I have EAC and Lame Installed now and the docs are not ready so what is the best settings for quality

Under compresson options I have
Output mode Stereo
Quality is High Quality (is voice better)
320 kBig/s
Use VBR Quality is 0 (high quality)
Write Xing VBR header is checked.

Havn't made the jump to FLacc yet but I will install the new empeg version and check it out.

If you click the link in my signature, you'll be taken to a little tutorial I did for EAC.

Generally, people now use the presets built into LAME to get all the best settings. Doing a preset bypasses all the "switches". I use "--alt-preset standard" but there is also "--alt-preset extreme" and "--alt-preset insane". Each is better than the previous and uses more disk space. (Also known as APS, APX and API).

These presets represent very complex settings that people much smarter than me are constantly tweaking. I also recommend using the build of LAME in my tutorial. It was actually done by the guy that created LAME instead of the more common versions that were done after he left the LAME developer group.

While your steps tell you to download the ASPI DLL they don't tell you to select it in the UI (and loading the profile doesn't seem to do it either).

Andy, thanks for catching that! I'll update it later today. I'm open to any tips like that.

Thanks again. I added three new screen shots to the instructions and added the step for installing the ASPI layer. Drive features are better explained as well.

SE_Sport_Driver (or anyone who knows):

What exactly does the Nero ASPI DLL do for EAC?

And thanks for the great guide, btw.

My understanding is that it allows for precise control over the CD drive. Windows 98 and 95 have it built in, but with the NT based OS like 2000 or XP, Microsoft didn't want to keep paying for it. I think it is only needed in "secure" mode for EAC, and as far as I know, EAC is the only program that rips in a "secure mode" type setting. Ripping in Secure without the ASPI layer will create all sorts of problems from sync errors to poor sounding mp3s. Worse yet, poor sounding mp3s are created with no error reported. So you'll be listening to your tunes before you notice it. I had ripped nearly 400 CDs in a marathon session before realizing I had to rerip them all.

I'm sure someone else can explain the "how" of ASPI much better.

What makes EAC special is the secure mode rips. Each part of the CD is examined at least twice and the results are compared before error correction kicks in. Other programs are faster (and EAC can be faster in "burst" mode) but you don't get the quality control.

Salright, Im computer literate. Ive been using EAC for a few years, but never knew all the ins and outs. I am glad the DLL will rid my new machine of the sync errors I was getting. I didnt understand where those came from. Very irritating.

What is strange to me is that my old system was Win2k based, I only recently upgraded to XP. I didn't get the sync errors on the Win2k system, but Im going to investigate my older rips for issues. Never noticed any quality differences though.

Maybe it liked my old drive?!?!

Thanks again though!

Very possibly. Not all sync errors are caused by the ASPI thing. They can also becaused by a damaged CD or by a drive that doesn't deal with them too well. It's a known fact that some drives work better in secure mode than others. Everyone is ga-ga over the Plextor drives, and I made do with a nice and cheap Lite-on drive.

I know exactly what you're talking about though - my old notebook could handle everything I tossed at it (slowly) whereas my newer, fancier Sony VAIO had issues.

Maybe do a Google on your drive model and "Exact Audio Copy" to see if certain settings are recommended? Also check for newer firmware for your drives. My Lite-on drive had trouble reading certain disks when I got it but a firmware update took care of that (and make everything faster).

Might want to start digging here.

Peter, I'll hunt around for you and see what I can find. I know first hand that I had a lot of currupted rips that resulted in no error warnings. It wasn't until I was listening to the mp3s that I'd hear the occational glitch. Installing ASPI fixed it. I never had the problem on non-NT based systems because they come with ASPI.

Maybe it's an EAC specific thing? EAC was writen only to work with ASPI? I'm not aware of any other programs that use a "secure mode" and that may also be specific to EAC.