Ripping in iTunes for Serato SL3

[Capitan]

Brilliantly explained Johbremat, makes perfect sense to me now

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks!

Thanks for your time and effort over this (and everyone else who has contributed).

I think this information would be really useful to total beginners to DJing as well as people like myself who have been around the block with analogue and CD, but not digital.

[Johbremat]

Happy to have been of some help.

So long as you're aware my way isn't the be-all and end-all. I'm sure there are others out there with their own systems that you can take something away from.

[ayaydddy]

I'd hate to get through a stack of CD's only to have to start again.

[warpnote]

I've spent about 2,5 years ripping some 20.000 cd's.
Ripped everything to Apple Lossless (ALAC), these are stored on an external Drobo S disk array.
http://www.drobo.com/products/professionals/drobo-s/

Then for my my SSL library I convert everything to 320k mp3 files, CBR (constant bitrate)
using XLD (Lame Codec) http://tmkk.pv.land.to/xld/index_e.html

Main reason for downconverting is room for more music on my internal drive (for gigs)
and because ALAC don't support the key tag (I use mixed in key)

I have not had the chance to play on a Funktion One system,
but play quite a few larger high quality systems.
In AB tests I could not differ the lossless from 320k mp3.

IMO Apple Lossless is a far better choice than WAV/AIFF.

I play on either the SL4 or Sixty Eight, depending on the venue.

Also stay away from VBR in SSL if you can, as it puts more strain on your cpu.