I guess this is a good post to end the year with 
I had a whole bunch of CDs I wanted to transfer to my Music app library, and decided to do it with the new office system, on the Mac Mini. I downloaded XLD out of habit, since that is what I have used for years and years. However, I have not used the new Music app to rip CDs and was curious to see how it worked. I didn't anticipate any difficulties, because largely ripping CDs is an eminently solved problem.
In the Music app, I selected the longer process that incorporates error correction, and everything worked seemingly fine.
Until I listened to one of the newly ripped CDs - Brian Eno's 2022 release "Foreverandevernomore", on his Opal label, licenced to Universal Music Operations Limited. To be clear, I purchased the CD brand new, from Amazon, and upon visual inspection of the disc I could see no flaws. Nonetheless, when listening to the ripped files on the Music app, on the last track, the last couple of minutes had some significant errors, clicks and glitches. I was rather surprised, and it was clearly errors, not some intended musical effect.
Now, again, I used the longer ripping process afforded by the Music app, which theoretically should've corrected for minor errors. I therefore went ahead and re-ripped the CD this time using XLD. When XLD got to the last couple of minutes of the last track, it slowed down dramatically and was error correcting for quite a while, which indicates that there's a problem with the brand new CD. Eventually, the process was completed and the report was the final product was good. I now re-listening to the ripped CD in the Music app, and this time, indeed there were NO ERRORS in the last track - unlike the Music app rip, the XLD rip restored the integrity of the CD.
Additional info: the MM is up to date, Sonoma 14.2.1, Music app version 14.2.83, and the drive was a brand new Apple SuperDrive connected directly to the MM (not going through any hub or using any additional cables etc.), the CD in question was brand new, opened and immediately inserted into the SuperDrive.
Here's where that leaves me: I conclude from a clear demonstration, that the XLD error correction process is superior to the Music app native process. Quite frankly, I was rather surprised, as I expected both apps to work equally well. Oh well, you learn something new every day, lol.
From now on, I will go back to my old habits and rip everything using XLD, as it is in my eyes clearly superior. Score one for third party software vs Apple native (and btw., one has to jump through hoops to install XLD on Apple machines - here the M2 MM and M2 MBA - you have to swear up and down that you trust the software etc., lol).
Happy New Year, everyone, and may 2024 be a good year for everybody!
I had a whole bunch of CDs I wanted to transfer to my Music app library, and decided to do it with the new office system, on the Mac Mini. I downloaded XLD out of habit, since that is what I have used for years and years. However, I have not used the new Music app to rip CDs and was curious to see how it worked. I didn't anticipate any difficulties, because largely ripping CDs is an eminently solved problem.
In the Music app, I selected the longer process that incorporates error correction, and everything worked seemingly fine.
Until I listened to one of the newly ripped CDs - Brian Eno's 2022 release "Foreverandevernomore", on his Opal label, licenced to Universal Music Operations Limited. To be clear, I purchased the CD brand new, from Amazon, and upon visual inspection of the disc I could see no flaws. Nonetheless, when listening to the ripped files on the Music app, on the last track, the last couple of minutes had some significant errors, clicks and glitches. I was rather surprised, and it was clearly errors, not some intended musical effect.
Now, again, I used the longer ripping process afforded by the Music app, which theoretically should've corrected for minor errors. I therefore went ahead and re-ripped the CD this time using XLD. When XLD got to the last couple of minutes of the last track, it slowed down dramatically and was error correcting for quite a while, which indicates that there's a problem with the brand new CD. Eventually, the process was completed and the report was the final product was good. I now re-listening to the ripped CD in the Music app, and this time, indeed there were NO ERRORS in the last track - unlike the Music app rip, the XLD rip restored the integrity of the CD.
Additional info: the MM is up to date, Sonoma 14.2.1, Music app version 14.2.83, and the drive was a brand new Apple SuperDrive connected directly to the MM (not going through any hub or using any additional cables etc.), the CD in question was brand new, opened and immediately inserted into the SuperDrive.
Here's where that leaves me: I conclude from a clear demonstration, that the XLD error correction process is superior to the Music app native process. Quite frankly, I was rather surprised, as I expected both apps to work equally well. Oh well, you learn something new every day, lol.
From now on, I will go back to my old habits and rip everything using XLD, as it is in my eyes clearly superior. Score one for third party software vs Apple native (and btw., one has to jump through hoops to install XLD on Apple machines - here the M2 MM and M2 MBA - you have to swear up and down that you trust the software etc., lol).
Happy New Year, everyone, and may 2024 be a good year for everybody!
