Storing CDs on a Hard Drive: Part I

[richardfinegold]

It's happened. The straw that broke the camel's back. My shelving is herniating under the load of a couple of thousand cds. The overflow can be found in every room of the house. I feel like Captain Kirk on the besieged Starship Enterprise when the Tribbles have invaded.
Of course, if I did the sensible thing and acknowledged that I really don't need 12 complete Beethoven Cycles, 6 Mahler 6ths, a partridge in a Pear tree... if I threw out the duplicates, then I would have no problem.
I've tried pruning my collection in the past. Given the heave-ho to discs that haven't been played for more than a decade. It seems like as soon as I donate them, I start missing them immediately, and I have to listen to them, which sometimes means repurchasing them....
Yes, I know this is a clinical illness, and no normal person would understand. However, here I am among friends, fellow collectors, so I can stand up and proclaim "Hello, I am Richard, and I am a Classical-CD-aholic."
My latest scheme for saving space and my wife's sanity is to do what so many have done. Move many of the discs to a hard drive (uncompressed). I plan to leave the ones that I really like as CDs (along with SACDs, Blu Rays, DVD-As) but move the ones that haven't been played in years--but that I can't bear to part with--to a hard drive.
So what's the problem? I'm computer and technophobic. I have to deal with IT issues at my place of employment, and as a small business owner I have had to solve most of them myself, and it is freaking painful. The last thing that I want to do is come home
and have another myriad of IT issues. I have read many articles on this, but each one leaves me more fearful and confused than the last.
One of my major issues is Classical Music Metadata. The whole metadata system is set up for pop music and works terribly for CM.
My first feeble attempts to to this were using itunes, and I got tired quickly of having to retype everything in a format that might make sense.
Have others joined this brave new world? Any words of advice?

[MrGongGong]

Any words of advice?

Move house
Cultivate a detachment from objects
or
embrace the chaos

[Don Petter]

If you want to store them uncompressed and just want an equivalent of the CDs on the shelf, why not just create a single image .wav file, with associated cue file for the tracks, using, say, EAC? You can put these pairs into any created system of folders, sorted by composer, CD number, or any scheme you like.

One step further than this, taking much the same time, would be to use EAC to make .wav files of each track separately, and still store them as above.

I'm sure others will suggest more sophisticated retrieval methods, but then you may have the problem of consistent tagging of individual works and tracks, as you have already envisaged.

[richardfinegold]

Move house
Cultivate a detachment from objects
or
embrace the chaos

I've done the latter, but fear that my wife will make the possibility of embracing her in the future contingent upon putting a dent in this problem...

[akiralx]

Just have another go at iTunes, ripping at a high bitrate. You won't tell the difference in sound quality* and amending the data where necessary becomes second nature (you'll have to do this whatever system you choose).

*if you think you can you should really be listening to SACDs and not CDs.

[Paul Sherratt]

Richard,

I'm addressing the same problem right now. Literally. My approach was slightly influenced by the beyond grotesque, lousy management of
an insurer's repair & car hire contractors which meant I have been been paid not to have a car for a very long period and I've used that unexpected sum to
acquire a dedicated PC which will hold around 5000 FLAC converted albums, linked to a Naim streaming device and controlled via that company's ipad
app. Works simply and efficiently and was set up by Simon at Synergy AV in under three hours. The sound is very pleasing and the unwanted cds are disappearing
at quite a lick. It uses Metadata which has been ok so far for my needs.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Legally you are only allowed to copy CDs for your own use if the CDs still belongs to you. Once you give them away or sell them you are in breach of copyright. You could still store them in the loft, if you have one.

It makes sense.

[Paul Sherratt]

What's more you don't need to keep the cases. The discs and booklet will transfer in to easily available cd/dvd albums. The ones I use each hold 128 discs.
Gosh, what an exciting start to the day this is !

[Hornspieler]

What's more you don't need to keep the cases. The discs and booklet will transfer in to easily available cd/dvd albums. The ones I use each hold 128 discs.
Gosh, what an exciting start to the day this is !

A possible compromise, requiring less technical computer knowledge would be to copy your Cds (700MB maximum)onto audio DVD (4.7GB) and retain the inners, whilst disposing of the CD cases to a grateful recipient who buys his CD-Rs in batches of 50. I estimate that 6 CDs/DVD is possible but probably safer to opt for 5 per DVD.

For myself, I have all my CDs copied onto a 1 terrabyte (1,000GB) external hard drive, together with all my vinyls and still have nearly 500 GB available for data backup and temporary off air recording.

So, your shelf occupancy is reduced by four fifths and the empty CD cases have found a new home.

HS

[Howdenite]

I struggle with the metadata part of ripping CDs, so only do so occasioally. I do sometimes buy downloads if they are quite cheap. And I keep some radio broadcasts. Getting the metadata to be consistent is a load of work, which slows me down on acquiring downloads. I have decided on a format and find I have to edit virtually every file I get. Every store is different and the metadata that comes down with every CD is different. I have decided on a format and edited all the files I have, but everything I add must be edited. You are right when you say that the metadata system works terribly for CM! Best advice is to see how a few files work in whatever software you use to play the music and check how you want to be able to find the music, then set a standard that works for you and face a lot of editing.

[martin_opera]

One of my major issues is Classical Music Metadata. The whole metadata system is set up for pop music and works terribly for CM.
My first feeble attempts to to this were using itunes, and I got tired quickly of having to retype everything in a format that might make sense.
Have others joined this brave new world? Any words of advice?

I'm not saying it's perfect but itunes works well for me. I think itunes is by far the simplest means of getting music from CD to hard drive. Just make sure that you specify where you wish your itunes/music folder to be (mine is directed straight to a 1TB external hard drive and then periodically backed up to another external hard drive and ipod). You can select the quality that you wish to copy - I use 320kbps as standard (and am aware of its limitations) but you may use Apple Lossless if you want lossless. As for metadata I use the following format that I have changed and amended over the years to something I am now happy with.

Album: 3 letter composer acronym e.g. Bbr (Barber) so: Bbr & Wtn Vn Con / Blh 'Baal Seem'
Album Artist: conductor and orchestra e.g. David Zinman (Baltimore SO)
Artist: main player (leave blank if symphonic) e.g. Joshua Bell
Composer: full name e.g. Samuel Barber

Individual track names as follows: (1) "BBR VN CON, OP.14 - I. Allegro" / (2) "II. Andante" / (3) "III. Presto in moto perpetuo" / (4) "BLH 'BAAL SHEM' - I. Vidui (Contrition)" / and so on

It works for me and if I wish to find the album I simply search "Zinman" "Bell" and it pops up.

[martin_opera]

Getting the metadata to be consistent is a load of work, which slows me down on acquiring downloads. I have decided on a format and find I have to edit virtually every file I get.

I have developed a "discipline" whereby I will only download an album if my library metadata is up to date and I listen to the new downloaded music whilst amending its metadata. Try it. It saves a fortune!!

[MrGongGong]

I have developed a "discipline" whereby I will only download an album if my library metadata is up to date and I listen to the new downloaded music whilst amending its metadata. Try it. It saves a fortune!!

So you seem to be listening to the music to check the data ?
I would normally send an invoice for doing something like that

[amateur51]

So you seem to be listening to the music to check the data ?
I would normally send an invoice for doing something like that

On form today, MrGG Theakston's Best

[johnb]

The first and most vital thing to consider, for anyone thinking of storing their CDs, etc on a hard drive is: "How are you going to listen to the music?"

1) Linking the PC to your audio system using the PC's analogue outputs: you are reliant on the (almost universally) poor quality PC soundboards and on the stuff that Windows does to the sound (not ideal) - not to mention the noise of the PC and the trailing cables.

2) Linking the PC to your audio system using a PC's digital output: much better than (1) but still with drawbacks.

In both these cases, with Windows XP the sound is 'messed' with by Windows - e.g. resampling to and from 48 kHz. With Windows 7 (not sure about Vista) you need to set the "Sound Properties" for your output device to match the format of your music files, e.g. "2 channel, 16 bit, 44100 Hz (CD Quality)" for ripped CDs, otherwise everything is likely to be resampled to 48 Hz.

3) Using a music streaming device with Wireless and Ethernet (i.e. wired) options such as the (now discontinued) Squeezebox Touch (which also enables you to stream iPlayer, Spotify, Qobuz to your audio), or the more expensive Sonus (which is more limited in facilities). The advantage of these is that there are no cables (unless you decide to wire the system), the PC or NAS can be in a different room, the data is read from your hard drive and totally by-passes your PC soundboard and Windows Mixer, and the sound quality is at the very least equal to mid-range CD players costing many, many hundreds of pounds, and arguably some costing much more than that, especially when using the digital output.

4) Using dedicated hard drive music 'servers' such as the Linn and Meridian devices. This is much more expensive but you have the comfort of knowing the system is reliable and self contained.

Ripping.
The most recommended and reliable ripping programmes are dbpoweramp and EAC - full stop.

Tagging.
Most systems rely on the tags.

You need to decide on a tagging scheme. This is difficult at first and you will probably find that you change your mind about it as time goes by.

The scheme that you use will depend, at least in part, on the system you use to play the music.

No automatic source of tags (including iTunes) is reliable. They merely provide a starting point for you to edit the tags to something that fits in with your scheme.

If you want to edit the tags after you have ripped the files, the standard recommendation is mp3tag.

As an example, I use the Squeezebox Touch so my tagging scheme is:

Album: the actual piece (not the CD 'name') in the format: [Composer] - [Piece] - [Main Performers], so one CD might result in more than one tagged 'Album' e.g. "Mahler - Symphony No 4 - Fischer, BFO" or "Janacek - Sinfonietta - Ancerl, Czech PO"
Artist: the performers (some people put the composer here)
Composer: Composer
Track: the movement