dbpoweramp and itunes

[rayhil]

I believe I've decided to use ITunes as my music library/player on a Mac platform. However, I like both the Accurate Rip and apparently better tagging feature of dbpoweramp. A few questions:

Is Accurate Rip worth it?

Is dbpoweramp's multiple databases better for tagging?

If I rip on a PC and use the dbpoweramp file structure under

my musicartistalbumtrack, how do I move this over to Mac and ITunes.

 

Thanks

 

[Audio_ELF]

The Mac alternative for ripping include XLD and Max. XLD supports secure ripping whereas Max (last I looked) doesn't. XLD will also add the files directly to the iTunes library.

 

Note: I've never done any comparisons between EAC or dbPowerAmp and XLD or Max. Personally I don't feel there is anythig lackig in terms of sound quality between XLD and iTunes but I do like the SecureRip reassurance and feedback given by XLD vs iTunes.

 

Eloise

 

[rayhil]

Thanks Eloise. Using multiple databases for obtaining and storing tags from dbpoweramp seems a big advantage. Do you know how thes alternative you site do with tagging?

 

[Thomas J]

Hi Ray, I use dbpoweramp in Windows, then copy ripped files into iTunes in Mac. I personally hear an improvement with db ripping and even have repurchased certain favourite cds as a result. Importing into iTunes requires a little manual labour.

 

[rayhil]

Thomas J, could you describe the format you use when you rip and the exact steps you go through to import into ITunes. That's exactly what I'm considering.

Thanks

 

[Thomas J]

I rip to wav uncompressed on my MacBook Pro, booted in Windows. DB's inhouse tests suggest that a certain Teac drive gives the fewest errors. The drive is mentioned at http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=68223.0 I use this drive.

 

The DB software allows you to set the tagging format, but I haven't tweaked this aspect of it. I'm thus left with a song name that includes the artist name, which I sometimes delete manually, sometimes leave.

 

After ripping, I reboot in OSX, then drag the music files from the Windows to the Mac Partition (you can probably skip this step as I then upsample the music files). To import into iTunes, I simply "Add to Library." I then manually add Artist and Album names. That's it.

 

[emw]

I have some music imported a simular way as you describe.

When I compare the imported "WAV" files to converted "AIFF" files, I feel the WAV files sound better than the AIFF files, the difference is little, but noticeable.

Therefore I'm not sure whether the difference comes from ripping process or just the difference between AIFF and WAV playback in iTunes.

 

[Thomas J]

I play in WAV. I figure the less processing on the fly the better. Presumably any electrical activity during play disturbs power rails, which can be a source of noise to all other processing circuits and thus a source of jitter. Bits are bits, of course, but they require electricity to be heard.