Software setup

From the EAC menu select the EAC Options... pane (or simply press F9 ). Make sure all the
following settings and options are set.

Select the Tools tab.

 Retrieve UPC/ISRC codes in CUE sheet generation: Unchecked

 Use CD-Text information in CUE sheet generation: Checked
 Create '.m3u' playlist on extraction: Checked

o Write m3u playlist with extended information: Unchecked

o Write m3u playlist as UTF8 file (compatible e.g. with Winamp): Unchecked

 Automatically write status report after extraction: Checked

 Append checksum to status report: Checked
 Activate beginner mode, disable all advanced features: Unchecked

Now select the Extraction tab.

1
  Fill up missing offset samples with silence: Checked
 Synchronize between tracks: Checked
 Delete leading and trailing silent blocks: Unchecked
 Error recovery quality: High

General tab.

 On unknown CDs: • automatically access freedb database

 Display times using frames: Checked
 Use language: English
 Create logfiles always in english language: Checked

2
Normalize tab.


 Normalize: Unchecked

3
Filename tab.

 Naming Scheme: %tracknr2% - %title%

 Use various artist naming scheme: Checked
 Various Artists Naming Scheme: %tracknr2% - %artist% - %title%
 Replace spaces by underscores: Unchecked

4
In case of Various Artists discs, make sure that the Artist column in the main window is filled with
correct data before extraction. 1

If at least one Artist column cell differs from the rest, EAC will process the album in Various
Artistsmode using a dedicated filenaming scheme (as noted above) regardless of CD
Artist specified in the main window.

If a metadata database provides you with incorrect artist/track data, you will usually have to edit the
problematic records manually. EAC provides useful options to help you with editing in the Database menu
under Transform Current CD Information pane.

5
Next, in the Action menu make sure this is checked:

✓ Append Gaps To Previous Track (Default)

From the EAC menu select the Drive Options... pane (or simply press F10 ).

Select Extraction Method tab and set:

6
 o • Secure mode with following drive features (recommended)
o
 Drive has 'Accurate Stream' feature: Checked
 Drive caches audio data: Checked
 Drive is capable of retrieving C2 error information: Unchecked

Drive tab.

o CD-Text Read capable drive: Checked

7
Offset/Speed tab.

 Use read sample offset correction: Automatically Selected

This option should be greyed out by default since AccurateRip should have already set the
appropriate one automatically. If it's still selectable, it means that AccurateRip has not yet performed
the necessary setup. In order for the setup to occur, insert a fairly popular CD while EAC is running
(Do not insert the CD and then start EAC). Accuraterip should automatically setup the offset
immediately thereafter.

 Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out: Unchecked (unless you're certain that your drive
supports it)
 Allow speed reduction during extraction: Checked
 Use AccurateRip with this drive: Checked

8
Gap Detection tab.

 Gap/Index retrieval method: (this depends on your drive, you need to try which method
works accurately)

Select Detection Method A and gap the disc 3 times. Write down the resulting gaps on each pass
and compare them. In all 3 passes the gaps must be identical!! If they are not select Detection
Method B and do the same thing, if all 3 passes are not identical try Detection Method
C. Whichever method results in 3 passes with identical gaps is the method you should use.

 Detection accuracy: Secure

9
 Compression & tagging with EAC (strongly recommended)
IMPORTANT
This procedure must be used
when applying for Uploader Lite status.

Next, from the EAC menu once again select the EAC Options... pane (or simply press F9 ).

Select the Tools tab and in addition to settings listed above, set:

 On extraction start external compressors queued in the background: Checked

 (Optionally) Do not open external compressor window: Checked

10
From the EAC menu select Compression Options... pane (or simply press F11 ).

Select the ID3 Tag tab and uncheck every option there.

Next, select External Compression tab and check the following settings. Any setting not listed
may be ignored.

 Use external program for compression: Checked

 Parameter passing scheme: User Definied Encoder
 Use file extension: .flac
 Program, including path, used for compression: (specify proper path)

11
 By default EAC 1.0 beta 3 install includes FLAC encoder exec located here (Windows 7/8 x64):

C:\Program Files (x86)\Exact Audio Copy\Flac\flac.exe

 Additional commandline options: (copy and paste the following required settings)

-8 -V -T "ARTIST=%artist%" -T "TITLE=%title%" -T "ALBUM=%albumtitle%" -T

"DATE=%year%" -T "TRACKNUMBER=%tracknr%" -T "TOTALTRACKS=%numtracks%" -T

"GENRE=%genre%" -T "ALBUMARTIST=%albumartist%" -T "ALBUM ARTIST=%albumartist%" -

T "COMMENT=EAC Secure Mode, Test & Copy, AccurateRip, FLAC -8" %source%

Important: Options %hascover% and %haslyrics% are prohibited.

Do not embed redundant data into your FLAC files.

 (Optionally) Delete WAV after compression: Checked

 Use CRC check: Checked
 Add ID3 Tag: Unchecked
 Check for external programs return code: Checked

12
 To rip and compress, from Action menu select Test & Copy Selected Tracks pane and then
the Compressed... option (alternatively pressing SHIFT + F6 ).

Do not change the tags or reencode without explanation. The log must correspond to the final
files.
Extraction
1. Insert a CD.

2. Press F4 to Detect Gaps. If the first track is red, there is a hidden track! See the next section.

3. Press F3 to Test Gaps On Silence. If the first track has "No Gap" or it's 100% silent, skip to step
4. Otherwise:

o 3-1. Select just Track 1.

o 3-2. Press ALT + X to copy the track to WAVE or ALT + SHIFT + X to rip and compress to
FLAC.
    This will produce a log and two .wav (or .flac) files. Retry if there are errors.
13
 o 3-3. Rename the log to Pregap.log.

o 3-4. Delete the "01.01 - (filename).wav (.flac)" file.

o 3-5. Rename the "01.00 - (filename).wav (.flac)" file to "00 - Pregap.wav (.flac)".
    Tagging of this small file is optional.

4. Check and edit any track names obtained from the internet.
Remember that for Various Artists a correct Artist column record is required for each track.

5. Delete the log from any previous rip of this CD's main tracks, otherwise EAC will append the new log to
the old one.

6. Press CTRL + A to select all tracks.

7. From the Create CUE Sheet pane in the Action menu,

choose Multiple WAV Files With Gaps... (Noncompliant) option and save the resulting CUE sheet file.

8. Finally, press F6 to rip to WAVE only or SHIFT + F6 to rip and compress to FLAC, as recommended above.

How do I know if my rip is successful? When the extraction (and compression) is finished in
EAC's main windows check the CRC records for any checksum mismatch 2 . Next, check the
resulting log for There were errors passage at the end. If there were errors, re-rip.

If the disc contains a Data Track, see Handling of CD-Extra (CD Enhanced) two sections below.

(Special & rare) Handling hidden tracks before Track 1

If after Gap Decetion EAC marks Track 1 red it means that there is a hidden track preceding it on the disc (now
technically with index type 00). Only a limited number of discs is known to include a hidden track. See this database to
find out if you own such a disc.

Ripping a disc with the hidden track on it requires a more focused approach in EAC and manual editing of the .cue file.
Note that some drives cannot rip track 1 pregaps, their rips will be entirely silent and EAC will report silence when testing
with F3 . The only remedy is to rip with another drive.

14
 Extraction when a hidden track is present using the Index Based method. (1/2)

1. Do steps 1 and 2 from the Extraction section above. The hidden track is discovered. Track 1 is
marked red.

2. Select Track 1 in EAC, and press ALT + X to copy the track to .wav or ALT + SHIFT + X to rip and
compress to FLAC. This will produce a log and two .wav (or .flac) files:

01.00 - (filename).wav (.flac)

01.01 - (filename).wav (.flac) (discard this file)

The second file is unimportant. Note that there is no test and copy option with this operation and no CRC
in the log.

3. Check the log for error messages. If you see any, clean the CD and restart.
Ignore any AccurateRip error messages.

4. Play the whole "01.00 - (filename).wav (.flac)" file, or open the file in an audio data editor (e.g. Audacity).
If it is entirely silent or the waveform is completely flat, try re-ripping using a different drive.

5. Rename the file to "00 - (title).wav (.flac)" if the title is known or "00 - Hidden Track.wav (.flac)" if it's not.
Rename the log to "Hidden Track.log".

6. Repeat steps 2 to 3 to create a second rip for comparison with the first.

7. Perform a binary comparison of the new "01.00 - (filename).wav (.flac)" file and the track that you
renamed.
If the files are not identical, restart steps 2 to 8.

The files can be compared in two ways:

 Open a cmd (Windows XP/7/8) window in the folder with the two files and enter:

fc /b "file 1" "file 2"

 Calculate SFV/MD5/SHA1 checksums of both files and then compare the checksum strings.
They need to be exactly the same.

8. Include Hidden Track.log and the encoded hidden track file in your torrent folder. At this point discard
other files.
9. Rip the remaining (unhidden) tracks in the normal way: steps 4 to 8 in the Extraction section above.

10. Create and include an extra edited .m3u playlist with the hidden track at the beginning.

11. Make a prominent note about the hidden track in your torrent description and info.txt file.

12. Finally, create and include an extra CUE sheet that will burn all tracks including the hidden track (see
below).

15
Editing of an extra .cue file to include the hidden track. (2/2)
Using a standard text editor a copy of the standard .cue can be easily converted into an extra .cue including
the hidden track.

Picture on the left 3 presents how the standard .cue for the unhidden tracks, created in the normal way, looks like. It
should be included in the torrent, as normal.

Picture on the right 4 shows the additional, specially edited .cue prepared to include the hidden track. Using this sheet
track layout of the original disc may be retained while burning.

Editing scheme is (the red line is to be removed, the blue line is to be moved, and two green lines are to
be added):

1. Replace the PREGAP 00:##:## line with the FILE "01 - (track 1).wav" WAVE line.
2. Insert a FILE "00 - (hidden track).wav" WAVE line where the FILE "01 - (track 1).wav" WAVE line
used to be.
3. Insert INDEX 00 00:00:00 just before the FILE "01 - (track 1).wav" WAVE line.

16
This 2x .cue approach is completely compatible with our normal rips, and people unwilling or unable to write
the hidden file can burn as normal without it using the standard CUE sheet.

Handling of CD-Extra (CD Enhanced)

Some CDs are "CD Enhanced" or "CD Extra", meaning in addition to the audio data there is an extra data session.
Regardless if you want to include the extras with your release or not, the resulting .cue file needs to be edited. You can
do so using a standard text editor.

17
Delete the row containing Track ## MODEx/2xxx and any row after that at the end of the CUE files.
Typically these are the last four or five rows.

We recommend including the extras and if you wish to do so, compress their contents using ZIP or RAR and place the
archive in a subfolder Misc of your torrent directory. This way it's every downloader's responsibility whether or not to
unpack/install the archive contents.

Manual compression to FLAC

Download and install FLAC Frontend 2.0 (includes FLAC 1.3.0) from here.

Firstly, load previously saved .wav files into FLAC Frontend and compress by
clicking Encode using the following settings.

Encoding options pane:


 Level: 8
 Verify after encoding: Checked

18
The encoded .flac files should be properly tagged. Either do so using the frontend during
compression or afterwards manually (using e.g. foobar2000). Tagging is optional, yet strongly
recommended.

19