EAC and freedb ID3-tags?

[dcbell]

Trying to start ripping CDs but apart from agonisignly slow ripping speeds (another thread in the music forum) I'm now having problems with EAC recognising the CD artist/album etc. Freedb appears to be the internet based database that is used (I thought CDs carried this info encoded on them? Window Media Player and a number of other players seem to recognise CDs and tag them quite consistently): so after trying to download the appropriate artist/album, after initially getting Error - server error messages, I select the correct option from a list and then it whizzes thro' some connection messages (haven't really been able to read them) and then nothing, my track listings are still all unknown.

How d'you get this to work and why doesn't EAC read the info on the CD (if, as i say above, it is encoded onto the CD in the first place)?

I've heard/read all the conspiracy theories about Mac making things that much more difficult on Windows, and realise by it's very nature (broader, more open software/hardware market) Windows based environments are harder to control, but with the number of hoops you seem to have to jump thro' to make things work on Windows, the sweat and tears do start to make you wonder just how true all of the conspiracies are.

Thanks for any help.

[davidm]

The information is not stored on the CD.

Windows Media Player etc. access a database (CDDB I believe)which stores the information on CD's. This is based on the number of tracks and the length of the CD.

EAC access the 'freedb' database and uses the information in the same way. The difference is that freedb is updated by users rather than a direct feed from the record companies. I have been using EAC for a while now and have never had any problems with it.

This weekend there was some maintenance taking place on the servers. Go to freedb (http://www.freedb.org) to get the latest update position and any mirror sites that may give you faster access.

Good Luck

[dcbell]

Thanks for the info. I'll re-try. Maybe it was just a server problem. I presume I'm best setting up the server to route from the US-based server (since I live in NYC - stupid question)?

[davidm]

Not a stupid question :D

But yes I would set it as US. ;)

[SouthsideIrish]

For the last two days I've been having problems with EAC accessing the freedb database. Not what the problem is but it seems to be happening all of the time now.

Bill McNair

[Sam Williams]

I've had this problem ever since I first installed EAC. It happens >90% of the time... I just enter the data manually. I'm not that fussed, as I prefer to -know- that my tags are correctly spelt and punctuated :-)

[dmt1]

I occasionally have problems, but I just pick a new server on the drop down menu on the "freedb/database" screen, and I've always been able to get through. I've never not been able to find a functioning server off that screen, for what its' worth...

[cooltone]

OK firstly I have very recently downloaded the latest version of EAC and am having exactly the same problems - for no apparent reason about once every so often (once per day at the moment) EAC won't be able to connect to the FREEDB servers and i get a "Error - Server error" message, not the most descript of errors!

I find this unbeleivable considering how highly acclaimed EAC comes and how standardised and accepted the FreeDB servers are. One of them has to be at fault! I wonder who it is?

My guess is it's something to do with EAC as I haven't read simmilar server problems while looking into other programs that use FreeDB databases. Regarding changing the servers, when I get this error message - it doesn't seem to matter what server i change to it just won't resolve itself until its ready and then all of a sudden it'll just start working again!

I think i'll download the FreeDB database offline and tell EAC to use the dbase in offline mode. The only downside with this is its out of date from the second it's downloaded - but as long as i update it every couple of weeks I guess it'll do for now...

What do other people out there think? I think i might email the guy that makes EAC and ask him what he thinks... There must be a workable solution to this annoyance somewhere....

I know someone was speaking about manually typing the track names in - but ive just ripped a programme of 24 cd's - some have 40+ tracks on! if it wasn't for FreeDB i dread to think how long this would have taken me! As it is im waiting for EAC to kick it's ### into gear so i can continue with the last 3 discs I have left to rip!

Nice forum though isn't it - i've just joined ;-) - and have a blinding new year you people... its 5am new years eve here!