Ripping Software

There are many software CD rippers available for PCs, Linux and Macs.  You probably already have one installed.  (For example, Windows Media Player includes a CD ripper, as does iTunes.)

However, not all ripping software is created equal.  Some rippers perform better than others.

When choosing a ripper you should be looking for the following features:

• Supports accurate ripping (i.e. guarantees the integrity of the rip) - Ripping music takes time, and you want confidence that what you are listening to is error free, and a clean rip.
  
• FLAC support - Ripping to an open and lossless media format means you won't ever have to rip the CD again.  Even if you change your system set-up.
  
• Supports automatic application of meta-data, and allows you to structure your music collection the way you like...
  

EAC

The current gold standard of ripping software is EAC.  You can find out more about EAC here: [1]

What makes EAC popular is its reputation for reliably extracting accurate ("bit perfect") data from CDs.

However, the user interface is a little clunky.

RipStation Micro DS

Homepage here.

RipFactory have produced a version of thier RipStation Micro software ripper specifically for Linn.  This in turn is based on thier professional HW CD ripping solutions.

The RipStation Micro DS software implements accurate ripping technology, (RipFactory have called this "RipSure").  It also uses the high-quality, managed, meta-data service "GD3". 

RipStation is fast, and easier to use than EAC - It operates in "batch mode", allowing you to start it in the background, where it will silently rip any discs that you feed into the PC drive.  It can be left unnattended and requires minimal "nursing".  Any CDs that cannot be ripped accurately are rejected, guarenteeing that you recieve a perfect rip of your music collection.

The product also comes pre-configured to Linn's default ripping and tagging standards, ensuring easy integration with the Linn DS products.  It also has a nifty "send to NAS" button, to automatically upload your music library where they will be ready to play on your DS product.

Max for Apple Mac

Homepage here: http://sbooth.org/Max/