Connect CD Changer to a Laptop

If your laptop has the right input you could do it, or if not you could do it via a hi-fi amplifier - hook the CD changer up to the amp, then hook the amp's 'tape' output up to the laptop.

However, you would then have to record the audio signal being played in real time and then have to manually split the recording into individual tracks, convert these to MP3 and name/file them appropriately. In short, it would be a nightmare.

If your laptop has a reasonably fast CPU then ripping a CD using your laptop's CD drive would be much faster than real time since it doesn't have to 'play' the CD, it just reads the content digitally as fast as possible and converts it to MP3 as it goes (which is the part that needs CPU power). All you really have to do is swap CDs every now and then and click the 'go' button - most MP3 conversion apps can get the album and track names plus CD cover images automatically from the internet.

There are also companies who will rip your CD collection for you for a fee.

Unfortunately there's no way that your laptop can control the CD changer over the optical connection and use it as a computer CD drive.

Regards

Nelviticus

Can I recommend a program called Ripstation micro.


It's a free one designed for batch runs. Rips & ejects.
Database is pretty good, about 95% acurate I'd say, but I do have some wierd stuff, even picked up a few cover discs! Oddly enough often fails on some big hits.

For these I then use Media Player. The two combined seem to get abou 99%


Google images and Amzon are good for missing or incorrect artwork.

I'm still going through my collection, up to about 50gb so far and many more to go, but have knackered the cd drive on the laptop so it no longer ejects! I have to sit there with a paperclip now, so that it doesn't start to rip the disc again.




Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004

This is the little program I would recommend:

EAC - Exact Audio Copy

Been using it for ages, works great, is fast, uses LAME for MP3 encoding (may have to DL the latest version), also does automatic ID3 Tags over the NET... just read the page above, you will get the gist...



Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

BBB,

EAC worked a treat for me many years ago when I was home with the flu. Went through my album collection and went right from the front audio out of my receiver to the Dell laptop, not the greatest quality sound (old turntable) but done.

If you have an old turntable, get a new cartridge and/or needle, or a USB turntable.

Tony

Users helping Users...

If you're comparing ripping software, I've always used Easy CD-DA Extractor from
It's inexpensive, upgrades for life, and works like a charm. Even connects to CDDB and puts in the MP3 tags and everything.

On my machine, it rips and encodes an entire CD in about 30 seconds.



Just my 2¢
-Cole's Law: Shredded cabbage

--Greg