Create exact images of Audio CDs

Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
I have a little query.



I want to create exact images of audio CDs. I don't want to rip or copy the tracks individually, and I don't want to use iTunes.



I am hoping I can copy images of the discs at home, them rip them all at work where I have an internet connection which will let me get the track names. I don't want to carry the discs to work unless I have to. I believe I need images because if I copy the tracks I can't then add the names.



If someone can help with this I would appreciate it. Even if someone can think of a better way to do it, I would still like to know why Disk Utility won't let me image audio CDs, but will let me image DVDs. In that case, I would like to know, for my own academic interest, another way to image CDs.



In BeOS I used to be able to do it from the command line using 'cat'. That doesn't seem to work in OS X. Any other suggestions would be great. Thanks.



PS: I know Toast can do images, but I don't have it.



thanks

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    adamradamr Posts: 72member
    My one and only bump for this thread.
  • Reply 2 of 11
    zapchudzapchud Posts: 844member
    Have you tried Disk Utility? /Applications/Utilities
  • Reply 3 of 11
    Greeting fellow South Australian, (i.e. Bearer of high electricity prices)!



    Regarding Disk Images, I don't know of a way to do what you're asking, and the only way I can think of is to rip the CDs into AIFF or Apple Lossless audio, and burn it the usual iTunes way...



    Sorry. m.
  • Reply 4 of 11
    kedakeda Posts: 722member
    I'm not sure why you don't want to use iTunes. Is it only because you won't be able to get the names when you import?



    If so, you can import while you are off-line and the get the names later. Just select the unidentified tracks (Track1, Track2, etc) and choose 'Get Track Names' from the advanced menu. BTW, if you import multiple CDs and have multiple Track1s, Track2s, etc, don't worry. iTunes will differentiate these after it queries the Db.
  • Reply 5 of 11
    adamradamr Posts: 72member
    Thanks all.



    Keda,

    I didn't know you could import offline and get the track names later. I will try that. It will solve my real problem.



    However, I am still curious to know how to create an image of an audio cd. It is strange that Disk Utility will create images of everything but that.



    I did a web search and found a million ways to do it on Windows, Linux, BeOS etc. OS X must be able to do it because it should have the unix low-level device access.



    I must know. It is now a quest.
  • Reply 6 of 11
    Quote:

    Originally posted by adamr

    Thanks all.



    Keda,

    I didn't know you could import offline and get the track names later. I will try that. It will solve my real problem.



    However, I am still curious to know how to create an image of an audio cd. It is strange that Disk Utility will create images of everything but that.



    I did a web search and found a million ways to do it on Windows, Linux, BeOS etc. OS X must be able to do it because it should have the unix low-level device access.



    I must know. It is now a quest.




    I would assume that Disk Utility doesn't let you create images of Audio CDs purely for piracy purposes, which brings to question the existence of iTunes... m.
  • Reply 7 of 11
    ipodandimacipodandimac Posts: 3,273member
    tually you should be able to do this. I posted in the GB the other day about making dvd images (dvd's that i've created and want to be able to burn easily.)



    Put in the CD

    open Disk Utility

    Select the CD (the FIRST of the two names shown)

    select "create new image"

    select "cd/dvd master"

    no encryption

    save



    and that should do it.



    if you ever have to burn it, go back into disk Util, highlight that image, and click burn.
  • Reply 8 of 11
    shetlineshetline Posts: 4,695member
    I think even iTunes can create close enough a replica of a CD so that a copy can be used to download CDDB disc information.



    Just rip to AIFF, and make sure you turn off the option that inserts extra silence between tracks when you burn a copy. CDDB works, as far as I know, by using a typically-but-not-always unique signature for each CD based on the number of tracks and duration of each track on a CD. You can copy all that you need to generate that signature with iTunes.
  • Reply 9 of 11
    adamradamr Posts: 72member
    ipodandimac:



    I tried exactly that before posting the first time. As you say, DVD's can be copied like that, as can CD-ROMs. However, I have tried several audio CDs and Disk Utility simply will not allow me to create any image of it, let alone a CD/DVD master image.



    shetline:



    I know that it is possible to rip the individual tracks and create what is close enough to an exact copy. I have done that many times. I am now just really curious to know why apple doesn't allow an image of an audio CD to be created. Surely there is no technical reason stopping it. It must be a deliberate choice. But why? As you say, iTunes lets you do it 'as good as' anyway.



    I discovered another reason to have an image (although it is pretty pointless). Virtual PC lets you mount a CD/DVD master image as a CD or DVD. If I can't create an image from an Audio CD, I can't use that feature in Virtual PC (not that I would really want to -- it is only hypothetical).



    The point is I know there are work arounds, I just want to know how to do that one simple thing and, if it is not possible, I want to know why not.



    thanks
  • Reply 10 of 11
    shetlineshetline Posts: 4,695member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by adamr

    The point is I know there are work arounds, I just want to know how to do that one simple thing and, if it is not possible, I want to know why not.



    I think Apple likes to leave anything that could possibly smack too much of piracy out of their own offerings, leaving such things for third-party apps. Roxio's Toast, for example, will do what you want quite easily.



    By the way -- there are two reasons to rip to AIFF for this purpose: (1) You can create a copy that doesn't have clicks or dropouts between tracks, as happens when you use compression, even with "Gap Between Songs" set to "None". (2) If you're going to rip from the copy you make, and compress when you rip, you can avoid second-generation compression problems, which would reduce sound quality.
  • Reply 11 of 11
    wjmoorewjmoore Posts: 210member
    Try MissingMediaBurner (it ain't pretty but works). If you click the Audio button there is an option in the drop down list to rip bin/cue files from a cd.



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