[BarbecueGamer]

Hello, 
 
I'm wondering if scratches on a CD effect SQ other than skipping. Also, say if I were to take a scratched CD and rip it onto my computer, would it still skip? And would the rip track be flawless even if the CD was scratched up? 

 

[KG Jag]

If the damage is significant enough, it will prevent the proper reading of the CD.

 

[pbui44]

When ripping a CD, you can use any computer. However, a scratched CD can vary. Light scratches just need buffing and some time with the computer. Medium scratches need something like a motorized buffer and a special wax to even out the data surface, like a "disc doctor" or something like that (have not used it in a while). Heavy scratches will need data recovery services, which can be googled or yellow-paged.

Man, I remember I gave this guy a Jimmy Hendrix: BBC Sessions CD and he gave it back with heavy scratches. All he had to say was "Oh, sorry man." I now realize that was the main reason why I never e-mailed him back.

 

[Music Alchemist]

If the disc isn't scratched up too much and you use software with good error correction (I use dBpoweramp and also keep Exact Audio Copy installed for when I need different error correction), it may rip the CD without any audible errors. However, other times, the disc can be so damaged that the ripped file has nasty noise worse than just skipping.
 
It isn't just with scratched discs either. Even brand new CDs can have production flaws that require error correction when you rip them. For example, one ripped file from a CD I have sounds like there's a digital glitch, but it's just because even good error correction had trouble overcoming it. That's why I use both of those programs.

 

[BarbecueGamer]

  If the disc isn't scratched up too much and you use software with good error correction (I use dBpoweramp and also keep Exact Audio Copy installed for when I need different error correction), it may rip the CD without any audible errors. However, other times, the disc can be so damaged that the ripped file has nasty noise worse than just skipping.
 
It isn't just with scratched discs either. Even brand new CDs can have production flaws that require error correction when you rip them. For example, one ripped file from a CD I have sounds like there's a digital glitch, but it's just because even good error correction had trouble overcoming it. That's why I use both of those programs.

That last bit scares me a little. I certainly wouldn't want any kind of digital glitches. Are you saying there's a decent chance this could happen no matter what software I use? There's no surefire way to make sure that doesn't happen? The CD I'm using does have quite a few scratches but none are deep. 

 

[BarbecueGamer]

When ripping a CD, you can use any computer. However, a scratched CD can vary. Light scratches just need buffing and some time with the computer. Medium scratches need something like a motorized buffer and a special wax to even out the data surface, like a "disc doctor" or something like that (have not used it in a while). Heavy scratches will need data recovery services, which can be googled or yellow-paged.

Man, I remember I gave this guy a Jimmy Hendrix: BBC Sessions CD and he gave it back with heavy scratches. All he had to say was "Oh, sorry man." I now realize that was the main reason why I never e-mailed him back.

The CD does have a pretty decent amount of scratches, but none are deep, (According to the Ebay seller). Sound quality is my number one priority here, I just want to get the tracks safely onto my computer with absolutely no degradation in SQ. 
 
And dang, that's too bad. I too have been in similar situations with negligent people. 

 

[Music Alchemist]

  That last bit scares me a little. I certainly wouldn't want any kind of digital glitches. Are you saying there's a decent chance this could happen no matter what software I use? There's no surefire way to make sure that doesn't happen? The CD I'm using does have quite a few scratches but none are deep. 

 
Use dBpoweramp. If that doesn't get you perfect audio, use Exact Audio Copy. If that doesn't work, research the advanced features of both programs. This problem is quite rare. Most discs, even scratched ones, should be fine.

 

[yeahx]

You can also use a gritty toothpaste if they are light or medium. I saw a video on youtube where a guy was claiming that even cleaning a good CD made it sound better in his high end CD player and did a before and after. He said new CDs come with an oily film and they sound better without it. I didn't bother to plug in my headphones to hear the difference and Im not sure I believe it.
 
I had a CD that had a big thick scrape and I got it smoothed out enough using toothpaste that I was able to get a good rip.

 

[cel4145]

I have used car polish wax to temporarily fill in mild CD scratches.

 

[GREQ]

Chrome polish anyone?
Works wonders.
Similar to toothpaste but I find it works better.

 

[kdava]

The laser goes through the plastic layer and reaches the aluminium layer, which has the zeros and ones. Laser is reflected into an optical pickup, which reads the zeros and ones. If the plastic layer is severely scratched, laser won't go through properly, data loss happens. There are correction algorithms that reconstruct small amounts of missing data. If that does not work, other tools can calculate the missing value by interpolation (it is an estimation, but so small differences it isn't audible). If these tools fail, skipping starts or cd won't play at all.
 
This is a simplified description just to show you either hear it perfectly or won't hear it at all.

 

[kramer5150]

Interesting... Thx for all replies. Curious, how come some CDs get ragged and frayed looking around the edges after some time/usage? Does this harm the data/bit stream?

 

[Music Alchemist]

  The laser goes through the plastic layer and reaches the aluminium layer, which has the zeros and ones. Laser is reflected into an optical pickup, which reads the zeros and ones. If the plastic layer is severely scratched, laser won't go through properly, data loss happens. There are correction algorithms that reconstruct small amounts of missing data. If that does not work, other tools can calculate the missing value by interpolation (it is an estimation, but so small differences it isn't audible). If these tools fail, skipping starts or cd won't play at all.
 
This is a simplified description just to show you either hear it perfectly or won't hear it at all.

 
I was going to say something along these lines...and also that high-end CD players make no sense when even the most affordable portable USB CD drive can rip digital files from the disc with audio that is virtually identical to the audio on the original disc, unless the disc is damaged, of course, in which case it would still be more likely to get a good rip than it would to play it properly on a CD player.

 

[BarbecueGamer]

  You can also use a gritty toothpaste if they are light or medium. I saw a video on youtube where a guy was claiming that even cleaning a good CD made it sound better in his high end CD player and did a before and after. He said new CDs come with an oily film and they sound better without it. I didn't bother to plug in my headphones to hear the difference and Im not sure I believe it.
 
I had a CD that had a big thick scrape and I got it smoothed out enough using toothpaste that I was able to get a good rip.

Interesting, I wonder if that's true. 

 

[BarbecueGamer]

  Chrome polish anyone?
Works wonders.
Similar to toothpaste but I find it works better.

Is there any chrome polish in particular you'd recommend?