[Pacio]

Hello everyone,
I'm a brand new user of the Sb3, I'm still waiting for the modded unit from Wayne, in the meantime I would like to start ripping my CDs and build my own library onto a laCie big disk extreme 1Tb.
The question is: being a Mac user, which format should I use for ripping my music? Can I use Apple lossless format, of should I better use other formats (FLAC??). In this case, is there any OSX SW to do the job which maintains the best audio quality?
Thank you for your advice!

Cheers,
Marco

[Jampot]

With so much space available, it probably isn't worth getting into the Apple lossless / FLAC argument - rip it all in wav files using your preferred software. Make sure you turn on 'error checking mode'.

In theory Apple lossless and flac are both 'supposed' to be just that - 'lossless' so they should play back identically, but some don't agree that that is the case.

If you also use an ipod the flac is no good to you unless you start hacking the firmware to run Rockbox. If you don't have an ipod you can choose that which you find best. Slim server will work with iTunes including utilising play lists and so on.

As a Mac user, you are presumably comfortable with the iTunes software. I have a windows PC and was wary of some security issues with iTunes a while back and as a result I don't allow it to update automaticaly and I'm still using version 4.2 - works fine but pre-dates the video ipod so doesn't have video support. I do find it an easy way to manage my library which is in Apple Lossless because I also use an ipod.

I think the SB3 decodes flac on the fly thereby saving bandwidth on your network. Apple files are decoded on the host pc therefore (like wav files) you are pushing more data through the router.

Perhaps a Mac user with experience of something other than iTunes will chip in....

Jim

[mcullinan]

Space gets eaten up quicker than you think. I use a Mac and Apple Lossless works great for me. I have an SB3 too. Flac may save you a bit more space than Apple Lossless, but it takes a little more work getting it into Itunes.
Mike

[Pacio]

Jim, Thank you!
you hit the weak point: is it the wav file supposed to be "THE" format all songs on CDs come in?
Moreover, if I use ITunes to rip my CD in wav, it starts asking me for different infos like sampling (up to 48000Hz), 8/16 bit, stereo/mono, which I cannot completely understand (I'm not so experienced in ripping/encoding songs, this is my first experience with PC music, as you can guess ).

Mike,
I started to rip a few CDs of my collection and I did it in Apple lossless already, what I would like to know is if I'm going wrong with this..is it a perfect audio copy of my original CD?

Thank you all for your comments!

Cheers,
Marco

[ted_b]

Apple lossless saves about 40-50% space on the disc; it is a perfect copy (like a zip file).  Some folks, including myself, claim they can occasionally hear some sonic differences between wav and a compressed lossless file like FLAC, but I assume it's mainly in the processing/decoding overhead, and I don't hear it often.  Net/net, I doubt you'll hear anything that will keep you from Apple Lossless, assuming you need to save the disc space.  If space is not an issue (on an iPod it clearly would be), then just rip to wav (16 bit, stereo, 44k) and let er rip.

[Pacio]

Apple lossless saves about 40-50% space on the disc; it is a perfect copy (like a zip file).  Some folks, including myself, claim they can occasionally hear some sonic differences between wav and a compressed lossless file like FLAC, but I assume it's mainly in the processing/decoding overhead, and I don't hear it often.  Net/net, I doubt you'll hear anything that will keep you from Apple Lossless, assuming you need to save the disc space.  If space is not an issue (on an iPod it clearly would be), then just rip to wav (16 bit, stereo, 44k) and let er rip.

Thank you, ted_b.
You mean 44,1K? If so, why not 48K? These values are from ripping with ITunes, is this the correct SW to use when ripping on a Mac? I do not own an Ipod, and I don't plan owning one, therefore space is not an issue at all.
Thanks,
Marco