Slow CD Ripping Speed On Mac Mini

[John151]

Hello, I am an old time PC person, with my first Mac. I know my PC inside and out, and have even built several PCs in years past. However, I am struggling to figure out how to speed up the CD ripping process on my Mac Mini. I am getting around 4-5x rip speed on most CDs (some are faster, most are not). Surely the "super drive" can spin the disks faster than this. The CPUs are around 67%, so I don't think it is the conversion process.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[mad jew]

What app are you using to rip them? Do you get similar speeds if you're simply copying files from a CD to your Desktop? I really don't think the superdrive is your limiting factor here.

 

[John151]

I am using iTunes, converting to Apple Lossless (m4a).

I agree, that the super drive is not the issue. I assume it is a software config thing somewhere.

BTW - I have attached an external Iomega CD drive that rips much faster (30x-50x). However, iTunes locks up on certain tracks, so I am no longer using the Iomega. However, this does prove that higher speeds are possible.

Does iTunes limit the speed for reliability/quality?

 

[mad jew]

Does iTunes limit the speed for reliability/quality?

It has an error correction function that'll slow imports down a little, but it shouldn't be all that noticeable. You can turn it on or off in the iTunes preferences, under the importing tab.