How to use Exact Audio Copy to rip CD's to mp3 using the LAME encoder

Why LAME?

  • LAME is an open-source, free implementation of mp3 encoding technology
  • LAME is widely regarded to be the best mp3 encoder available (but is not used by either iTunes or Windows Media Player...)
  • LAME has been in development since 1998 and is frequently updated and improved

 

 

1. First, download the LAME encoder. Extract the .zip folder (called "lame3.9x.x.zip"), and save the entire folder to your C: drive. (...so....the path to the LAME folder should now be C:\lame3.9x.x\ )

 

2. Open Exact Audio Copy (I'm assuming you've downloaded and installed it at this point)...it will start a configuration wizard. Click "next" on the first dialog box.

3. The next dialog box detects available CD-ROM drives in your computer...check the box next to the one you want to use with the software, and click "next."

4. The next dialog box asks you if you want accurate results or speed. Choose accuracy, and click "next."

5. The next dialog box informs you that EAC wants to autodetect your CD drive features. You need to insert an CLEAN, UNSCRATCHED AUDIO CD for this to work. Click "next," and wait for the software to finish its thing with your CD.

6. After EAC has detected your CD drive's features, it will display the results. Click "next."

7. In the next dialog box, EAC informs you that your drive is configured...click "next."

8. In the next dialog box, EAC spews a bunch of information about encoders. Click "next."

9. In the next dialog box, EAC asks how you want to compress your audio files. Choose "nothing right now, I will configure manually later," and click "next."

10. In the next dialog box, EAC asks for an email address. This is so you can submit CD info to the freedb database, so CD track names can be looked up by the software. Enter the address "user@freedb.org," and click "next."

11. In the next dialog box, EAC asks how you want filenames of mp3's to look. Make a choice (doesn't really matter), and click "next."

12. In the next dialog box, EAC asks if you're a beginner or an expert. You can leave it on beginner...doesn't matter. Click "next."

OK...you're much closer to being ready to rip mp3's! Still more setup to do...let's configure EAC to use LAME as your mp3 encoder.

13. Press F11 to open the "Compression Options" window. Click the "External Compression" tab, and check "use external program for compression." In the drop-down box, choose "LAME mp3 encoder."

14. Now, you need to tell EAC where you put the LAME encoder. Click the "Browse" button, and go to C:\lame3.9x.x (where you already saved the LAME encoder folder to in step 1), and select the "lame.exe" file. Should look like this...

15. OK...now you need to set the bitrate that the mp3's will be encoded at. I'm assuming you're going through this whole process because you want better sounding mp3's, so I'm going to give you recommended VBR settings. These will result in slightly larger files than 128kbs CBR mp3's...but they'll sound better.

Choose one of the configuration settings below to copy and paste into the "additional command line options" in the External Compression window that you've been in:

Recommended setting for portable audio (iPods, etc), bitrate ranges from 145kbs to 185kbs:

-V 4 --vbr-new

Recommended setting for Hi-Fi or quiet home listening (my own preferred setting, for what that's worth...), bitrate ranges from 170kbs to 210kbs:
(in blind listening tests, most people can't distinguish this setting from original CD quality)

-V 2 --vbr-new

Now your configuration should look something like this:

16. Leave "delete WAV after compression" checked, check "add ID3 tag", and choose "high quality." The "bit rate" setting doesn't matter one bit (what you pasted in the command line overrides everything else).

17. OK...now you're ready to rip CD's to mp3's! Insert a CD to try it out. EAC will show the tracks listed by number:

18. Click on the little CD button to connect to the freedb database, and EAC will look up the track names for you (if it's not in the database, you can type in the track names):

19. Click the "MP3" button on the left hand side to rip the CD to mp3. Just choose the folder where you want them to go...EAC will name the files for you!

 

EAC will now extract and compress each track...hopefully everything works!


Tips:

  • "EAC can't find my CD-ROM drive? What do I do?"

               Sometimes EAC will not recognize the CD drive in your PC. Try the following:

  1. Start EAC, then press F9 to get to "EAC settings."
  2. Click the "interface" tab.
  3. Select "Native Win32 interface for Win NT/2000/XP"
  4. Close and restart EAC...run the configuration wizard again if necessary...your CD drive(s) will likely be recognized now.