Problems with Automate The Ripping Process For MP3's

[ErikRuud]

DrewKaree,

Thanks for the great write up.  I was able to followalong and it worked great.

I did have two problems.  They may be because I am using the very latest release of EAC.

I had one problem with the extra Lame parameters that EAC defaulted too. Lame did not like them at all refused to run and displayed the usage information instead.  I was able to fix these by reading the Lame documentation.

The other problem invoves FreeDB access.  The problem is dicussed .  None of the suggested solutions has worked for me, and I have only had about a 10% success rate getting the FreeDB data to come back.  The fix for this was to download the FreeDB database and use it locally.

I also feel that I should mention that some of the categories that FreeDB has for some CD's are weird.  Nirvana came up listed under Misc and Blues?  Nine Inch Nails come up under Misc, Rock and Classical   I have taken to double checking the category and changing it in the drop down as needed.
 

[DrewKaree]

DrewKaree,

Thanks for the great write up.  I was able to followalong and it worked great.

I did have two problems.  They may be because I am using the very latest release of EAC.

I had one problem with the extra Lame parameters that EAC defaulted too. Lame did not like them at all refused to run and displayed the usage information instead.  I was able to fix these by reading the Lame documentation.

Sorry I hadn't read this earlier!  What were the parameters you referred to and how did you get the problem solved, in case others have the same problem?

I haven't updated either program since I set this up (one of those "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" things, ya know?"

The other problem invoves FreeDB access.  The problem is dicussed .  None of the suggested solutions has worked for me, and I have only had about a 10% success rate getting the FreeDB data to come back.  The fix for this was to download the FreeDB database and use it locally.

I also feel that I should mention that some of the categories that FreeDB has for some CD's are weird.  Nirvana came up listed under Misc and Blues?  Nine Inch Nails come up under Misc, Rock and Classical   I have taken to double checking the category and changing it in the drop down as needed.

IIRC, you can also utilize other databases out there, but I dunno on the odd categories.  On the "music type" option, I have never ever used it, so on that aspect of it, I'm a piss-poor helper 

The address that's working for me for freeDB is

Code: [Select]

http://freedb.freedb.org:80/~cddb/cddb.cgi
On the forum you were at, a developer was answering some of those questions, so I wonder if it will be addressed in an updated version.

What OS are you using?

[ErikRuud]

Drew,

Let see if I can answer all your questions:

I don't  remember wahta ll the options were, there were a bunch of "--alt-preset..." parameters.  I just deleted them from the extra parameters box and gave it a shot.

I'm not sure if there is a good way to use other databases.  I did see a number of requests for this on the forums, but no definate answers.  The odd categories just seems to be bad data.  I noticed that it handles  the local database differently from the way it handles the online database.  With the online database it would pop up a list of choices when it found more than one entry.  With the local database it seems to take the first choice.
The night before I posted this topic, I couldn't get any address to work properly.  It would connect, give the list of choices, then error out when I chose one.  From reading the forum posts it seems to me that EAC is not handling the db connection properly when the sever is very busy.

The category oddities are not a big deal, because they affect the FreeDB category.  Most of the software that I might play these with uses the Genre tag whic seems to be more accurate.

I am using Win2k Pro.


Over the weekend, I ripped about 50 cd's and I only had three or four problems problems.  One CD had really bad sync errors so I cancelled it.  I'll try cleaning it again.  Two or three CD's came up with the wrong data from the localdb.  I tried the "Get data form freedb" and it actually worked.

I noticed few other category oddities.  I have had two or three CD's come up with a category of "Data"  The "Misc" category seems to be way overused.  Apparently people can't decide if the proper genre for Pink Floyd is "Art Rock" or "Psychedelic Rock".  When I was a teenager, they always referred to it as "Art Rock". IIRC "Psychedelic Rock" aka "Acid Rock" should apply to bands like "Iron Butterfly".  When I clicked on the drop down to change the genre, I noticed that there is a genre know as "Christian Gangsta Rap".  I can't even imagine what that would sound like.

[DrewKaree]

It's funny you mention the category oddities!  I've got (now - added some since first ripping) ~350-400 CD's, and out of all of those, there were about 3-4 IIRC that seemed to have the occasional odd category, and out of all of those, I actually had a CD that wasn't listed in their DB. 

The odd category (ESEPCIALLY the "Christian Gangsta Rap" you saw) is due to how the DB is added to/updated.  Since obviously the authors aren't going to have every CD in existence, they implemented a submission process.  When I went to submit the CD to their DB, it asks you to basically fill out the tagging process the first time, so if others come across it, they're going with what YOU tagged it as.  Now, from how I understand it, you can submit a CD with that same info, which is how they come up with several selections for some CD's (OR, it happens to be submitted by two people within the same time frame before the DB is updated, so they keep both and let you decide).

The DEFAULT for that process is Misc, which is why you'll find that a lot, and one of many reasons I chose not to include that option in the tagging process.  The "Christian Gangsta Rap" would be something I classify as what one of my kids listen to.  It isn't "Gangsta Rap", but just listening to the music it sounds ever so similar to 'em.

I had, of all things, a Mighty Mighty Bosstones CD that came up with three categories at the time.  It showed up under Misc, Ska, and POP!  MXPX showed up under Ska and POP as well....I'd be afeared to see what some of the music I listened to earlier in life would be "genre'd" under!!


Usually when I start a rip, if I'm around for it, and it seems to be taking way longer than usual, I'll stop the process and save it to run overnight.  If, by morning, it isn't done, it's probably going to skip tracks, requiring you to find another copy or rip it with something else.  Check the progress to make sure it's simply stuck on one song, otherwise the program is doing its job.  If it's the single song, and not a piss-poor CD that's scratched all to pieces, skipping it will usually allow you to finish that disc.  If the entire disc seems to be the problem, skip this program and see if you can rip it with something else just to get the music off of it, and burn yourself another disc.  If that fails, it really IS time to buy a new copy or download it (depending on how you feel about DL'ing music you already own).

I had one really bad CD that I decided to let this program work on.  This program is the very DEFINITION of thorough, as each song took an average of ~5 hours to rip.  On a 13 track disc.   
The songs were listenable, no real problems there, but for the time wasted, I could have DL'ed 'em or bought a new copy.   Almost 3 days IS too excessive for this process to me, but if I HAD TO have a disc, and it wasn't easily obtained from somewhere, I'd have waited even longer.


I thought there was some way to hook up to CDDB with the program versions I'm using, but it wasn't gleaned from EAC's forums, there was a forum for CDDB (dunno if they have their own forum, or if it was one set up to address issues like this) where I got this from.  I'll see if I can scrounge that up for you, but like you said, it wasn't just a "click an option, bang, it's done" thing....it required a few steps for you to walk through.  If I can find that today, I'll post it up back here.

Glad most everything else is working out for you, though 

[ErikRuud]

Hey! I have Mighty Mighty Bosstones as well, and I saw the three categories as well.  I don't think I would call it Pop, but it isn't really Ska either. Ska/Rock or something like that might be closer.

I understand that the data comes form user's and is subject to the submitters point of view.  It just that some of them make you wonder what they were thinking!  Nine Inch Nails as Classical???


The bad one is one of my Fine Young Cannibals CD's.  I'm pretty sure it needs a cleaning.  If that does not work, I'll hit with a a DiscDoctor(This worked for Sisters of Mercy CD that had a bad skip in one of songs). If that fails, I'll borrow a copy from the public library.  I have some songs that I downloaded, but the quality of those can be questionable.

[DrewKaree]

Hey Erik, I dunno if this is you, but mebbe to help you feel like you're not the only one, here's another thread you might wanna follow with the same-sounding issue. 

http://www.chrismyden.com

That link should take you right to the thread.  The website pointed to, while not seeming to be very organized, is a fairly good resource for EAC problems.  They deal with other things there too, so you may have to wade through some stuff that's irrelevant to ya, but mebbe that link will turn up a solution for you.

Still working on the CDDB solution, as well.

FYC - man....you're just taking me back.....to....say it with me....a-FunkyTown!

[ErikRuud]

Gotta make to a town that's right for me
A town to keep me movin' keep me groovin' with some energy
Well I talk about it talk about it talk about it talk about it
Well I talk about talk abou talk about movin'
Gotta move on Gotta move on Gotta move on

Won't you take me to funky town
Won't you take me to funky town
Won't you take me to funky town
Won't you take me to funky town

Hey i found this on a BLOG, it ts a possible Christian Gangsta Rap lyric....

"bow down to Jesus or I'll bust a cap in your ass"

[DrewKaree]

Alrighty, this may not fix your problem, but it's worth a shot, right?

www.chrismyden.com - mp3 guide with "freeDB server error fix - MAYBE"

Also, his writeup is for EAC V0.9 beta 4.  Dunno if this is close to, or the same as, what you have, but he's also got some .cfg files that may (MAY! I say!) make this process easier for folks with Win2k or XP, and he also walks you through checking some settings that you should have checked after using the .cfg files too. 

I didn't read through the entire thing, just skimmed it, but at the bottom, there's a few "Q & A" items, and it mentions this, in case you miss it on the link:

"I keep getting a FreeDB Server error!"

[Solution:] Go into EAC, press F12. Beside 'FreeDB server' change it to: http://freedb.freedb.de:80/~cddb/cddb.cgi

dunno if that'll fix your prob, but again, I figure it's worth a shot.

Another thing that came up that I was wondering after reading your response about the sketchiness of DL'ing songs - "Is there an MP3 trading network for people who rip & encode this way?" - is answered at the bottom.  I'm not posting the answer here, as I don't want to get anyone in trouble, the solution is posted there....just click the link. 

And I'm STILL working on the CDDB.

Hey, speaking again of Christian "gangsta's", check out a group named "Grits", specifically their song titled "We All Fall Down".  It may not qualify as "gangsta", but after putting it in to test it out today, it WAS one of the genre's listed!

[DrewKaree]

Nevermind, after looking down several avenues, I realized that I'm a dumbass.  The CDDB IS what you are having problems connecting to, and I was looking for a solution that was already present, but not working properly for you.

Hopefully the last info I gave you helped you out, and now I'm a bit more clear as to what I'm trying to solve when searching for answers.  It's gonna be one of those days for me                 

[ErikRuud]

Nevermind, after looking down several avenues, I realized that I'm a dumbass.

This statement has been out here for four hours and know one took advantage of it.  I'm amazed.

Well so far tonight, it the connections to the FreeDB CDDB are working perfectly.  The only thing I changed was getting rid of McAfee AntiVirus.  I had disabled it and that did not seem to make a difference.

[DrewKaree]

Me too!  I bait people in reverse, ASKING to be ranked on......nothing!

[SallyField]You LOVE me....you REALLY love me![/SallyField]


I've been playing around on Ubernet.org and am thinking of ripping to their standard....they also brought up firing up EAC and checking the FreeDB server options.  They had the U.S. server go down a few weeks ago, but the U.K. server was working like a champ.  Mebbe change the server it initially queries, as well.

Seems to be a problem related to the weather systems shooting across the U.S. lately too.  Mebbe try another coast. 

That's about all - I'm tapped out for solutions I've found today!

[ErikRuud]

It seems to be working fine now.

The other night literally tried every server in the list and got no where.