lcattman

new CD/NAV system. I have made a huge number of CDs, but cannot figure out how to make a MP3 CD for the new 2006 CD player/NAV system. Thanks for the help, B4 this question gets moved.

parkland_c6

First you need to "rip" your CD's into MP3 format. I use a free software called CDEX you can download from cnet.com. Once you get the files extracted into MP3 format, you make a MP3 disc using a CD burning software like Roxio CD Creator or NERO.

I have almost my whole collection in under 20 CD's. It rocks!

Texaggie

I use Winamp Pro to download my CDs onto my PC harddrive and then Nero Soundtrax to make a CD-ROM MP3 disc from the music stored on my harddrive.

jammadave

Just don't forget to burn it as a "Data Disc" instead of an "Audio Disc". If you tell it to go audio then it'll rip the MP3s back to CDA or WAV. Remember you can get a couple HUNDRED mp3 songs on a disc, instead of the 20 or less on an audio disc.

CAVetteKerry

Send me a PM or email if you can't get it.
I'll walk you through it on the phone.

Hoonose

In the '05, the max was 250 MP3's/Disk, and any more will be ignored. But I'd keep it limited to around 200, as sometimes, long filenames will reduce your total below 250.

Jay13

How does the quality/bitrate compare to regular music CDs?

ein Tier

Depends on your codec (the software doing the encoding) and the bitrate you set.

I use Musicmatch Jukebox for my ripping, not because I like the software, but because it uses the Fraunhoeffer codec, and is the only free piece of software to do so. Apparently, it's pretty expensive to license that codec, but it's widely regarded as the best.

Other than that, if you encode it at 56kpbs, then nothing is going to make that sound good other than playing it on a crappy stereo where everything sounds awful. Of course, it'll allow you to pack a ton of songs on the disc.

With digital compression, it's all a tradeoff -- the more you compress it, the smaller the file, and the more you can fit into a given space -- like a CD -- but the worse it's going to sound. 128kbps used to be kind of a default standard, and it can be hard to tell that from a CD unless you listen to the two back to back. 112kbps gets down into the "ok, I can tell" level for me. I typically encode at 192kbps with variable bit rate, and I can't tell the difference between that and a CD. It does cost me a bit in disk space though.

Hoonose

I used that Jukebox for the first time recently, and very nearly had an accident when an embedded advertisement suddenly blared out between quiet classical music passages! It was like a frikken virus, and totally unexpected. I wonder what recourse I would have had if I actually had an accident? I tossed out the CD, and I immediately uninstalled that application!
I find MP3's to be fine in the car, but with a decent home stereo, I hear enough differences from original CD's, that MP3's at home are for only background music.

ein Tier

I didn't know about the embedded adverts, I simply use it for ripping -- absolutely nothing else. I certainly don't use it to burn.

lcattman

Can Itunes be used to make MP3s? I have all my songs on Itunes and am afraid to lose them or mess them up if I mess with them. Thanks

Rogue C6

I have been using Musicmatch for years with no problems. Did you use the free version? I have not heard anything like you said. I did purchase the product for $29.95. I love it. It is very easy to use and the quality is very good. I have had problems ripping to MP3 players with other software, but not Musicmatch.

Patrick

Hoonose

Yes free one....

Force-1

Windows Media Player Version 10 works just fine for ripping and burning CDs to CD-Rs.

docrings1

(This thread is now in the FAQ as the official "how to make Mp3 link" )

Dowloand audiograbber HERE

It's a great "ripper" (CD music to MP3 converter) and FREE!

Read the instructions and you'll get the hang of it.

Bitrate is the amount of compression:

128 kilobits per second (kbps) is high compression (small files, more on CD) sound is okay

192 kbps, moderate compression, good sound, larger files

256 kbps, lower compression, great sound, large files

320 kbps, lowest compression, SUPER sound, largest files, best for incredible home stereos in quiet listening environments.

Best MP3 rate for cars? Probably 128 or 192... any degradation of the music by compression is lost in the noise of roads, tires, engine, exhaust...and at 128, you can fit over a hundred songs on one CD.

BUT, you may want to rip higher bit rates for home stereo, and then you only have to do it once.

Then use iTunes or XPBurnerPro to burn (or copy) the MP3 files from the hard-drive to the CD

Jay13

After reading the above, can somebody please tell me what ripping is? I always thought it was a different word for burning.

Also, if I burn at 192, how many songs am I likely to fit on a CD?

Thanks

Hoonose

Ripping is converting CD files to MP3 files.
You can add hundreds of songs per disk that your PC can read, but the Corvette is limited to 250 for whatever reason. If your song names are too long, the maximum will drop below 250. I shoot for around 200 per disk, and that seems to work out fine.

ein Tier

Ripping is when you 'rip' the music off the CD and store it to a file. I don't know exactly why it was called ripping, but knowing that it was pirates who wrote the first conversion tools, I imagine it was because they were "ripping off" the music from CDs they didn't own.

Burning is when you transfer the files back to disc. It was called burning because the actual process of making a CD requires using a laser to burn pits into the blank media. You literally do burn the disc.

192kbps will work out to about 100megs per 80 minutes of audio, so you can get about six full CDs to an mp3 CD, or about 10 normal CDs (most CDs do not use all available minutes) or about 100 or so music files. Using AC/DC as an example, I can put everything they released from 1975 (High Voltage) to 1986 (Who Made Who) on one MP3 CD. It's 598MB and 112 files.

lcattman

Still wondering if any of you use iTunes for making MP3s. I have tried it by changing the "preferences" to encode to MP3 and burn MP3s and cannot get it to work. iTune user feedback would be great, thanks.

ein Tier

I use iTunes, but only for listening, renaming ID3 tags, and burning audio CDs.