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Going to rip 2000 cds. Which software?

At 63 years old I've decided it's finally time to make the move to a digital library.  I've spent hours and hours on this forum reading about servers, streamers, music servers, nas systems and modded Mac Minis.  I'm more than confused.  I'm pretty much ready to just buy a new transport and be done with it. 

But.... I play "cuts."  I hardly ever play an entire record or cd and would like the ability to choose what's playing from the couch.

I know that the first step is ripping cds.  I have a couple of questions;

1.  Which software should I use?  I am concerned about speed and indexing.  I'm a jazzhead and have quite a few recordings by the same artists that have recorded multiple versions of the same tune.  I want to make sure they are indexed properly.  I would also like a program that doesn't take all day to make a copy.

2.  I can use either Mac or PC.  I would prefer Mac but would use a PC if it is more future proof.  I have a Macbook Air and a PC laptop and both have dual 2 terrabyte external drives.

3. I would also consider a Music Server with a nas rig.

If I do a music server with nas I'd like to keep the price around $2000.

Thanks to all of you.

--Bob


jzzmusician

Showing 4 responses by dbtom2

dbtom2
382 posts
 
I use XLD on my Mac to rip CDs wih good results. It is free. The interface seems barebones but really has all the features you will need. It can rip to your desired format, add metdata and album art, and lets you build the Artist/Album/Tracks hierarchy you want. 

I am also a subscriber to Tidal Hifi and Roon. I organized my CD libary such that the CDs that weren't available though Tidal are ripped first. If I want to listen to a CD that isn't ripped yet, I can stream it via Tidal. 

Good luck with your project.
dbtom2
382 posts
 
Hello Jzzmusician,
updating my earlier advice to confirm that ghosthouse’s advice was very good. iTunes is an excellent all in one music library manager. It’s free, simple, and easily controlled by remote. Bitperfect, as an addon to Itunes, is an excellent way to improve sound quality. Amazing bargain too.

When ripping, there are a lot of variables. Damaged or dirty CDs will take much longer because the software attempts to reread the disc. Start with a cold reboot of your machine/cd drive and only run iTunes while ripping.

You don’t say what kind/age machine your using so I am assuming it is less than five years old. Is the drive internal?

Ripping a libary takes a lot of time even on the fastest machines. Your libary will also require some thought on HD storage as it grows.

Keep us posted.

dbtom2
382 posts
 
Just to echo kijanki and say that XLD ripped some CDs bitperfect that I thought were goners. My GF found some old bare CDs in the glove compartment of her car that had been there for years. Jewel boxes totally MIA. Scratched, stained, and stuck together. Ugh. I cleaned them up as best I could and XLD turned a sow's ear into a silk purse. I couldn't believe it. YMMV but it taught me to put a little more effort into the ripping process. Of course, I would never treat my CDs that way. 
dbtom2
382 posts
 
That speed change. It's why I think it is good to cold boot from time to time. I have no technical explanation for this. Except I could regain ripping speed by cold-booting. I used Superdrive as well. My rips using XLD start slow on each track, usually 1X,2X. Then they speed up to 2X, 4X, etc. For me, 8X isn't bad.

I use AIFF as well. Disk space is cheap and it's compatible with both iTunes and other software that isn't compatible with ALAC. (FLAC is my first choice but it's not compatible with Apple.)
I have no experience with dbPoweramp so I can't advise. 

There's a nifty piece of software, Tag Editor, you will probably find handy at some point. http://www.amvidia.com/tag-editor
I use Google Images to find the album art that iTunes can't.

Finally, echoing what someone else wrote, when I'm ripping I'm listening. I set a goal of 5-10 CDs at a time and have a nice listening session while I'm at it. My guess is that there's plenty of hidden treasures in your library that your ripping project will help you rediscover.




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