Copy Controlled CDs

[mysticaldodo]

Will their sound quality deteriote significantly compared to using ASIO and such? I'm getting interested in the David Bowie catalog but alot of them are copy controlled

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[kunwar]

A little more detail and explanation would help here.
By sound quality do you mean playing CD in the computer or playing Mp3'/lossless files made with it??

 

[mysticaldodo]

Just by playing the cd only. I'm not referring to lossless/mp3. I'm just curious if the sound will get processed throught windows mixer or what? I suspect the copy control player is just a mini version of Windows Media Player, which I never like the sound.

 

[Asmo]

Just rip the audio and encode it losslessly.

 

[kunwar]

The copy control version indeed plays a different file and not the PCM encoded files on the disc.
I would recommnd ripping the files to HDd and then listening to them
A very easy software to use is Iso Buster It can copy any CD.
Extracts only the data you need
Even shows you the different layers on the disc i.e protection software etc.
Give it a try
The tags can be gotten utilising something like Foobar2000

 

[AdamWill]

copy controlled discs that allow you to play them on computers generally use heavily locked down WMA files hidden on the disc. They're often in fairly poor quality (94-192Kbps). I agree with everyone else - get a ripper that can defeat the copy protection and make yourself some lossless rips or just rip the .wavs and make a non-crippled copy of the CD. Then return it; my way to express opposition to copy protection is only to steal copy protected music. If it's not copy protected, I buy the CD. If it is, I buy the CD, rip it, return it, and explain why I'm returning it. If enough people did that, the labels would get the message pretty damn fast.

 

[kunwar]

I have tried EAC with my drive which is a Liteon 411S DVD burner and it doesn't help with copy protected discs.
Any other software recommended?
What is CDEX like with copy protection?
I will give it a try now.

Kunwar

 

[viator122]

Did you try holding the SHIFT key when you insert the CD in your computer?

 

[kunwar]

autorun is disabled on my computer so shift key won't make any difference.
Plus I have tripwires on the computer that prevent any installation without authorisation

 

[mysticaldodo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamWill copy controlled discs that allow you to play them on computers generally use heavily locked down WMA files hidden on the disc. They're often in fairly poor quality (94-192Kbps). I agree with everyone else - get a ripper that can defeat the copy protection and make yourself some lossless rips or just rip the .wavs and make a non-crippled copy of the CD. Then return it; my way to express opposition to copy protection is only to steal copy protected music. If it's not copy protected, I buy the CD. If it is, I buy the CD, rip it, return it, and explain why I'm returning it. If enough people did that, the labels would get the message pretty damn fast.

Huhh??? What do you mean by poor quality? I've thought the standard rate is 192KBps for cd audio?

I don't really listen from hard disk so I'm making my decision based on the Copy Control thing. Its interesting to note that those disc locally stamped in my country do not feature copy control compared to those imported. Now that I think of it, aren't they suppose to stop using Copy Control? I read it somewhere....

I've downloaded ISO buster anyway hehehe. Will try it out.

Thanks

 

[AdamWill]

CD audio works out to be about 1000Kbps, heh, but you don't really measure it that way. lossless compression like flac works out to 600Kbps, and the very best lossy compression - aac, vorbis or lame at 320Kbps - is very close to indistinguishable from the original CD. But 192Kb WMA certainly isn't, on good equipment.

 

[bLue_oNioN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kunwar A very easy software to use is Iso Buster It can copy any CD.

It really works with even the latest copy control techniques?

EDIT: By the way, is there any difference in quality between extraction using ISO Buster to .wav, and using EAC for the same job?

 

[kunwar]

Iso Buster has worked for me for every copy controlled CD out there without any problems.
Not sure about games though, for that CD Freaks would be a better source.
For music Iso buster rocks.
BTW did you have any particular CD in mind??

I am not sure about the quality part but comparisons between some files I did manage to extract using EAC and the iso buster method by using Nero haven't pointed out any differences.
I believe Iso Buster might read the sectors differently.
Someone else will have to chime in here.
BTW I managed to get CDEX to extract without problems whatsoever.
but haven't fiddled around with quality settings on it.
Any suggestions for what settings to use?

 

[mysticaldodo]

David Bowie remastered cds (limited editions) I think circa 1970-1980 ++. Recording is superb though as I demoed one of them event though this are old recordings

 

[Regus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bLue_oNioN It really works with even the latest copy control techniques? EDIT: By the way, is there any difference in quality between extraction using ISO Buster to .wav, and using EAC for the same job?

ISO Buster will almost certainly provide less accurate rips than EAC in secure mode if the CD is damaged or very poorly made.

The reason EAC exists at all is that audio tracks on CDs have very little error correction information compared to data tracks - EAC tries to compensate for this through various means and the result is a rip that will be perfect with a CD in a worse state than a program such as ISO Buster will be able to rip perfectly.

I might add I have had succes ripping protected CDs that would not work in secure mode by ripping them in burst mode.