CDs are cool again. Here’s how to rip them
June 20, 2023 3:03 PM Subscribe
‘You can’t listen to CDs on your digital devices unless you rip them first. In ancient times—back in 2001—people knew how to do this, but much that should have been remembered has been forgotten.’
You’ll notice that CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays are all the same shape
💀
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 3:07 PM on June 20, 2023 [29 favorites]
💀
posted by not just everyday big moggies at 3:07 PM on June 20, 2023 [29 favorites]
CDs are cool again. It’s about less, not more; overcoming the paradox of choice.
posted by Verg at 3:14 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Verg at 3:14 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
be on your best behavior, don't give people new to ripping CDs any flac
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 3:15 PM on June 20, 2023 [54 favorites]
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 3:15 PM on June 20, 2023 [54 favorites]
Uh, I listen to CDs on my computer without ripping them, using VLC.
posted by larrybob at 3:19 PM on June 20, 2023
posted by larrybob at 3:19 PM on June 20, 2023
don't give people new to ripping CDs any flac
I Cee what you Deed there.
posted by AlSweigart at 3:20 PM on June 20, 2023 [7 favorites]
I Cee what you Deed there.
posted by AlSweigart at 3:20 PM on June 20, 2023 [7 favorites]
If you have a computer that has a CD slot these days, you're lucky and probably in the minority if you have a new computer. My computer is from 2015 and I had to buy an external CD drive/burner for it, where all other previous iterations of this computer line had a CD reader built in.
I still try to buy CD when I can. Not only because I've had to rip my CD collection more than once when my largely ripped-media digital music library failed in the past [I'm doing backups now, so no worries], but because I really want that physical backup of what I've purchased.
Also, CDs sometimes have booklets and lyrics and stuff. Why don't music track purchases come with lyrics as part of the CDDB data, when I can add them myself? No idea. Should happen.
I do buy vinyl these days when I can and when it matters because then you have that full 12" packaging, often a gatefold, frequently with a booklet. It's so much more than what you get with a CD, and obviously more than with a digital purchase.
I spent so so SO SO SSSOOOO many hours listening to music in the Seventies and Eighties listening to albums staring at just a cardboard sleeve with cryptic imagery on it, but it was a foot square so it was big enough for me to see details on and with my young mind wonder WTF.
posted by hippybear at 3:27 PM on June 20, 2023 [22 favorites]
I still try to buy CD when I can. Not only because I've had to rip my CD collection more than once when my largely ripped-media digital music library failed in the past [I'm doing backups now, so no worries], but because I really want that physical backup of what I've purchased.
Also, CDs sometimes have booklets and lyrics and stuff. Why don't music track purchases come with lyrics as part of the CDDB data, when I can add them myself? No idea. Should happen.
I do buy vinyl these days when I can and when it matters because then you have that full 12" packaging, often a gatefold, frequently with a booklet. It's so much more than what you get with a CD, and obviously more than with a digital purchase.
I spent so so SO SO SSSOOOO many hours listening to music in the Seventies and Eighties listening to albums staring at just a cardboard sleeve with cryptic imagery on it, but it was a foot square so it was big enough for me to see details on and with my young mind wonder WTF.
posted by hippybear at 3:27 PM on June 20, 2023 [22 favorites]
It's probably time to start ripping your oldest stuff in any case.
In my circle of friends, who started buying CDs in the late 80s/early 90s, there is increasing chatter about the occasional older CD starting to degrade and become unplayable. My own have been OK so far but a few in my wife's collection have definitely started to have problems.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 3:30 PM on June 20, 2023 [7 favorites]
In my circle of friends, who started buying CDs in the late 80s/early 90s, there is increasing chatter about the occasional older CD starting to degrade and become unplayable. My own have been OK so far but a few in my wife's collection have definitely started to have problems.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 3:30 PM on June 20, 2023 [7 favorites]
Even if your computer doesn't have an optical drive, you can buy external USB optical drives for pretty cheap. I'd recommend grabbing one while they're still being made. :P
posted by Aleyn at 3:33 PM on June 20, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by Aleyn at 3:33 PM on June 20, 2023 [7 favorites]
Wait, this means my back catalog of unsold grumpybear69 CDs may have a new lease on life!
posted by grumpybear69 at 3:34 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by grumpybear69 at 3:34 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
Gimme some of that sweet sweet physical media sound.
posted by Whale Oil at 3:36 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Whale Oil at 3:36 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
What? Sharing the sacred knowledge? With those who have never had to decide which five cds to bring with you? With those who could pick and choose and preview albums before buying (without having to put on the in store headphones covered in the ghost sweat of who knows how many customers before), who’ve never loved a song so much they spent $18.99 on an album that was utterly and completely different than the single?
No! They must earn their re-entry to the digital realm they so callously abandoned for shiny cases, fragile discs, and excessively elaborate liner notes.
posted by Ghidorah at 3:37 PM on June 20, 2023 [14 favorites]
No! They must earn their re-entry to the digital realm they so callously abandoned for shiny cases, fragile discs, and excessively elaborate liner notes.
posted by Ghidorah at 3:37 PM on June 20, 2023 [14 favorites]
And, this is the really niche use case, my CD player is hooked up to my amplifier unit with an optical input, so the receiver is not getting an audio signal, but rather a digital one.
This amplifier unit has surround sound decoding built into it, and while it's mostly made to do things like Dolby Digital and DTS decoding, it does have Dolby Surround and Dolby Surround II decoding matrices built in.
So there were sound pictures in the past that used a stereo picture with various ways of storing sound in stereo that had different phasing on them, or whatever I don't know all the technical details, that allowed a surround picture to be build off of these two-channel sources.
A lot of albums across the decades, even from before the era of the development of this technology but certainly afterward, have quasi-surround built into them. Whether this is used in a stereo player to give a wider sound picture or is decoded by an enabled player to create something with more depth either in two or four or 5.1 channels...
Anyway, the change in what I listen to in my tiny 5.1 soundbox living room can be pretty stark whether I play it from CD into stereo, CD into Dolby Surround II, ripped digital into stereo, ripped digital into surround, or even purchased digital track into stereo/surround.
Like, I have some basic understanding of how the first two work and how they decode, but the mysteries of all the weirdness in the digital formats fed through this decoder are beyond me. Fascinating, but not at all the same.
And then I have albums where i have an original stereo mix and an old-school quad mix and a modern 5.1 mix. Dark Side Of The Moon comes immediately to mind. Talk about different experiences! But all from the same source, really.
I'm generally lazy so I listen to stuff off my Mac played in Music, mostly ripped, through my TV into my surround stereo setup. It never sounds as good as when I stand up and find the CD to play, however.
posted by hippybear at 3:37 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
This amplifier unit has surround sound decoding built into it, and while it's mostly made to do things like Dolby Digital and DTS decoding, it does have Dolby Surround and Dolby Surround II decoding matrices built in.
So there were sound pictures in the past that used a stereo picture with various ways of storing sound in stereo that had different phasing on them, or whatever I don't know all the technical details, that allowed a surround picture to be build off of these two-channel sources.
A lot of albums across the decades, even from before the era of the development of this technology but certainly afterward, have quasi-surround built into them. Whether this is used in a stereo player to give a wider sound picture or is decoded by an enabled player to create something with more depth either in two or four or 5.1 channels...
Anyway, the change in what I listen to in my tiny 5.1 soundbox living room can be pretty stark whether I play it from CD into stereo, CD into Dolby Surround II, ripped digital into stereo, ripped digital into surround, or even purchased digital track into stereo/surround.
Like, I have some basic understanding of how the first two work and how they decode, but the mysteries of all the weirdness in the digital formats fed through this decoder are beyond me. Fascinating, but not at all the same.
And then I have albums where i have an original stereo mix and an old-school quad mix and a modern 5.1 mix. Dark Side Of The Moon comes immediately to mind. Talk about different experiences! But all from the same source, really.
I'm generally lazy so I listen to stuff off my Mac played in Music, mostly ripped, through my TV into my surround stereo setup. It never sounds as good as when I stand up and find the CD to play, however.
posted by hippybear at 3:37 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
The rip CD settings on a new computer using the default windows media player option are terrible, my own personal version of 'enshittification' where the features that you like are hidden or no longer supported because not that many people use anymore. You have to dig deep into options to rip files with appropriate filenames with the artist and the trackname instead of just a number and a trackname, and even though it's 2023, it still doesn't automatically include artwork, so you have to add that manually.
Burning DVDs is even worse, you have to add all the file info manually.
I've had no degradation issues with my personal CD collection.
Also CD shopping in person kind of sucks now, because all the good stuff is gone and all that's left is endless copies of big hits for $2. Great if you want a copy of Green Day's Insomniac or Hootie and the Blowfish. Bad for anything more obscure. Amazon CD shopping has also gotten worse.
posted by The_Vegetables at 3:38 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
Burning DVDs is even worse, you have to add all the file info manually.
I've had no degradation issues with my personal CD collection.
Also CD shopping in person kind of sucks now, because all the good stuff is gone and all that's left is endless copies of big hits for $2. Great if you want a copy of Green Day's Insomniac or Hootie and the Blowfish. Bad for anything more obscure. Amazon CD shopping has also gotten worse.
posted by The_Vegetables at 3:38 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
I mean, it really depends on what you're shopping for. A lot of the physical media I receive these days is from a fundraising supporting project. I've bought just some CDs off of Amazon, but had no problem finding them if I wanted them. I didn't go to the artist website for those, but I often do that because maybe the artist gets more money if I do that. The only thing I didn't find easily, that I didn't even know had been released, was an anniversary release of Thick As A Brick that was in 5.1 surround, so not on CD, and came with a ridiculously large booklet that really only a fan could love. I found it on a secondary market still sealed for cheaper than it was first-run, so i don't know how the Universe even works.
posted by hippybear at 3:43 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by hippybear at 3:43 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
I bought an apple super drive to open cds and dvds on my macbook air and guess what? After whatever many updates, the super drive and the computer are out of sync and don’t really recognize each other, and I got a burned cd of platiquemos Spanish lessons stuck in it. Now what ;_;
posted by toodleydoodley at 3:46 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by toodleydoodley at 3:46 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
I remember the time Mrs. Spatula needed a replacement DVD-ROM drive for her laptop (motor, servo, laser, various microchips, bearing slides, ...), and Little Spatuletta needed a pair of LEGO base plates (30x30cm injection-molded ABS), and both purchases were $19.99.
Something is weird, or something.
posted by Rat Spatula at 3:46 PM on June 20, 2023 [8 favorites]
Something is weird, or something.
posted by Rat Spatula at 3:46 PM on June 20, 2023 [8 favorites]
I've had no degradation issues with my personal CD collection.
The very first CD I bought, Yes' 90125 within the first year of its pressing run, failed with bitrot quite a few years ago. For a long time, it was one of the best sounding CDs I owned. But when it went, it went quickly.
As far as I know the rest of my CD collection is doing well. I don't know about my burned CD-R media. It tends to rot faster due to its construction.
posted by hippybear at 3:48 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
The very first CD I bought, Yes' 90125 within the first year of its pressing run, failed with bitrot quite a few years ago. For a long time, it was one of the best sounding CDs I owned. But when it went, it went quickly.
As far as I know the rest of my CD collection is doing well. I don't know about my burned CD-R media. It tends to rot faster due to its construction.
posted by hippybear at 3:48 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
You’ll notice that CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays are all the same shape
But the boxes are different shapes. Big shelf's influence at play..
posted by biffa at 3:50 PM on June 20, 2023 [7 favorites]
But the boxes are different shapes. Big shelf's influence at play..
posted by biffa at 3:50 PM on June 20, 2023 [7 favorites]
...and here's how to do it properly!
(Yes I spent a lot of time on Oink and waffles.fm)
posted by Dysk at 3:52 PM on June 20, 2023 [8 favorites]
(Yes I spent a lot of time on Oink and waffles.fm)
posted by Dysk at 3:52 PM on June 20, 2023 [8 favorites]
The fun part about going back through your CD collection and ripping everything is when you hit albums from the early 2000s and either your CD ripper freaks out about not being able to verify the rip is good, or you just get a pile of garbage-sounding files for no apparent reason. And then you realize, oh right, this CD has DRM on it.
Thank god publishers don't bother with that shit anymore because nobody who's pirating music would bother getting it off a physical disc these days.
posted by chrominance at 3:55 PM on June 20, 2023 [6 favorites]
Thank god publishers don't bother with that shit anymore because nobody who's pirating music would bother getting it off a physical disc these days.
posted by chrominance at 3:55 PM on June 20, 2023 [6 favorites]
(also yeah that EAC guide is legit, though I still wish there was a way that wasn't so arcane and didn't involve so many steps—I know there's an EAC that's more automated but no one seems to recommend it so I never bothered using it.)
posted by chrominance at 3:56 PM on June 20, 2023
posted by chrominance at 3:56 PM on June 20, 2023
Last year I bought a stack of used DVD drives and an external USB enclosure to make some progress ripping everything to FLAC. Haven’t killed the first drive yet, but I suspect the next stack of 100 CDs will do it in.
I recommend fre:ac for Linux users.
posted by jzb at 4:06 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
I recommend fre:ac for Linux users.
posted by jzb at 4:06 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
Yeah, well, none of this really matters if you don’t take the time to run a green marker around the outside first.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 4:15 PM on June 20, 2023 [10 favorites]
posted by Horace Rumpole at 4:15 PM on June 20, 2023 [10 favorites]
I’m waiting for the inevitable MiniDisc revival.
A bunch of vaporwave artists have done minidisc releases, actually.
And just today I found my minidisc player/recorder in my parents' house....
posted by msbrauer at 4:19 PM on June 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
A bunch of vaporwave artists have done minidisc releases, actually.
And just today I found my minidisc player/recorder in my parents' house....
posted by msbrauer at 4:19 PM on June 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
I know a bunch of indie musicians who are always looking to do interesting releases, so I'm pleased to tell you there is at least one commercial Minidisc printer out there.
posted by hippybear at 4:23 PM on June 20, 2023
posted by hippybear at 4:23 PM on June 20, 2023
I stopped buying cds when it was no longer possible to buy them locally and shipping fees to Canada got to the point where they were more than the cost of the cd. Oh well. I’ve gotten used to the lack of physical media. But I’m still not giving up my old skool iPod with the click wheel.
posted by fimbulvetr at 4:23 PM on June 20, 2023
posted by fimbulvetr at 4:23 PM on June 20, 2023
Minidisc is kind of a pain, because it can house a number of different actual audio encoding formats. Consequently, you can easily end up with a minidisc player that will not play the vast majority of minidiscs that exist today.
I wish my old minidisc walkman was still useful, but it is first generation and freaks out with most MDs I've encountered in the wild (since it was new, anyway).
posted by Dysk at 4:24 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
I wish my old minidisc walkman was still useful, but it is first generation and freaks out with most MDs I've encountered in the wild (since it was new, anyway).
posted by Dysk at 4:24 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
And honestly, if Minidisc had been cheap enough when it came out, it would have supplanted cassette by a huge margin as it was so much better and so much the same. But it was SO expensive, it never stood a chance.
posted by hippybear at 4:24 PM on June 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 4:24 PM on June 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
I clicked this thread only to see whether other EAC heads would pop up... aww.
posted by bigendian at 4:27 PM on June 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by bigendian at 4:27 PM on June 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
Here's a sad revelation I had the other day: I don't listen to music any more because it used to be easy and now it's hard. We had a Linux Vortexbox which had a ripper and storage (which we backed up but not often enough, apparently) and the Logitech players. They connected to the Vortexbox (2 wirelessly, one over a wire). I could control them with the buttons on the players or by pointing a browser window to the Vortexbox.
Then Logitech stopped supporting them. Then they stopped working. Then the Vortexbox stopped working and it's been replaced by something 5x as expensive and which requires a monthly subscription to access your own local files through your home network. So we started looking at other options (and spouse is quite capable of building and maintaining computer systems) and it was all just too many steps this time around.
So yep. I think "oh, I want to listen to X record, which I own, and have already ripped, and actually was backed up and still accessible" but, yes, it's too much trouble. I guess this is middle age.
posted by crush at 4:30 PM on June 20, 2023 [6 favorites]
Then Logitech stopped supporting them. Then they stopped working. Then the Vortexbox stopped working and it's been replaced by something 5x as expensive and which requires a monthly subscription to access your own local files through your home network. So we started looking at other options (and spouse is quite capable of building and maintaining computer systems) and it was all just too many steps this time around.
So yep. I think "oh, I want to listen to X record, which I own, and have already ripped, and actually was backed up and still accessible" but, yes, it's too much trouble. I guess this is middle age.
posted by crush at 4:30 PM on June 20, 2023 [6 favorites]
honestly, if Minidisc had been cheap enough when it came out, it would have supplanted cassette by a huge margin
It did, in a lot of markets! Just like VCD displaced a lot of VHS for purposes other than home-taping. Just not in Europe or North America.
posted by Dysk at 4:31 PM on June 20, 2023
It did, in a lot of markets! Just like VCD displaced a lot of VHS for purposes other than home-taping. Just not in Europe or North America.
posted by Dysk at 4:31 PM on June 20, 2023
Then the Vortexbox stopped working and it's been replaced by something 5x as expensive and which requires a monthly subscription to access your own local files through your home network.
Honest to god, there are solutions beginning with a hard drive and VLC and moving upward from there that don't cost any money and I don't understand why you feel trapped in this subscription situation.
posted by hippybear at 4:33 PM on June 20, 2023 [6 favorites]
Honest to god, there are solutions beginning with a hard drive and VLC and moving upward from there that don't cost any money and I don't understand why you feel trapped in this subscription situation.
posted by hippybear at 4:33 PM on June 20, 2023 [6 favorites]
i just bought two Flim & The BBs* discs offa ebay cuz i couldn't buy the digital files anywhere acceptable
* iykyk
posted by glonous keming at 4:41 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
* iykyk
posted by glonous keming at 4:41 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
SD cards are cool again! Here's how to use them. You can't access data on SD cards (also known as Secure Digital cards) without reading them first. Don't worry if your device doesn't have an internal SD card reader, though! A simple USB-based external SD card reader can be had for as little as $10, although many cheaper ones use an old USB type A connector and will require you to use a USB C to USB A adapter cable. Once you've plugged in your card, you'll need to be able to access the filesystem. That might sound scary, but it turns out your Android or iOS device is already using filesystems under the hood! You will need some third party software to browse the filesystem. Luckily, there are several options on the Google Play and Apple's App Store that are very affordable! Now, you'll have to i so wish this was a parody why did they have to make the computer bad
posted by phooky at 4:44 PM on June 20, 2023 [15 favorites]
posted by phooky at 4:44 PM on June 20, 2023 [15 favorites]
If I can't find a way to directly pay a label or artist for a digital release, I'll grudgingly find a CD of it. Then it gets ripped and put onto the house NAS, along with the rest.
Low-effort playback option: Swinsian on laptop out to mediocre bluetooth speaker.
More-effort playback option: Swinsian on laptop out headphone jack to powered speaker system.
I've been cavalier in the past about getting rid of ripped CDs, but I waver on this, lately.
posted by german_bight at 4:49 PM on June 20, 2023
Low-effort playback option: Swinsian on laptop out to mediocre bluetooth speaker.
More-effort playback option: Swinsian on laptop out headphone jack to powered speaker system.
I've been cavalier in the past about getting rid of ripped CDs, but I waver on this, lately.
posted by german_bight at 4:49 PM on June 20, 2023
In ancient times—back in 2001—people knew how to do this, but much that should have been remembered has been forgotten.
What casual is writing an article about CD ripping for Popular Science and doesn't even mention the HydrogenAudio forums?
posted by lefty lucky cat at 4:56 PM on June 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
What casual is writing an article about CD ripping for Popular Science and doesn't even mention the HydrogenAudio forums?
posted by lefty lucky cat at 4:56 PM on June 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
I'd almost forgotten about DRM on CDs. I may still have one, somewhere, but I remember Canada told most of the labels to please fuck off with that shit, and the labels had to replace DRM discs at their cost if a user requested it. Which I did. With glee.
But abcde + Musicbrainz Picard 4 lyfe.
Despite being somewhat careful about entering CD metadata (look upon Release “Peter Stampfel's 20th Century” by Peter Stampfel - MusicBrainz ye mighty and despair), I file mp3s under firstname_lastname and there's not a damn thing you can do about it ...
posted by scruss at 5:03 PM on June 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
But abcde + Musicbrainz Picard 4 lyfe.
Despite being somewhat careful about entering CD metadata (look upon Release “Peter Stampfel's 20th Century” by Peter Stampfel - MusicBrainz ye mighty and despair), I file mp3s under firstname_lastname and there's not a damn thing you can do about it ...
posted by scruss at 5:03 PM on June 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
You’ll notice that CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays are all the same shape.
Round??
This is really weird to me. I understand that 'digital natives' don't know how to use a dial phone, but RIPping a CD? I wouldn't buy a computer without a CD/DVD player. (Until I no longer can, of course)
Perhaps there could be a followup article on how to record on a VCR? (Beta, of course)
They say the lack of CD players on computers is about size constraints, but I assume it's more about preventing copying. You want a program? Ya gotta download it.
I listen to books when I can't sleep at night, and my preferred device is a SANSA Clip. An iPhone is OK for daytime, but in bed, having a device I can control without a) having to look at the screen, and b) without bright LEDs shining in the bedroom. I get books from the library and I have to RIP them to MP3's to get on the device. This is, I guess, illegal, but I don't see it as any different from putting the CD in a Walkman and listening to it ON that, other than the relatively huge size of the Walkman (if I had one). When I'm done with the book, I delete it from my computer.
posted by MtDewd at 5:26 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
Round??
This is really weird to me. I understand that 'digital natives' don't know how to use a dial phone, but RIPping a CD? I wouldn't buy a computer without a CD/DVD player. (Until I no longer can, of course)
Perhaps there could be a followup article on how to record on a VCR? (Beta, of course)
They say the lack of CD players on computers is about size constraints, but I assume it's more about preventing copying. You want a program? Ya gotta download it.
I listen to books when I can't sleep at night, and my preferred device is a SANSA Clip. An iPhone is OK for daytime, but in bed, having a device I can control without a) having to look at the screen, and b) without bright LEDs shining in the bedroom. I get books from the library and I have to RIP them to MP3's to get on the device. This is, I guess, illegal, but I don't see it as any different from putting the CD in a Walkman and listening to it ON that, other than the relatively huge size of the Walkman (if I had one). When I'm done with the book, I delete it from my computer.
posted by MtDewd at 5:26 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
My disks are in storage, and the recent post on Ferron, made me notice a lack on my phone. Checking my computer, I saw flac files from when I'd ripped my disks, but iTunes ignored them. Eventually, I figured out I'd need a converter, so I now have foobar2K on my computer.
But I can now listen to Ferron on my phone.
(I think that I've noticed more bitrot on DVDs than CDs for some reason.)
posted by Spike Glee at 5:55 PM on June 20, 2023
But I can now listen to Ferron on my phone.
(I think that I've noticed more bitrot on DVDs than CDs for some reason.)
posted by Spike Glee at 5:55 PM on June 20, 2023
I went all the way back to cassette, and it's been a lot of fun. There's no shortage of decent-condition Walkmen out there, and in most models the old belts are easy to replace.
posted by rifflesby at 6:08 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by rifflesby at 6:08 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
Exact Audio Copy remains the gold standard in ripping CDs, and it scares me that the last update was in November of 2020.
posted by Cobalt at 6:48 PM on June 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by Cobalt at 6:48 PM on June 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
Early 2000s death knell of CDs Japan was an interesting place. Most CDs cost, in stores, $30 or more, and more than a couple companies put really, really restrictive DRM on their albums. I remember falling in love a bit with a pop-punk band here (B-Dash, they were great, I think, but...), buying their album, and putting it in my computer just to play it. The disc spun up and launched a browser window taking me directly to a site letting me know that playing the disc in a computer was not allowed, and that copying was against the law. I could not access the disc on my computer at all, and by that time, I don't think I even had a CD player anymore, and basically couldn't play the disc.
Unlike B-Dash, the other, non-restricted albums I bought got ripped through iTunes (I know), and I still listen to them. Dragon Ash, Hawaiian 6, Mongol 800, Go!Go!7188, I still listen to, and enjoy them. I haven't listened to B-Dash since their time in the (very small) indies spotlight faded.
The best part is that the Japanese rental chain, Tsutaya did, and still does rent CDs along with DVDs and BluRays. You know, Japan, where the Mini-Disc was actually almost kind of popular? Renting CDs was perfectly legal. Tsutayas always had big displays near the register of blank CD-Rs. In conclusion, something something, land of contrasts, hell yes I borrowed CDs and copied them.
posted by Ghidorah at 6:49 PM on June 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
Unlike B-Dash, the other, non-restricted albums I bought got ripped through iTunes (I know), and I still listen to them. Dragon Ash, Hawaiian 6, Mongol 800, Go!Go!7188, I still listen to, and enjoy them. I haven't listened to B-Dash since their time in the (very small) indies spotlight faded.
The best part is that the Japanese rental chain, Tsutaya did, and still does rent CDs along with DVDs and BluRays. You know, Japan, where the Mini-Disc was actually almost kind of popular? Renting CDs was perfectly legal. Tsutayas always had big displays near the register of blank CD-Rs. In conclusion, something something, land of contrasts, hell yes I borrowed CDs and copied them.
posted by Ghidorah at 6:49 PM on June 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
I still buy CDs and I immediately encode them as mp3s so they can be added to my library and backed up in several different locations. Most of the CDs I buy are used - I recently planned a long road trip partly around some great used CD/bookstores I know about - but sometimes I buy new ones, especially if digital downloads aren't available. I'm also a sucker for a good box set - I'm really, really enjoying the Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971 set I purchased (used) during my trip!
I regularly use EAC, Mp3tag, and MP3Gain. I wish that mp3s from BandCamp were normalized - that would save me time. But at least those mp3s are almost always labeled correctly with good mp3 tags and images. More importantly, they also confirm that the filename convention I've been using for two decades is the correct one! :)
Any guesses on how much longer new, decent CD/DVD drives will be made? When will I need to start thinking about buying one or two to hoard? And which ones are worth buying these days?
posted by ElKevbo at 6:56 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
I regularly use EAC, Mp3tag, and MP3Gain. I wish that mp3s from BandCamp were normalized - that would save me time. But at least those mp3s are almost always labeled correctly with good mp3 tags and images. More importantly, they also confirm that the filename convention I've been using for two decades is the correct one! :)
Any guesses on how much longer new, decent CD/DVD drives will be made? When will I need to start thinking about buying one or two to hoard? And which ones are worth buying these days?
posted by ElKevbo at 6:56 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
Any guesses on how much longer new, decent CD/DVD drives will be made? When will I need to start thinking about buying one or two to hoard? And which ones are worth buying these days?
You have me thinking about my own physical media reader situation and I should maybe invest a bit for the now and the future.
posted by hippybear at 7:42 PM on June 20, 2023
You have me thinking about my own physical media reader situation and I should maybe invest a bit for the now and the future.
posted by hippybear at 7:42 PM on June 20, 2023
I doubt they'll stop making CD or DVD drives any time soon. They're too simple and reliable, and there's a lot of data that's still distributed this way. In particular, medical data is still very CD-centric. If you get an X-ray and ask for a copy of the images, they'll almost always hand you a CD-R or DVD-R. Cheap, reliable, and avoids all the privacy overhead and frustration of sending it via email or Epic portal or whatever.
posted by phooky at 7:43 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by phooky at 7:43 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
I still have a working MiniDisc deck (not portable player) with editing capabilities as part of my stereo system. Back in the day I'd record Bob Parlocha's jazz radio show to MD, use the deck to delete the parts I didn't want and split the rest into separate tracks, so I could use the results as "backing tracks" to practice along with. I still have those MDs too, something like 20 or 30 of them. I haven't used them for practice since I moved into an apartment a few years ago and can't play sax without disturbing the neighbors; but now I've taken up piano (keyboard, with volume control) so at some point I'll be back to a place where I can play along....
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:46 PM on June 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:46 PM on June 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
I've watched a couple of retro-tech videos about MD recently and it's a really robust tech that deserves a longer life. I don't think they'll make new units again, but for now they're still making the disks.
posted by hippybear at 7:50 PM on June 20, 2023
posted by hippybear at 7:50 PM on June 20, 2023
Good thing they never put much music on 5.25" floppies.
posted by mmrtnt at 8:00 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by mmrtnt at 8:00 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
How much music could you really fit on a 5.25"? Don't they only hold like 700kb? I remember I did a post recently that involved doing magnetic reading of such a disk and you could see the individual sectors they were so large.
posted by hippybear at 8:09 PM on June 20, 2023
posted by hippybear at 8:09 PM on June 20, 2023
Good news! You could fit an extremely bad-sounding EP on a 5.25" floppy!
posted by valrus at 8:16 PM on June 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by valrus at 8:16 PM on June 20, 2023 [3 favorites]
The Vegetables
I have had luck in the past buying CDs from pawn shops.
posted by mmrtnt at 8:29 PM on June 20, 2023
I have had luck in the past buying CDs from pawn shops.
posted by mmrtnt at 8:29 PM on June 20, 2023
1.44mb! That's cheating!
posted by hippybear at 8:35 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 8:35 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
This monster 72x ripper is like a terrifying revenant from a forgotten age.
posted by meehawl at 9:04 PM on June 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by meehawl at 9:04 PM on June 20, 2023 [4 favorites]
Such classic graceful lines. And beige faceplate to die for!
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:26 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:26 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
1.2MB on 5.25in in the end times, 1.44MB (and, very hypothetically, 2.88MB) on 3.5in. So they would all fit an mp3 with some terrible compression settings.
And 85k on the ZX microdrive, but that's fine because ZX Spectrums only had one bit sound at the time.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 10:19 PM on June 20, 2023
And 85k on the ZX microdrive, but that's fine because ZX Spectrums only had one bit sound at the time.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 10:19 PM on June 20, 2023
Also CD shopping in person kind of sucks now, because all the good stuff is gone
Or moved to the store's eBay/Discogs store (which I can see them having to do to stay afloat, but....). Used to find all kinds of CD gems at my fave local record store, but browsing there nowadays gets pretty depressing.
You’ll notice that CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays are all the same shape
But the boxes are different shapes.
Unless you find yourself in the "experimental" CD section...
posted by gtrwolf at 10:48 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
Or moved to the store's eBay/Discogs store (which I can see them having to do to stay afloat, but....). Used to find all kinds of CD gems at my fave local record store, but browsing there nowadays gets pretty depressing.
You’ll notice that CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays are all the same shape
But the boxes are different shapes.
Unless you find yourself in the "experimental" CD section...
posted by gtrwolf at 10:48 PM on June 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
be on your best behavior, don't give people new to ripping CDs any flac
FLAGGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
posted by gtrwolf at 10:49 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
FLAGGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
posted by gtrwolf at 10:49 PM on June 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
So, how long until we get a web explainer for all the kids who just ripped their first CD to learn how to whip the llama’s ass?
posted by mystyk at 12:32 AM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by mystyk at 12:32 AM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
Ooh, tech flashbacks! I think I used cdparanoia and abcde, lame and maybe sometimes flac.
For hardware, it looks like dvd writers are under $30. I'm upgrading from my laptop with an optical drive to one without, and I'm fond of borrowing DVDs from my public library, so I'll probably stick to that, rather than bother with a Blu Ray drive.
posted by Pronoiac at 3:48 AM on June 21, 2023
For hardware, it looks like dvd writers are under $30. I'm upgrading from my laptop with an optical drive to one without, and I'm fond of borrowing DVDs from my public library, so I'll probably stick to that, rather than bother with a Blu Ray drive.
posted by Pronoiac at 3:48 AM on June 21, 2023
Back in the late 90s to 00's I hosted a series of holiday parties that was basically a Yankee Gift Swap but with mixtapes. My friends were all goth and raver club kids and we'd put these tapes in a pile and randomly draw out tapes for each other. I still have a bunch of those mixes in a shoebox and going through them is like reviewing an archaeological record of what was popular in my social circle in, like, 2002.
I could still remember when someone brought a CD-R to the party and that drew a bunch of ooh's and ahh's. Then a couple of years later some brought a zipdisc and that was a little less impressive. Some people got really into the crafting part and would come up with increasingly elaborate packages for their mix, and that, of course led to some tension because people who spent days building, say, a paper mache skull to hold their CD mix, would be upset if it was their turn and they drew a random mixtape with an index card track listing.
There were petitions to split the exchange between the hardcore crafters and the basics, which I resisted, and tbh it was a bit of a relief when mp3 players like the Zune and iPod got traction and made the notion of a mix CD obsolete.
This is all to say that while CDs having a resurgence are interesting, I'm waiting to see if the youths realize that you can also burn CDs and make fancy album art for your own playlists.
posted by bl1nk at 5:20 AM on June 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
I could still remember when someone brought a CD-R to the party and that drew a bunch of ooh's and ahh's. Then a couple of years later some brought a zipdisc and that was a little less impressive. Some people got really into the crafting part and would come up with increasingly elaborate packages for their mix, and that, of course led to some tension because people who spent days building, say, a paper mache skull to hold their CD mix, would be upset if it was their turn and they drew a random mixtape with an index card track listing.
There were petitions to split the exchange between the hardcore crafters and the basics, which I resisted, and tbh it was a bit of a relief when mp3 players like the Zune and iPod got traction and made the notion of a mix CD obsolete.
This is all to say that while CDs having a resurgence are interesting, I'm waiting to see if the youths realize that you can also burn CDs and make fancy album art for your own playlists.
posted by bl1nk at 5:20 AM on June 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
Huh, a few weeks ago I was joking about CDs eventually making a comeback. I didn't know it was already happening.
The dark ages of digital audio were when:
- nobody was making hard disk MP3 players anymore
- reasonably priced flash memory was too small to hold a music collection
- Bluetooth audio was uncommon
- phone battery life and network connections weren't good enough for streaming
At that time I was burning CDs from my MP3 collection to play in my car. I'd rather leave that in the past. I buy a few albums on Bandcamp each month, but only a handful of CDs in the last 10 years -- all obscure 80s stuff that I used to own on cassette, but isn't available online. All of those got ripped to MP3 and then thrown into a box and forgotten.
MiniDisc was kind of cool at the time, but I'm still happy to not juggle physical media anymore.
posted by Foosnark at 6:05 AM on June 21, 2023
The dark ages of digital audio were when:
- nobody was making hard disk MP3 players anymore
- reasonably priced flash memory was too small to hold a music collection
- Bluetooth audio was uncommon
- phone battery life and network connections weren't good enough for streaming
At that time I was burning CDs from my MP3 collection to play in my car. I'd rather leave that in the past. I buy a few albums on Bandcamp each month, but only a handful of CDs in the last 10 years -- all obscure 80s stuff that I used to own on cassette, but isn't available online. All of those got ripped to MP3 and then thrown into a box and forgotten.
MiniDisc was kind of cool at the time, but I'm still happy to not juggle physical media anymore.
posted by Foosnark at 6:05 AM on June 21, 2023
CD shopping in person kind of sucks now
Public libraries are also eliminating their CD collections. Act fast, get it while you can!
And those into the Minidisc, I invite you to learn more at minidisc.org and the r/minidisc sub.
posted by Rash at 6:39 AM on June 21, 2023
Public libraries are also eliminating their CD collections. Act fast, get it while you can!
And those into the Minidisc, I invite you to learn more at minidisc.org and the r/minidisc sub.
posted by Rash at 6:39 AM on June 21, 2023
My CD collection has actually grown exponentially since 2016, when I discovered the thrift shop in my neighborhood has a sizeable media section well-kept by volunteers, with whom I have gotten to be friendly. I did have to get over the need for my media to be in pristine shape, but I do pass on discs I can tell EAC would have a hard time reading.
I'm essentially the CD version of those collectors who snatched up vinyl records at thrift stores when everyone moved to CD.
posted by NemesisVex at 6:45 AM on June 21, 2023
I'm essentially the CD version of those collectors who snatched up vinyl records at thrift stores when everyone moved to CD.
posted by NemesisVex at 6:45 AM on June 21, 2023
Public libraries are also eliminating their CD collections.
Librarian here. I was fortunate enough to work in a city that had 1) a relatively well-funded library collection and 2) a population who really, really liked music, and were willing to listen to it on CD. I was the person who ordered all our music, and man, it was a joy to track down great stuff on CD and see it get checked out.
This was up until just a few years ago, and AFIAK their CD collection is still going strong. I know they're the exception and not the rule, which is too bad. (Yes yes, many factors go into developing a collection, etc.).
posted by Rykey at 6:57 AM on June 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
Librarian here. I was fortunate enough to work in a city that had 1) a relatively well-funded library collection and 2) a population who really, really liked music, and were willing to listen to it on CD. I was the person who ordered all our music, and man, it was a joy to track down great stuff on CD and see it get checked out.
This was up until just a few years ago, and AFIAK their CD collection is still going strong. I know they're the exception and not the rule, which is too bad. (Yes yes, many factors go into developing a collection, etc.).
posted by Rykey at 6:57 AM on June 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
My CD collection has actually grown exponentially since 2016, when I discovered the thrift shop in my neighborhood has a sizeable media section well-kept
Every thrift shop around me just has random religious stuff and show tunes, and the library dropped CDs earlier this year. VHS tapes they have more selection of. And DVDs are ok.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:32 AM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
Every thrift shop around me just has random religious stuff and show tunes, and the library dropped CDs earlier this year. VHS tapes they have more selection of. And DVDs are ok.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:32 AM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
A new generation is going to learn to hate CD jewel cases.
posted by tomcooke at 8:46 AM on June 21, 2023 [11 favorites]
posted by tomcooke at 8:46 AM on June 21, 2023 [11 favorites]
In the 00s I worked at a legal publishing company that had a LOT of employees who leaned into their passions quite a bit. The company issued headphones to new hires with the idea that an employee who listened to music while working was less likely to be distracted. CD trading and ripping and burning (we always had blank CD-Rs in the supply closets) were rampant. I haven't worked there since 2010 but I still have every tune I ripped and ALL the CDs. Must be at least a few hundred. Quite a few are ripped to my PC/external drive.
I'm a minor league audiophile and I have a decent system in our living room. My CD is large by some standards but I've got friends who would consider it "a modest start". Either way, I spend most of my day listening to music while working or goofing off. Our vehicle actually has a working CD player though my wife mostly listens to liberal talk radio when in the car and I only give it a workout when I'm alone in it. I do like vinyl but my luck with keeping a functioning turntable is dismal. So I keep buying CDs, ripping CDs, and making sure I have the equipment to enjoy it.
Maybe someday there will be a format that will replace CDs for me but the only thing I've found that is occasionally better is 24 bit lossless files (emphasis on occasionally). I hope to stick to this until I die. Bury me with my external hard drives.
posted by Ber at 11:25 AM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
I'm a minor league audiophile and I have a decent system in our living room. My CD is large by some standards but I've got friends who would consider it "a modest start". Either way, I spend most of my day listening to music while working or goofing off. Our vehicle actually has a working CD player though my wife mostly listens to liberal talk radio when in the car and I only give it a workout when I'm alone in it. I do like vinyl but my luck with keeping a functioning turntable is dismal. So I keep buying CDs, ripping CDs, and making sure I have the equipment to enjoy it.
Maybe someday there will be a format that will replace CDs for me but the only thing I've found that is occasionally better is 24 bit lossless files (emphasis on occasionally). I hope to stick to this until I die. Bury me with my external hard drives.
posted by Ber at 11:25 AM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
I’ve been buying CD’s at the local thrift stores and library sales for the last five years and, anecdotally speaking, the pickings have gotten slimmer. As The_Vegatables said, lots of religious music and show tunes. I feel like my timing was good having only a few gaps left in my collection.
posted by Eikonaut at 12:23 PM on June 21, 2023
posted by Eikonaut at 12:23 PM on June 21, 2023
If you're seeking blank CD-Rs, check your local thrift store, in with the office stuff.
posted by Rash at 12:52 PM on June 21, 2023
posted by Rash at 12:52 PM on June 21, 2023
I have stacks of CD and DVD blanks. Are they generally not available anymore, or just showing up on thrift shops like printers and stuff?
posted by hippybear at 1:01 PM on June 21, 2023
posted by hippybear at 1:01 PM on June 21, 2023
They are still generally available. I'm pretty sure you can still buy them at like WalMart off the shelf.
posted by The_Vegetables at 1:56 PM on June 21, 2023
posted by The_Vegetables at 1:56 PM on June 21, 2023
Didn't mean to imply they weren't. But you can find 'em for really cheap at Goodwill now.
posted by Rash at 2:11 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Rash at 2:11 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
CDs also make great drink coasters. Particularly AOL ones.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 2:25 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 2:25 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
After whatever many updates, the super drive and the computer are out of sync and don’t really recognize each other, and I got a burned cd of platiquemos Spanish lessons stuck in it. Now what ;_;
Some drives have a tiny hole in the door that you can stick a paper clip in to manually open it.
posted by rfs at 4:41 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
Some drives have a tiny hole in the door that you can stick a paper clip in to manually open it.
posted by rfs at 4:41 PM on June 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
I’ve been buying CD’s at the local thrift stores and library sales for the last five years and, anecdotally speaking, the pickings have gotten slimmer. As The_Vegatables said, lots of religious music and show tunes. I feel like my timing was good having only a few gaps left in my collection.
That describes the Goodwill in my neighborhood. The thrift shop I go to (Lifelong in Seattle) regularly gets donations from local record shops needing to make space, which sounds more like the exception than the rule.
posted by NemesisVex at 7:45 AM on June 22, 2023
That describes the Goodwill in my neighborhood. The thrift shop I go to (Lifelong in Seattle) regularly gets donations from local record shops needing to make space, which sounds more like the exception than the rule.
posted by NemesisVex at 7:45 AM on June 22, 2023
"If you're seeking blank CD-Rs, check your local thrift store, in with the office stuff."
Dumb question: My understanding (and experience) is that CD-Rs degrade over time. Do blanks degrade or not until they're actually written to? I have some vintage CD-Rs and haven't used them yet, but I wonder if they're even usable now. (10+ years old.)
posted by jzb at 2:19 PM on June 22, 2023
Dumb question: My understanding (and experience) is that CD-Rs degrade over time. Do blanks degrade or not until they're actually written to? I have some vintage CD-Rs and haven't used them yet, but I wonder if they're even usable now. (10+ years old.)
posted by jzb at 2:19 PM on June 22, 2023
CDs also make great drink coasters. Particularly AOL ones.
Woah woah woah.
Before you use an AOL cd as a coaster, ya gotta microwave it for a second.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 2:46 PM on June 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Woah woah woah.
Before you use an AOL cd as a coaster, ya gotta microwave it for a second.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 2:46 PM on June 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
My understanding (and experience) is that CD-Rs degrade over time.
I haven't had too much trouble with CDR degredation either. In my experience you either get a good burn that lasts a while under normal care, or a bad burn that's immediately terrible.
But I bought my current stack of 20 CDRs 18 years ago and I'm still using them. An anecdote of one person probably isn't worth much, but if I saw some in a thrift store and needed them, I'd not hesitate.
posted by The_Vegetables at 3:43 PM on June 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
I haven't had too much trouble with CDR degredation either. In my experience you either get a good burn that lasts a while under normal care, or a bad burn that's immediately terrible.
But I bought my current stack of 20 CDRs 18 years ago and I'm still using them. An anecdote of one person probably isn't worth much, but if I saw some in a thrift store and needed them, I'd not hesitate.
posted by The_Vegetables at 3:43 PM on June 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
I doubt they'll stop making CD or DVD drives any time soon.
I think they will follow the same trajectory as cassettes, they will stop making good/reliable drives but you will be able to buy cheap off-brand versions for many years.
posted by Lanark at 4:21 PM on June 22, 2023
I think they will follow the same trajectory as cassettes, they will stop making good/reliable drives but you will be able to buy cheap off-brand versions for many years.
posted by Lanark at 4:21 PM on June 22, 2023
When a CD degrades/succumbs to bitrot, is it typically because of the age of the disc or the number of times it has been played?
posted by chimpsonfilm at 6:18 PM on June 23, 2023
posted by chimpsonfilm at 6:18 PM on June 23, 2023
There is a Causes section in the Wikipedia article Disc rot.
posted by larrybob at 9:49 PM on June 23, 2023
posted by larrybob at 9:49 PM on June 23, 2023
the good ole days of CDs. Remember how long it took to burn a CD? 1 minute song time = 1 minute burn time. Now you can download an album in a few seconds.
posted by jdthompson at 7:35 PM on June 25, 2023
posted by jdthompson at 7:35 PM on June 25, 2023
Remember how long it took to burn a CD? 1 minute song time = 1 minute burn time.
Only if you were burning at 1X. I don't think I've personally ever written to a disc at less than 4X.
posted by Dysk at 11:09 PM on June 25, 2023
Only if you were burning at 1X. I don't think I've personally ever written to a disc at less than 4X.
posted by Dysk at 11:09 PM on June 25, 2023
I still have my first 1x cd burner ;) Don't know why lol, maybe I one day the Smithsonian will offer me some $ for it.
posted by jdthompson at 12:22 PM on June 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by jdthompson at 12:22 PM on June 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
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