Linux - 8 - ripping CDs

Ripping software

CD paranoia

i downloaded cdparanoia, unzipped, untared, and installed it. Now to test it! i used the following to rip the first 3 tracks off a CD.

cdparanoia -Bw 1-3

The B option causes each track to be put into a separate file. This is not the default behaviour! The w option means output as WAV format.

CDR tools

CDR tools is a suite of programs related to CDs. Included is a tool cdda2wav.

# rip all tracks as wav files from a CD

cdda2wav -alltracks dev=/dev/hdc

Compression software

There appear to be lots of MP3 encoders out there, BladeEnc, 8hz, lame etc. An on going legal dispute about the licensing of the algorithm that is used to create MP3s means that lame and bladeEnc are illegal to download in many countries! i downloaded and installed lame.

i tested lame by compressing one of the WAV files that i ripped testing cdparanoia. '-b' sets the birate, '-q 0' specifies maximum possible quality, '-m s' means mode stereo. It sounds pretty amazing quality!

lame -b 256 -q 0 -m s track03.cdda.wav

CDDB support?

i've just realised that life would be very difficult without the automatic naming that CDDB provides that i'm used to after using AudioCatalyst under windows.

It would seem that i need a ripper-encoder solution. These tend to be configurable scripts which call upon a preinstalled ripper, a preinstalled encoder and then use CDDB or similar to do the track naming. ripperX is a GUI solution calling on pre-installed rippers and compressors. i downloaded and installed it. It detected lame and cdparanoia automatically! Tested a couple of CDs. Works well with zero effort. Good!