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November 16, 2006 - 8:48am
#1
What codec?
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This is actually a more complex question then you probably realize. First you have to decide on several issues; Is Hard drive space a concern, future decoding and music "rights", what you plan on doing with the music. Let
Try reposting your question in the "Audio Hardware: Computer Audio" forum. You might stand a better chance of getting more responses there.
There are plenty of different lossless compression codecs available besides Apple's AAC and Microsoft's WMA. FLAC and Monkey Audio's APE are two of the better ones that people are using, with FLAC being the most widely supported.
In addition, there are better ripping programs available than iTunes, such as Exact Audio Copy. You stated that you are archiving your CD collection to hard drive and for that I would not trust iTunes and AAC. Exact Audio Copy and FLAC would be a much better way to go.
This is a Stereophile question,not a computer question.
I intend to drive my Meridian DSP 6000 loudspeakers from an
I-Mac with 500G hd and 1G memory.I will drive them from the optical out of the Mac and go via a Meridian 518 processer.
I will conduct comparisons PCM/WAV /Lossless.I might use Apple lossless and also WAV or choose lossless only.
I-Tunes is a very flexible system and easy to use, Apples Front Row remote enables I-Tunes manipulation with out mouse
or key board from across the room.The CD'S go upstairs and so will the Meridian Player.Points will be earned from the boss and perhaps I could buy a EBay centre D6000 and go Trifield! Dream on sucker.
ROLO. GL6 7NL UK.
Alright, well in that case, i'd go with Wav, it is Uncompressed (uncompermised) and even lossless codecs do loose alot of inf.You may not be able to hear it but when you minulapate the song, it can bring out the lack of information in the song. Remember, as an stereophile, record the info slow, dont get impatient and record it at 48x.
Since Wav does not support tagging, wouldn't that be a disadvantage? How would one keep a collection of Wavs organized on the HDD? I like the idea of archiving using Wav, but the tag issue has kept me back.
BTW, does AAC stand for Apple Audio Codec or Advanced Audio Codec?
Bob
"Since Wav does not support tagging, wouldn't that be a disadvantage? How would one keep a collection of Wavs organized on the HDD? I like the idea of archiving using Wav, but the tag issue has kept me back."
I-Tunes can be configured in WAV ,complete with metadata.
ROLO.
Interesting, ROLO. I did not know that. Would you elaborate on how that works or is set up?
Thanks.
Bob
I-Tunes runs very well, you don't need to be a computing genius,but you must authorise your account to take full advantage of Artwork and track listings (you dont have to buy from the I-Store, just register).
In Advaced preferences select playback and sound check, this normalises the relative levels without destroying dynamics,
you can shuffle betwwen albums, tracks or playlists.
For importing you can select WAVS/Lossless etc,I will use lossless for the majority of my imports but use WAV for tracks I wish to manipulate (ie edit).
You can retrieve all artwork and listings automatically from the net and error correct importing.
All this is easy to set up and the meta data can come in different forms (ie Album covers flicking through like a
vinyl junkies collection.)
Its clever and free!
I'm confused David, but I'm certainly no expert in this stuff;
I thought a lossless codec such as Apple's, when uncompressed, would result in an identical file to the original uncompressed one? Isn't that the whole idea behind "lossless"? I've ripped all my CDs using Apple's lossless codec under the assumption that I was still getting full CD quality on playback, did I make a mistake? I hope not, I don't want to have to re-rip everything in .WAV again!
UPDATE .
New I-Mac has arrived.
Cautious approval of the transport.(Matshita DVD-R UJ-85J)
It may be better than my Meridian Player!!
It has a leaner, cleaner sound in mid band and bass.
The Meridian sound is full and warm, this is more detailed especially in muddy 70's material.
Plenty of space, no drying of acoustics , quite impressed,
better than the Sonos System by far.
Dragging out all the old stuff to transcribe to I-tunes , its fun.I'm reconnecting with my music again.
And dare I say it my system sounds better.
End of blasphemey.
Rolo46