Before I start ripping ...
I am getting a 40gig iPod+HP for xmas ...
I have done some heavy reading here, and feel I have a grasp for things. Thanks to the owner for a great board.
I have, in the past, used music match to rip out MP3s, and I specify artist> album> song> track ... now from what I gather, the iPod will just go by the 'tags' and strip all my folder and file name formatting out - this is correct? So really is there anything I need to worry about before I get started? I own all the original CDs, so having proper tags should not be a problem - there's only a few rogue songs floating around already in MP3 format that I have obtained from ... *cough* other sources (hey, I'd buy the CDs if they were in print, really) ... I understand I can use 3rd party programs to sort out any problems with these songs.
Forgive me for digging a topic that has been discussed ad-nauseum, I hate redundant posts, and I always "go FAQ myself" ... but I just want to be double checked and corrected before I waste several hours ripping ~1000 CDs to MP3 ;-)
# 1 Re: Before I start ripping ...
Download iTunes, then rip into AAC format.
HiRes at 2007-11-15 13:45:55 >
# 2 Re: Before I start ripping ...
yea just do that. you can tell itunes to always import into aac format. aac is better than mp3, it has a smaller bitrate and better quality. so, just use itunes to encode all your cd's into aac like hires said.
# 3 Re: Before I start ripping ...
I know these guys didn't really answer your question, but I have to agree with them up to a point. Unless you have a specific reason for using Musicmatch I would download iTunes (http://www.apple.com/uk/itunes/download/) and just use it, it is the iPods default management software after all.
In addition to AAC it can also rip to VBR MP3 if you prefer and you know your tags are going to be fine if using iTunes. Experiment with the two formats for a while and see what you prefer.
To answer your question, as long as your files are tagged iTunes should have no problem when you import them. The only thing I ran into when importing MP3's was ones tagged with ID3 v1.1, some of the filenames became truncated in iTunes, this is an inherant fault of V1.1 however and is easily sorted in iTunes. iTunes may change some of your folder structures and or filenames to suit itself but it's nothing major.
FYI The iPod can't actually read music file tags, it gets all it information from a database file created by iTunes.
# 4 Re: Before I start ripping ...
Actually I am glad the AAC issue came up. I was so busy trying to figure out how to get off the idea of folders and how iPod stores my albums, I didn't even consider the format in which I'd be encoding.
If I am going to rip that many CDs, I want to do it right ... that's why I came here. The more I can stuff on my iPod the better ;-)
Thanks again for the tips
# 5 Re: Before I start ripping ...
If I am going to rip that many CDs, I want to do it right
If your feeling adventurous you could try the Exact Audio Copy/ LAME MP3 route. High quality MP3's that can just be imported into iTunes, you won't get better.
There is a guide here (http://www.chrismyden.com/nuke/modules.php?op=modload&name=Elite_DAE&file=painless)
It's worth trying out, a lot of people use this method for MP3.
I would also suggest trying out MP3Gain (http://mp3gain.sourceforge.net/)
:)
# 6 Re: Before I start ripping ...
Originally posted by aquatika
If your feeling adventurous you could try the Exact Audio Copy/ LAME MP3 route. High quality MP3's that can just be imported into iTunes, you won't get better.
There is a guide here (http://www.chrismyden.com/nuke/modules.php?op=modload&name=Elite_DAE&file=painless)
It's worth trying out, a lot of people use this method for MP3.
I would also suggest trying out MP3Gain (http://mp3gain.sourceforge.net/)
:)
Aquatika has also been incredibly helpful to me on these forums as well during the past week, and I would like to point out and amplify one of his points, that he was not as emphatic about here on this thread as he's been with me on other threads:
If you want to look into MP3Gain as a solution to the Volume Normalization among your tracks issue, you need to rip to MP3, NOT AAC/MP4. The MP3Gain program only works with MP3's.
Key point if Volume Normalization is one of the driving factors (it is for me!).
-Dave R.
drat19 at 2007-11-15 13:50:58 >
