Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion Meridian - Systems Ripping Software

Oh the HDCD plugin! I forgot about that. I have not ripped any of my HDCD's yet so I should be OK. Where do I get the HDCD plugin?

Thanks,

Ron

It's built in to dBpoweramp. Just go into DSP addins and add it.

Thanks George! Why does it need to be turned on for all rips? No way I am starting over again.

I didn't say that, but it's not a bad idea.

It will slow down ripping.

Personally I would rip everything without it.

Then use the converter to scan your whole library into a bitbucket with hdcd on. Then look at log to find which ones are hdcd and convert just those. This will save time at the computer.

Not all hdcd's are labeled as such.

Great George! I'll do that.

Thanks,

Ron

I do not think it makes ripping much / if any longer at all. The next track is ripping as the previous one is encoding so it's no issue

It only gets very slightly longer when it detects HDCD.

Don't re-rip what you have done. Just decode them later with batch converter (search the HDCD thread from December IIRC).

As George says....beware that not all HDCD even declare that they are HDCD.

Ron,

I was thinking of simpler way to compare this rather than futzing with SqueezeCenter settings and verifying exactly what is happening. Just unpack the FLAC files to WAV in the same folder then you can browse to the folder (directly) and every other song will be decoded by the SqueezeBox and you can instantaniously compare. For that matter you could put every format in the same folder and zip right through them with no reconfiguring.

By the way you can chat with the designer/cofounder of slimdevices over on the slimdevices forum and he is a really straight shooter and topics like this come up all the time.

George! Great Idea! I'll try that when I get the chance.

I've been ripping my CD collection to FLAC with EAC and thought it would be worth mentioned a quirk I've discovered.

I am using an external HDD to hold the files and then playing them with Squeezebox Duet (Is the Duet as good as or worse that SB3, by the way?)

I been using EAC and using the freedb option to get the track, album information and then editing as necessary.

The problem is that EAC/FLAC sometimes (not very often) writes files to the HDD which aren't valid and cannot be used.

More often, but not very often but often enough to be a problem, it writes files to the HDD which seem perfectly OK and play fine, but if they are copied (using windows explorer) to a mirror HDD the file is renamed using the 8 character DOS convention - the filename seemingly being invalid.

The strange thing is that, when I have checked, there have been no illegal characters in the filename and the length has been well within the limits.

Even worse, when using Retrospect Professional (backup software) to maintain a mirror on the separate HDD, those files which give problems are copied over (with the original filename) but, when looked at, are invalid and cannot be opened or played.

Anyway, now I always check the files generated and, when using Restrospect, also check the total filesizes on each HDD to make sure the aren't any rogue files.

I haven't discovered where the problem lies, as the filenames seem perfectly OK as far as the Windows naming conventions go. I have no idea whether this only affects FLAC files generated by EAC.

To correct the problem files I edit the filename, usually shortening it to <60 characters and that seems to work. Though the problem sometimes occurs with filenames that are very much shorter than than anyway.

I have not had one problem with dBpoweramp and use the same procedure you are using to rip and copy files to the final hard drive I will access with my SB3.

I have wondered about the Duet and the SB3. I plan to get a second SB3 for another system and I think I will get the SB3 abd purchase the new controller separately. I just like having the display on the SB3 and it looks cool.

Ron

Pretty sure the Sooloos uses EAC as well. Almost done ripping my entire collection, whew!

Once you use dBpoweramp, you'll never go back to EAC so much easier, so much quicker and just as good. Better database (with reference version) and will prioritize an accurate rip hit over multiple passes for secure rip and not waste time. Also has HDCD processing built in. I didn't even buy dBpoweramp for the ripper !! I bought it for the batch converter which is fantastic too.