A
CD ripper is a program used to create
WAV files from a musical cd. It is used in conjunction with an
encoder
to create
MP3's. Some programs perform both functions.
These programs often vary in the quality of audio output as well as&ease of use.
An example of a sub-standard ripper is the
ubiquitous AudioGrabber, and also anything Real makes.
An example of a very
good ripper/
encoder package is NexEncode.