A question about ripping classical music to my harddrive

[Fëanor]

The problem is that it is reading the bar coded CD information, but it only reads, like "Composer" and "Work" off from it. Then it goes to CDDB or wherever it is grabbing the information and it makes what it thinks is an informed choice.
....

Right on, Gurn,

In fact the information you end up with is only as good as the CDDB (Gracenote) information down load unless you edit it.  I don't use Media Player but rather iTunes (under Windows XP); with the latter it's relatively easy to edit the downloaded info, and I almost always change something.  E.g. I like to ensure the the composers names are stored consistently last name, first name(s) (birth-death dates).  I also like to record the label and catalogue Id.

By the way, since I'm an audiophile as well as a music lover, (my bad!!  ), I rip to a lossless format, specifically Apple Lossless.  For sure, it does sound better than 128bps on high quality equipment.

By the way, a player that permits very fine editting stored info, and also editting of multiple items at once, is Foobar2000.  However it is fairly difficult to set up and not nearly as pretty as iTunes.

[drogulus]

     Gurn, why not use the free version of Winamp to rip to AAC? It's just as good as mp3, plays in iTunes, tags according your preferences, and....other things, I guess.

     I use Winamp to rip to FLAC, then convert the FLAC files to AAC, which preserves the tags already created. So I have my Archive and my Pod music!

[Gurn Blanston]

     Gurn, why not use the free version of Winamp to rip to AAC? It's just as good as mp3, plays in iTunes, tags according your preferences, and....other things, I guess.

     I use Winamp to rip to FLAC, then convert the FLAC files to AAC, which preserves the tags already created. So I have my Archive and my Pod music!

Well, I already have the Pro version.   But as to your question, for me it is only habit. I have been ripping to MP3 for many years now. I used to rip to 128 CBR, and then redid the whole shitaree to max VBR. Lots of work, and thus I haven't really looked for other formats, even though AAC may actually be better, I simply don't know. And I don't have iTunes, so that's a non-issue for me. I guess what I am saying is that I spent lots and lots of time working out a process that works really well for me, so I am loathe to abandon it. I suppose I will some day, but it will have to be for something that is quantum better, not just incrementally so.



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Now playing: Haydn Reicha Danzi Lickl - Stuttgart Wind Quintet - Lickl Quintet concertante in F 4th mvmt - Polacca

[BachQ]

... for me it is only habit. I have been ripping to MP3 for many years now. 

That's why we call him Gurn the Ripper .......

[Gurn Blanston]

That's why we call him Gurn the Ripper .......

It's a fair cop... 



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Now playing: Dvorak Op 091 - BBC PO / Gunzenhauser - Dvorak Overture for Orchestra Op 91 In Natures Realm

[drogulus]

Well, I already have the Pro version.   But as to your question, for me it is only habit. I have been ripping to MP3 for many years now. I used to rip to 128 CBR, and then redid the whole shitaree to max VBR. Lots of work, and thus I haven't really looked for other formats, even though AAC may actually be better, I simply don't know. And I don't have iTunes, so that's a non-issue for me. I guess what I am saying is that I spent lots and lots of time working out a process that works really well for me, so I am loathe to abandon it. I suppose I will some day, but it will have to be for something that is quantum better, not just incrementally so.

I think max VBR (-v 0) is a bit overkillish. That works out to about ~238 kbps. You get transparency well below that. I use the Fast Extreme preset which comes in around ~190-210 usually, and I think I'm being overly cautious.

What do you do with the MP3s, if I may ask?

[Gurn Blanston]

I think max VBR (-v 0) is a bit overkillish. That works out to about ~238 kbps. You get transparency well below that. I use the Fast Extreme preset which comes in around ~190-210 usually, and I think I'm being overly cautious.

What do you do with the MP3s, if I may ask?

My soundcard is plugged in to the "AUX" input on my stereo, and I make very long playlists so I have like a week's worth of music at a time without having to fiddle with anything.

My car stereo plays MP3 disks, and I have a diskman and a MP3 boombox for portable play.

You're right, probably it IS overkill, since I have found myself to be quite satisfied even with 192 CBR or above, but by using archive quality, the possibility of expanding them to audio CD's remains viable. And with 200 + 300 gig hard drives, I haven't felt the crunch for space... yet.



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Now playing: Beaux Arts Trio - Bia 062-1 Op 1 #1 Piano Trio in Eb 2nd mvmt - Adagio cantabile

[drogulus]

You're right, probably it IS overkill, since I have found myself to be quite satisfied even with 192 CBR or above, but by using archive quality, the possibility of expanding them to audio CD's remains viable. And with 200 + 300 gig hard drives, I haven't felt the crunch for space... yet.

   Unless you get a tiny flash player you'll be fine. 

[Fëanor]

I think max VBR (-v 0) is a bit overkillish. That works out to about ~238 kbps. You get transparency well below that. I use the Fast Extreme preset which comes in around ~190-210 usually, and I think I'm being overly cautious.
...

Stuff & nonsense.  I use only Lossless, specifically Apple Lossless ripped and played back using iTunes.

[Gurn Blanston]

Stuff & nonsense.  I use only Lossless, specifically Apple Lossless ripped and played back using iTunes.

Well, whether you believe it or not (and if you don't now, you never will anyway), VBR MP3's with an average bitrate of ~256 are indistinguishable from lossless to 99.9% of the population. After a certain point, it's mainly in your head, not in your ears. In any case, I wouldn't use Apple, at least if the DRM rumors I've heard are true. I won't support any DRM format.

I have some flac (lossless) files that I compressed into MP3 VBR at the bitrate I described above. They are indistinguishable on any equipment that I have access to. And if I don't have access to it, I don't really give a damn.



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Now playing: Pablo Casals (Cello) / Rudolf Serkin (Piano) - Beethoven Bia 106-2 Op 5#2 Cello Sonata #2 in g 1st mvmt - Adagio sostenuto e espressivo - Allegro molto pìu tosto presto

[Fëanor]

Well, whether you believe it or not (and if you don't now, you never will anyway), VBR MP3's with an average bitrate of ~256 are indistinguishable from lossless to 99.9% of the population. After a certain point, it's mainly in your head, not in your ears. In any case, I wouldn't use Apple, at least if the DRM rumors I've heard are true. I won't support any DRM format.

I have some flac (lossless) files that I compressed into MP3 VBR at the bitrate I described above. They are indistinguishable on any equipment that I have access to. And if I don't have access to it, I don't really give a damn.

OK, I'm given to hyperbole:  sorry. 

A few things:

• Is your 99.9% statistic off the top of your head, or do you have a source?
• In any case, there are likely circumstance under which it does not apply, e.g. very high quality recordings.  I have many, many CDs that don't sound any better than even 128bps, but others much, much better.
• I'm a audiophile and nevertheless I agree common amongst our group to imagine inprovements, but then again ...
• Many audiophiles have superb equipment and are thereby in fact able to hear much more subtle differences that people with average, (we would say "entry-level"), equipment.
• Very rational on your part:  you don't care what it sounds like on your equipment to which you have no access.  But imagine someday you were priviledged to listen to and aspired to own fine equipment?  What?  Rip your entire collection all over again?
• With the ever falling cost of storage today, it makes sense to store in a lossless format unless you rip exclusively for small, portable devices.  (Minor observation:  ripping typically takes less time at higher resolutions.)

My equipment is far from top-notch, but the best CDs and SACDs that I own provide startling levels of definition and ambience ...  http://ca.geocities.com/w_d_bailey/StereoDiagram.jpg