Burning music - best software

[Ottmeister X]

So I went out and bought an external 1 TB hard drive to back up files and store my music collection. I'm not an audiophile fanatic, but I want my tunes to sound good.

- I have some music files already saved at 128 bit rate. A bit rate of 192 seems to be suggested by a lot of people. Any noticeable difference? Record at a higher bit rate? I don't think I want my files saving at 10MB per song and only being able to store 5 songs on my MP3 player.

- Windows Media Player good enough for burning? Some other freeware option that is better? I would probably only be willing to pay $20 at the most for a program considering that most freeware is probably going to do what I need. I would like the program to have a good volume level adjuster.

- What file format type is best and most compatible? MP3 seems to be the norm, but some people seem discontent with MP3. I think WMA is out of the question. My Sansa player can play the OGG and FLAC formats, but not sure about AAC.

Thanks for any input on this topic.

[Spike-X]

First, you're not talking about burning (which is where you use a computer to create an audio CD than can be played on any CD player), you're talking about ripping (which is where you use a computer to convert audio from a CD to MP3 or some other digital music file format).

Originally Posted by Ottmeister X

So I went out and bought an external 1 TB hard drive to back up files and store my music collection. I'm not an audiophile fanatic, but I want my tunes to sound good.

- I have some music files already saved at 128 bit rate. A bit rate of 192 seems to be suggested by a lot of people. Any noticeable difference? Record at a higher bit rate? I don't think I want my files saving at 10MB per song and only being able to store 5 songs on my MP3 player.

You only have a 50Mb MP3 player? It may be time to upgrade.

I would suggest ripping to VBR (variable Bitrate - that's where the bitrate increases for a more complex section of music, then automatically lowers for something less complex. You get better quality files while keeping the size down a bit), with a minimum bitrate of around 192. Although 128Kbps was touted as 'CD quality!' when MP3s first took off, the truth is it sounds like crap. You might as well be listening to a cassette.

Originally Posted by Ottmeister X

- Windows Media Player good enough for burning? Some other freeware option that is better? I would probably only be willing to pay $20 at the most for a program considering that most freeware is probably going to do what I need. I would like the program to have a good volume level adjuster.

EAC is the best CD ripping software available for Windows. And it's free. Not sure if it has volume adjust, though.

Originally Posted by Ottmeister X

What file format type is best and most compatible? MP3 seems to be the norm, but some people seem discontent with MP3.

MP3 may not be the best, but it is the most compatible.

Originally Posted by Ottmeister X

I think WMA is out of the question. My Sansa player can play the OGG and FLAC formats, but not sure about AAC.

I'm finding myself using OGG more and more these days (although I had to install Rockbox on my iPod in order to be able to listen to them). Great sound quality, and it uses VBR by default. The only reason I'd suggest to not use it is if you're going to be making MP3 CDs, or things of that nature.

[Ottmeister X]

Sorry, meant ripping. Got ahead of myself.

The 50 MB MP3 with five songs was a poor attempt at exaggerating. I have one of the little 4 gig Sansa Clip+ players with the microSDHC slot which I plan on adding 16 GB or 32 GB. I think quantity is more important to me rather than ultimate quality but I would like to find a happy medium.

[Spike-X]

Originally Posted by Ottmeister X

I have one of the little 4 gig Sansa Clip+ players with the microSDHC slot which I plan on adding 16 GB or 32 GB. I think quantity is more important to me rather than ultimate quality but I would like to find a happy medium.

32 Gb will give you room for around 5-6000 songs ripped at ~192 VBR.

Unless you're in the habit of listening to 20-minute songs.

[Tadhg]

Personally, I'd rip them to FLAC(lossless audio) and then convert from the FLAC to mp3 or ogg for use with the Sandisk player. Yeah, you'd ultimately have two copies, but if you have a 1TB Hard drive, it shouldn't be a huge issue. The major benefit to this is if in the future you want your music in a different format, you have a lossless version to pull from without having to pull out all your CDs again.

[Ottmeister X]

Originally Posted by Spike-X

I'm finding myself using OGG more and more these days (although I had to install Rockbox on my iPod in order to be able to listen to them). Great sound quality, and it uses VBR by default. The only reason I'd suggest to not use it is if you're going to be making MP3 CDs, or things of that nature.

Interesting. Didn't even think of that. So if I burn a bunch of OGG files then I can't burn CD's from that format?

[Tadhg]

Originally Posted by Ottmeister X

Interesting. Didn't even think of that. So if I burn a bunch of OGG files then I can't burn CD's from that format?

You can burn ogg to an audio cd. But you can't make an mp3-cd without first converting the ogg to mp3.

[Spike-X]

Originally Posted by Ottmeister X

Interesting. Didn't even think of that. So if I burn a bunch of OGG files then I can't burn CD's from that format?

You could (presumably) burn an audio CD from OGG files, but the audio quality wouldn't be the same as the original CD, because you're burning from a lossy format.

By MP3 CD, I mean a CD full of MP3 files that can be played back on a compatible player. A lot of car stereos, portable CD players, and DVD players are MP3 CD compatible these days.

[Spike-X]

Originally Posted by Ottmeister X

So if I burn a bunch of OGG files...

Rip! RIP!!

RIIIIIIIIIIP!!!!!!!



*pant pant pant*

[Ottmeister X]

Originally Posted by Spike-X

Rip! RIP!!

RIIIIIIIIIIP!!!!!!!



*pant pant pant*

Sorry . . . rip.

I'm an old-timer at the ripe age of 39 and I don't get all of this youngster jive-talking tech-lingo.

[Alex L]

Originally Posted by Spike-X

I would suggest ripping to VBR (variable Bitrate - that's where the bitrate increases for a more complex section of music, then automatically lowers for something less complex. You get better quality files while keeping the size down a bit), with a minimum bitrate of around 192. Although 128Kbps was touted as 'CD quality!' when MP3s first took off, the truth is it sounds like crap. You might as well be listening to a cassette.

While I completely agree with you, it's also worth mentioning that if he has crappy earbuds, the bitrate won't make much of a difference.

[Spike-X]

Oh, definitely. Earbuds are the work of the Devil.

[Spike-X]

Originally Posted by Ottmeister X

Sorry . . . rip.

I'm an old-timer at the ripe age of 39 and I don't get all of this youngster jive-talking tech-lingo.

I'm 40 in 3 weeks!
















*sobs*

[Ronald Bryan]

Originally Posted by Spike-X

I'm 40 in 3 weeks!
















*sobs*

But you're an audiophile, so you make sure you know your stuff.



(Young man).



And what is that in American years, anyway?

[mikekerr3]

Originally Posted by Ottmeister X

Sorry . . . rip.

I'm an old-timer at the ripe age of 39 and I don't get all of this youngster jive-talking tech-lingo.

I'll spot you 15 years don't whine around your elders