Riptastic

If you're a real stickler for audio perfection, choose 192Kbps instead or even 256Kbps (but know that files ripped at 256Kbps will be twice as large megabyte-wise as 128 rips).

It's also crucial to understand that once a file has been ripped, there's no way of 'upping the quality' unless you rip it again, so consider this step very carefully.

To automate the process as much as possible, you want MP to start ripping discs as soon as the CD tray goes in, and to eject the tray when done (so you can reload it at your convenience).

The two settings to check in the Rip Music tab are 'Rip CD when inserted' and ‘Eject CD when ripping is complete'.

To make sure you have the best chance of the tracks you rip being accurately identified and named, hit the Tools/Options/Privacy Tab and under 'Enhanced Playback and Device Experience' check 'Update music files by retrieving media info from the Internet'.

Also, as far as the files in your ripped music folder are concerned, head towards the Library tab.

Here check the 'Retrieve additional information from the Internet' box (we prefer the 'Only add missing information' secondary option), and also check 'Rearrange music in rip music folder, using rip music settings' (those mentioned above).

This dual-setting approach should ensure that the original CDs you rip are named as accurately as possible, including any already in your ripped music folder.

To help your MP3 player accurately deal with your songs, they should be named fully and correctly.

In Tools/Options and again under the Rip Music tab, click the File Name button (in XP this is shown underneath the Change (file location button).

We find using Track number/Song title/Artist and Album the most comprehensive approach.

The final step then, before ripping, is to make sure your PC is online before you start the process.

The reason for this is that MP, like Apple's iTunes (more on that soon) needs to access something called the CDDB database online to research and subsequently attach song information such as album, artist and song names to each MP3 file.

Song info explained:

When MP or iTunes connects online, it actually connects to the CDDB (Compact Disc Database), a data bank supplied by Gracenote Inc. that provides software apps with CD info such as artist names and song titles over the net.

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