question for mac users: is there an EAC for us?

Do we have any CD-ripping software like EAC available to us so we can get the ultimate in accurate rips? I just use iTunes. Anyone know if EAC can be used on a mac with virtual PC?

 

I've never found one. It was actually the subject of a MacSlash debate a couple of years ago:

http://www.macslash.org/article.pl?sid=02/09/14/0257246

Nobody ever came up with a solution. Every once in a while, I search versiontracker.com and download.com but nothing turns up.

For now, I use iTunes with "error correction" checked.

 

Any opinions on Roxio's Jam?

 

Jam doesn't do what EAC does. "Exact Audio Copy" will rip the audio from a CD, but it does so in a "secure mode" that checks and rechecks the data for a more accurate copy. I've had badly-scratched discs that most CD players wouldn't read, but EAC copied fine.

http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/

 

I wish there was a Mac program as good as EAC.

Over the years, I've worked out my own method for my Mac. I rip two copies of the disc to my hard drive. Then I use the "compare" function of Toast to make sure the two rips are identical.

From doing experiments using CDs and CD-Rs that are problematic to "rip", I've found that the "Track Thief" share-ware program does the most accurate job (at least on my hardware). And my plextor CD-R drive is better for ripping than my Mac's dvd-rom.

I don't use Toast to burn audio (only Data), so I don't know how it performs writing audio. For burning audio I use e-magic Waveburner, which is a great little program (IMHO).

 

Under OSX tracks on a CD act such as any data file - you can just drag 'em from the CD onto your hard disk.

 

Hmmm. I'm running 9.2 and can drag tracks to the computer with Toast.

My earlier question about Jam, has to do with its ability to raise or lower output volumes of individual files so that all of the tracks are at about the same volume level.

I have used iTunes under OSX on a friend's G4, and find that it is not as versatile as Toast. Specifically, one cannot vary the time between tracks with iTunes as he can with Toast. Moreover, while extracting an entire CD to the computer, Toast will retain those various lengths between tracks found on the original, iTunes won't.

 

Jam 5 does let your raise and lower the "gain" of each track. It gives you a clipping indicator also and comes with Peak LE too. It also lets you run "normalize" on more than one track at a time if you want to do such a thing. I use Jam a lot and look forward for Jam 6 to be released soon (they have already announced it). Under OSX Jam 5 works but not without some problems.

PAT

 

You can do it from the finder under OSX - just like any other file!

 

I'll try that. Any idea how that differs from what EAC does?

 

No idea... sorry!

 

This feature alone makes Toast an essential purchase. I use it to burn audio but I also use Toast 6 to make DVD's of MPEG1 format movies I've recorded with EyeTV. Toast deals with the muxing flawlessly and so far I've had no problems with audio syncing or burning.

 

Go to Preferences, choose the "Burning" tab, and choose "Gap Between Songs: None"

 

I've reviewed Jam several times for EMedia magazine. Here's the latest one (actually a review of Toast with Jam, the bundle that's available now).

 

Not to threadcrap, but I use Wavelab 4.0 on XP ... is EAC better for rips?

 

but you can't have no gap between tracks 1&2, and a 2 second gap between 2&3. That was my point.

Thanks for the link to the Jam review, Jeff.

 

There actually is an excellent EAC equivalent for OS X, Firestarter FX. It uses CD Paranoia for the ripping process. It's in high beta right now, but I have found this application to be perfectly functional. Get it here:

http://www.projectomega.org/subcat.php?lg=en&php=products_firestarter

 

Looks very nice! I will give this a try. Thanks!

 

Firestarter FX does a very good job. The interface is basic and not all the features are there yet (remember, it is a beta, though final release is coming soon), but it does what it's supposed to do and does it very well.

The guy who designed this seems to be very nice - and it's high time someone made a secure ripping application for OS X. So if you use it, be sure to send him feedback on the pros and cons of the program. Hell, if you like Firestarter, throw a few bucks his way (it is donationware). I really want to support this program - and if he has the proper resources and support (user feedback and some donations), it will only get better.

Let me know what you think of it, tone ded freb! Configuration can be a little tricky (at least it was for me), but once I got it up and running it has worked flawlessly, even or especially on the, uh, "copy protected" CDs that iTunes and Toast 6 choked on.

 

I just downloaded it. Now comes the figuring it out part. I'll let you know how I do.

 

Ok, I've just ripped my first CD with Firestarter. I enabled paranoia at level 3 for the rip and it took about 8 minutes to rip a 30-minute CD. I ended up with two files, a data.toc and a data.bin. I think I know how to make a CD with these using Firestarter. But is there any way I can listen to what I have just ripped to my hard drive without burning it to a CD-R, in other words play the files on the computer? Also, is there any way to rip a single track as opposed to a whole CD?

 

My French is rusty, but I would assume this application requires OSX?

 

Yes, it requires OSX.

 

Has anyone else tried the FireStarter program referenced above? I can't get it to burn what it has ripped onto a CD-R. Anyone else have any luck? I'm using OS 10.3.2.

 

I admit that Firestarter is temperamental on various systems. For the past few days I've been trying a different program - and I think this one works much better. It's called MissingMediaBurner 0.6.2 and is available here (for Mac OS X only - no Windows version exists):

http://homepage.mac.com/rnc/

Yes, it is nominally touted as a video CD creator, but all of the audio options are there (and then some).

If you are not intimidated using the Terminal (it has a limited GUI), check this out. It allows you to rip any way you want to (disc copy, track, duration, sector, etc.) and uses the libparanoia library for secure ripping. I wish I had known about this application earlier. It works far far better than Firestarter and hardware compatibility is much better.

If you have any questions regarding the operation and command lines, don't hesitate to ask!