Changes since CDex 1.50 beta 8:
Fixed ASPI driver loading problems
CDRom settings were not saved to INI file when CDrip.dll could not be initialized
Added option to create lower or uper case file names (added l or u and c pre-qualifier)
upgraded to LAME encoder DLL version 3.93
Don't display warnings when OGG Vorbis encoder DLLs are missing
Added file TYPE option in Open File dialog boxes
Improved reading CD-Text information
No restart of CDex required if ASPI transport layer is toggled between "Native NTSCI library" and true ASPI
Fixed tooltip text cut-off problem


Grab it here.

Nice, the next "LAME, but don't use Presets"-Application.

LAME 3.93?

I thought that was the bad version?

Anyway to get this to use lame 3.92

yeah, just download the 3.92 binaries, unzip, and use the external encoder option in CDex.

Options -> Settings -> Encoder (tab) -> Encoder (pulldown) -> (select) External Encoder

then all you have to do is select the encoder path (wherever you saved the 3.92 binaries to) and enter a parameter string in the parameter box. for 3.92 you'll want the the string to read: %1 %2 --alt-preset [preset]

for example: %1 %2 --alt-preset extreme

If you can find one of the earlier Betas, I personally use Beta 5 because recent betas haven't recognized my CD-ROM drive properly. however it looks like they might have fixed that bug in this latest version I'll check it out when I get a chance. Also, make sure you have Paranoia on Full under the CDROM tab in the settings menu. Without Paranoia enabled you're pretty much wasting your time with CDex. It's the CDex equivalent to using EAC only without as much detailed information regarding where problem areas may occur in your ripped audio. I find that for real problem CDs the paranoia engine is a bit better than EAC, however this is just my opinion.



Actually CDex does use the alt-presets. in fact it was the first software I'm aware of to integrate them into the encoder selection screen. Under the quality box are all the generic LAME settings, AND alt-presets standard, fast standard, extreme, fast extreme, insane, and r3mix (yes, even the r3mix preset, where is Roel by the way?)

John33 provides a modified CDex Version based on the 1.4 Release using lame 3.92 (as a DLL) with support for the alt-presets. I'd suggest to use this version, if you want to use CDex.

dev0

3.93 is bad for alt presets only, are you using alt presets with CDex???? B)

yea =)

thought starting to grow an interest in ogg or mpc

elmar3rd:



It's even worse than that, it's a "LAME, but f*cked up presets" application. Look at the preselected options when enabling "--alt-preset standard"...

When I modified 1.40 Release, it was on the basis that Dibrom's presets should be setup the way he intended and all the other settings should be disabled. This was done really on the basis that people who barely know what they are doing would not end up with poor encoding quality through playing with the settings in ignorance!!

I offered the mods to Albert Faber, et al, but they were rejected on the basis that 'CDex always allows users to modify these settings'. Fine if they know what they're doing, but disastrous otherwise. That was the reason for the modified version. Unfortunately, the only people likely to use it are the good folks on this board who would have a better idea than most of what they were doing!

So, once again, I can do the same with 1.50, but also again, the people who would most benefit from it will most probably never get to see it!!

cannot get why they used 3.93 instead of 3.93.1 . I think anyone interested in new versions of lame was aware of that problem with the broken (alt)presets.

or is it just misspelled in the history and actually 3.93.1 is included????

Was it really usefull to cut the codec list short ?

Including 3.93 was a really irresponsible thing to do, that's annoying.

This is not problem, just download Lame 3.93.1 or Lame 3.94 Alpha and replace lame_enc.dll in CDex directory 3.94 a 7 is better for me

I know i know I and you won't have a problem with that, but tons of others that aren't as knowlagable certainly will, that's why it was very irresponsible.

I like the idea of the modified CDex. Yes, we even suggested a CDex preconfigured with quality settings, which was rejected with some nonsense like "ppl expect to make 128kbps mp3s"... (As if we didn't have enough of these). We may have to get rid of the "CDex" name for the people to get it, otherwise they may be tempted to get the main one. In fact we should make a little enhancement to the gui.

Right now we have a wav button (for pure rips) and an mp3 button. How about adding an mpc and ogg button? So there is no need to go change the settings all the time?. I guess this could take some important mods, as the need to maintain the separate config for all 3 encoders would be needed, which of course would be defaulted to the best settings from the beginning. Maybe the app should be called Hydrogenaudio or close

Such an app will of course come with lame 3.90.2, for the mp3s, and the recomended versions for oggvorbis (G2?) and Musepack. And, as it was suggested but ignored, come preconfigured to use "Paranoia" ripping method (all other methods are as unreliable as the rest of the rippers, and in fact CDex was largely NOT recomended until cdparanoia code got in there. But if Authors refuse to listen, then is time to ignore them.

This app is under GPL, we can do whatever we want with it, following the rules of the GPL: Release the code. Details here: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html

I totally agree with Artemis3 here: There is a need for a secure CD ripper preconfigured for transparent quality and open formats, but also easy to use and unscrewable.
The approach of a modified CDex is not bad, especially if it is bundled only with the needed DLLs and preconfigured to use aps/vorbis/CDParanoia. Tough IMO CDex is still too bloated, my ideal solution would look like that:
- Ripping done by CDParanioa
- Encoding with MPC/Vorbis/lame
- simple (almost no) configuration
- a fancy 'RIP' button

dev0

thanks for the trick, west. now downloading

I don't think there is a need for more buttons. The interface should stay as simple as possible. You can always make a few profiles (since v1.50) and easily switch between the profiles to encode to, for example:

vorbis -q 3, on the fly
vorbis -q 6
musepack --standard
musepack --xtreme
monkey's audio
...

About cdparanoia I agree it should be the default method instead of standard.

<humor>
sounds nice, maybe john33 would be kind enough to modify the oggdropxpd to include the ripper and mpc, mp3, ape, flac ... formats, uhmm, and rename it to alldropxpd or allindrop.
</humor>

how good is cdparanoia?
any links?

thanx

*VERY* good
I think it was originaly developed for linux as a part of the xiph project, and CDex is the only win application that works with paranoia. The only thing I miss about it is some more info about possible errors, like the exact time intervals where errors might have occured. In this way, EAC is better, but I find cdparanoia faster and cdparanoia also gives me better quality rips on my drive.

For links, search the forum, I don't have any ATM

I don't know how well cdparanoia performs on Linux, but at least on Windows, EAC is much superior to CDex (cdparanoia). Not so much for error correction, but for error detection. CDex is known to report rips as "OK", even though they have audible pops and glitches. This most probably won't happen with EAC.

See this thread for example. There should be a handful more in the FAQ thread in the general section.

does the "paranoia, full" mode give better results then "standard"?

and what are the right mpc parameters for cdex?
for eac they are "--quality 6 --xlevel --ape2 --artist "%a" --title "%t" --album "%g"
and for cdex?

Paranoia, full is considered to be better than standard. CDex with standard is IMHO as bad as most other rippers.

For parameters, I use:
--xtreme --verbose --xlevel --stderr "D:\Temp\musepack.log" --artist "%a" --album "%b" --title "%t" --track "%tn" --year "%y" --genre "%g" %1 %2

This way, you get the default (ape 2.0) tags.