KeithL
Administrator 
Posts: 10,264
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Post by KeithL on Aug 12, 2022 16:02:06 GMT -5
And, as soon as you finish, you're going to make a full backup... right.  I far and away prefer dBPowerAmp to anything else I've used. Also make sure you activate or sign up for AccurateRIP to go with it; that way you'll KNOW when your RIPs are perfect. You can also customize the details of how it names the files and how it stores them. I've spent the last 36 hours synchronizing my main music drive and my RAID backup, combining directories and deleting empty ones, deleting duplicates, defragmenting the discs, correcting artwork and tags, and weeding out corrupt files. Twas a tedious business, but now that it's done, I'm hoping that Roon will be less crash-happy. We shall see... I also have about a half dozen more discs to rip. I'm not too impressed with the ripping capabilities of jRiver, and I think I'll try either EAC or dB Poweramp this time - Unless someone has another Mac ripper that I'm not yet aware of? (Please don't recommend iTunes - although some love it, I've had nothing but trouble with it over the years). Thanks - Boomzilla |
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KeithL
Administrator
Posts: 10,264
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Post by KeithL on Aug 12, 2022 16:19:11 GMT -5
That is unfortunately a possibility... The easiest thing to do is to do an actual bit compare on the files... If the bits are identical then they absolutely positively are identical (because there's nothing in a file but bits)... Note that, when you use AccurateRIP, you're looking for "a bunch of results that match yours" - but not necessarily all of the results will match. It's also worth mentioning that different copies of the "same" CD - same picture, same date, same company, are sometimes still not identical. Sometimes different pressings or batches are from different masters which can be slightly different. I've actually seen situations where, when I RIPped a certain CD, and looked at the results in AccurateRIP... There were fifteen other RIPs of that same CD in their database... And songs 1-10 on my RIP were identical to the same songs on all fifteen samples... But songs 11-15 on my RIP were only identical to the same songs on ten of the samples... And did not match those songs on their other five samples... So there are at least two different "masters" out there for that CD... My copy matches one of them... which indicates that my RIP is good... but the last five songs are different between the two... and may or may not be audibly different. On two rare occasions I also discovered a bit-error that was the same on two different copies of the same CD, of the same album, in the same place... This indicates that there was an error or damaged spot on the optical master used to duplicate that entire run of CDs... I think a double blind test would be a good idea too, but I'm convinced that the additional hardware needed to do the ABX test would affect the sound more than any potential difference in the copies. |
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Post by leonski on Aug 12, 2022 16:45:20 GMT -5
Want to REALLY drive yourself NUTS?
Compare the Vinyl and CD versions of Dark Side Of The Moon.......Pink Floyd
European? Asian? American? Remasters? Original studio recording? I have NO idea how many versions or redos of this album are
out there. I looked at a record data base and found several based on the album jacket number......I had a 'good' one which if new in factory wrap
was worth some case......But who knows what master and technique was used for my CD copy?
Best of luck parsing thru what must certainly be a swamp of data / information......
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Post by marcl on Aug 12, 2022 16:54:01 GMT -5
Want to REALLY drive yourself NUTS? Compare the Vinyl and CD versions of Dark Side Of The Moon.......Pink Floyd European? Asian? American? Remasters? Original studio recording? I have NO idea how many versions or redos of this album are out there. I looked at a record data base and found several based on the album jacket number......I had a 'good' one which if new in factory wrap was worth some case......But who knows what master and technique was used for my CD copy? Best of luck parsing thru what must certainly be a swamp of data / information...... Comparing to vinyl would most certainly be futile. Let's hope they wouldn't subject a CD master to the abuse you need to inflict on a vinyl master ... rolling off highs and lows, summing to mono below 200Hz, etc. |
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Post by geebo on Aug 12, 2022 18:09:05 GMT -5
I've spent the last 36 hours synchronizing my main music drive and my RAID backup, combining directories and deleting empty ones, deleting duplicates, defragmenting the discs, correcting artwork and tags, and weeding out corrupt files. Twas a tedious business, but now that it's done, I'm hoping that Roon will be less crash-happy. We shall see... I also have about a half dozen more discs to rip. I'm not too impressed with the ripping capabilities of jRiver, and I think I'll try either EAC or dB Poweramp this time - Unless someone has another Mac ripper that I'm not yet aware of? (Please don't recommend iTunes - although some love it, I've had nothing but trouble with it over the years). Thanks - Boomzilla Either EAC or dB Poweramp is what I use. EAC if free and does a great job. |
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Post by thezone on Aug 12, 2022 19:34:27 GMT -5
Want to REALLY drive yourself NUTS? Compare the Vinyl and CD versions of Dark Side Of The Moon.......Pink Floyd European? Asian? American? Remasters? Original studio recording? I have NO idea how many versions or redos of this album are out there. I looked at a record data base and found several based on the album jacket number......I had a 'good' one which if new in factory wrap was worth some case......But who knows what master and technique was used for my CD copy? Best of luck parsing thru what must certainly be a swamp of data / information...... This is a pointless exercise as you should be totally high while listening to this album anyways : ) |
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Post by Boomzilla on Aug 12, 2022 19:50:59 GMT -5
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt...
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Post by Boomzilla on Aug 15, 2022 14:28:30 GMT -5
Out of idle curiosity, I wonder if one could change the dimensions of the Klipsch La Scala horn to make a taller, skinnier version (a "Skinny-Scala")? Might have to use two 12" drivers rather than the single 15", but with some calculations, I bet it would work. |
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Post by leonski on Aug 15, 2022 15:56:11 GMT -5
You would change the resonant frequency of the sides.....
Interactions might result.
Bracing and robust construciton certainly help.
An unfortunate interation of ratio of dimensions might be a deal breaker.....
Not that it wouldn't be worth a try......Just be ready to 'not' nail it the first go....
Look at the changes made between Forte from version III to IV........
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Post by Boomzilla on Aug 27, 2022 13:59:47 GMT -5
Want to REALLY drive yourself NUTS? Compare the Vinyl and CD versions of Dark Side Of The Moon.......Pink Floyd - European? Asian? American? Remasters? Original studio recording? I have NO idea how many versions or redos of this album are out there. I looked at a record data base and found several based on the album jacket number......I had a 'good' one which if new in factory wrap was worth some case......But who knows what master and technique was used for my CD copy? Best of luck parsing thru what must certainly be a swamp of data / information...... My audio amigo, Russell, treats CD variation interestingly: Each new CD he gets is listened to "raw." If he likes the content, but not the mastering, he runs his rip(s) through an expensive "pro" TASCAM mastering device using a VERY expensive cd-mastering program. He can apply DSP "correction" to the file and then resave it digitally after making his changes. He pays for this equipment and software in several ways: He sells his remastered tracks to audio manufacturers who demo their equipment at audio shows and at their dealers using Russell's rips. Since Russell can tailor a rip to the specific equipment it is to be used with, the results are pretty spectacular. He trades his tracks to other hobbyists who have rare or unique software that he lacks. Russell can also digitize music from records that were never commercially released on CD. He does a good business with customers who bring him phonograph records to be "ripped." He can not only enhance channel separation, but also remove ticks, pops, and hiss. With the equalization he can apply, the digitized files sound much better than the original vinyl. Russell can also sample at extremely high bit depths and sampling rates. His "hi-rez" files sound amazing. But the biggest surprise, to me, was how excellent simple 16/44 digitized files can sound with the proper remastering. The soundstage, detail, and bass from the remastered files astound me. But to do what Russell does requires both equipment and expertise. I couldn't do it. But I recognize excellence when I hear it. Boomzilla I note also that Russell uses three different CD source drives, depending on how he wants the result to sound. He uses several different USB cables. He experiments with storage, including traditional disc, SSD, and various solid state removable devices. He also keeps several DACs on hand (solid state and tube) to assess the results of his work. His studio has at least four sets of speakers, a dozen or so amplifiers/preamps, and this doesn't include the gear he has in his house rather than in his studio. He's been doing this stuff for decades, and I think it's fair to say that I've heard continuous improvement in his results. |
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Post by leonski on Aug 27, 2022 16:36:02 GMT -5
Yes, boom......the average guy will jump at the chance to knock out the back wall to the house.....or rent the apartment next door....
Knock out of few walls, get a new electric service with BrickWall and than buy / lease 100 Grand in gear.
Than go to schools and basically spend the next 3 or 4 years....fulll time......gaining expertise......
But truth be told? You buddy DOES provide a valuable service. I've got an early CD. Blues Breakers with John Mayall and Eric Clapton. But you know?
It not only SOUNDS like it was recorded in a garage, but plays quite well. At least the background is quiet. A keeper without modification.
I bought it in about '83 as one of the 1st 3 CDs I purchased. The day I bought my Magnevox by Phillips top-loader.....And 14 bit, at that.
Many of the 'better' and 'improved' albums were NOT. Loudness wars destroyed a lot of music. Crushed high levels and much less dynamic
range. Who started that nonsense?
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Post by Boomzilla on Aug 27, 2022 17:47:01 GMT -5
...Many of the 'better' and 'improved' albums were NOT. Loudness wars destroyed a lot of music. Crushed high levels and much less dynamic range. Who started that nonsense? Radio stations. They have a maximum modulation level not to be exceeded (per the FCC). So to keep dynamic music from being too low in volume, the station uses a compressor and a limiter. The former squashes the dynamic range flatter than a pancake, the latter prevents the maximum transmission level from ever exceeding the FCC limit. Phonograph mastering engineers also use compression and limiting to prevent transients from exceeding the limits of the cutting heads. Even when CDs came along, mastering used compression and limiting to avoid exceeding the limits of the 16/44 medium. Now, with higher sampling rates and more dynamic levels, some of this is gone. But not all. Such is life. |
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Post by Boomzilla on Aug 27, 2022 18:42:09 GMT -5
Drive shopping for a replacement external USB HDD for my music collection. The existing 4TB drive has been outgrown.
A friend who is the IT manager for the State University has recommended HGST Enterprise drives to me as being highly reliable, but the number, price variation, and variety on Amazon are profoundly baffling. I think I want either a 6 or 8TB drive so I won't be outgrowing the new drive anytime soon. I'll have two backups of the data, one on RAID and the other offsite, so the ultimate reliability probably isn't worth paying for. Refurbished drives are available for $60 while new ones can be up to $1,000. I don't understand that wide a variety.
I'm also confused by the following variants:
Internal drive
HGST-WD drives
MegaScale DC drives
Ultrastar He8 & DC drives
Etc.
Advice appreciated.
Thanks - Boomzilla
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Post by leonski on Aug 27, 2022 20:17:05 GMT -5
I worked at a 10 watt FM station run by my High school. In one corner of the equipment area? A compressor. Callsign? WHFH Sure, But all those loundness wars issues were REissues and REmasters and all were screw ups. Origianl material was generally fine. I think it was done since 'louder' gets more attention.....And while they were at it? the dynmanic range was destroyed... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_warcheck out the Graphics at the WIKI. Just a data point? What IS the dynamic range of 16 bit recordings? An UNDITHERED 16bit file can be a theoretical 96db...... With dither, exceeding 100 is very common....a a 'perception'.... I've only heard...or heard OF any recordings which would make use of this. After all? A very quiet room is what? 30db or so? This without getting into Anachoic or anything 'special'. 96db PLUS 30db floor is 126db and around the pain threshold. Clearly, no recording will go to that extent. |
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Post by Boomzilla on Aug 30, 2022 12:53:14 GMT -5
AMAZON LESSON LEARNED:
I used to think that all Amazon Prime purchases could be delivered in two to four days. But lately, I’ve made Amazon Prime purchases that shipped from CHINA, and that won’t arrive for a MONTH or more.
I looked over Amazon to see if I could specify a preference for domestic stores only, but the only such option I found was for business customers only.
Mr. Bezos isn’t impressing me much here…
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Post by monkumonku on Aug 30, 2022 13:21:28 GMT -5
AMAZON LESSON LEARNED: I used to think that all Amazon Prime purchases could be delivered in two to four days. But lately, I’ve made Amazon Prime purchases that shipped from CHINA, and that won’t arrive for a MONTH or more. I looked over Amazon to see if I could specify a preference for domestic stores only, but the only such option I found was for business customers only. Mr. Bezos isn’t impressing me much here… Regarding the purchases from China - what makes them a Prime purchase then? Free shipping? The attraction of Prime was not only free shipping but fast shipping. I've noticed that many Prime items are not one or two day deliveries, also. |
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Post by Boomzilla on Aug 30, 2022 15:18:00 GMT -5
Free shipping seems to be it. But what good is free shipping if I have to wait more than a month for my merchandise? I'd rather have paid more and gotten it the day after tomorrow.
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Post by leonski on Aug 30, 2022 20:33:36 GMT -5
Any way to NOT buy chinese? Having to buy Russian Vacuum Tubes is bad enough......but Chinese semicondutors or other electronic parts made into 'stuff'?
I'll either do a work-around or do without......
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Post by teaman on Aug 30, 2022 22:21:33 GMT -5
Out of idle curiosity, I wonder if one could change the dimensions of the Klipsch La Scala horn to make a taller, skinnier version (a "Skinny-Scala")? Might have to use two 12" drivers rather than the single 15", but with some calculations, I bet it would work. They did, it was the amazing KLF-30's...which I happen to own three pairs of! Tim |
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Post by Boomzilla on Aug 30, 2022 22:23:24 GMT -5
KLF-30? No. No horn loaded bass. Just another monkey coffin with drivers in it.
On another topic - I think I've totally worn out the microswitches in my trackball with all the HDD grooming I've been doing on my music library. The control, shift, and return keys on my keyboard are also now intermittent. Oh well...
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I've spent the last 36 hours synchronizing my main music drive and my RAID backup, combining directories and deleting empty ones, deleting duplicates, defragmenting the discs, correcting artwork and tags, and weeding out corrupt files. Twas a tedious business, but now that it's done, I'm hoping that Roon will be less crash-happy. We shall see... I also have about a half dozen more discs to rip.
