Exact Audio Copy/No Audio CD

Discussions about using Windows guests in VirtualBox.
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MaydayMalone
Posts: 5
Joined: 19. Sep 2018, 12:29

Exact Audio Copy/No Audio CD

Post by MaydayMalone »

I've encountered a puzzling (to me, at least) problem running Exact Audio Copy with VirtualBox. Here are the details.

I am running Windows 10 as a guest, with Linux Mint as the host OS. I use the Windows version of Exact Audio Copy (EAC) to convert audiobook CDs from my local library so I can listen to them on my MP3 player, because there is no Linux version of EAC. I've been doing this for a long time, and have never had a problem ... until now. After much experimentation, I've been able to confirm that this is specific to VBox and one audiobook in particular (so far). I have a dual boot system, and there was no problem with the same audiobook and the same version of EAC under Windows 10 without VBox.

Here's the problem. After starting Windows 10 from the VirtualBox Manager, I launch EAC then copy and compress the first CD as a single file. In every other case, I insert the second CD in the drive, the next set of files appear, and I repeat the process. However, with this one audiobook EAC does not recognize the second audio CD. On a couple of occasions the files have appeared briefly on the screen only to disappear immediately. Usiually they don't appear at all. I've tried exiting EAC and then relaunching it, but the problem persists. The only solution I've found is to restart Windows, then I can convert one more CD. From that point on it's launch, convert, and restart ... over, and over, and over.

If this never happens again with another audiobook ... great! But, does anyone know of a fix for this problem should this not be a one off event?

Thanks!!
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Exact Audio Copy/No Audio CD

Post by scottgus1 »

Sounds very odd. If it never happened until this audio book, and still doesn't happen if you reboot and try another audio book that worked before, then I'd say it's a glitch in this audio book only.

A friendly frame challenge: could you find a Linux-compatible MP3 ripper and do the extracting on the host? Audacity, for example, apparently runs on Linux and has a 'Lame' plug-in for MP3 ('Lame' is the name, not an assessment :lol: )
MaydayMalone
Posts: 5
Joined: 19. Sep 2018, 12:29

Re: Exact Audio Copy/No Audio CD

Post by MaydayMalone »

Odd? You bet!!

I did as you suggested, using Asunder. Asunder is a great Linux CD ripping utility with built in support for Lame. Like EAC, it will rip and encode in an MP3 format in a single operation. I don't use it often, but would use it all the time if it could merge the separate tracks from each CD into a single file like EAC. Unfortunately, EAC is the only utility I've found that can rip, encode, and merge files.

So, what happens when I rip and encode the "problem" audiobook CD on the host using Asunder? Unlike EAC, Asunder was able to handle subsequent CDs without a problem. No restart was required.

Next, I decided to carry this experiment one step farther. Using the VirtualBox Manager, I started Windows 10 and launched EAC. This time I decided to duplicate the actions of Asunder. I ripped and encoded the files from the first CD using EAC, but without merging them into a single file. When this operation was finished, the CD ejected. Next, I inserted CD and closed the drive. While the files on the CD did appear momentarily, they immediately disappeared. In other words, the problem persists.

This gets curiouser and curiouser!
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Exact Audio Copy/No Audio CD

Post by scottgus1 »

MaydayMalone wrote:rip, encode, and merge
Ah, interesting nuance in features!

What happens with a different audio book that worked OK before?

There is a 'pass-through' option when the VM's CD drive points at the host CD drive. Try enabling that, too.
MaydayMalone
Posts: 5
Joined: 19. Sep 2018, 12:29

Re: Exact Audio Copy/No Audio CD

Post by MaydayMalone »

Another good suggestion. Luckily, I had an audiobook that I had processed successfully, but which had not yet been returned to the library. So, I tested EAC using that audiobook again ... and everything worked perfectly! Clearly, the problem is related to that one (so far) audiobook. And, it's not specific to one disk in the set. It's a problem every time with every disk. I'm sure there's an explanation (there is an explanation for everything, after all), but I've got no idea what's going on here. Maybe it's related to a copy protection scheme? I just don't know.

Also, I checked and the pass through option is already enabled.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Exact Audio Copy/No Audio CD

Post by scottgus1 »

Ok, since the other audio book works, I preliminarily diagnose this as a glitch in that one audio book set. Maybe they didn't put a close flag or something like that.

I wouldn't know how to report this to the devs, if anything is available to be reported. If it starts happening regularly with all audio books then maybe something in Virtualbox or the VM got corrupted. But so far it sounds like the audio book itself has the problem.
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