Hydrogenaudio Knowledgebase - User contributions [en]

EAC and Lame

2012-11-16T19:05:58Z

Preuss: Updated broken wapet link

===Important note===

This guide is in need of an update, because '''in EAC 1.0 beta 2, the replacement strings changed'''. For example:
* "%s" is now "%source%"
* "%d" is now "%dest%"
* "%a" is now "%artist%"
See the full list in [http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/en/index.php/support/faq/ the EAC FAQ] or in the [http://wiki.hydrogenaudio.org/index.php?title=EAC_Compression_Options#External_Compression EAC Compression Options guide].

===Software Needed===
* [http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/en/index.php/resources/download/ Exact Audio Copy]
* [http://wiki.hydrogenaudio.org/index.php?title=Recommended_LAME Recommended LAME version]

'''Note:''' This guide has now been amended to reflect changes made to LAME as of 3.98. --vbr-new is now the default setting and is no longer explicitly required. In addition, non-standard genres are now handled more elegantly.

===Installation===
'''Note:''' This guide assumes that EAC has been configured for secure ripping, if not please follow [[EAC_Drive_Configuration | this]] guide.
* Unzip the chosen LAME version into the same directory as EAC.
* If you would like to tag with APEv2 tags please download [http://www.rarewares.org/files/others/wapet.zip wapet.zip] and unzip it into the '''same folder'''.

===General Configuration===

* Open EAC and insert a CD into the drive.
* Click the '''EAC''' menu and select '''Compression Options'''.
* Click the '''External Compression''' Tab, and put a check box in '''Use external program for compression'''.
* Change '''Parameter passing scheme''' to '''User Defined Encoder''' (see [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=57617 this thread] for reasoning).
* Change '''Use file extension''' to '''.mp3'''.
* Click the '''Browse''' button and locate the '''lame.exe''' that you unzipped into the EAC directory earlier.
'''Note:''' If you want to tag with APEv2 tags using Wapet please locate '''wapet.exe''', not lame.exe.
* Don't worry which bit rate is shown in the '''Bit rate''' drop-down box, as this will not have any effect on the resultant MP3 file unless the %r placeholder is used (see end of the [[EAC_and_Lame#Advanced_Command_Line_Usage| Advanced Command Line Usage section]]).
* Don't worry about the '''Use CRC check''' setting; it won't affect the resultant MP3 file either.
* It's a good idea to tick '''Check for external programs return code'''.

===Configuring the Additional command line options===
* The '''green''' portion in the examples following this section is where you configure the [[LAME#Encoder_Presets| LAME preset]].

* The '''%s''' and '''%d''' in the examples following this section are placeholders for EAC. '''%s''' means '''source''' filename and '''%d''' means '''destination''' filename. These are absolutely necessary!

===Adding Tags===
'''Let EAC create tags (Recommended)'''

To have EAC tag your files, tick '''Add ID3 tag'''; and in the '''Additional command line options''' box, copy and paste the following string:
'''-V2''' '''%s %d'''

'''Create files with no tags'''

If you do not wish to have tags, untick '''Add ID3 tag'''; and in the '''Additional command line options''' box, copy and paste the following string:
'''-V2''' '''%s %d'''

'''Let Lame create tags'''

If you prefer to have Lame tag the files based on information shown in the EAC GUI, '''untick''' the checkbox next to '''Add ID3 tag'''.

Here are some examples providing different tag types:

* ID3v1 only:
'''-V2''' --id3v1-only --ta "%a" --tt "%t" --tg "%m" --tl "%g" --ty "%y" --tn "%n" '''%s %d'''

* ID3v2 only:
'''-V2''' --id3v2-only --pad-id3v2 --ta "%a" --tt "%t" --tg "%m" --tl "%g" --ty "%y" --tn "%n" '''%s %d'''

* ID3v1 and ID3v2:
'''-V2''' --add-id3v2 --pad-id3v2 --ta "%a" --tt "%t" --tg "%m" --tl "%g" --ty "%y" --tn "%n" '''%s %d'''

* Automatic:
'''-V2''' --ta "%a" --tt "%t" --tg "%m" --tl "%g" --ty "%y" --tn "%n" '''%s %d'''
With Automatic, ID3v1 will always be created. If any ID3v1 field exceeds the length allowed by the ID3v1 specification then a complete ID3v2 tag will also be added.

'''Use Wapet to create APEv2 tags'''

If you prefer instead to have APEv2 tags based on information shown in the EAC GUI, '''untick''' the checkbox next to '''Add ID3 tag'''

'''Note:''' Creating APE tags requires [http://www.rarewares.org/files/others/wapet.zip wapet.exe]. Remember to browse for wapet.exe instead of lame.exe as the external encoding program. Also, lame.exe needs to be in the same directory as wapet.exe.

Use the following string:
'''%d''' -t "Artist=%a" -t "Title=%t" -t "Album=%g" -t "Year=%y" -t "Track=%n" -t "Genre=%m" LAME.exe '''-V2''' '''%s %d'''

===Advanced Command Line Usage===
* The '''%l...%l''' and ''''%h...%h''' placeholders are used to add text according to whether the High quality or Low quality radio button is selected, as shown below:

'''%l-V5%l%h-V0%h''' '''%s %d'''

Therefore, if you select '''Low quality''', EAC will invoke the LAME encoder with the following command line parameters:

'''-V5''' '''%s %d'''

..and if you select '''High quality''' EAC will invoke LAME with these command line parameters:

'''-V0''' '''%s %d'''

* You can access the bitrate value in the drop-down list using the '''%r''' placeholder, for example:

'''-b''''''%r''' '''%s %d'''

So, if you selected '''192 kBit/s''' in the '''Bit Rate''' drop-down list, the command line would be:

'''-b''''''192''' '''%s %d'''

It is a generally accepted fact that the bitrate selected in the drop-down list doesn't affect the command line. In essence this is true, as it will not affect the command line ''unless you use the %r placeholder''. However, using ABR or CBR over VBR is not recommended, and therefore you should never have to use the '''%r''' option.

<center>[[Image:EAC_LAME02.png|frame|center|LAME configured with ID3v1 tagging]]</center>

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:EAC Guides|LAME & EAC]]

CUETools

2009-05-01T11:47:01Z

Preuss: Updated external link version.

{{Software Infobox
| name = CUETools
| screenshot = [[Image:Cuetools193.jpg|289px|CUETools 1.9.3]]
| caption =
| maintainer = [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showuser=2227 Moitah],[http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showuser=59035 Greg Chudov]
| stable_release = 1.9.1
| preview_release = 1.9.3
| operating_system = [[Wikipedia:Microsoft Windows|Windows]]
| use = [[Wikipedia:Encoder/Decoder|Encoder/Decoder]]
| license = [[Wikipedia:GNU General Public License|GNU GPL]]
| website = [http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=66233 Hydrogenaudio]
}}

'''CUETools''' is a tool for [[lossless|lossless audio]]/[[Cue sheet|CUE sheet]] format conversion. The goal is to make sure the album image is preserved accurately. Lossless disc image must be lossless not only in preserving contents of the audio tracks, but also in preserving gaps and CUE sheet contents. Many applications loose vital information upon conversion, and don't support all possible CUE sheet styles. For example, [[foobar2000]] looses disc pre-gap information when converting an album image, and doesn't support gaps appended (noncompliant) CUE sheets.

==Supported formats==
Supports [[WAV]], [[FLAC]], [[APE]], [[LossyWAV]] and [[WavPack]] audio input/output. [[ALAC]] is supported for input only.
Audio must be 16-bit, 44.1kHz samples stereo (i.e. [[Wikipedia:Red Book (audio CD standard)|CD]] PCM).
Supports every imaginable [[Cue sheet|CUE sheet]] style (embedded, single file, gaps appended/prepended/left out).
It is also possible to process a set of audio files in a directory without a CUE sheet, or use a RAR archive as an
input without unpacking it.

==Use cases==
* Convert a single file album image with CUE sheet to a file-per-track album image
* Convert a file-per-track album image with CUE sheet to a single file album image
* Convert a file-per-track album image without a CUE sheet to a single file album image with simple CUE sheet
* Convert an album image from one lossless codec to another, preserving CUE sheet structure
* Verify a (possibly non offset-corrected) album image against AccurateRip database
* Apply offset correction to a rip made without offset correction
* Prepare an album image for burning with software, which does not handle drive write offsets, by applying offset
* Extract an album image directly from a RAR archive without unpacking it, and save it in a different format
* Fix filenames in a CUE sheet, if the files were renamed or converted to a different format.
* Compress to [[LossyWAV]], creating a lossy output + correction file.
* Convert a [[HDCD]] image to 24-bit / 20-bit / [[lossyWAV]] 16-bit audio files (irreversible).

==AccurateRip support==
Since version 1.9.2, CUETools can verify album images using [[AccurateRip]] database. ARCue and TripleFLAC were an inspiration. The unique feature of CUETools AccurateRip verification is offset detection. Rip that was made without offset correction can still be verified against the database, offset can be found and corrected.

Sample log:

[Disc ID: 000d44e3-005781a4-6b09df03]
Track [ CRC ] Status
01 [4a3fc0dd] (00/118) No matches
02 [a9382641] (00/118) No matches
03 [ebf74add] (00/116) No matches
Offsetted by -738:
01 [fd79d20e] (08/118) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #1
02 [a0b20dcc] (08/118) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #1
03 [44bacfd7] (08/116) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #1
Offsetted by -265:
01 [b5d7e187] (05/118) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #4
02 [29867165] (05/118) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #4
03 [380c013d] (05/116) Accurately ripped as in pressing(s) #4

==What's wrong if i'm sure the CD is present in the database, but CUETools doesn't find it==
CDs in the AccurateRip database are identified by the track lengths. Pregap and data track included. If you rip to separate tracks without a .cue sheet, this information is lost. If the CD had a pregap and/or data track, you won't find it in the database without a .cue sheet (or using dimmy .cue sheet, or using foobar2k-generated .cue sheet). Sometimes you will find a wrong set, e.g. if the disc was released in two versions - with and without data track. You rip a version with data track, and verify it without a .cue sheet, and your files look like the version without a data track. Or you rip a CD which has a pregap, and try verify it without a .cue sheet, your files look like a CD-R which someone made from such a rip, and then ripped it.

So make sure you have original .cue sheet and EAC .log available. Keeping original .cue insures that you don't loose the pregap length.
Data track length is not stored in .cue sheet, but if you have an EAC log made by the recent versions of EAC, CUETools can find the data track length from it. For this to work, .log file should have the same filename as a .cue file, except for extension. If you don't have a .log file, but your .cue sheet contains original DISCID (like all .cue sheets made by recent EAC versions), CUETools can detect that the datatrack was present and hint for a possible data track length range. You can try to enter 75 different values in that range manualy to find an exact length.

==Command line options==
* CUETools.exe /verify <filename> - verify an image using AccurateRip database.
* CUETools.exe /convert <filename> - convert an image to the default output format.
* CUETools.exe <filename> - open CUETools dialog, with input file set to <filename>.
* ArCueDotNet.exe <filename> - console version of AccurateRip verification.
* LossyWAVSharp.exe <filename> - console lossyWAV compression utility

==Supported platforms==
CUETools is a [[Wikipedia:.NET_Framework|.NET]] application, written in [[Wikipedia:C Sharp (programming language)|C#]]. Binaries are available for 32 bit (x86) and 64 bit (x64) Windows versions. .NET Framework 2.0 and Visual C++ 2005 SP1 runtime are required.
Users report they have been able to use it under linux, using [[Wikipedia:Mono (software)|Mono]], but in this scenario only WAV audio is supported, as other codecs are not yet ported to C#.

==External links==
*[http://moitah.net/ Moitah's website] - Currently hosts stable (outdated) version 1.9.1;
*[http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=50113 Original thread] - Original discussion;
*[http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=66233 1.9.5 Development Thread] - Latest development version;
*[http://cuetoolsnet.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/cuetoolsnet/ SVN repository]
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/cuetoolsnet Sourceforge project page]
*[http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=0856EACB-4362-4B0D-8EDD-AAB15C5E04F5&displaylang=en .NET Framework 2.0 (x86) download]
*[http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=200B2FD9-AE1A-4A14-984D-389C36F85647&displaylang=en Visual C++ 2005 SP1 runtime (x86) download]

[[Category:Software]]
[[Category:Encoder/Decoder]]