Rip CDs with Exact Audio Copy - 2017 Edition - I’m Just Ripping to FLAC

Getting Started

  • Note: The LiteOn USB drive and the Dell USB drive are similar in features/speed. I’m using the Dell with a WinXP VM and the LiteOn with a Win10 VM.
  • If using VM, connect the CD drive to the VM.
  • Tap Windows key, type “windows features”, enable .net 3.5
  • Install EAC 1.3 into Windows 10 VM.
    • Accept defaults, except do not launch EAC.

Configure EAC

  • After the install completes, then launch EAC.
  • Load my old EACProfile.cfg. (It contains my naming convention.)
  • Run the config wizard and select:
    • Accurate Results
    • FLAC
    • Set up freedb with freedb@kleinfelter.com
    • Leave naming scheme unchanged (because I loaded it from .cfg)
    • I am an expert.
  • Go to EAC options and Filename and confirm:
    • %albumartist%\%albumtitle%\%albumartist%~%albumtitle%~%tracknr2%~%title%~%genre%
  • Go to Metadata options and set metadata to freedb
  • Note: Do not USE “built-in freedb” for metadata. That won’t download album art. Use “freedb Metadata Plugin”.
  • Quit EAC

To rip:

  • Start EAC
  • Insert CD
  • Press Alt-G to load metadata
  • Choose Medium Images and double-click the right cover art.
  • Correct Album Title (if needed)
  • Rename artist to Lastname, Firstname
  • Press the CMP button
  • Select a destination folder
    • e.g. Music, and it will write to the artist-name sub-folder. A local folder is faster than a network folder because it will write a .WAV, then read it back and compress it with FLAC.
    • If you get “The external compressor returned an error”, chose a destination folder which has a simpler path name. Do NOT rip to a UNC name.

—– Obsolete Content Follows —–

I always purchase my music (unless I get it free, legitimately). Once in a while, I purchase it on a physical CD. Here’s how I rip CDs on my MacBook. Note that I rip to FLAC, and then generate MP3 files from FLAC for use in portable devices and in iTunes.

Here are some things I tried and didn't like:

  • I tried and didn't like xACT. It doesn't name tracks the way I want them named, and it takes way too long to rip.
  • I tried Exact Audio Copy under WINE, and found it way way too fiddly.
  • I tried dBpowerAmp under WINE, and found it too fiddly. </ul> So I threw in the towel, and went with a mix of Mac and Parallels. To get started, I installed a bunch of programs. I didn't end up using them all.
    • Parallels: Installed Exact Audio Copy v1.0 beta 3
    • Parallels: Installed dBpowerAmp r13 with PowerPack. I told it to add the FLAC codec. I told it to add DSP Effects.
    • Parallels: Installed MP3Tag ( http://www.mp3tag.de/en/download.html )
    • Mac: Install Tag ( http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/21641/tag )
    • Mac: Install Max ( http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/19873/max ) </ul> Then, when I'm ready to rip:
      • Parallels: Use EAC to rip to [mac-desktop]/album-name as WAV files.
      • Mac: Start Max
        • Menu: File/Convert_Files
        • Select and Open your WAV files
        • Menu: Tools/Convert
        • Exit Max </ul>
        • Parallels
          • Select all the FLAC files
          • Right-click, and select MP3Tag
          • In MP3Tag, select all the files
          • Drag and drop the album art into MP3Tag's window.
          • Click the Save button </ul>
          • Mac: Start Tag
            • Menu: File/Open
            • Select and Open your FLAC files
            • Use Tools/Guess_Tags, with {artist}~{album}~{trackNumber}~{title}~{genre}
            • File/Save
            • Exit Tag </ul>
            • Parallels: Select the FLAC files, right click,
            • Parallels: Select the FLAC files, right-click, choose Convert, and convert them to MP3 (VBR, 190 KBS) </ul>