Ripping CD and Formatting for Stinger Media Player

[MerlintheMad]

The best ripping tool is ExactAudioCopy. It rips track then actually calculates a fingerprint for the track to compare to other users. This is ideal for ripping potentially damaged discs.

You can rip the entire CD as one file if you want. It supports multiple encoding options, mp3, flac, etc.

Scary! Why all the redirecting? I must have clicked on DOWNLOAD four times and it kept advancing to another "download" page. Not risking it. Thanks anyway!

 

[Marc Collins]

The best ripping tool is ExactAudioCopy. It rips track then actually calculates a fingerprint for the track to compare to other users. This is ideal for ripping potentially damaged discs.

You can rip the entire CD as one file if you want. It supports multiple encoding options, mp3, flac, etc.

Thanks for tip--looks like an amazing piece of software for those of us who want precision in how and what we are ripping.

One and only one issue may be lack of album art functionality? Since it's designed for people who want to copy CD's to CD's or archive them, portable (including car) audio players doesn't seem to be the focus.

 

[LegacyGTv2.0]

Scary! Why all the redirecting? I must have clicked on DOWNLOAD four times and it kept advancing to another "download" page. Not risking it. Thanks anyway!

I checked what you're talking about. The Netzwelt server sucks is the easiest answer.

There is an option to download direct from the site. There's an option for "if you encounter problems click here".
It takes you to a download link directly on their site.
I can't post links or I would put the link in this post, sorry.

The hashes are also posted, so if you're paranoid you can check those. The software is very highly regarded in the audiophile community, and can do exactly what you want, so I would encourage you to give it a second look.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I'm giving it a lookover. Swallowing my fears.

The software is very highly regarded in the audiophile community, and can do exactly what you want, so I would encourage you to give it a second look.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I'm giving it a lookover. Swallowing my fears.

LAME.EXE!? How "lame" can you get? I am a technophobe, and to get this "Exact Auto Copy" up and running, I have to go to third party websites and find what the heck EAC is talking about. Heh! I'm waiting to continue my "second look". This just got too complicated and time consuming for me right now.

 

[Marc Collins]

LAME.EXE!? How "lame" can you get? I am a technophobe, and to get this "Exact Auto Copy" up and running, I have to go to third party websites and find what the heck EAC is talking about. Heh! I'm waiting to continue my "second look". This just got too complicated and time consuming for me right now.

It took me two minutes to download and install. Please reply to my prior question about music browsing...I am curious if you have a magic combination that works properly.

 

[MerlintheMad]

It took me two minutes to download and install. Please reply to my prior question about music browsing...I am curious if you have a magic combination that works properly.

Here I am, king of Luddites and technophobes, and I am telling you that I cannot replicate what you are talking about. Either I don't know how to access music by "browsing" or my system doesn't bring up anything that looks weirdly "alphabetical" when it shouldn't be. McMaybe McLater.

It took me two minutes to download and install.

That's fine. Except I didn't SEE LAME.EXE anywhere specifically. I saw a list of folders, and damned if I am going to download a bunch of crap and hope that the one file I need is in there. Maybe it all looked clear as day to you. Not to me. Too many steps, and pieces/parts: I have to go gathering stuff elsewhere to make this ripper function? It's looking like the audiophile version of Gimp: which was the best I could do when I lost my graphics program that came with one of my ancient printers, which I was perfectly conversant with, but would not work on the new Windoze version (I don't even remember which one, we have so freaking many). Gimp is a travesty is "user friendly" is what you need, and I do. This "Exact Auto Copy" ripper is even worse starting in, if I have to go fetch pieces/parts to make it work; that's not even getting started, just collecting the junk in the first place. HEH!

 

[Marc Collins]

Here I am, king of Luddites and technophobes, and I am telling you that I cannot replicate what you are talking about. Either I don't know how to access music by "browsing" or my system doesn't bring up anything that looks weirdly "alphabetical" when it shouldn't be. McMaybe McLater.


That's fine. Except I didn't SEE LAME.EXE anywhere specifically. I saw a list of folders, and damned if I am going to download a bunch of crap and hope that the one file I need is in there. Maybe it all looked clear as day to you. Not to me. Too many steps, and pieces/parts: I have to go gathering stuff elsewhere to make this ripper function? It's looking like the audiophile version of Gimp: which was the best I could do when I lost my graphics program that came with one of my ancient printers, which I was perfectly conversant with, but would not work on the new Windoze version (I don't even remember which one, we have so freaking many). Gimp is a travesty is "user friendly" is what you need, and I do. This "Exact Auto Copy" ripper is even worse starting in, if I have to go fetch pieces/parts to make it work; that's not even getting started, just collecting the junk in the first place. HEH!

How is it possible that you cannot test your music browsing in your car? Go to USB music and try loading an album by artist or album. Does it then play in album order or alphabetical order. Mine (and many others) plays in alphabetical order despite the fact that the songs have album order numbers in them and that they play in album order when browsing by "Files." It either works or it doesn't work...not a big mystery that should take half a dozen messages and paragraphs of text.

The software site was a bit annoying, yes, but within two minutes I was easily able to download one file and install in Windows and be using the software (which is excellent). There is no special trick or procedure required. Just click the correct download link.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Just click the correct download link.

Could not see anything marked "correct download", much less anything that said LAME.EXE. So to my 66 year-old eyes (still blasted from too much exposure to the "Blue-Eyed God of Entertainment", aka any default blue screen, Icon of the current age of tech, which makes all my memories prior to the deluge/assault/invasion seem like another planet) there was no "correct download link". And I've learned to not just download this or that without knowledge.

I'll try again to see what happens in my car when I search by album or artist. Why can't you just search alphabetically through the master List? The slider is a very facile tool to pull down through any List of any length. You shouldn't be touching the screen anymore than necessary anyway while driving.

 

[Marc Collins]

Could not see anything marked "correct download", much less anything that said LAME.EXE. So to my 66 year-old eyes (still blasted from too much exposure to the "Blue-Eyed God of Entertainment", aka any default blue screen, Icon of the current age of tech, which makes all my memories prior to the deluge/assault/invasion seem like another planet) there was no "correct download link". And I've learned to not just download this or that without knowledge.

I'll try again to see what happens in my car when I search by album or artist. Why can't you just search alphabetically through the master List? The slider is a very facile tool to pull down through any List of any length. You shouldn't be touching the screen anymore than necessary anyway while driving.

What master list are you talking about? There are different ways to browse the music. And yes, all of them are stuck with the poorly designed touch screen action that is a distraction while driving. Every car I have had for 12 years had a steering wheel-mounted control for this--as does the Genesis G70 and other KIAs. Part of the frustration is the whole system is badly designed even if worked properly, which is does not.

When you click on Media, how would you browse through all your music to find what album you want to listen to??? Look on the left-side menu...those are your choices.

The system is apparently designed only for people who want to shuffle their music and don't care to be selective.

 

[Marc Collins]

Could not see anything marked "correct download", much less anything that said LAME.EXE. So to my 66 year-old eyes (still blasted from too much exposure to the "Blue-Eyed God of Entertainment", aka any default blue screen, Icon of the current age of tech, which makes all my memories prior to the deluge/assault/invasion seem like another planet) there was no "correct download link". And I've learned to not just download this or that without knowledge.

I'll try again to see what happens in my car when I search by album or artist. Why can't you just search alphabetically through the master List? The slider is a very facile tool to pull down through any List of any length. You shouldn't be touching the screen anymore than necessary anyway while driving.

No, there isn't a link marked "correct download." You have to use intelligence to separate the legitimate links from the barrage of ads and ad-related false links. That's the price we pay for "free" downloading. The author of the software is donating it to the world (freeware), so it's a little much to expect that person to also pay for storage and Web hosting for all the rest of us to be able to conveniently download it for free.

You remind me of my father, who despite all his great traits, had no sense of direction. After passing his exit off the expressway, he was frustrated that when he took a later exit there was no sign pointing him to the place he missed from the earlier exit. As if the road signage system should have anticipated his (and everyone else's) wrong turn. I learned how to read maps and navigate on family trips at a very young age...

 

[MerlintheMad]

No, there isn't a link marked "correct download."

Sorry, I was being facetious, because of my frustration with going to look specifically and ONLY for LAME.EXE, and not finding it, but a column of folders/links.

You have to use intelligence to separate the legitimate links from the barrage of ads and ad-related false links.

Intelligence is only going to carry one so far into an alien environment. Then exhaustion sets in. Hand Wavium. There was nothing visible to indicate "legitimate link" on the page I went to (the recommended page to get the LAME.EXE file); I had already gone through the half a dozen "DOWNLOAD" pages just to download "Exact Auto Copy"; I was working my way through the setup; and then he asked me to go get LAME.EXE; and I could not see it. Simple roadblock. I have no patience with roadblocks in media. Either it is facile/user friendly, or it is tossed.

You remind me of my father,

Lol. There is a bit of a gap in your analogy: LAME.EXE is a specific file name. If I am being directed to get it at a specific place, it would be appropriate to send me to the exact page by specific link; not to some general page loaded with all kinds of crap and expect me to recognize it out of the crap.

What master list are you talking about? There are different ways to browse the music. And yes, all of them are stuck with the poorly designed touch screen action that is a distraction while driving. Every car I have had for 12 years had a steering wheel-mounted control for this--as does the Genesis G70 and other KIAs. Part of the frustration is the whole system is badly designed even if worked properly, which is does not.

When you click on Media, how would you browse through all your music to find what album you want to listen to??? Look on the left-side menu...those are your choices.

The system is apparently designed only for people who want to shuffle their music and don't care to be selective.

When I pull up Media, I touch "List" near the upper right corner, next to "Menu"; then I touch the little up arrow folder icon (Next to Titles); that brings up the name of the artist or album (I'm not in the car); touch that and the up arrow folder icon should have "Music" next to it, and starting with numerical or "A", the alphabetized list of every album you have on the USB stick. If you flick the list, a slider button appears on the right, which you can hold and drag up and down through the entire List to get to roughly where you want to go; then flick up or down till the album appears; touch it and you're in: all the tracks are arranged as in the album, no alphabetical crap inside the album.

I tried out what you've said, and boy howdy, what a mess! Yes, all the tracks are listed alphabetically; and I presume if I clicked on one, the next listed one, alphabetically, would play next. Stupid! But I never searched that way: ponderous at best, with the alphabet listed to the right and no slider button. Search from list, from Music, and you'll find true Joy. (I hope; at least, that's how it has always worked for me.)

 

[Marc Collins]

Sorry, I was being facetious, because of my frustration with going to look specifically and ONLY for LAME.EXE, and not finding it, but a column of folders/links.

Intelligence is only going to carry one so far into an alien environment. Then exhaustion sets in. Hand Wavium. There was nothing visible to indicate "legitimate link" on the page I went to (the recommended page to get the LAME.EXE file); I had already gone through the half a dozen "DOWNLOAD" pages just to download "Exact Auto Copy"; I was working my way through the setup; and then he asked me to go get LAME.EXE; and I could not see it. Simple roadblock. I have no patience with roadblocks in media. Either it is facile/user friendly, or it is tossed.

Lol. There is a bit of a gap in your analogy: LAME.EXE is a specific file name. If I am being directed to get it at a specific place, it would be appropriate to send me to the exact page by specific link; not to some general page loaded with all kinds of crap and expect me to recognize it out of the crap.

When I pull up Media, I touch "List" near the upper right corner, next to "Menu"; then I touch the little up arrow folder icon (Next to Titles); that brings up the name of the artist or album (I'm not in the car); touch that and the up arrow folder icon should have "Music" next to it, and starting with numerical or "A", the alphabetized list of every album you have on the USB stick. If you flick the list, a slider button appears on the right, which you can hold and drag up and down through the entire List to get to roughly where you want to go; then flick up or down till the album appears; touch it and you're in: all the tracks are arranged as in the album, no alphabetical crap inside the album.

I tried out what you've said, and boy howdy, what a mess! Yes, all the tracks are listed alphabetically; and I presume if I clicked on one, the next listed one, alphabetically, would play next. Stupid! But I never searched that way: ponderous at best, with the alphabet listed to the right and no slider button. Search from list, from Music, and you'll find true Joy. (I hope; at least, that's how it has always worked for me.)

Thanks for finally confirming that your car is the same as the rest.

In terms of the software, there is no need to look for LAME or anything else. It's a simple direct download and install (once you get to the right link).

You have a penchant for over-complicating simple things.

 

[MerlintheMad]

You have a penchant for over-complicating simple things.

A weakness. Help me Mr Wizard. The original set up of EAC I found to be very user unfriendly. I've explained why. When I bailed, I uninstalled EAC.