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CD-ripping (please test my tutorial)
Hey all, I wrote up a tutorial for installing and configuring Exact Audio Copy with the LAME Encoder. I'm going to pass it out to all of my friends, and maybe post it on my website for easy access.
What I am looking for are comments on any of my steps that are not clear, and if any of the instructions seem ambiguous in any sense. My goal is to make this usable for anyone who can follow directions, whether they have the slightest clue of what an "MP3 encoder" or "ASPI layer" is. Again, I am not looking for criticism towards my choice of application and encoding options, but specifically towards my tutorial's usability.
Note (for the geeks): I do not check whether the individual is using an OS that comes equipped with an ASPI layer, so copying the ASPI layer is a non-issue.
Here's the introduction to the tutorial (also included in the document linked at the bottom):
What is "CD ripping"?
"CD ripping" is the term use to describe the process of extracting an audio CD's contents to your computer. Do you have a CD that you bought from a store that you would like to copy to your computer, in MP3 format? How about a DJ's promo CD, whether it is separated into individual tracks, or even just one long mix set? This tutorial will walk you through installing the program needed to perform this task.
What are these files that you're giving me?
There are basically four parts to the package:
- The Exact Audio Copy program (eac-0.95b4.exe): the application that will actually extract the music (or other audio) to your computer.
- EAC configuration files: you will only use one of these (in Step 6), but it is necessary to use the appropriate configuration file for your CD-RW drive to ensure proper functionality of the EAC application.
- The LAME encoder (lame.exe): LAME is widely accepted as the best MP3 encoder that you can use to convert your audio files into MP3 format.
- The Nero ASPI layer (wnaspi32.dll): ASPI allows Windows to communicate with your CD-RW drive. I won't get any deeper into this, because you probably don't care, anyways.
Why, why, why?
Exact Audio Copy is an exceptional choice because of its method of correcting problems before giving up and failing at achieving its goals. LAME, as previously stated, will produce top quality MP3s that sound very close to uncompressed WAV and commercial (Orangebook) audio files. The combination of these two great tools, along with the simple usage that results from using my tutorial, makes it easy to create aural pleasure for your ears out of CDs that you would like on your computer, iPod, or other MP3 player.
What am I actually doing by following your tutorial?
The tutorial will install Exact Audio Copy (version 0.95, beta 4) on your computer, as well as copy the LAME encoder (version 3.96.1), Nero ASPI layer, and the appropriate EAC configuration file to the program's installation directory. It will also allow very efficient and high quality extraction and conversion, with only three mouse clicks!
Do I have to know anything before following your tutorial?
This tutorial assumes that you are familiar with the following tasks:
- Unzipping a ZIP file
- Copying and pasting
- Browsing to a specified directory on your computer i.e. C:\Program Files\Exact Audio Copy
Tutorial document - link
Zip file package - link
Let me also add that this should only take about 10-15 minutes for an experienced user to accomplish. Also, the ZIP file is just over 1MB in size.
If you rip CDs, this will definitely make the process more efficient for you.
Thanks for your time, everyone.
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