ArthurDaniels wrote: I made the decision to convert my entire music collection to Lossless FLAC files so that I could store my music collection on a dedicated computer with an external hard drive... I am happy to report that this massive project has been completed and that I am enjoying my music in a whole new way.

Art, as Rick indicated, I am also on the conversion process and I have completed all of my ~250 SACD rips, full hirez DSD, using the Oppo 105 and putting both the ISO and DSF files on a new NAS. I detailed this here and in a long, winded post .

I am currently, re-ripping my collection of over 100 Dvd-Audios and recently acquired CDs. I originally ripped them to stereo FLAC over three years ago on my first foray into builder a music server. That got derailed when not one, but two machines crashed, but luckily the hard-drive was sparred and those are now on the new NAS. This time, I am ripping the Dvd-Audios to multi-channel as most of those are in 5.1. I just ordered a USB CD/Dvd-Rom burner on Amazon as last night, my laptop's drive unit stopped functioning last night after successfully ripping a handful. I am beginning to think the DVD-Audios are cursed since it was during the first stereo rip three years ago, that two other machines perished.

ArthurDaniels wrote: My next project will be to convert selected LPs to FLAC files, using my software to clean up the LP sounds to remove clicks, etc.

That too is on the agenda for me as well, I have dabbled with the vinyl conversion to both DSD (DSF) and to FLAC. The DSD conversion seems to have more air and wider stage but does not allow for click repair and other finagling of recording. I am still struggling with this as I prefer the sound of DSD, but some of my vinyl will need to this reduction in clicks. I am using VinylStudio software with a PS Audio Nuwave Phono Converter. Vinyl ripping is the most laborious of all these efforts imho.

ArthurDaniels wrote: I have been stripping music audio files from several of my Blue Ray DVDs, converting them to high-resolution FLAC files.

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This will be my last effort, and I may need some help with this. I have started the online learning process, but not sure what software to get to make this an easy process.

Good job Art!

For a number of years now, I have been using "Wave Corrector" software to record FLAC or WAV files from LPs and then to clean the files. "Wave Corrector" is straightforward to use and has a number of cleanup options. I have even used Wave Corrector to remove Rumble from FLAC files I have ripped from poorly remastered CDs.

For my CD-ripping and conversion to FLAC, I have used a multi-featured program called "Musichi". Musichi is a suite of four programs, which includes a CD-ripper, a file-editing program, a library-creation program, and a file-player program. The programs integrate well and are fairly straightforward. But, to take full advantage of the features does require some learning and experimenting.

I have also used Audacity to work with the very large FLAC files I have created after ripping audio from Blue-Ray DVDs.

I prefer ripping to stereo FLAC files, rather than to multi-channel files because I like the way my system handles stereo audio with my particular setup. I can also play the stereo FLAC files on other devices.

Both Wave Corrector and Musichi can be found on line and, I believe, are available for trial download (with some feature limitations in demo mode).

As for learning what to do, I recommend getting some applicable software and just diving in. Expect to make some mistakes and to discover better ways of achieving desired results along the way. - not unlike playing with your audio system setup.

Best,

Art