Science of making CD's

[KA4HJH]

>I just missed out on this thread about hd writers, but wanted to ask
>some general questions.  What kind of programs are availalble for making
>a regular audio CD on a writable CD drive?  Are there some shareware or
>freeware programs that do this?  I have the latest edition of a program
>called "Goldwave", but not sure this will do the job.  It is capable of
>writing in many audio formats besides just WAV files, but I am unsure
>about the type of file a regular audio CD uses.

Any decent CD mastering program should be able to simulate the burn without
actually cranking up the laser. This tests your CPU and hard drive(s) to
make sure that the buffer won't run dry--once you start writing a full disc
you can't stop--it's one continuous spiral, just like a record.  A friend
of mine wasted several disks by not trying that first... It's also very
useful to be able to save the burn as an image file, then actually burn the
image file. This makes burning multiple discs much faster and minimizes the
chances of a glitch ruining the burn. If you're trying to salvage a
scratched-up disc by making a copy it's a good idea to read it into an
image file first, then burn. The read may encounter so many errors that it
can't keep up with the burner, even at 1X.

The latest versions of most programs support just about every CD format
there is, and there's a bunch of them. Not all CD writers (or readers)
support all the formats, though. Some readers can play audio but not stream
the subcodes, for example. So much for CD-I, CD+G, etc. It's possible to
write multiple sessions to a CD-ROM, but some readers/CD drivers can't see
past the first session. Newer stuff usually works. Most drive manufacturers
and software publishers have a compatibility list online at their web site.

On the Mac side of things, Toast is probably the most commonly used program
in general. It's bundled with a lot of burners. For Audio CD's, Jam has a
number of extras, like being able to crossfade between files while writing
the disc. It's always nice to be able to set index points, too.

I have a 4X/12X Plextor that works great. It has a caddy that acts like a
tray. It's nice to have two drives in the tower--I can listen to an audio
CD and get files off a CD-ROM at the same time.

I'm blathering--what was the question?

Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
"The Mac Doctor"