CD cataloguing software

michaelab

michaelab

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There was some discussion about various cataloguing software here a while back but I can't find the relevant thread and the suggestions made so, any suggestions?

Must have: CDDB feature (ie read CD details and song titles from the CD, you just need to insert the CD in your PC CD-ROM drive).

If it has support for cover artwork databases (I think they exist) then that would be a big bonus but not essential.

Must be easy and painless enough to use so that I won't end up in a fit of "computer rage" given that I have 500+ CDs to catalog... ;)

Michael.
 
Music Collector Pro is the one I'm using. Very good. The new version will do multiple searches of CDDB, the various Amazons, allmusicguide.com, you name it, and downloads artwork if it finds it (front and back covers). Good export options as well. You can now do batch scans - put a CD in, do a quick ID scan on it to add it to the list, repeat 500 times, then do one big CDDB/Amazon/etc scan to download everything. Voila.

-- Ian
 
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Better still, buy a huge hard drive (or several) and get those CD's archived to the disk, buy a good soundcard (anything from an M-Audio Revolution to a LynxTwo) and have any album in your entire collection only a couple of clicks away :D
 
It depends on the quality of your sound card but a WAV file is simply the wave form of the sound whith no compression. If its saved at 44.4khz then it will be CD quality, it just depends on the sound card and also how good the DAC is.

Some may say WAV is better than CD because you don't have the problems of the machanics of the transport. MP3 on the otherhand is a different matter I have only heared ones saved at the standard compression rate and they all sound rather dull and flat to me.

edit: the old problem with WAV is that the files took to much space, but now with modern hard drives been made up to 200GB thats not an issue. If you're copying a CD to WAV from your CD-ROM though the quality of the transport of the CD-ROM will be an issue.
 
i have got a few wav files on my puter and they do sound good.i have to say though i dont go in for digital music much.wouldent mind giving dsd/sacd a listen though.
 
Originally posted by amazingtrade
If you're copying a CD to WAV from your CD-ROM though the quality of the transport of the CD-ROM will be an issue.
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That's not true AT. Copying a CD to a WAV files on your PC is one case where the "bits are just 1s and 0s" thing really is true. Even the crappiest CD-ROM drive will correctly read every 1 and 0 off the CD and your PC will duly duplicate that string of 1s and 0s in a .WAV file.

As a general rule, jitter and other transport quality issues are only an issue when doing a digital to analog conversion where timing is critical. When doing digital copying, whether CD to WAV, or CD to CD (using a PC burner or a CD recorder) then jitter (and hence transport quality and digital cable used) are not an issue at all.

Michael.
 
Originally posted by rob
mp3 format is pants quality though.
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I think that's a big generalisation. I'd challenge most people to be able to tell the difference between a CD and a well ripped MP3 file at 320Kbps - especially on the kind of system that's likely to be able to play MP3s.

However, I just want the cataloging thing. Even if I had 200Gb I can't see the point of having all the music stored on my PC.

Michael.
 
Originally posted by michaelab
I think that's a big generalisation. I'd challenge most people to be able to tell the difference between a CD and a well ripped MP3 file at 320Kbps - especially on the kind of system that's likely to be able to play MP3s.

Michael.
Click to expand...

I concur.

In fact I would really like to see many audiophools determine the difference between alt-preset-standard (avg bitrate around 190-200Kbps) and the original, when done with the LAME encoder and Exact Audio Copy. With EAC, it makes PERFECT copies, so the transport is not an issue.

However, who said anything about MP3? I just wanted to see how long it would take for someone to say that. Ah well, your losses...

MPC format is superior to MP3, and compresses better, and with less artifacts/higher quality.

Knowledge that one is playing MP3's or whatever will warp the mind into thinking its crap, blind testing will seperate truth from bull.
 
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mp3 is only some of the information,. true its very hard to tell the difference but its still less information than cd.personally i can tell the difference between cd and mp3 although on a blind test it may be different.mp3 to me sounds a bit bland/dull but then again i prefare records to both anyways.

saying that when i dl from the net i always look for 320kbs. anything below that and anybody should be able to notice the difference.
 
Originally posted by rob
i always look for 320kbs. anything below that and anybody should be able to notice the difference.
Click to expand...

I think you might be surprised.

Anyway, I dont use MP3 for my own music, I use MPC. Its good enough for me.

BTW, I'll post your cans tomorrow...
 
cheers paul no worrys m8,
so whats mpc then? dont think ive ever listened to an mpc.
 
Was well impressed with the trial version of Music Collector so went and bought it almost straight away. It rocks! Thanks for the suggestsions guys.

Michael.
 

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