1. The error correction is too minimal to withstand real-world abuse (cars, friends, etc.).
2. Tracking is pretty loose, and a lot of players have trouble seeking to the exact beginning of a track. And, of course, skipping is a drag.
3. Uncompressed PCM isn’t space efficient for audio.
4. Ripping is painfully slow if you want it done well, thanks to the first two.

A better (if not ideal) solution is obvious: compressed files on CD-ROM. The CD-ROM standard has a lot more error correction and tracking data built-in, and the space eaten by that that data is minimal compared to what can be saved through modern compression.

For the audiophiles, start with FLACs, then fill the remaining half of the disc with a few grades of mp3s, or license-free formats. Order the folders by increasing compression ratio so that, when you pop it in a player, you get the highest quality your player will support.

For all its instability, there are two very nice Audacity features that I’d love to see in Adobe Audition:

Visible RMS levels on the waveform.

This gives you a decent visual clue of how “loud” a track is across time. While RMS doesn’t equate to “loudness” (unless it uses a reverse equal-loudness contour), it’s mostly proportional to it if the overall frequencies stay the same (as with speech).

View results of volume-adjustment curves in real time

When you draw a curve you see the waveform change to the result of the curve as it will be applied, making it possible to truly dial in the exact volume change you want rather than repeatedly guessing and listening.

The above features allow you to quickly visually shape your desired loudness curve out of the existing wave. Speakers tend to gradually gain/lose volume over several minutes, so this makes compensating for that cake. These two alone make it worth keeping Audactiy around just for situations needing sharp leveling.

Check out this amazing pic of the “Mothership”[1] in Sweden’s Gula Studion. Gula was built as a sister studio to the perhaps more famous Tambourine Studios, birthplace of most Cardigans and Eggstone albums. More than the gear; the space, atmosphere, and natural lighting is wonderful. Two more pics of the great room from the Gula site.

Eggstone update! A bit of googling around just unearthed a copy of the ridiculously OOP last Eggstone album on Amazon UK for £7. The order is in, I hope this works out. At least one other seller out there is holding out for $70. I wonder what Josh paid…

[1] pic from an excellent article on the recording of the first Franz Ferdinand album.