|
HELP OTHER USERS
So you managed to setup Exact Audio Copy and now want to share your settings
with other users. Well, you've made it to the right place! This page will help
you collecting all information needed for the User
Reported Drive Features Database. Of course you don't need to provide all
required information as some items may be difficult to determine or take a lot
of time. But just try to submit as much as possible information... I've spend
many hours (understatement) in creating this EAC tutorial, so please be gentle
and take some time too to help other users who may not be as fortunate as you
and were not able to determine some settings. If you have followed the EAC
tutorial step by step you'll already gathered most of the information wanted.
Another goal of the User
Reported Drive Features Database is creating an overview of drives so it's easier to see which
drives are suited best for EAC.
|
|
Drive Features Report Sheet
If you don't know what a certain item means scroll down on this page. Of
every item is explained how you can determine it. At the end of this page 2
filled-in examples are given.
Brand:
Model/Type:
Firmware:
Accurate Stream:
Audio Caching:
C2 Error Retrieval:
Read Command:
Read Offset Correction:
Overreading into Lead-In and Lead-Out:
Read CD-TEXT Information:
Gap/Index Retrieval Method:
Gap Detection Accuracy:
EAC Write:
Write Offset:
Overwriting into Lead-In and Lead-Out:
Write UPC/ISRC Information:
Write CD-TEXT Information:
Average EAC Reading Speed:
Comment:
Mail this information
to The Coaster Factory. Thanks in advance!
|
|
Explanation
Brand
This doesn't need much explanation I think. Just specify the brand of
your drive. For example Plextor. If you know the website
of the manufacturer you may also submit it.
Model/Type
The drive model and speed rating. For example: CD-R PlexWriter
8/20 (PX-R820T), where CD-R means that the drive is a
CD-writer, PlexWriter the model or
name of the
drive, 8/20 the speed rating meaning 8x writing and 20x
reading speed and PX-R820T the type number. The name or
speed rating is often printed on the tray or front of the drive, or can at
least be found in the manual or on the box the drive came in. Note that not
every drive has a name. But obviously, all drives have a speed rating of
course. The type number is displayed in EAC in the top left drop down box.
The type number of the PlexWriter 8/20 is thus PLEXTOR
CD-R PX-R820T. Please, also specify whether the drive is a CD-ROM,
DVD, CD-R (CD-writer) or CD-RW
(CD-rewriter).
|
|
Firmware Revision
The firmware of a drive can be compared with the BIOS of a motherboard.
It's a small piece of software in a chip that controls the hardware. Most
modern drives have a flashable firmware. This means the firmware can be
updated by simply running the flash update program. Updated firmware
versions often improve performance, add new features or fix bugs of the
previous firmware.
EAC does not display the firmware revision so we'll use a third party
tool for that: CDR
Identifier. Download this small freeware tool. CDR Identifier is meant
to retrieve the actual manufacturer of a CD-R disc, but it also displays the
firmware revision of the drives in your system.
The left screenshot shows CDR Identifier. The third column Revision
in the top list box displays the firmware revision. In our example the PlexWriter 8/20
has firmware revision 1.07.
|
|
Accurate Stream
Make sure you select correct drive from the top left drop down box in Exact
Audio Copy and select Drive Options... from the EAC menu
or press F10. On the Extraction Method tab
you can find the needed information. Of course, the information is only correct
if you did the EAC Drive Configuration. Sometimes the Drive has 'Accurate Stream' feature may be checked
but grayed out (when Drive
is capable of retrieving C2 error information is enabled). In this case still report Yes for Accurate
Stream.
Audio Caching See the setting of Drive caches
audio data.
C2 Error Retrieval See the setting of Drive
is capable of retrieving C2 error information.
|
|
Read Command
The Read Command can be found on the Drive
tab. Again, this information is only correct if you properly did the EAC Drive Configuration.
If your drive needs any of the advanced options on that tab for correct audio
extraction you may report that too.
|
|
Read Offset Correction
The read offset correction can be found on the Offset
/ Speed tab. Note that the combined read/write offset correction
is not usable since it only applies to your reader/writer combination. Make sure
you have read Determining The Offsets
carefully. Another interesting read is The Truth
About Offsets. Many people report an incorrect offset because they do not
really know what they have determined.
Overreading into Lead-In and Lead-Out
Also something you should read Determining The
Offsets and The Truth About Offsets for. In
the Determining The
Offsets tutorial is explained into detail how you can detect the
overreading capabilities of your drive. Specify whether the drive is able to
overread into the Lead-In (I), Lead-Out (O) or both (I/O).
Read CD-TEXT Information
CD-TEXT is extra data written on an audio CD containing CD title, track title
and artist information. Certain drives can retrieve CD-TEXT information. Exact
Audio Copy is not able to auto detect this, thus you'll have to lookup the
drive's manual or manufacturer's website.
|
|
Gap/Index Retrieval Method
This can be found on the Gap Detection tab. Like with most
of EAC's options it's only correct if you followed Configuring
Gap Detection.
Gap Detection Accuracy
Can also be found on the same Gap Detection tab.
|
|
EAC Write
Is the drive able to write with EAC? Not every CD-writer is already
supported. Read the Detecting The Write Features tutorial
to find out whether or not your CD-writer is able to record with EAC. This is of
course not applicable for CD-ROM or DVD drives so report n/a
if your drive is not a recorder.
Write Offset
The write offset is detected in the Determining The
Offsets Part II article.
Write UPC/ISRC
See Detecting The Write Features.
Write CD-TEXT Information
See Detecting The Write Features.
|
|
Average EAC Reading Speed
This is a rather easy test, but it may be time consuming if you have a slower
drive. The goal is to get the average reading speed so people considering a new
drive can see in the User
Reported Drive Features Database what drives are fast and which are not.
To perform the test you need a CD with as close to 74 minutes audio on as
possible. Then extract the whole CD to your harddisk as an image by choosing Copy
Range... (not Copy Image & Create CUE Sheet... to
avoid the time consuming gap detection process) from the Action
menu or pressing F7. After the extraction finished write down
the Speed displayed on the Extracting Audio
Data dialog window below the progress bar. Make sure you use a clean pressed
CD because rereads due to read errors may noticeable drop the extraction speed.
|
|
Overwriting into Lead-In and Lead-Out
This may not be confused with overburning! For more information about
overwriting into Lead-In and Lead-Out read The Truth About Offsets.
At this moment I haven't found a 100% secure method to determine the
overwriting.
|
|
Examples
|
|
|
