[datman]

I am having my CD collection professionally converted to FLAC format so I can have it loaded onto a NAS drive for use with a Squeezebox Transporter.  All of my existing CD's will be ripped.  What I need is software that will allow me to rip any new CD's onto my NAS drive in FLAC format.  I have installed EAC but I don't think it supports FLAC.  Anybody have any suggestions?  I am definately a newbe in NAS drive based audio.

Thanks

[Al Garay]

Plextor includes Plextools with their drives. It works great, very easy to use, links with the music databases to retrieve title information.

[jermmd]

  I have installed EAC but I don't think it supports FLAC. 
Thanks

EAC supports FLAC and is, in fact, the most popular program for converting your CD's to FLAC. See this site.

I also highly recommend Tirades burning service if you don't want to be bothered.

[avta]

Another good program is Easy cd/da Extractor. Can be found at www.poikosoft.com

Guy

[ted_b]

Or simply use EAC to rip to wav (I do that so I can also virtually load the clean bit-perfect wav files to iTunes for iPod importing; Dameon manager is a great virtual drive), then later batch a boatload of wav files into the Flac front end and batch encode them into Flac (I've loaded 20 albums of them, and let it run overnight; they each take about 8 minutes or so).  Either way, EAC is a GREAT ripping tool.

[DSK]

Beware when batching a lot of FLAC compressions, especially unattended. My temperature gauges show that the CPU temp rises very quickly when FLAC'ing. This is on a P4 3.4ghz, 1gb RAM machine.

[gitarretyp]

Beware when batching a lot of FLAC compressions, especially unattended. My temperature gauges show that the CPU temp rises very quickly when FLAC'ing. This is on a P4 3.4ghz, 1gb RAM machine.

That's to be expected and shouldn't be anything to worry about. Audio compression is a CPU intensive job. You may be able to throttle your CPU speed, which should decrease the temperature.

[DSK]

Beware when batching a lot of FLAC compressions, especially unattended. My temperature gauges show that the CPU temp rises very quickly when FLAC'ing. This is on a P4 3.4ghz, 1gb RAM machine.

That's to be expected and shouldn't be anything to worry about. Audio compression is a CPU intensive job. You may be able to throttle your CPU speed, which should decrease the temperature.

Yep, I think this P4 chip does it automatically if it gets too hot but earlier ones may not. Though, having said that, the earlier P4 chips do not run as hot IIRC.

[woodsyi]

Another good program is Easy cd/da Extractor. Can be found at www.poikosoft.com

Guy

I have been using this to rip direct to my wireless NAS in FLAC with good result.  On the average I rip and load 10 CDs in about 2 hours each night while listening to music from the same NAS via SB2 and even be on AC at the same time.    I used to use EAC but it was so darned slow, I paid $40 to get this after reading Double Ugly's post about the excellent quality of the ripped content from this program. 

[Tirade]

EAC is a great program but it can be slow depending on your drive or your settings. C2 error detection makes a HUGE speed difference but EAC can often misdetect if your drive supports it or not, and that can be a problem.

Using plextools with a plextor drive is hands down the way to go (Youre talking to a guy who rips CD's on a daily basis). Ive heard good things about Easy CD/DA extractor, but can not vouch for it myself.

Shoot me a PM to discuss your ripping needs and I'm willing to bet I can save you some time AND monday. Then I'll work with you to set up EAC correctly and even email you my profile so that you can just enter in a CD in, click RIP, and walk away.

Tim

[avta]

Datman:
I've used both Exact Audio Copy ( EAC ) and Easy CD/DA Extractor although I'm currently using a Mac OSX based computer and iTunes to rip and play files. EAC is a bit daunting to set up but once you do it's very efficient to use. The best EAC tutorial I've found is at  http://users.pandora.be/satcp/eac-qs-en.htm  I'm sure you will get plenty of help on AC if you run into any problems. Good luck.
Guy

[Radiator]

Or simply use EAC to rip to wav (I do that so I can also virtually load the clean bit-perfect wav files to iTunes for iPod importing; Dameon manager is a great virtual drive), then later batch a boatload of wav files into the Flac front end and batch encode them into Flac (I've loaded 20 albums of them, and let it run overnight; they each take about 8 minutes or so).  Either way, EAC is a GREAT ripping tool.

This is the way I would proceed....

[Radiator]

Another good program is Easy cd/da Extractor. Can be found at www.poikosoft.com

Guy

I have been using this to rip direct to my wireless NAS in FLAC with good result.  On the average I rip and load 10 CDs in about 2 hours each night while listening to music from the same NAS via SB2 and even be on AC at the same time.    I used to use EAC but it was so darned slow, I paid $40 to get this after reading Double Ugly's post about the excellent quality of the ripped content from this program. 

EAC is likely to be slower because it reads each sector twice(at a minimum) to do a comparison, making sure you have bit perfect copies.....I believe it will exponentially increase the number of samples if an error is detected to ensure error free copies are being made.  As an active trader for a number of years, EAC was not only preffered, but insisted upon in those circles.....

[woodsyi]

When I was using EAC I had one CD that could not be ripped with assurance (after an hour on a Plextor drive). With the extractor, I have had 3 CDs that did not rip all the tracks.  It appears that the Easy Extractor will just fail rather than retry over and over at slower speed.  So I am thinking that a succesful rip on the Easy Extractor (faster) is as good as one (slower) from an EAC rip.  I deleted the file with failed tracks, retried with Easy Extractor and it worked.  I can always resort to EAC if EE keeps failing on a CD.

I think I have that Plextor tool disc from the time I bought a drive.  I will check it out.

[ted_b]

EAc prospective users may want to do a search here.  We've discussed EAC several times, and given links to the good EAC tutorials.  For me the net of this is: my wife wanted me to fix a beat-up cd of Linda Ronstadt's Greatest Hits Vol 1.  Disc doctor, etc couldn't fix/polish it enough to make a difference.  EAC took over 8 hrs to read it, but it finally got through it and created a perfect rip.  Don't give up after an hour.  Some cd's take time to read every bit.

[bprice2]

Disc doctor, etc couldn't fix/polish it enough to make a difference.  EAC took over 8 hrs to read it, but it finally got through it and created a perfect rip.  Don't give up after an hour.  Some cd's take time to read every bit.

I have never had that experience with EAC.  If it starts to take a ridiculous amount of time to rip after using Disk Doctor, my experience is that the cd is history, or at least a track is.  Are you sure all tracks were ripped?

[ted_b]

Yes, all tracks were ripped.  EAC gives a plethora of reports after a rip, too, if you have any questions.  This was just one example.  I've had over a dozen very bad frisbee/coaster/scratched up cd's that eventually ripped bit perfect on EAC.  And yes, there are some that are so badly scratched that EAC won't finish (my new benchmark is 8 hrs or a visual that tells the story).  Most, however, take only a few minutes.  I rip brand new ones before I even play them.

[woodsyi]

I have no issue with EAC's performance.  It just is slow (by design) and cumbersome with FLAC compression.  If Easy Extractor or Plextor tool will do 90% of the job faster and kick the troublesome 10% out, I would use it and reserve EAC as the trouble shooter for the 10%.