[charmerci]

I move - a lot. So packing and unpacking all those CD's are a pain. Since I only have a 120GB hard drive on my laptop, I was going to get an external HD (using this -http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/en/index.php/overview/basic-technology/extraction-technology/ ) and keep all the music and the Exactaudiocopy software on the external HD.

Should it be pretty straight forward?

Or can I just connect the external HD into a DAC with a USB connection?

[Vincent Kars]

It is very simple.
You rip to your local HD and when finished copy the audio to the external HD or you configure EAC to write to the external HD.

Connecting a USB HD to a USB DAC won’t work.
You need an interface (media player) to select the songs and convert them to a audio stream over the USB.

[charmerci]

Okee dokee!

Thanks, Vincent.

[MerlinWerks]

I move - a lot. So packing and unpacking all those CD's are a pain. Since I only have a 120GB hard drive on my laptop, I was going to get an external HD (using this -http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/en/index.php/overview/basic-technology/extraction-technology/ ) and keep all the music and the Exactaudiocopy software on the external HD.

Should it be pretty straight forward?

Or can I just connect the external HD into a DAC with a USB connection?

Perhaps not a "regular" DAC, but you can do it with a Squeezebox Touch.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Ditto what Vincent said.

Also....
External USB drives are super cheap.
Might as well get two, so one can be a back up.

Bob

[Thump553]

Definately get two externals and backup.  They are cheap (1 TB can almost always be found for $60-$100 now) but my experience has been they have a shorter life and are more prone to crash than an internal HD.  Then again I keep my externals for my desktop on 24/7/365.

Some people swear by Western Digital, some Maxtor, and depise the other.  I'd say go with one of those two major brands, whichever has the best price and warranty (some models only one year warranty).

[Bob in St. Louis]

Definately get two externals and backup.  They are cheap (1 TB can almost always be found for $60-$100 now) but my experience has been they have a shorter life and are more prone to crash than an internal HD. 

I'd agree with that, but for no scientific reason. The internals just feels more solid.
I'm using internal SATA drives and a $20 USB "Toaster" for my backups. Kind of a DIY thing I suppose.
In all, I've got five SATA drives that I periodically back up music, photographs, and "stuff".

Bob

[PLMONROE]

I'd agree with that, but for no scientific reason. The internals just feels more solid.
I'm using internal SATA drives and a $20 USB "Toaster" for my backups. Kind of a DIY thing I suppose.
In all, I've got five SATA drives that I periodically back up music, photographs, and "stuff".

Bob

BEST ADVICE IN THE WORLD!!!!!!


I have almost one TB of music (3,400+ CDs) on my hard drive. To recover from a crash would take weeks, or perhaps months. I have three complete back up drives (two for prudence, one because I'm anal). Every week or so  I take the oldest backup and re do it it from my primary.

Paul

[Bob in St. Louis]

I have three complete back up drives (two for prudence, one because I'm anal).

Amen Brother....
I didn't get "too" involved in my earlier explanation, but yea...."What you said".

I had a USB external RAID drive for my tunes. The box was a two bay unit that contained two 1.5 TB SATA drives.
I've since lost faith in the version of RAID that I had, and have bought a 2.0TB Western Digital drive from Walmart.
That is my main music drive.

Then, I bought a USB "toaster" for $20 that will accept 3.5" drives.

Next, I take each of the 1.5TB drives and back up my main music drive. I now have music on the main Western Digital 2.0TB drive at my desk, a 1.5TB SATA drive I keep in a cabinet nearby, and a 1.5TB SATA drive I keep on the other side of the house.

Barring a fire that engulfs the entire house, or an EMP from an attacking enemy military force, I feel pretty safe that my music is easily retrievable.

The transfer of data from one drive to another is better than 24 hours. 

But hey....there's always the alternative. 

Bob

[Delta Wave]

Some people swear by Western Digital, some Maxtor, and depise the other.  I'd say go with one of those two major brands, whichever has the best price and warranty (some models only one year warranty).

Both are very good, I wouldn't waste your money on anything else... I've been building my own PCs since the Apple II and since IBM drives are now made by Hitachi, there's nothing else but WD and Maxtor out there that will do.

Also avoid LaCie externals like the plague, lots of $$$ for a pretty enclosure with internals sourced from the lowest bidders. Sorry Mac people... 

[drmike]

how do you configure EAC to rip to an external hd instead of internal hd?
thanks,
drmike

[Bob in St. Louis]

All drives, whether internal or external have been given a letter designation "D", or "E", etc.....
I assume the default would be "C" drive. There's a setting in any piece of music software that can be changed to whatever letter you 'point' it to.
Just point EAC (or Squeeze software) to go to that drive.

Bob

[charmerci]

Both are very good, I wouldn't waste your money on anything else...

I just found out that Seagate is also Maxtor.

[Phil A]

I have a couple of (500GB) USB Drives.  I had one and use it for WMA and my Zune and a Windows XP Machine.  My Zune is on the way out and I bought an iPod Classic and backed up 320kbs MP3s on the drive for my Mac I got just the other day.  So I feel lots better now if one crashes I have back-up.  A friend of mine just lost a bunch of music from a hard drive crash.  I grabbed a 500GB Seagate on sale at Best Buy for $49.99.

[skunark]

Also consider online storage for you music backups.  It might take a while if you have a large libraries but for $50 a year it's rather cheap.   Check out backblaze or moxy.   

I still keep a local backup drive external to the computer, and both the online and local backups are automatic and painless.

Best backup of all is to keep the CDs in a safe place.   

[Bob in St. Louis]

Also consider online storage for you music backups.  It might take a while if you have a large libraries but for $50 a year it's rather cheap.   Check out backblaze or moxy.   

A computer geek friend of mine keep ranting and raving about Microsofts online thing. It's $50 a year and is accessible from anywhere in the world internet is available.

One neat feature of this, is if you go to a buddies house, you can play all your tunes over there as well.

Bob

[skunark]

A computer geek friend of mine keep ranting and raving about Microsofts online thing. It's $50 a year and is accessible from anywhere in the world internet is available.

One neat feature of this, is if you go to a buddies house, you can play all your tunes over there as well.

Bob

Forgive me for not trusting the inventors of "playforsure", but what is this product called?

[Bob in St. Louis]

Not sure, but I'll find out and let you know.
(But I know what you're sayin') 

Bob

[Delta Wave]

What about a 4 drive raid enclosure?

[Bob in St. Louis]

Forgive me for not trusting the inventors of "playforsure", but what is this product called?

Looks like I lied to you, it wasn't Microsoft.

Try this:
http://www.carbonite.com/

Bob