CREATIVE Digtial MP3 Player FX120 - Manual (Page 20)

Getting Started 2-6
Ripping from a
CD
The first phase in making an MP3 file is extracting audio data from an audio
CD. To extract audio data, you will need a CD-ROM drive that can extract
digital audio data, and a program known as a ripper. With Creative
MediaSource Organizer, you can rip tracks from most audio CDs. This
program uses the CD-ROM drive to read the audio tracks from the audio CD
and stores it on your hard disk.
The time needed for a successful audio extraction depends on:
❍ CD-ROM drive speed
❍ defects, like scratches on the audio CD
❍ error-checking features on the CD-ROM drive
Encoding is the second phase of making an MP3 file. Encoders are used to
convert the stored audio tracks, usually WAV files, into MP3 files. MP3
encoding is a lossy compression methodology where some data is
considered inaudible and is removed before encoding. Using the standard
sampling rate and bitrates will ensure that your MP3 files retain much of their
audio quality. The standard bitrate of most MP3 files is 128 Kbps, although
some are set higher, at 160 or 192 Kbps. Higher bitrates will result in larger
MP3 file sizes, with better audio quality. Use Creative MediaSource
Organizer to extract audio tracks and encode MP3s.
See the Creative MediaSource Organizer online Help for more
information.