[InsanityOne]

Hello Head-Fi'ers!
 
I just have a quick question here that I could not really find a direct answer to anywhere on the site. (My apologies if I missed it though.) But my question is, how or where can I get true FLAC files of all my favorite music? I have some but they are so hard to come by. Do I just need to start collecting CD's, invest in a CD-Transport and buy a PC program of some form then rip the CD's to 24/192 myself; or is there some website that sells a wide variety of FLAC albums on the web that I just don't know about? I've checked HDtracks and stuff but they just don't have what I want.
 
Thanks for reading/answering everyone!

 

[PurpleAngel]

My guessing your best option is to buy used music CDs and make your own FLAC files.
I'm sure the website Major geeks has several free programs for making FLAC files.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  Hello Head-Fi'ers!
 
I just have a quick question here that I could not really find a direct answer to anywhere on the site. (My apologies if I missed it though.) But my question is, how or where can I get true FLAC files of all my favorite music? I have some but they are so hard to come by. Do I just need to start collecting CD's, invest in a CD-Transport and buy a PC program of some form then rip the CD's to 24/192 myself; or is there some website that sells a wide variety of FLAC albums on the web that I just don't know about? I've checked HDtracks and stuff but they just don't have what I want.
 
Thanks for reading/answering everyone!

 

Why buy a CD transport? Just buy the CDs, and if you're using MediaMonkey or Foobar already (download either if not) and just rip them to FLAC using these. 

 

Or you can buys CDs from sites like HDTracks (mostly audiophile recordings, but a lot of rock, metal, and jazz CDs are being released there) and CDBaby (for Indy music). Some albums aren't available there, like Melissa Auf Der Maur, but after some diligent Googling I found a French site that allows downloads for non-EU residents (I mean, really, I'm paying for it and local CD stores don't have her CDs - what gives?!). If I didn't have enough knowledge of French to poke around a site and get a clue what each link was for I probably could not have downloaded Out of Our Minds.

 

[KG Jag]

  Hello Head-Fi'ers!
 
I just have a quick question here that I could not really find a direct answer to anywhere on the site. (My apologies if I missed it though.) But my question is, how or where can I get true FLAC files of all my favorite music? I have some but they are so hard to come by. Do I just need to start collecting CD's, invest in a CD-Transport and buy a PC program of some form then rip the CD's to 24/192 myself; or is there some website that sells a wide variety of FLAC albums on the web that I just don't know about? I've checked HDtracks and stuff but they just don't have what I want.
 
Thanks for reading/answering everyone!

 
What music (and/or music genres) do you want?

 

[InsanityOne]

  My guessing your best option is to buy used music CDs and make your own FLAC files.
I'm sure the website Major geeks has several free programs for making FLAC files.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/

 

   

Why buy a CD transport? Just buy the CDs, and if you're using MediaMonkey or Foobar already (download either if not) and just rip them to FLAC using these. 

 

Or you can buys CDs from sites like HDTracks (mostly audiophile recordings, but a lot of rock, metal, and jazz CDs are being released there) and CDBaby (for Indy music). Some albums aren't available there, like Melissa Auf Der Maur, but after some diligent Googling I found a French site that allows downloads for non-EU residents (I mean, really, I'm paying for it and local CD stores don't have her CDs - what gives?!). If I didn't have enough knowledge of French to poke around a site and get a clue what each link was for I probably could not have downloaded Out of Our Minds.

So I should collect CD's and then just use the BluRay drive in my PC to rip the CD's to FLAC using Foobar? Its that really the preferred/best method to do it? I can deal with that!
 
 

   
What music (and/or music genres) do you want?

The three main genre(s) I enjoy the most are EDM, Pop and Rock in that order. But to be honest I listen to such a wide variety of music and pretty much anything that "catches my ear" if you will. 

 

[redsandvb]

   
So I should collect CD's and then just use the BluRay drive in my PC to rip the CD's to FLAC using Foobar? Its that really the preferred/best method to do it? I can deal with that!
 
 

 
I suggest something that supports AccurateRip, http://www.accuraterip.com/
 
EAC (ExactAudioCopy), CUETools/CUERipper, foobar, dBpoweramp, etc...
 
I use the first two, haven't tried foobar for ripping, and I think dBpoweramp is not free (for secure ripping mode, anyway).   EAC's setup/config can be a bit confusing for the first time, CUETools/CUERipper is easier.
 
I found this wiki for ripping w/ foobar, don't know if it's outdated ot not:  http://wiki.hydrogenaud.io/index.php?title=Foobar2000:Ripping_CDs_with_Foobar2000
You might need to download the flac encoder and put it into foobar's program directory...?

 

[PurpleAngel]

  So I should collect CD's and then just use the BluRay drive in my PC to rip the CD's to FLAC using Foobar? Its that really the preferred/best method to do it? I can deal with that!

 
The Blu-ray drive should easily be able to read a music audio CD.
Normally the music on an audio CD is recorded in 16-bit/44.1K, so just make 16-bit/44.1K FLAC files.
Making a 24-bit/96K FLAC file from a 16-bit/44.1K source should not improve the audio quality, just take up more hard drive (or SD card) space.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
So I should collect CD's and then just use the BluRay drive in my PC to rip the CD's to FLAC using Foobar? Its that really the preferred/best method to do it? I can deal with that!

 

That's what I do - I purchase online whenever there's a way I can get the physical CDs without any problems,* rip them to FLAC on my laptop then on the back-up drives (I have two 2TB drives crammed with photos, academic papers and other documents, and music - identical data on both in case one of them dies on me), then place the CD on my shelf. I usually only whip them out when I have to go to HiFi shows or stores since those places still maintain disc players.

Key word there is "maintain" though. The reason why I'm no longer using disc spinning source units is because transports always crap out on me, including a bad batch of Sanyo transports on the then-new NAD C520** and my Sony SCD-595 not reading SACDs anymore after the warranty expired.*** If I ever get a disc spinner again it would be Cayin or Xindak - the local dealer stocks transport parts for everything it sells (mostly the laser, and some of the mechanical parts) and can easily order whole transports if necessary. Not anytime soon though, because my favorite is the CDT23 and used units are rare (not to mention they barely lose any of their retail value when sold used).

 

 

 

 

*like if we're doing an Amazon group buy with a mail forwarding service that gets around individual inspections by corrupt Customs agents here, or if I know anyone who's flying over here from CA or NY then I'll send it over to them (friends, relatives; or flying over to SoCal myself)
**and the local distributor was an absolute PITA to deal with - people here had to write NAD's HQ about it when they admitted the issue with Sanyo and did a recall, which the local distro was too lazy to do

***For some reason it can read Hybrid discs, but the display shows "PCM" (conventional CD audio); put in a pure SACD disc, and nothing happens

 

 

[InsanityOne]

   
The Blu-ray drive should easily be able to read a music audio CD.
Normally the music on an audio CD is recorded in 16-bit/44.1K, so just make 16-bit/44.1K FLAC files.
Making a 24-bit/96K FLAC file from a 16-bit/44.1K source should not improve the audio quality, just take up more hard drive (or SD card) space.

 

   

That's what I do - I purchase online whenever there's a way I can get the physical CDs without any problems,* rip them to FLAC on my laptop then on the back-up drives (I have two 2TB drives crammed with photos, academic papers and other documents, and music - identical data on both in case one of them dies on me), then place the CD on my shelf. I usually only whip them out when I have to go to HiFi shows or stores since those places still maintain disc players.

Key word there is "maintain" though. The reason why I'm no longer using disc spinning source units is because transports always crap out on me, including a bad batch of Sanyo transports on the then-new NAD C520** and my Sony SCD-595 not reading SACDs anymore after the warranty expired.*** If I ever get a disc spinner again it would be Cayin or Xindak - the local dealer stocks transport parts for everything it sells (mostly the laser, and some of the mechanical parts) and can easily order whole transports if necessary. Not anytime soon though, because my favorite is the CDT23 and used units are rare (not to mention they barely lose any of their retail value when sold used).

 

 

 

 

*like if we're doing an Amazon group buy with a mail forwarding service that gets around individual inspections by corrupt Customs agents here, or if I know anyone who's flying over here from CA or NY then I'll send it over to them (friends, relatives; or flying over to SoCal myself)
**and the local distributor was an absolute PITA to deal with - people here had to write NAD's HQ about it when they admitted the issue with Sanyo and did a recall, which the local distro was too lazy to do

***For some reason it can read Hybrid discs, but the display shows "PCM" (conventional CD audio); put in a pure SACD disc, and nothing happens

 

Alright! So for CD's just ripping them to 16/44.1K FLAC using Foobar is the way to go. I think that sounds easy enough to me, and that is probably what I will do from now on. But here is a curveball for you just for fun (and future reference). I know that I can easily pick up a lot of my favorite albums on vinyl, now is it possible to rip vinyl to a digital format? And if so, what bit depth/rate are vinyl albums usually recorded at?
 
Thanks for all the replies so far everyone!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
Alright! So for CD's just ripping them to 16/44.1K FLAC using Foobar is the way to go. I think that sounds easy enough to me, and that is probably what I will do from now on. 

 
Read up on how to properly edit track tags, since these help in organizing your music library. iTunes does this automatically but that's because it references the iTunes store. MediaMonkey has the auto tagging feature but it references other data, and I've had a few albums that did not show up or I can't find in my library all because I didn't realize it tagged with unrelated data.
 
 
 

 
But here is a curveball for you just for fun (and future reference). I know that I can easily pick up a lot of my favorite albums on vinyl, now is it possible to rip vinyl to a digital format? And if so, what bit depth/rate are vinyl albums usually recorded at?

 
Why do that? The USB ADCs that you can hook up to where the phono pre is supposed to go rips it at 16bit 44.1khz, but the effective dynamic range of vinyl is below 16bits anyway. And then depending on the condition of the vinyl or your tonearm's settings, your rips can have some cereal elves in them.
 

 
 
If you're getting vinyl, listen to them directly with a properly maintained TT.

 

[InsanityOne]

   
Read up on how to properly edit track tags, since these help in organizing your music library. iTunes does this automatically but that's because it references the iTunes store. MediaMonkey has the auto tagging feature but it references other data, and I've had a few albums that did not show up or I can't find in my library all because I didn't realize it tagged with unrelated data.
 
 
 
 
Why do that? The USB ADCs that you can hook up to where the phono pre is supposed to go rips it at 16bit 44.1khz, but the effective dynamic range of vinyl is below 16bits anyway. And then depending on the condition of the vinyl or your tonearm's settings, your rips can have some cereal elves in them.
 

 
 
If you're getting vinyl, listen to them directly with a properly maintained TT.

Awesome! I think I got all the information I needed. Thanks again everyone!
 
TL;DR: When wanting your own FLAC files, buy your favorite CD's (or borrow them from a friend) rip them to 16/44.1K FLAC using a quality program of your choice. When dealing with Vinyl just listen to it directly, no ripping needed/wanted.

 

[redsandvb]

If you're looking for a great tagging solution, Mp3tag works really well too.

 

[billybob_jcv]

I have to be honest - I'm old enough to have grown-up using vinyl albums and then made the transition to digital media. I *hated* messing with the vinyl. I was OCD about cleaning my albums and handled them only by the edges, yet they still popped & clicked like R2D2 on crack. Even brand new albums were usually a little warped and never sat perfectly flat on the turntable. The turntables and cartridges were always finicky things that required cleaning and adjustment.

I was ecstatic when CDs were introduced, and I would *never* go back to vinyl or tape - never!!

 

[InsanityOne]

  If you're looking for a great tagging solution, Mp3tag works really well too.

Mp3tag? I'll keep that in mind, thanks!
 

I have to be honest - I'm old enough to have grown-up using vinyl albums and then made the transition to digital media. I *hated* messing with the vinyl. I was OCD about cleaning my albums and handled them only by the edges, yet they still popped & clicked like R2D2 on crack. Even brand new albums were usually a little warped and never sat perfectly flat on the turntable. The turntables and cartridges were always finicky things that required cleaning and adjustment.

I was ecstatic when CDs were introduced, and I would *never* go back to vinyl or tape - never!!

Haha by the sounds of it CDs are definitely the better option to go, besides, I don't have the time, money or space to start a vinyl collection right now even if I wanted to. For me, at least right now, CDs all the way! 

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I have to be honest - I'm old enough to have grown-up using vinyl albums and then made the transition to digital media. I *hated* messing with the vinyl. I was OCD about cleaning my albums and handled them only by the edges, yet they still popped & clicked like R2D2 on crack. Even brand new albums were usually a little warped and never sat perfectly flat on the turntable. The turntables and cartridges were always finicky things that required cleaning and adjustment.

I was ecstatic when CDs were introduced, and I would *never* go back to vinyl or tape - never!!

 

Sometimes I think that the joy of using vinyl isn't really the sound but the maintenance ritual. Kind of like some people who work on their own Camaros; or, like Peter Egan, one who works on his own E-Type (who at some point confessed in an editorial on C&D that he might be a masochist for it).

 

As for new vinyl, over here when people buy online they wait for group buys (unless they're rich). Why? So the vinyl ships in crates (by 10s or 12s, can't remember), and therefore safe from damage. Imagine the total cost for all that, all the effort, all the waiting, and still have background noise that you swear you should have left at the breakfast table.

 
 

  Mp3tag? I'll keep that in mind, thanks!
 

 
If you use MediaMonkey all you need to do is highlight the tracks, right click, then click Edit Tags. The album tag you can do by batch (ie highlight all songs, right click...)