Newbie Ripping Question

[1mrdad]

I want to rip my cd's with the highest possible audio quality. However, the receiver in my car will not read FLAC. So, I was going to rip all of my cd's to WAV files. Will dBpoweramp allow me to to attach the metadata? Thanks.

[BrodyBoy]

I want to rip my cd's with the highest possible audio quality. However, the receiver in my car will not read FLAC. So, I was going to rip all of my cd's to WAV files. Will dBpoweramp allow me to to attach the metadata? Thanks.

Yes, but that's not a very good choice for your car, either. WAV files are huge, and their metadata is more limited and finicky. The large files matter because auto applications are generally confined to space-limited media, and the metadata matters because car audio systems are not especially sophisticated in handling tags....some are downright stupid about it.

What codecs does the documentation for your car system say it supports?

[eaglescout1998]

My suggestion would be ripping to FLAC, that way you would have a lossless archive from which you can create a separate MP3 archive for your car or portable device.

[1mrdad]

Yes, but that's not a very good choice for your car, either. WAV files are huge, and their metadata is more limited and finicky. The large files matter because auto applications are generally confined to space-limited media, and the metadata matters because car audio systems are not especially sophisticated in handling tags....some are downright stupid about it.

What codecs does the documentation for your car system say it supports?

My Kenwood KDC-X998 will read MP3, WMA, AAC, and WAV files. Because I can connect up to a 2TB hard drive, through one of the USB ports, I initially was not concerned about file size. However, I haven't found a hard drive yet that will work in the temperature extremes of my area.

[BrodyBoy]

My Kenwood KDC-X998 will read MP3, WMA, AAC, and WAV files. Because I can connect up to a 2TB hard drive, through one of the USB ports, I initially was not concerned about file size. However, I haven't found a hard drive yet that will work in the temperature extremes of my area.

Yeah, I think an external mechanical HD presents a few issues for use in a car. Temps are one of them, but I'd also be concerned about whether a car audio unit will properly power a USB hard drive. (I just don't believe those manufacturers put much into the quality or consistency of that power supply.)

If you wish to pursue this idea of USB-attached external media, I'd consider a non-mechanical source with minimal power requirements, like an SSD or thumb drive. Then I would, as another poster suggested, rip to the best lossless format for your in-house system(s)....FLAC or whatever. From there, you can easily convert versions specifically for your car and put them on the USB media. I'd suggest you go with high-bit-rate mp3 or AAC, since that has all the quality you need in a car and allows you to put a lot of music on something like a 64 or 128Gb thumb drive.

[1mrdad]

Yeah, I think an external mechanical HD presents a few issues for use in a car. Temps are one of them, but I'd also be concerned about whether a car audio unit will properly power a USB hard drive. (I just don't believe those manufacturers put much into the quality or consistency of that power supply.)

If you wish to pursue this idea of USB-attached external media, I'd consider a non-mechanical source with minimal power requirements, like an SSD or thumb drive. Then I would, as another poster suggested, rip to the best lossless format for your in-house system(s)....FLAC or whatever. From there, you can easily convert versions specifically for your car and put them on the USB media. I'd suggest you go with high-bit-rate mp3 or AAC, since that has all the quality you need in a car and allows you to put a lot of music on something like a 64 or 128Gb thumb drive.

I have a high quality aftermarket sound system in my vehicle. It is not your typical car stereo. That's why I was asking questions about the different formats. Even though my usb ports have an 1 amp output, I will probably use a thumb drive as it will probably be more cost effective than a ssd.

If I decide to use mp3 or AAC, will dbpoweramp allow me to choose at which bit rate I will be able to rip at?

[BrodyBoy]

I have a high quality aftermarket sound system in my vehicle. It is not your typical car stereo. That's why I was asking questions about the different formats. Even though my usb ports have an 1 amp output, I will probably use a thumb drive as it will probably be more cost effective than a ssd.

If I decide to use mp3 or AAC, will dbpoweramp allow me to choose at which bit rate I will be able to rip at?

Sorry, I wasn't suggesting you don't have a good system. I'm suggesting that every car audio system, regardless of price or quality, operates in a relatively poor sonic environment. The listening position is terribly asymetrical (relative to speaker positions), the "room surfaces" are actually designed to nullify sound, not optimize it, and there's a constant background noise that varies wildly in both volume and frequency.

In a well-designed home listening room, small differences in equipment and source resolution may be audible to the critical listener...under optimal conditions. But any difference between lossless and high-quality lossy sources are simply not discernible in the sonic environment of a running vehicle. (That's not to say your high-quality system won't sound better than a crappy or stock one, given the same source material. Especially if it has more power, it most definitely will. )


Yes, dBp's encoders allow you to select bit rate. The "old" Nero AAC encoder offered VBR, which the new one does not. If that matters to you, mp3 might be the better option. But that difference aside, they can both produce very high quality files that should work well in your car.

[Spoon]

>If I decide to use mp3 or AAC, will dbpoweramp allow me to choose at which bit rate I will be able to rip at?

Yes

[1mrdad]

Sorry, I wasn't suggesting you don't have a good system. I'm suggesting that every car audio system, regardless of price or quality, operates in a relatively poor sonic environment. The listening position is terribly asymetrical (relative to speaker positions), the "room surfaces" are actually designed to nullify sound, not optimize it, and there's a constant background noise that varies wildly in both volume and frequency.

In a well-designed home listening room, small differences in equipment and source resolution may be audible to the critical listener...under optimal conditions. But any difference between lossless and high-quality lossy sources are simply not discernible in the sonic environment of a running vehicle. (That's not to say your high-quality system won't sound better than a crappy or stock one, given the same source material. Especially if it has more power, it most definitely will. )


Yes, dBp's encoders allow you to select bit rate. The "old" Nero AAC encoder offered VBR, which the new one does not. If that matters to you, mp3 might be the better option. But that difference aside, they can both produce very high quality files that should work well in your car.

No offense taken. I agree about the sonic environment of a car. I can currently hear a large difference between a cd and mp3 of the same cut, but when the mp3's were made, I have no idea at what bit rate they were recorded, I am going to go ahead and purchase dBp, convert all my cd's to FLAC and then to either mp3 or aac. Thanks for all of the help and advice.

[garym]

I am going to go ahead and purchase dBp, convert all my cd's to FLAC and then to either mp3 or aac. Thanks for all of the help and advice.

Good plan. You can use foobar2000 (windows player) and the ABX component to do some self testing to allow you to determine the level at which a lossy file is transparent compared back to a lossless (FLAC) file. For me, I can safely use mp3 files at -V2 LAME (encoded from FLAC with dbpa). These are about 192kbps on average. I use these on portable devices, in car, etc. At home, I play the FLAC files.

[mjt5282]

I also use flac at home and mp3 in the car, there is a multi-encoder option in DBPA cd ripper that rips first in flac losslessly, then in mp3 lame for portable / car usage. Works great!

[1mrdad]

I purchased dBp and have been using it convert my cd's to flac. When I use secure ripping, why does the re-rip take so long? The actual rip goes very quickly.

[garym]

I purchased dBp and have been using it convert my cd's to flac. When I use secure ripping, why does the re-rip take so long? The actual rip goes very quickly.

is it rereading frames the second time through? Also, it shouldn't need to do a second rip if the disc has a match in accuraterip. should only do one pass with an AR match. Have you setup AccurateRip to work?