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FLAC, WAV, and output presets

Choose FLAC when you want smaller files with album tags and cover artwork. Choose WAV for uncompressed audio. Both preserve the samples extracted from the CD.

  1. Open OAC → Compression Options → Output Presets.

  2. Click Add FLAC preset and enter a name.

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    Add FLAC preset button and a preset named FLAC.
    Add and name a presetFull-size image

    OAC → Compression Options → Output Presets

    1. Click Add FLAC preset.
    2. Enter a preset name, such as FLAC.
  3. Check Use this output preset.

  4. Choose the options below, then click OK.

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    FLAC preset with highlights around the enable checkbox, bundled encoder, and metadata and artwork options.
    Set the FLAC output optionsFull-size image

    OAC → Compression Options → Output Presets

    1. Enable this preset for compressed extraction.
    2. Select the supplied FLAC encoder.
    3. Save album tags and the selected cover.
Setting How to use it
Compression level Choose 0–8. Higher levels spend more time compressing the audio. Every level is lossless.
Executable Click Use bundled for the supplied FLAC encoder, or browse to your own FLAC encoder.
Write metadata tags Enable this to include the album and track information you reviewed.
Embed cover artwork Enable this to include the selected cover image. See Metadata and artwork to choose one.
Also keep uncompressed WAV files Save WAV copies alongside the encoded files.
Parallel encoding jobs Choose how many encoding tasks may run at once, from one to four.

Enable the presets you want, then choose Action → Copy Selected Tracks → Compressed. Each enabled preset creates a separate set of files.

For WAV, choose Action → Copy Selected Tracks → Uncompressed.

The corresponding Copy Image & Create CUE Sheet commands use the same format choices. See Disc images and CUE sheets to save an album as an image.

Open Tools → Compression Queue Control Center, or click Open compression queue in the extraction dialog, to check encoding tasks.

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All twelve Open Horizons FLAC files, from 01 - First Light.flac to 12 - Home Again.flac, listed as Complete at 100 percent.
Check each encoded fileFull-size image

Tools → Compression Queue Control Center

  1. Each row shows one FLAC file.
  2. Wait for every file to show Complete.

If a task fails:

  1. Read its error message and correct the cause, such as insufficient space or an unavailable encoder.
  2. Select the failed task and click Retry.
  3. Check the new result before closing OpenAudioCopy.

Retry uses the extracted audio held in temporary files. Finish retries before closing OpenAudioCopy. Delete Task(s) removes the temporary audio once no remaining task uses it.

For encoding and file-check errors, see FLAC encoding failed.