Options for ripping CD's without a PC.

November 22, 2005 6:06 AM

What options do I have for ripping CD's without a PC. I'm looking for any options whereby I can rip CD's to an external hard disk without having to use a full-blown PC.

The ideal I have in mind would be some kind of CD player type equipment with a small display on it. You would put the CD in, it would then use CDDB to lookup the disc - display any matches etc. and allow the user to rip the disc automatically and label it with the relevant tags.

Ideally the files could be saved to an external networked drive rather than having a drive embedded.

Something like this would be ideal except it won't automatically tag the files or name them appropriately.

I'm looking for any and every suggestion from shrink-wrapped consumer products to home made hacks.

I'm just looking for inspiration.

posted by empedia to technology (11 comments total)

Hah, something like this was just featured on Gizmodo. The product itself, iLoad, is apparently vaporware. Gizmodo made some pointed comments about it, and wound up in an amusing tiff with the inventor.

I'm not aware of anything else like this. The other way to get MP3s without a computer is the various ripping services out there (just google "mp3 ripping service").
posted by adamrice at 6:33 AM on November 22, 2005

Get a small, outdated compact laptop (I have an old thinkpad that would work well.) Connect to external NAS or USB HD. Connect to internet. Run CDex. Voila!

Probably not as compact as you want, but it'd work.
posted by selfnoise at 6:39 AM on November 22, 2005

Hmmm,

selfnoise - I particularly do not want to use a PC for this because it needs to be (my) girlfriend friendly - i.e the barrier to usage for using a laptop would be too high - esp with something like CDEX.

I literally want something which is as much like playing a normal CD as possible.

iLoad looks too good to be true - and probably is.

Thanks for your suggestions - keep 'em coming
posted by empedia at 7:22 AM on November 22, 2005

So, what's your GF going to do with the MP3s once they're on the NAS? Seems like she'll still have to use a computer, right? Just trying to get a sense of the whole process as conceived.
posted by selfnoise at 7:32 AM on November 22, 2005

Well I have a slimdevices squeezebox 2 which is hooked up via a small headless PC to the NAS.

This is about as GF friendly as it gets in terms of accessibility IMHO.

She can browse all the albums etc. using the remote on the squeezebox etc. without going anywhere near the PC or the NAS etc.
posted by empedia at 7:46 AM on November 22, 2005

Here's one option. Doesn't connect to a network though.
posted by gfrobe at 7:51 AM on November 22, 2005

gfrobe

Yeah I know about that one - I looked into it but I really need something that is networkable.

Thanks anyway.
posted by empedia at 7:54 AM on November 22, 2005

How about this one?
posted by gfrobe at 8:55 AM on November 22, 2005

gfrobe:

Yeah that'd do the job - only problem would be trying to source one of 'em.

Rio no longer make them (actually they no longer exist) and there isn't anything like it listed on ebay right now either.

Added to the fact that I am in the UK its unlikely I would find one.

Of course if anyone knows where I can get a RioCentral then please let me know as that looks like the ideal solution.
posted by empedia at 9:18 AM on November 22, 2005

If your slimserver box is running Linux and has a cdrom you could probably write some fairly simple shell scripts to check for a cd in the drive, rip the tracks, copy them to the NAS, etc.

Pop in your new CD, wait 20 minutes and when everything's on the NAS it ejects. Be a neat project to undertake except I'd have absolutely no use for it once I had it :)
posted by roue at 11:13 AM on November 22, 2005

If ease of use is your only concern, you really should take a look at iTunes. You can set it up to rip and eject automatically, and you can also set it to play while ripping (though in my experience at least, that doesn't quite work as expected). Really, as long as iTunes is running, it's a no-brainer.
posted by adamrice at 1:59 PM on November 22, 2005