Tricky Sam Nanton

Avta— I appreciate your effort to help answer my questions, I really do. But your comments are off-point, and your last post pointed to a web page I've already posted a link to, which is, in fact, at the heart of my problem. The offset value for my external drive is not listed. There seems to be a way to derive that value, but I don't know how to do that. That's what I'm trying to accomplish with this thread: How do I set up XLD when I don't know the offset value of my external drive?

I'm back to square one: "I've run into a roadblock because my external CD/DVD drive (ASUS SBC 06D2X-U) is on AccurateRip's "purged" list. Here's the text (Digital Audio Extraction) "Each CD drive reads audio discs slightly out (a number of samples), if your CD drive supports 'Accurate Stream' it will be a constant value, this value tends to be the same for each particular make and model of CD Drive. A small number of drives have [Purged] as the offset, these drives were found not to have a constant drive offset (perhaps different manufacturing batches, or firmwares), as such they have been removed from AccurateRip's drive database (should you have one of these drives, 3 matching key disks will be required to configure AccurateRip). So I need to find out how to determine the constant drive offset for my ASUS SBC 06D2X-U external drive. I don't know what "matching key disks" are or how to use them to determine the constant drive offset. Can anyone point me to a guide to setting up XLD v. 149.1, such as other values that may need to be entered and defaults that should be revised? All I've found is a setup guide for an older version. I've been using iTunes. I have a number of corrupted files on my music drive that will have to be re-ripped. Damien Plisson, the Audirvana developer, recommends I use XLD.

But isn't AccurateRip the point of using XLD over iTunes?

I've run into a roadblock because my external CD/DVD drive (ASUS SBC 06D2X-U) is on AccurateRip's "purged" list. Here's the text (Digital Audio Extraction) "Each CD drive reads audio discs slightly out (a number of samples), if your CD drive supports 'Accurate Stream' it will be a constant value, this value tends to be the same for each particular make and model of CD Drive. A small number of drives have [Purged] as the offset, these drives were found not to have a constant drive offset (perhaps different manufacturing batches, or firmwares), as such they have been removed from AccurateRip's drive database (should you have one of these drives, 3 matching key disks will be required to configure AccurateRip). Can anyone point me to a guide to setting up XLD v. 149.1, such as other values that may need to be entered and defaults that should be revised? All I've found is a setup guide for an older version. Thanks

I want to feed the optical digital output from my TV to my analog preamp (RCA inputs). What are the exact specs I need to know that I'm buying the correct converter? Any recommendations for a converter would be especially appreciated.

I brought my MacBook Pro/Audirvana Plus/Meridian Explorer to a house party the other week. The host is just getting into computer-based audio and liked what he heard. I think he was especially responding to A+'s ability to upsample from redbook to 24-bit, 176.1. But he has a Windows computer. What software should he consider? Thanks, Tricky Sam

Already a member of the forum, I arrived at this thread because I'm looking for a download source for the first Super Bass album. I've tried 4 copies and my MacBook rejected all of them! I already have a copy of SB 2, which I highly recommend. I learned of it when the local jazz station played Papa was a Rolling Stone. So if anyone knows a reliable download source for #1, I'd be grateful if they could post it. Plus, I have a few suggestions: the 1st great jazz bassists were Walter Page (Basie) and Jimmy Blanton (Ellington). Page is best heard on any of the small group recordings made with players drawn from the Basie band, often w/Basie on piano but not listed as the leader. A number of those with Lester Young as leader feature Page. Look for "Pagin' the Devil." Page pretty much invented the walking bass, but Jimmy Blanton really pushed it out before he died from TB at 24 in 1942. But not before Ellington recorded a series of duets with him. These are stunning. It took years before anyone could play like him. Among the next generation, Oscar Pettiford released an album called "My Little Cello," which also features his bass work. One odd and one solid mainstream addition to the Mingus recommendations: Jazz at Massey Hall, 1953 live recording (Bird, Dizzy, Bud Powell, Max Roach, Mingus) was released on Debut, a label owned by Mingus. When he listened to the recording after the concert, he wasn't happy with his playing & the way he was recorded on some tunes, so he overdubbed his lines. His Atlantic recordings, especially "Blues & Roots" are well worth checking out. Musically it's among his best & the sonics aren't bad at all. Finally, Dave Holland has recorded 2 solo albums, "Emerald Tears" and "One's All." Both on ECM with terrific sonics. Back when I had a big stereo (Acoustat speakers & Audio Research electronics) I used them as a reference for bass transient response and coherent sound from the open string fundamentals to the upper harmonics. And even as a solo recording, they helped with speaker placement. It was as though he was standing just behind the leading edge of the speakers and you could clearly hear the back & side walls. Plus, ECM has released more from the Keith Jarrett-Charlie Haden "Jasmine" sessions as "Last Dance." I'm glad someone mentioned the Jamerson book/CDs. I learned about them from a composer who'd studied with Nadia Boulanger. He was that good.

After 2+ hours with Comcast customer service, I was finally able to connect, purchase, and load this wonderful software! Looking to many hours of listening, and perhaps I'll have something useful to contribute to the forum from time to time. Thanks to timmermc for confirming that the problem was mine & not Audirvana's.

The metadata discussion is useful, but for another time, because I have a much more immediate concern: my A+ trial ended yesterday and, being tremendously impressed by its performance, I was happy to pay Damien for a license. But once I hit that button, things went south. The installer seemed to want to employ Bluetooth for some reason, leaving me thoroughly befuddled since I'm working with a MB Pro with no reason for Bluetooth devices. Several attempts to begin the license process from scratch failed, since the Audirvana web site seemed to be down. The only time I could reach the site, the commerce page failed. And I haven't been able to access the web site since. I sent e-mails to Damien's support address yesterday which haven't been answered. I'd used that address to ask a few questions when I began the trial and he answered promptly then. Does anybody know what's going on? I've just acquired the computer audio and Audivirana was to be the final piece.