Computer based music; the downside?

[admin_exported]

Hi all,

I've been noticing ever increasing numbers of threads extolling the virtues of computer based music in conjunction with a DAC. Two questions however:

1) Presumably the quality of the 'ripped' track depends somewhat on the quality of the transport on the computer. In my experience, these are not terribly good, and rather flimsy multi-format affairs. Have people encountered any problems in this regard?

2) I have 2000+ CDs; an optimistic estimate is that it will take approximately 12,000 minutes (200 hours, 28 working days) to transfer them all to a computer (or face a wait of 5-6 minutes each time I want to listen to a CD that hasn't previously been transferred). The unholy inconvenience of this seems to far outweigh any sonic benefits achieved. Am I missing something?

 

[professorhat]

1. Most ripping software has error correction built-in when ripping to ensure any issues caused by the transport are fixed before a copy is made. Software like EAC I gather will ensure you get a bit perfect copy of the song on your hard disk.
2. Yup, that's just the way it is! Most people tend to just do their favourite CDs to start with, then gradually just work their way through their collection. It really depends how much you want a computer based music solution I guess.

 

[fatboyslimfast]

Prof is spot on with both points there. I use Apple Lossless which uses error correction (optionally). Basically, if it reads a bad section, it re-reads it until it gets a good copy.

Hence why the HDD-based audio should be more accurate than a CDP which streams from the disk to the DAC in realtime, with only error-correction hardware "guessing" any missing bits...

The main benefit for me (I'm in the process of going through step 2) is that I can switch on my hifi, and have - currently - 300+ CDs at my disposal, at the press of a remote control button, without having to go up to the study everytime I want a CD to listen to (500+ CDs in our lounge are apparantly a no-no).

Those already ripped are my frequently-listened-to discs. The rest will be done as and when I remember I want to listen to them, or when I get bored of the wife's telly...

 

[Anonymous]

Im a big advocate of computer-based music, but the biggest down side for me is the temptation to flick to my favourite tracks all the time as they're all at my disposal. Im less likely to hear out a new album and therefore less likely to get familiar with 'slow burning' tracks as Im always flicking and getting instant gratification. In the past, Id leave a new cd in the spinner as it was a lot more hassle to change it.

 

[chebby]

No downsides yet

Luvvin it!

 

[Ajani]

thfcwestlower:Im a big advocate of computer-based music, but the biggest down side for me is the temptation to flick to my favourite tracks all the time as they're all at my disposal. Im less likely to hear out a new album and therefore less likely to get familiar with 'slow burning' tracks as Im always flicking and getting instant gratification. In the past, Id leave a new cd in the spinner as it was a lot more hassle to change it.

A valid point, but I've also had this experience with computer based music: Realizing that I had songs on my collection that I didn't know I had... I have many Compilation CDs that I bought years ago for specific songs... but only now when I started searching through itunes by artists etc... that I uncovered several songs (some of which are now favorites)... Part of this is due to my musical tastes changing over the years, so even though I would have seen the particular songs listed when I first bought the CD, they would have been of no interest to me then... and so I didn't even take note of their existence...

My basic point is that you can use media server based music (whether computer or otherwise) to just play your favorite songs quickly or you can use it to dig up tracks you didn't know or remember you had... or just let it play randomly and see if you hear something new that you like...

 

[Anonymous]

Can be time consuming to rip your collection and fine tune your media player of choice...

Then consider having a backup to save re-ripping all over again.

 

[Alec]

Fumanchu:Then consider having a backup to save re-ripping all over again.

No, dont consider it, for god's sake just do it! there are many methods, but for the love of all thats holy choose one and do it. please.

rant over.

but yes thats one huge downfall, and it can all be quite time consuming, but then some of that we choose, depending on how fussy we are about arranging our folders and librarys.

in fact, the more i think about it, the more i realise that if i was still in the position of being a CD listener, the downfalls would give me pause for thought...

 

[chebby]

I am looking forward to this technology becoming cheaper...

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/11/25/samsung_mass_produces_256gb_ssd/

....but solid state (SSD) is the future. Faster and lighter, no noise, no moving parts and minimal (1.1w) power consumption.

 

[Ajani]

Fumanchu:
Can be time consuming to rip your collection and fine tune your media player of choice...

Then consider having a backup to save re-ripping all over again.

1) Don't treat ripping as a chore.... What I did was to simply use the rip process as an opportunity to listen to a few tracks from all of my CDs.... So whatever I ripped first I let play and as I ripped the next album, I played it and so on and so on till I had eventually ripped all my CDs... It was an opportunity to listen to CDs I hadn't touched in years.... It's your choice whether you want to treat ripping as a major frustration or just make the best of it...

2) Backup is key... unless you are willing to re-rip... also backup does not have to be expensive... a USB Hard Drive or NAS can be had fairly cheaply now or even an old computer...

 

[Anonymous]

What DACs would offer me similar performance to my CD 8 se?

 

[chebby]

gary_london:What DACs would offer me similar performance to my CD 8 se?

I would try the Benchmark DAC1 or DAC1 USB to start with. (£850 - £950 depending on which model). Benchmark is well regarded for it's professional studio/recording equipment and their DAC1/DAC1 USB are professional quality (and price alas).

This would give you the added advantage of being able to download 24 bit 96khz 'studio master' music from various sites (Linn, B&W and others) and play-back through the DAC at the same 24/96 quality (even through USB).

There are only a few such sites but they are increasing in number and depth of choice.

 

[BlackSpy]

Get dbPoweramp. It'll rip more or less at drive speed, so a 30x drive means an hour of music in two minutes. It'll do all the error correction and what have you and hook up the track ID tags too.

that should take your estimate down to seven or eight working days, and that the computer's time anyway, not yours. You just need to swap the disc when it's done - read a book you've meaning to get through next to the PC, everyones a winner! And anyway, you're not actaully listening to 2000+ CDs every 28 working days so what's the problem in the first place? First time you want to listen you rip. Your music will kick in a few seconds later, and the next time you want to listen it's there, happy and excited to see you again. The time the computer spends ripping you're spending eating hob nobs on the couch listenting to phat beats or mournful violins, whatever your thing is.

It's a nice place to be.

 

[JoelSim]

Just think, you could spend 28,000 days ripping your music and then the Great Fire of London starts again...or Bill Gates instructs his cronies to pop another little bug in that stupid computer.

Spent about 3 hours at work today trying to get a typeface to work, it's Arabic so we had to add Quark Arabic extension. Simple!

Oh no, the typeface won't work because of a geeza and a monotype system or something equally as incomprehensible, and now that print deadline is looking ropey. ****ing computers. Stick with your CD player and enjoy life.

ÿ

 

[John Duncan]

gary_london:What DACs would offer me similar performance to my CD 8 se?

Given lossless files, even a DACMagic would (IMO).