On ripping CDs

[Jim Austin]

I'm nearing the end of a big project, ripping my whole CD library to disc. Thought I'd share my perspective on the experience, with an emphasis on drives used for ripping.

 

My main computer is a laptop--late-2015 MacBook Pro--which doesn't have an internal disc drive. So I'm stuck with external I already owned the USB Superdrive (manufacturer listed as Apple, Inc.), so I started out using that. It was fine, but a bit slow--and whose idea was it to use such a short, permanently attached cable? These things are made to use with laptops, and laptops are for laps!

 

Then I got excited at the prospect of faster ripping. I live in NYC, with B&H nearby, so I visited that store and bought an LG M-DISC "super multi". Manufacturer is listed as "HLDS, Inc." Claimed specs were impressive. At best, the rip speeds were significantly faster, but I ended up pretty disappointed because of the number of times it failed to rip a disc without making unnecessary errors (with dBPoweramp's ripper). Some of these discs had never been opened; they were pristine. But the main tip-off that these errors were the drive's fault was: When it would start re-ripping frame by frame, I'd cancel, eject the disc, and start over again with that track. Most of the time when I did that it would start right up and plow through the rest. This happened every third disc or so. Only about one in five gave the same error again once I restarted.

 

My main reason for posting this is the sentiment I've seen posted here several times: Don't worry about what drive you use; they all work as long as you use good software. Well maybe, but if you've ripping 1000 discs, you want one that's not going to make you start over again. Ripping can go quickly if you're always operating near optimal speed. But if every third (or so) disc give you problems, it becomes a very slow process.

 

My LG M-Disc is still within 30 days, so I will return it. But even though I'm almost done, I'm still in the market for a good ripper. I understand that accuracy takes care of itself--or rather that software ensures it. But if it's unnecessary, all that error checking slows ripping down to a crawl. So, what's the best choice in an external drive for people who want to keep the workflow steady? (I'm not interested in bulk readers, especially since I'm now almost done. I think I've got about 40 more discs left to rip.)

 

Thanks.

[sandyk]

You really need that error checking as older discs can have blemishes that can result in muted errors etc. or at the worst dropouts.

I presume that each CD ripped has been cleaned in luke warm soapy water first, as discs that have been in their plastic cases for some time can also have a slight film on them from the plastic case itself ?

Whichever external drive you choose will invariably perform better when powered via a good linear PSU. Many SMPS plugpacks have poor voltage regulation and may even cause a writer to be a little noisy in some cases. A good external Linear PSU may also result in less repeat rips being needed.

[Allan F]

FWIW, my CD/DVD drive started to take a lot more time ripping with dBpoweramp and it was producing errors. I replaced it with a new Samsung SH-224DB drive and now my rips are much faster (sometimes 4x faster or more) and, to date, I have experienced no errors. My previous drive was presumably approaching the end of its life after several years of use.

[audiventory]

Quality of ripping (correct reading and error detection) first defined by drive.

 

Software can work under input data error, but better way reduce input errors for a ripping software.

[DMM]

Reliability.

Indeed the most important thing is the quality of the drive (the original Plextors no longer manufactured...) Modern drives extract audio without problems (especially with new CDs).

You might have a defective unit or simply not be able to read many CDs continuously...

I do not have much experience with external drives (maybe problems USB I / O?). Drives that work well at high speed are eg Opticarc (offset +48)... Anyway it has to see how they behave with many many CDs continuously.

[icevic]

Most of these external CD drives are essentially disposable, and priced accordingly. Have you tried buying more than one? Depending on the software you can copy multiple CDs in parallel. That will save time.

The Mac SuperDrive is anything but super.

[hipstone]

No one here has brought up the fact that one drive which works well on one disc may not be the drive that handle the next disc well. This is even more relevant when you are ripping CD-Rs of different brands, and burned on different recorders.

 

Ideally when one sits down to rip discs from a large collection, more than 500 discs, you want three computers set up in fromnt of you with three monitors, three mice, and three keyboards. Each of these three ripper computers should have three drives installed, or sitting on top and connected via USB. Two drives can suffice on one of the machines, but for the other two you want three drives.

 

The three drives should be or various and different vintages. 1. an older Plexter, 2. a slightly newer LG, and 3. maybe a Pioneer DVD-R drive. There that is three different makes and models.

 

Another computer in this series might use a Sony, a no-name rom drive, and a drive from some older computer like a Dell or Yamaha labeled drive.

 

The reason you want three drives is that one drive is not going to be compatible with every disc you attempt to rip. A CD-R disc might rip perfectly on a CD-R recorder type drive and not fare well on a strictly player drive, or the other way around.

 

Older drives are going to be more robust, better built than anything you are going to find on the store shelves at this late point in time.

 

I suggest old drives and a couple of old computers as well just to get the ripping job done quickly. Most of the time when you get an old rom or recorder drive from a used computer, it is not very used, in fact it may only have been used to install software on that computer. So old and used, and various brands is the way to go.

 

One more thing, I have seen some drives perform ripping really well until they get heated up really good. After about 10 or 15 discs, it may pay to switch drives and give the hot drive a break, especially if you notice an increase in errors just after it gets hot.

[sandyk]

My internal LG GGW H20L BR writer which was designed by Alfe, has no problems with reading any undamaged discs using EAC. When using EAC you can also set an automatic cooling down period for hard to read discs, where the reading speed may sometimes drop as low as 0.1 times.

You may also find that some external USB connected writers are very sensitive to the length of the USB lead, with shorter leads being more reliable .

 

Alex

[alfe]

Quality of ripping (correct reading and error detection) first defined by drive.

 

Software can work under input data error, but better way reduce input errors for a ripping software.

 

Go explain that to some people in this forum that think that ripping software is more important than the drive itself and their stupid believe in a democratic data base with more than 70% low cost faulty drives.

[alfe]

You really need that error checking as older discs can have blemishes that can result in muted errors etc. or at the worst dropouts.

I presume that each CD ripped has been cleaned in luke warm soapy water first, as discs that have been in their plastic cases for some time can also have a slight film on them from the plastic case itself ?

Whichever external drive you choose will invariably perform better when powered via a good linear PSU. Many SMPS plugpacks have poor voltage regulation and may even cause a writer to be a little noisy in some cases. A good external Linear PSU may also result in less repeat rips being needed.

 

Wrong!

You don't clean disc in soapy water, except if you want to screw the aluminium layer.

[alfe]

Reliability.

Indeed the most important thing is the quality of the drive (the original Plextors no longer manufactured...) Modern drives extract audio without problems (especially with new CDs).

You might have a defective unit or simply not be able to read many CDs continuously...

I do not have much experience with external drives (maybe problems USB I / O?). Drives that work well at high speed are eg Opticarc (offset +48)... Anyway it has to see how they behave with many many CDs continuously.

 

You don't know which offset is used in mastering, an other....

[audiventory]

Go explain that to some people in this forum that think that ripping software is more important than the drive itself and their stupid believe in a democratic data base with more than 70% low cost faulty drive.

 

The database was interesting experiment.

But I always doubt in the database as reliable proof of safety of ripped data.

Because we don't know true binary content of master-record used for creating of a CD.

 

We only hope that check sum is right because it like to other checksums.

 

More right way, in my opinion, is comparison via ripping of test CDs with known binary audio content. As I described here What is the Best CD Ripper Software? How to Compare Audio CD Rippers

 

Method described by the link allow check pair Drive+Ripper at home. Test CD can be created from our WAV files (known binary content) and mechanically (or other way) damaged.

 

So ripping process quality may be placed under our control (without some external source with non-100% veracity).

Of course, the method don't provide confidence in 100% ripping-errors-detecting probability too. But we know what we may expect by different ripping tools.

[alfe]

Yuri,

 

We are waisting our time:)

[sandyk]

Wrong!

You don't clean disc in soapy water, except if you want to screw the aluminium layer.

 

O.K. How do you get rid of greasy fingerprints etc. ? (not all fingerprints/greasy smears are left by me either!)

I rub the warm soapy water on them gently with my hand, NOT immerse them, and I always quickly rinse them again in running water, then dry them with a soft tissue using gentle radial wiping.

[alfe]

O.K. How do you get rid of greasy fingerprints etc. ? (not all fingerprints/greasy smears are left by me either!)

I rub the warm soapy water on them gently with my hand, NOT immerse them, and I always quickly rinse them again in running water, then dry them with a soft tissue using gentle radial wiping.

 

Alex,

In an other thread we discussed hygrometry, optical grade Polycarbonate don't like water (Bisphenol A leaching).

And the lacquer don't like soap.

[sandyk]

Alex,

In an other thread we discussed hygrometry, optical grade Polycarbonate don't like water (Bisphenol A leaching).

And the lacquer don't like soap.

 

Alfe

We were discussing official Archive Library recommendations there, not general usage .How do you remove greasy marks from fingers etc. on your CD s ?

We can't always remove or insert a CD into the optical device without the occasional finger mark, no matter how careful we are, and especially when other family members borrow them.

 

Regards

Alex

[alfe]

Alfe

We were discussing official Archive Library recommendations there, not general usage .How do you remove greasy marks from fingers etc. on your CD s ?

We can't always remove or insert a CD into the optical device without the occasional finger mark, no matter how careful we are, and especially when other family members borrow them.

 

Regards

Alex

 

If you have no choice then use distilled water with ivory soap ( PH value 9,5) and dry very quickly with a soft tissue.

This is only for the worst case.

[mansr]

Alfe

We were discussing official Archive Library recommendations there, not general usage .How do you remove greasy marks from fingers etc. on your CD s ?

We can't always remove or insert a CD into the optical device without the occasional finger mark, no matter how careful we are, and especially when other family members borrow them.

 

Regards

Alex

Fingerprints can generally be removed with a lens cleaning cloth.

[sandyk]

If you have no choice then use distilled water with ivory soap ( PH value 9,5) and dry very quickly with a soft tissue.

This is only for the worst case.

 

"Ivory" is a personal care brand created by the Procter & Gamble Company (P&G), including varieties of a white and mildly scented bar soap

 

I don't remember seeing this type of soap in the local Supermarket, but I will look out for it.

 

Regards

Alex

[sandyk]

Fingerprints can generally be removed with a lens cleaning cloth.

 

I had thought of that, but I only have one that is kept in the car for cleaning my prescription glasses with Transition lenses.

I presume that whatever is in them (?) is safe for CD cleaning, as they sure are effective when cleaning glasses ?

[Axiom05]

You can use an eye glass cleaning spray. They are water/ alcohol based and are safe on polycarbonate. Use a microfiber cloth to wipe the CD clean & dry.

[alfe]

I don't remember seeing this type of soap in the local Supermarket, but I will look out for it.

 

Regards

Alex

 

Don't forget only really bad ones, otherwise just as mansr said.

[alfe]

I presume that whatever is in them (?)

 

Alcohol which dry very quickly.

[mansr]

I had thought of that, but I only have one that is kept in the car for cleaning my prescription glasses with Transition lenses.

I presume that whatever is in them (?) is safe for CD cleaning, as they sure are effective when cleaning glasses ?

In them? I'm not talking about anything containing solvents, just the microfiber cloth.

[sandyk]

In them? I'm not talking about anything containing solvents, just the microfiber cloth.

 

I just read that myself using Google. I didn't think they had any alcohol etc, in them, which was why the question mark.

Apparently they also recommend cleaning them for reuse in boiling water in a saucepan, without using any kind of detergent .