just want to make sure this drive is actually a good purchase or not - I am sure I don't fully understand the sample offset fully - but +667 samples seems like a lot. I need to know the drive is accurate.

On the mac it will only use the value in the online database. You should submit your drive on Windows and it will be excluded from the database, this will not help you on the mac though as no offset will be used.

Hi Spoon, sorry I don't understand.

I can confirm I submitted the drive in Windows (at least I think I did) when it configured it. I also created this EAC Offset CD which confirmed the offset to be +667. Can I simply not add that value on the Mac if I start from scratch?

Also, are you saying that I'm unable to use this drive properly now since it will use no offset? I don't really care either way as ALL I care about is to have the most accurate of rips.

Many thanks

A rip is accurate or not - that is like a black and white descision. There nothing in between.


Dat Ei

Thanks again Dat Ei for your input. Are you saying that I could use any offset with the drive as long as it rips an accurate file? If so, what is the point with the offsets?

Thanks!

As Spoon said before, dBpa on MacOS will only use the offset value in the online databse. So there is no need to fiddle around with that valu for you. If you get accurate rips, there is even no need for you to make up your mind.


Dat Ei

Thanks again. So even if I manually added the offset (in the MacOS version which I could) it will not use this value? Doesn't make any sense to me... I thought the purpose of being able to manually add it would allow me to add it even if it could not locate the drive in the offline database. So if I managed to add it using three key discs in Win and it determined it to be +667 I should then be able to add it in macOS with a value of +667?

(Sorry for the continued questions but I just don't get this.)

If you enter the offset and the drive appears online it will be replaced.

Thanks Spoon. In this case you mentioned that the drive will NOT be included in the online database. Apologies but I do not undertand what you mean by your latest reply. Are you saying that if I enter the drive manually with a value of +667 in macOS and it later gets deleted in the offset database as you said - will it then automatically update my drive offset with a "0" in macos?

The answer to this is probably very simple but I am not gasping the offset concept and if my new drive is a dud.

Thanks again for your time.

Hi Spoon, what do you suggest that I do here? Shall I enter the +667 manually in macOS or not? Unfortunately I do not understand what you mean above.

Hoping you can explain further.

Many thanks

I would replace the drive...

Some drives the manufacturers silently replace the drive internals with a different drive, hence the change in drive offsets for the same model. When enough people submit both offsets the drive is removed from accuraterip.

Hi Spoon, ok thanks for your reply. Please can you just also answer this question (and I will go away....):

If I add the +667 offset manually and continue using the drive with that offset (for difficult to rip CDs - it has already ripped a CD accurately which only could be ripped as Insecure on two other drives) as long as I get either an Accurate rip or it is Secure?

Many thanks

Nubben

[QUOTE=Nubben;193463]Hi Spoon, ok thanks for your reply. Please can you just also answer this question (and I will go away....):

If I add the +667 offset manually and continue using the drive with that offset (for difficult to rip CDs - it has already ripped a CD accurately which only could be ripped as Insecure on two other drives) as long as I get either an Accurate rip or it is Secure?

Many thanks

Nubben[/QUOTE]

Hi Spoon, was wondering if you would be able to opine on this? Many thanks!

Nubben

If you manually enter the offset then AccurateRip will not function (on the PC).

[QUOTE=Spoon;193687]If you manually enter the offset then AccurateRip will not function (on the PC).[/QUOTE]

Thanks Spoon - but I thought you could not enter the offset manually on the PC? I am on Mac, where I can enter it manually. So:

1. Will it still work on the [U][B]Mac[/B][/U]; and
2. Presumably if I do [U][B]not [/B][/U]rely on AccurateRip using the Secure (only) method it would still be ok?

Thanks

It would probably work OK on the mac.

[QUOTE=Nubben;193692]2. Presumably if I do [U][B]not [/B][/U]rely on AccurateRip using the Secure (only) method it would still be ok?
[/QUOTE]

Yes, probably OK most of the time, but in my opinion, you don't want to be ripping with a drive that does NOT support AccurateRip. AccurateRip is very valuable and why bother going through the secure ripping process with a drive that doesn't support AR? I suppose you could rip using SECURE ripping and no AR, and then later check those ripped files for AR match using PerfectTunes.

[QUOTE=Spoon;193697]It would probably work OK on the mac.[/QUOTE]

Ok, many thanks Spoon - much appreciated.

[QUOTE=garym;193704]Yes, probably OK most of the time, but in my opinion, you don't want to be ripping with a drive that does NOT support AccurateRip. AccurateRip is very valuable and why bother going through the secure ripping process with a drive that doesn't support AR? I suppose you could rip using SECURE ripping and no AR, and then later check those ripped files for AR match using PerfectTunes.[/QUOTE]

Many thanks for that Gary - much appreciated