Ripping CDs to FLAC on a Mac
Discussion
I currently have around 1200 CDs ripped to FLAC format and stored on a Synology NAS for access via multiple Sonos Connect controllers.
These I ripped using Exact Audio Copy (EAC) which is a great bit of software ensuring high quality rips.
Problem is, my very old Windows laptop I had been using to rip the cds has finally died and my main laptop is (and for a while has been) a late 2014 13 inch Retina Macbook Pro with 8Gb RAM and 500Gb SSD. I have an external USB CD drive for it.
I also have a further hundred or so unripped CDs (number growing as I often pick up different stuff from the charity shops, and even buying new I still like to get a physical CD) and so need a solution to rip CDs on the Mac.
Ideal solution would be a copy of Exact Audio Copy for the MAC, but it's only available on Windows (and I think Linux).
What is the best option/app for ripping to FLAC (and I'd rather not go down the multi-boot installing Windows on the Mac, using parallels etc route if possible). I also want to stick with FLAC and not go AAC?
Many thanks for any suggestions.
These I ripped using Exact Audio Copy (EAC) which is a great bit of software ensuring high quality rips.
Problem is, my very old Windows laptop I had been using to rip the cds has finally died and my main laptop is (and for a while has been) a late 2014 13 inch Retina Macbook Pro with 8Gb RAM and 500Gb SSD. I have an external USB CD drive for it.
I also have a further hundred or so unripped CDs (number growing as I often pick up different stuff from the charity shops, and even buying new I still like to get a physical CD) and so need a solution to rip CDs on the Mac.
Ideal solution would be a copy of Exact Audio Copy for the MAC, but it's only available on Windows (and I think Linux).
What is the best option/app for ripping to FLAC (and I'd rather not go down the multi-boot installing Windows on the Mac, using parallels etc route if possible). I also want to stick with FLAC and not go AAC?
Many thanks for any suggestions.
I've used Max on my Mac Minis for years: http://sbooth.org/Max/ - worth downloading the Get Itunes Metadata and Tag programmes as well if you use it. A word of warning though; using the USB Apple Superdrive it's not all that quick doing each CD; certainly nowhere near as quick as my tower PC from 2000 was using EAC.
Thanks for the replies.
Jobbo - will take a look at Max, although it seems not to have been updated for years. Will also have to see re. the speed of ripping - fortunately I don't have that many to do.
Legzr1 - Good shout - they do appear to have a version for Mac, and I don't mind paying for software to do the job if it's good. £30 seems pretty reasonable, so will look at that seriously.
Wormus - I don't have a problem with ALAC - apparently sound quality wise it's identical to FLAC, but as I've already ripped 1200 CDs to FLAC I'd like to be consistent and keep the music collection all in the same format, despite there being probably more devices supporting ALAC.
Thanks all - advice much appreciated.
Jobbo - will take a look at Max, although it seems not to have been updated for years. Will also have to see re. the speed of ripping - fortunately I don't have that many to do.
Legzr1 - Good shout - they do appear to have a version for Mac, and I don't mind paying for software to do the job if it's good. £30 seems pretty reasonable, so will look at that seriously.
Wormus - I don't have a problem with ALAC - apparently sound quality wise it's identical to FLAC, but as I've already ripped 1200 CDs to FLAC I'd like to be consistent and keep the music collection all in the same format, despite there being probably more devices supporting ALAC.
Thanks all - advice much appreciated.
Ok final update.
I tried Max and couldn't get it to work, so downloaded DBPoweramp for £30, and couldn't get that to work either - D'Oh.
Further testing on the LiteOn USB drive (that I'm sure I've previously used to copy data to the Mac), revealed it was not working properly despite being recognised by the OS.
Thought "well, better try a Mac USB Superdrive then" as I'm guaranteed it would be compatible so £50 to Amazon Prime and the following day the Superdrive arrived.
Plugged it in, and, as I'd already bought it, fired up DBPoweramp.
Works like a charm - put CD in the drive, it picks up the album and track names along with album art, single click to rip the CD - it auto created folders in the same format I've already been doing - music/artist/album/track01, 02, 03 etc.
Checks validity of the copy via AccurateRip and ejects CD when done.
It's also quicker than the previous older Windows laptop, so I'm happy.
All outstanding CDs are now ripped and on the NAS and I've got a nice shiny CD/DVD drive for when I buy more CDs.
I'm sure Max would have worked fine also.
Thanks for the advice.
I tried Max and couldn't get it to work, so downloaded DBPoweramp for £30, and couldn't get that to work either - D'Oh.
Further testing on the LiteOn USB drive (that I'm sure I've previously used to copy data to the Mac), revealed it was not working properly despite being recognised by the OS.
Thought "well, better try a Mac USB Superdrive then" as I'm guaranteed it would be compatible so £50 to Amazon Prime and the following day the Superdrive arrived.
Plugged it in, and, as I'd already bought it, fired up DBPoweramp.
Works like a charm - put CD in the drive, it picks up the album and track names along with album art, single click to rip the CD - it auto created folders in the same format I've already been doing - music/artist/album/track01, 02, 03 etc.
Checks validity of the copy via AccurateRip and ejects CD when done.
It's also quicker than the previous older Windows laptop, so I'm happy.
All outstanding CDs are now ripped and on the NAS and I've got a nice shiny CD/DVD drive for when I buy more CDs.
I'm sure Max would have worked fine also.
Thanks for the advice.
legzr1 said:
Don't forget to backup your files - as good as DBpoweramp is it can't do anything to lessen the chore of re-ripping every disc again 
Very good point. I've actually already done this - the files are sitting on a NAS with mirrored 3 Tb drives in it.I then back the whole lot up weekly to an external 3Tb USB drive which I then remove and store in an alternative location.
In addition, the Macbook where I originally ripped the additional CDs to before copying to the NAS is running time machine and backs up to a further separate USB drive.
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