I’ve started ripping my collection after reading several forums, and am trying to improve my method with limited technical know-how. Using a laptop with Philips DVD+-RW SDVD8431 drive, XP HE. Goal: store 300 CDs on La Cie external drive as source for my Sonos multi-room system. Sound capability of wireless system is satisfactory but no point in being ultra perfectionist about rips [can’t follow some of the technical stuff on forum].

1. Early decision to go for FLAC. Took forum advice to drop EAC for simpler dBpoweramp. Felt need for secure rips so registered/bought Pro version and downloaded R12.3 yesterday. Also downloaded Media Monkey as it seems easier for editing tags. Can update MM library after ripping, likewise Sonos music index, so the basics work [even if, like others, I find editing tags for classical music can be tedious].
2. Aware of AccurateRip, its dll located at c\Prog files\Illustrate\dBpoweramp but not clear about concepts.
3. Selected a CD I believe is on the AR database [Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994, ©1994 A & M Records Inc]. Decided to set ripping at UltraSecure. Ripping to internal HD, intending to transfer to external [wireless] La Cie later, on assumption that otherwise ripping would be slower.

Outcomes:
1 dBpoweramp reports that AccurateRip cannot find the CD
2 All 17 tracks ripped, 14 described as Secure, 3 described as Insecure. Time taken approx 90 minutes for a 75 minute CD [horrendous!]

Queries
1 Why can’t AccurateRip find my CD? How crucial is this? DBpoweramp also offers AMG [for 30 days] and freedb. Can they help? [Not sure how to activate them and whether they are really useful.]
2 Not clear what actions to take about 3 ‘insecure’ tracks e.g. try ripping on another computer? Live with them? etc. The notion of buying another Sting CD and trying again is surely for obsessives [sorry, no offence meant].
3 Concerned that the process is so slow, I was hoping for reliable ripping at < 20 minutes per CD. What advice can people offer?
4 Have I missed any steps?

Of course it is horrendous, you were using ultra secure! It could also be the characteristics of your drive, which will be discussed better by someone else, I am sure. I cannot figure out if there is a way to change the rip settings of the unregistered dBpoweramp.

If a CD is in AccurateRip's (AR) database then there is no need to start off with an Ultra-Secure ripping process (if you were using EAC), since it can compare CRC-32 hashes of the audio. Also, does dBpoweramp say your Sting CD is in AR's Database? It will say at the end of your tracks: "CD in AccurateRip".

It means that no one else has ripped the CD with AR-related software. AR, to me is pretty important, since it allows me to rip with a burst setting in EAC. If the CD compares correctly to the AR database, no need to re rip at a more secure setting. FreeDB is a database for tags to files so you do not have to manually tag your files. I don't know what AMG is (All Music Guide?) but I imagine it is nothing more than that.

I am not a dBpoweramp user, so I could only speculate.

Use a faster rip setting.

As far as I can tell, nope. If you wanted to verify your rip of that Sting CD, just rip it again, and compare the audio hashes with either md5sum or SHNTool.

I wish I could be more help but I am not an avid dBpoweramp user, and I seem to not have as many options as I remember....

Has AccurateRip offered to find the offset of your cd drive (when it recognizes a cd), has it find the offset?

Thanks for your initial response, I realise you are a leading expert with these products.
1 When the cd is recognised, there is a temp onscreen message 'communicating/connecting with AccurateRip', then the list of tracks ripples through. You'll be familiar with it but FYI my display is:
Title; Length; Rip Status [shows X AR greyed, green tick, Secure], CRC Ref, Rating [3.5/5 stars given], Cenre, Estimated size.
2 Visiting www.AccurateRip.com shows my drive listed as offset = +1292.

3 In dBpoweramp Options, settings are:
Ripping Method = Secure [not Burst] [through this, I enabled Ultra Secure]
Query results with AR = selected
Write Album Art as folder = selected
CD ROM: my drive is identified; Sample Offset = +1292
[You may know if this is the same as AccurateRip displaying the offset of cd drive. Not sure if I have answered your question.]
Prevent Autorun = selected

Hope you can figure out what's happening. Thanks

Thanks for your various replies. I'm hoping Spoon who I think knows dBpoweramp inside out can help on specifics.

More generally, I guess I was hoping for a black box solution where I don't have to understand these CRC-32 things. If re-ripping can deliver coverage of all tracks, that's fine. If I lose some tracks on old pop music, no big deal. If I lose a movement of a symphony, that's serious.

I've been thrown at the first hurdle by the fact that software communicates with AccurateRip and all the tracks are listed but I do not get the message you mention. But presumably that will happen with a lot ofCDs and I'll just have to use the most sensible secure rip setting the forum advises. Thanks again

Further reply to your question:
Has AccurateRip offered to find the offset of your cd drive (when it recognizes a cd), has it find the offset?
[/quote]

I just inserted 'Annie Lennox: Diva' with Ultra setting removed, but Secure selected. This time, the message came up 'CD in AccurateRip' First 4 tracks are 'Accurate' and ripping is proceeding at 1/3 of CD time, which is what I was hoping for.

So my apologies for red herring - I guess I was unlucky with the Sting CD, exactly matching title but AR does not specify product further.

It still leaves the issue of what to do when a] CD is not in AR e.g. many classical works, and b] errors on tracks are found. Is there a recommended strategy for inexperienced people? Should we be trying to get an assessment of how erroneous a ripped track is, or get on with our lives.
THanks