If there is anybody who can possibly tell me how to rip a cd so I can get the best quaility from my mp3-s - feel free to tell me ;-)

P.S. Please, give me detailed information about which program do I have to use to rip a cd and how to rip it ;-)

All modern CD->mp3 rippers use Windows Fraunhofer up to 56 kbps and usually have Lame encoder. Cause Lame is third-pary software for them they can only give it command string for encoding. If two encoders use the same version of Lame and command string then encoded files should be absolutely identical too. I think Sarafina will give a good explanation if I wrong. Xing encoders died long ago cause their low quality. Some rippers can use external full Fraunhofer mp3-encoder. It provide best quality but it’s not free and may be difficult to find.
CD-rippers list:
Audio Grabber – It don’t have it’s own codec, at least the version which I saw
Easy CD-DA Extractor. It have very good interface. Can write Audio CD.
CDex
EAC – It can try to read bad blocks hundred times until it will successful.
The list includes only programs that I saw.

Use a programs such "CD Ripper" or anything soft like this to rip tracks from your AudioCD to files *.wav. (your simple find this soft in search machines such google, yandex or other).
After you get *.wav files you must encode them to *.mp3. (I recommend RazorLame for encoding.)

Enjoy results...

For CD-ripping I use the software with un-pronouncable-nonrememberable name by Ahead Software (not a Nero internal editor... they have other software that is freely distributed) Very good quality, works with most hardware on a HW level rather then using windows software layer... It's kinda complicated to use (obscure), full of nag-nag screens =) and so on. But results are very good.

As encoder I use lame codec. (a plugguble .DLL)

This two are becoming together, and work nicely ripping-and-encoding "on the fly".

Please, forgive me but I do not understand anything!
If anyone has some free time - please, tell me everything step-by-step because I know nothing about Cd-ripping and mp3 encoding... What is Fraunh... used for? What is Lame used for? What is the difference between them? Summarized: I will be grateful if someone posts a tutorial about how to rip a cd - beginning from "You can download the software from...", continuing with "put your audio cd in your cd-rom drive..." and something like that... I know it is a hard work to do that but I know there are many people who need such information!

P.S. If possible - put some pictures...

2 Shadowfox:
Lame, Xing and Fraunhofer are mp3-encoders. The programs call them for encoding. As I said Xing is dead.
Lame codec is few files (lame.exe, lame.dll) it can be launched using command string with some parameters. And the shell program like CD-ripper, file converting program, etc. do it. The files must be placed in the program folder. This codec is free, and produce good sound. It has many useful settings like the choice between performance (7 minutes for CD with best quality on Athlon 2500+) and quality, variable or constant biterate. VBR may be better but Windows Media Player and at least some HW decoders can’t determine song’s length correctly. The codec can be easily downloaded just search if you want but as I said CD-rippers usually have it.
I don’t know who was Mr. or Mrs. Fraunhofer but his(her) name (if this is really name) bear the German institute of psychoacoustic where was created mp3. Fraunhofer codec is very lazy but it produce the best sound. Windows has crippled version of it. Dimonius already have placed a link for full version in neighbor topic. The codec install itself into system and can be used by many programs. It hasn’t VBR. Easy CD-DA Extractor 6.5.0 don’t see it. I don’t know why. The old 4.3.0 version can use it. May be just bug.
You can download any of the listed rippers or something else from their sites (2-5 Mb) just search by name. They are shareware so buy them or try to find a crack. May be you have something on you CD with drivers for sound card. When you will see your program you understand all or you will have some concrete questions.

I'm using MP3 Producer...did anybody hear about it? It uses LAME codec. What I like in this program is it's interface. Prevously I was using something with the "Fraunhofer" in it's title, and that thing destroyed my system when I said it to to install the driver it uses for working with CDs. So I used it only to encode WAV to MP3. With MP3 Producer it's much better - it works with CDs, supports all the bitrates etc.

The thing I didn't get...Masters, do I lose quality?

2 Shadowfox:

As I understood from all the messages above, the LAME codec isn't so bad, so you can use MP3 Producer. You can download it from this site. In the upper-left corner you'll see icon. Click on it to change mode: CD to WAV, CD to MP3, WAV to MP3. On the "File name" tab you can set where to output, and on the last tab — set the quality. There's "presets" list. IMHO, "CD" is the best choice. This program's help system is quite good, so if you don't understand something you can always read it.

2 Athari Thank you, Athari. I am going to see what this MP3 PRODUCER can really do... ;-)[/b]

If you have WinAmp 5.X, you can purchase it (or visit this site instead ) and use as cd-ripper. It can encode CBR,VBR or ABR MP3 on 320kbps.

2 Infernus:
But CD-Rippers always have comfortable file-converter. Offtopic: Where are you disappeared, face?

2 Athari:
I don’t think CD-rippers are such hard to use so not every man who knows how to work with Windows and what is mp3 couldn’t use them. Of course they may have many settings but you usually needn’t change them. Just insert you disk, select CD-drive if you have more than one, input all data like tracks name and etc. select quality, preferred style for file’s names and press “grab”. That’s all.

Sarafina, I still wait for your lesson how to rip CD right and to get best sound quality.

PS I’ve knew who was Josef Fraunhofer. But I don’t understand why that institute bears his name because Fraunhofer worked with optics.

>But CD-Rippers always have comfortable file-converter.

Well, if you need only to rip from a CD to mp3, I think it`s the most comfortable way coz` most people already have this prog and it provides more than acceptable quality.

>Offtopic: Where are you disappeared, face?

Reply writing still in progress

P.S. what "face"?[/i]

Why make it so difficult?

Get iTunes.

http://www.apple.com/itunes

Apple is a synonym of Macintosh. This program cannot be run on Windows, I presume?

Did you even check the site? iTunes is made for both PC and Macintosh. It is considered one of the best software MP3 players on the market.

iTunes is synonymous with iPod, not Macintosh. The iPod is the best MP3 player on the market, with a nearing 70% market share. I suggest you check it out. Apple just came out with the new iPod Shuffle, the $99 player that supposedly completes with the Flash Market.

Pretty cool stuff, go check it out.

You were right - I haven't checked the site. However I will... now.