Audiograbber

Audiograbber is free digital audio extraction (DAE) software for Windows. It can read from audio CDs and output WAV files or other formats (MP3, for example) via external encoders. Since 2004 it is no longer maintained, but it has remained a popular option for CD ripping due to its simple user interface, basic set of useful features, and zero cost.

Features

• Directly output or convert a WAV to MP3, OGG, WMA, or downsampled WAV via "internal" encoders (DLL or ACM based)
• Directly output or convert a WAV to any other format via any external command-line encoder (not supplied)
• Drive access via native ASPI (Win NT and up), an external ASPI manager, or MSCDEX
• Manual selection of DAE method (buffered burst, unbuffered burst, dynamic sync width, fixed synch width)
• Drive speed detection and selection
• Optional buffering to RAM when ripping
• Optional recording of analog playback through a soundcard, e.g. as a last resort when DAE won't work
• Easy configuration of output file name formats
• Support for sector-based read offsets (not to be confused with sample-based offset correction)
• Support for duration-based reading with fade-in and fade-out
• Support for specifying track begin/end points (sector based), e.g. for ripping ranges of tracks at once
• CD-G data ripping
• CD-TEXT reading
• freedb and local CD database support
• ID3v2 tag configuration and writing when outputting MP3
• Optional deletion of near-silence from the beginning and/or end of output files
• Optional volume normalization based on peak or average levels, with or without dynamic range compression

No secure ripping

Audiograbber is not capable of "secure ripping", at least not up to the standards of other software designed with this in mind. Its ability to correct for drive read offsets is very coarse; offsets must be manually specified, and must be given in full-sector (588-sample) increments only. Although Audiograbber generates track checksums, its method of doing so doesn't directly take read offsets into account; instead, it trims near-silence from the beginning and end of the track, a method that will work for tracks that begin and end with silence but not universally. Naturally, these checksums are not compatible with those generated by other software such as programs that use the AccurateRip database. For Audiograbber there is only a very tiny, unmaintained database of checksums to compare against, with no automated interface; it's just a list on the Audiograbber web site.

Abandonware

Audiograbber's last official release was version 1.83 (free version bundled with adware). The author is no longer developing the software.

Custom distributions

Some custom unofficial versions have been made available.

• tycho's version - last updated 2007
• Audiograbber 1.83 SE (German only)

External links

• Audiograbber home (English)
• Audiograbber home (German) - this is the primary site and may be more up-to-date than the others

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