Stupid question for EAC users

[TMHBAT]

I'm sorry if this is explained elsewhere. I can't find anything.

What am I doing wrong? I want to use EAC to rip to some lossless format or another. I've got the program installed. I go to Compression Options, but nothing I do changes the result when I rip: I simply get full-sized WAV files. When I extract, it says "Reading," then "Copy," then "Compress Track by External Program," then "Complete." But I can't compress anything. Not to Windows Media Lossless (what I was trying to do), and not to MP3. I've looked over FAQs all over the place, I've had a friend try it on his computer. What am I missing? Thanks.

 

[james__bean]

EAC's primary purpose is to rip wavs. You can use external encoders like LAME, FLAC, etc. If you wanted to do flac I could post a guide.

 

[LFF]

You probably don't have the encoder installed.

Look here.

http://www.bestMP3guide.com

 

[TMHBAT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by james__bean EAC's primary purpose is to rip wavs. You can use external encoders like LAME, FLAC, etc. If you wanted to do flac I could post a guide.

I've followed all the instructions I can find for giving EAC what it needs to encode with LAME (from http://users.fulladsl.be/spb2267 among other places). I just get WAVs. But as I say, I'm not actually interested in lossy compression.

I had been planning to use WM Lossless, but I think FLAC would be fine, too. If you can provide or guide me to some step-by-step instructions on how to use EAC to rip to FLAC, I would be very grateful.

 

[TMHBAT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFF You probably don't have the encoder installed.

Perhaps not, but I think I've done the equivalent of those instructions. I downloaded LAME, and then browsed to lame.exe within "Compression Options" > "External Compression" in EAC with LAME MP3 encoder selected above. OK'ed it, restarted, still get WAVs.

 

[Febs]

Make sure that you have the "additional command line" filled in. Here is the command line that I use for MP3 using LAME 3.97b1:

-V 5 --vbr-new --add-id3v2 --pad-id3v2 --ignore-tag-errors --tt "%t" --ta "%a" --tl "%g" --ty "%y" --tn "%n" --tg "%m" %s %d

You can vary the number after the "-V" to adjust quality. Lower numbers = higher quality.

For lossless, I use Wavpack with the following command line:

-h -w "artist=%a" -w "title=%t" -w "album=%g" -w "year=%y" -w "track=%n" -w "genre=%m" %s

 

[TMHBAT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Febs Make sure that you have the "additional command line" filled in. Here is the command line that I use for MP3 using LAME 3.97b1: -V 5 --vbr-new --add-id3v2 --pad-id3v2 --ignore-tag-errors --tt "%t" --ta "%a" --tl "%g" --ty "%y" --tn "%n" --tg "%m" %s %d You can vary the number after the "-V" to adjust quality. Lower numbers = higher quality. For lossless, I use Wavpack with the following command line: -h -w "artist=%a" -w "title=%t" -w "album=%g" -w "year=%y" -w "track=%n" -w "genre=%m" %s

I couldn't be bothered to figure what most of that stuff means, since I don't actually want MP3s. I just copied the command line from the site I listed above. It was:
--alt-preset standard --add-id3v2 --pad-id3v2 --ta "%a" --tt "%t" --tl "%g" --ty "%y" --tn "%n" --tg "%m" %s %d

The Wavpack thing looks fine, I guess. I assume I just download this and put the wavpack.exe in the "Program" box. But I don't understand what "Parameter Passing Scheme" I'm supposed to select. And what is the "Bit rate" supposed to say?

I'm feeling that I must be missing something more fundamental here.

 

[uzziah]

here's a potential stupid answer: you're not clicking thw "wav" button are you?

btw: i just use flac frontend. two steps, but i think it speeds up the process, though that's probably bogus

 

[TMHBAT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by uzziah here's a potential stupid answer: you're not clicking thw "wav" button are you? btw: i just use flac frontend. two steps, but i think it speeds up the process, though that's probably bogus

Under the Action menu, I "Copy Selected Tracks" -> "Compressed." As I mentioned, it actually says "Compress Track with External Program" while I watch it ripping. It's just that when I go look afterward, it turns out they're uncompressed WAVs.

 

[Chri5peed]

Are you clicking on the 'MP3' picture with a CD in? 'Mp3' is just a generic term for encoded files, it'll rip as WAV then encode to whatever compressor you want, FLAC for example.

One thing with EAC is that you only need to have something not quite right and everything will fall down.

Follow that bestmp3guide website.

 

[TMHBAT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chri5peed Are you clicking on the 'MP3' picture with a CD in? 'Mp3' is just a generic term for encoded files, it'll rip as WAV then encode to whatever compressor you want, FLAC for example. One thing with EAC is that you only need to have something not quite right and everything will fall down. Follow that bestmp3guide website.

Nope. I'm doing what I described in the post above yours. And I did follow that guide, and then the other I mentioned above, with all the downloading and the copying and the command lines and whatnot.

You say "it'll rip as WAV then encode to whatever compressor you want, FLAC for example." That is what I want! FLAC would be ideal. But how do I make it do that?

 

[hciman77]

EAC does not have a specific option for FLAC so it has to be configured to have it as a "User defined Encoder" - so you then tell it where to find the FLAC executable and the command line options i.e.


http://www.saunalahti.fi/cse/EAC/index.html

Towards the bottom of the (short) page you get the options for FLAC encoding.

I just tried this and it worked perfectly, it compressed to about 50%

 

[TMHBAT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hciman77 EAC does not have a specific option for FLAC so it has to be configured to have it as a "User defined Encoder" - so you then tell it where to find the FLAC executable and the command line options i.e. http://www.saunalahti.fi/cse/EAC/index.html Towards the bottom of the (short) page you get the options for FLAC encoding

I believe that is exactly what I'm doing. I downloaded FLAC 1.1.2. I set the external program to "User Defined," I typed in .flac, I browsed to flac112a.exe, and I used the command line shown on that site.

Then I "Copy Selected Tracks" -> "Compressed" and I get WAVs.

What about the Bit rate? Even with "User Defined" it still lists the options for MP3 encoding (96kBit/s, etc.) and the tracks' "compressed size" listed in the main window is obviously based on that bit rate, not FLAC. (FLAC is not going to compress 25MB down to 1.8MB).

Arrgh! I feel like a total idiot.

 

[hciman77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMHBAT I believe that is exactly what I'm doing. I downloaded FLAC 1.1.2. I set the external program to "User Defined," I typed in .flac, I browsed to flac112a.exe, and I used the command line shown on that site. Then I "Copy Selected Tracks" -> "Compressed" and I get WAVs. What about the Bit rate? Even with "User Defined" it still lists the options for MP3 encoding (96kBit/s, etc.) and the tracks' "compressed size" listed in the main window is obviously based on that bit rate, not FLAC. (FLAC is not going to compress 25MB down to 1.8MB). Arrgh! I feel like a total idiot.

Easy mistake to make. The file you downloaded is an installer. To get the flac executable installed you just run the installer and it will put flac.exe in C:\Program Files\FLAC - this flac.exe file is the one you have to browse to.

As for the bit rate stuff - if you use FLAC the bit rate stuff is ignored as EAC calls a DOS window to run FLAC with the command line you supply.

 

[Chri5peed]

I've always used a command, but I think this overrides whatever is in the bitrate dropdown?

As I say EAC needs to be setup and used right. You might be doing something tiny wrong which is why its very hard to diagnose.

I had fun & games trying to get it to compress Oggs!

Persevere though EAC is a superb program. Actually you can use dBpowerAMP to directly encode FLACs, just make sure you get hold of 'AccurateRip' too.