nicolaluna's dashboard

Update: Max is just as fast burning and converting as iTunes if not faster when you select the "Basic Ripper" option. – nicolaluna, on August 23, 2008 21:19

Hi Travis,

SInce last night I finally dug up a program that covers multiple bases; It's called Max. http://sbooth.org/Max/ It can import and convert cd audio files, and does so automatically if you are running a version of OSX that reads them as AIFF's, like Tiger (not sure about older versions.) Max can work with many other formats, and uses open-source components, such as LAME encoding for mp3's.

Max also incorporates CDDB automatically and assists with organizing. I've tested mp3 files from this on Songbird and it sounds great. The caveat is that it rips a little slow, but you can tweak the quality for speed, and compared to Audacity (tried both) Max rips eons quicker. Max's site is very up to date and there is a user forum.

Burn is another program that uses LAME components for- um, yes you guessed it, burning. I have not, for time, gotten enough music onto my laptop to test it but it looks promising: http://burn-osx.sourceforge.net/ It burns audio, mp3's and data, and the software is up to date. I'll write again once I've tried it or maybe you will get there first? :)

I have not been able to find any better open-source software that can do all these things on a Mac. Since iTunes is so dominant it was hard to find these two progs. but so far so good! One thing I recommend avoiding is Fink: during the complicated installation of this bundle of open-source software for Macs, mine almost crashed and it was very hard to remove afterwards.

I hope this is helpful. Let me know if there's anything else you want to know!

Ok, I hope someone answers you soon! I've found a bunch of work-arounds tonight for my Mac using all open-source stuff and am feeling hopeful, but I don't know much about XP. Sorry!

Hi Diwigo~ quick answer for now- SB does not support CD audio files (AIFF's)- I found this out the hard way. So I think that's why it won't work for you. Hopefully an employee will give you more info. soon as well.

Write me back if you're on a Mac?

Ashughes, maybe you could answer this question? Thank you!

I'm sorry, please point me to where to find that on Mac OSX 10.4.11?

Thanks!!!

iggy~> post again here if you are a mac user. i am researching other options for ripping and burning open source and i can let you know what works.... – nicolaluna, on August 21, 2008 09:25

Nope, no Audiograbber for Mac. :( – nicolaluna, on August 21, 2008 08:21

Stuee- that's not necessarily true- if you're experiencing major problems with a program and it is, oh, say changing the encoding in your files without *asking* you first. Yeah. you might want to un-install that bugger right away, and hope that the next best thing works. I feel iggy's pain. I had to do the same thing. But thank you for the tip on Audiograbber. – nicolaluna, on August 21, 2008 06:57

Hi Mike- all my music is in AIFF too because all of my music is saved to CD's so I can't use Songbird till this feature exists. I hope you can come up with it soon! I too deleted iTunes before installing Songbird, so this is a real pain. I think you should state very clearly what file types your player supports right on your Home page, so that other people do not have to go through this hassle!! – nicolaluna, on August 21, 2008 06:53

Rob, I replied at the bottom of this page. Please see below? Thanks! – nicolaluna, on August 21, 2008 06:45

Rob, my goal is to use Songbird as a standalone program, NOT dependent on any other dominant programs for usage. ALL my music is stored on my CD's. So there's no way to play it using Songbird alone. I would like to be able to hold out for this development but I'm not sure that an indefinite date will work for me.

Theoretically the option to simply copy files from a CD into my Music folder, and then importing from Songbird should be a no-brainer for the simple user. Of course, I can't even do this; but even then, that would be a poor option. I could only store a minimum amount of those files on my computer, because as direct audio file copies, those individual song files are huge.

So if I have no means to import them in as smaller mp3's or the like, then I basically have a dusty library. No good. Conversion is a necessity. Rob, you wanted specifics as to how many CD's we burn, rip and buy. For me this is not the pertinent question.

What I need is to access the music I already own. I need to rip it in one big operation onto my computer as small files, press play, and boogie. After that I will be burning and buying, sure, and I go through several new CD's a month either online of in stores, but I always back them up to CD's. Proprietary issues always seem to be changing so this is where I'm coming from.

I was super-shocked after reinstalling OSX, immediately deleting iTunes, and trying this new player first that it wouldn't work for me. Oops. Now what?!! It looks amazing and I feel you guys have done a great job with other features; it looks like there are plenty of other users besides myself who feel if you can work out these kinks Songbird will be absolutely indispensable.

Till then looks like it's back to the other guy....

I too feel incredibly disappointed. This is otherwise an amazing program and this feature basically makes it useless to me. Without any ensuing debate as to why, my goal is to use Songbird as a standalone program, NOT dependent on any other dominant programs for usage. And my music- ALL of it- is stored on my cd's. So there's no way to play it using this program. It's just a pretty interface to me right now....