gerG
Headphoneus Supremus
This is pretty basic stuff, but I offer it as potentially useful information for new itunes users, and as a discussion catalyst for better methods.
I have been ripping a moderate sized CD library (750 or so discs) to ALAC with itunes. I turned on "import and eject" and "access internet" in the general tab (edit/preferences menu). When I drop in a CD itunes goes and gets the name and info, rips the CD, makes an annoying sound, and coughs out the CD. Takes about 3 minutes on my old dual xeon machine (dedicating only one processor to itunes). As a nice bonus, I can drop CDs into all 3 drives, and it will rip them sequentially. That gives me about 10 minutes between reloads. Although it is theoretically possible to run a second instance of itunes on the second processor, I haven't tried it yet.
The risk here is that I am trusting the CDDB to have the right info. Not always true, and sometimes I have to do some cleanup. Compilations and classical CDs are especially troublesome.
Cool, now I have a lossless library, but I still need to get a compressed version of it for the laptop and ipod. The steps that I use:
1) Edit preferences
2) Under importing, set the file type to the compression that I want (256 Kbps AAC works for me)
3) Under advanced, change the itunes folder to the compressed library destination. I have separate folders called "Music (lossless)" for the main library, and "Music (compressed)" for the AAC stuff.
4) Close preferences
5) In itunes, select the library, and the CDs that I want to compress
6) Under the Advanced pulldown, convert selection to AAC (or whatever format was chosen)
7) When it asks whether to keep the originals, YES!
8) Go goof around on head-fi for awhile.
9) When it is complete, go back to the selected items in Library, and sort by type (or bitrate). This groups the compressed files.
10) Select and delete the compressed versions. It will ask "...really...?" Answer=YES. Next question will be whether to delete files from disk. Answer=NO. This removes the links from the library, but keeps the files intact.
The result is a bunch of new directories with nicely organized compressed files, with the original lossless library still in it's original state, and no friggin duplicates in the itunes library.
Oh, when finished compressing, don't forget to change the import file type and destination directory back to lossless and the lossless library. Otherwise the next time a disk is inserted it will get ripped to compressed. This process is not reversible.
I hope this was useful. I am intrested in how I would go about this in foobar. I am anxiously waiting for the new version with alac and asio support.
gerG
I have been ripping a moderate sized CD library (750 or so discs) to ALAC with itunes. I turned on "import and eject" and "access internet" in the general tab (edit/preferences menu). When I drop in a CD itunes goes and gets the name and info, rips the CD, makes an annoying sound, and coughs out the CD. Takes about 3 minutes on my old dual xeon machine (dedicating only one processor to itunes). As a nice bonus, I can drop CDs into all 3 drives, and it will rip them sequentially. That gives me about 10 minutes between reloads. Although it is theoretically possible to run a second instance of itunes on the second processor, I haven't tried it yet.
The risk here is that I am trusting the CDDB to have the right info. Not always true, and sometimes I have to do some cleanup. Compilations and classical CDs are especially troublesome.
Cool, now I have a lossless library, but I still need to get a compressed version of it for the laptop and ipod. The steps that I use:
1) Edit preferences
2) Under importing, set the file type to the compression that I want (256 Kbps AAC works for me)
3) Under advanced, change the itunes folder to the compressed library destination. I have separate folders called "Music (lossless)" for the main library, and "Music (compressed)" for the AAC stuff.
4) Close preferences
5) In itunes, select the library, and the CDs that I want to compress
6) Under the Advanced pulldown, convert selection to AAC (or whatever format was chosen)
7) When it asks whether to keep the originals, YES!
8) Go goof around on head-fi for awhile.
9) When it is complete, go back to the selected items in Library, and sort by type (or bitrate). This groups the compressed files.
10) Select and delete the compressed versions. It will ask "...really...?" Answer=YES. Next question will be whether to delete files from disk. Answer=NO. This removes the links from the library, but keeps the files intact.
The result is a bunch of new directories with nicely organized compressed files, with the original lossless library still in it's original state, and no friggin duplicates in the itunes library.
Oh, when finished compressing, don't forget to change the import file type and destination directory back to lossless and the lossless library. Otherwise the next time a disk is inserted it will get ripped to compressed. This process is not reversible.
I hope this was useful. I am intrested in how I would go about this in foobar. I am anxiously waiting for the new version with alac and asio support.
gerG
