Help: Audio Files won't write to CD

Subject: Help: Audio Files won't write to CD
From: GutBucketeer
Date: 09 Oct 01 - 12:58 PM

Can someone help me out.

I have a number of old MP3 and RealAudio files that I have downloaded from public sites (The Smithsonian, Max Hunter, etc.) that I would like to put on an audio CD. This allows me to learn them on my daily commute. My problem is that when I try to write them to CD using MusicMatch, CDCreator, or other software I get error messages saying the file format is incompatible. I know that many of the recordings are in mono, or at a compression rate below 128kbit or 44KHz (whatever those are).

Can someone explain to me why I can't write these to an audio file? This is true even after I convert them to .WAV format. It seems that if I want to write a lower quality file to disk I should be able to.

Is there conversion software that is available at a reasonable price that can fix the files so they can be written to an audio CD?

Thanks JAB

Subject: RE: Help: Audio Files won't write to CD
From: IvanB
Date: 09 Oct 01 - 02:00 PM

GB, are you choosing the 'Audio Disk' setup in your burning software? To create an audio disk, the files must be wave format, 44.1 khz stereo. Anything else will fail. To add files of other formats to a CD, the CD must be burned as a 'Data CD.' However, such a CD wouldn't work in an audio CD player, if that's what you're using on your commute. However, all is not lost. Probably some of the software you already have will convert the files to the proper format. They won't gain any fidelity of course, and they'll take up more space than the lower quality formats, but they will burn.

Subject: RE: Help: Audio Files won't write to CD
From: IvanB
Date: 09 Oct 01 - 02:25 PM

Noticed that I didn't answer your last question. MusicMatch will convert your MP3 files to wave. By default its conversion is to audio CD quality wave files. If you have any wave editor on your system, it will most likely convert a mono wave file at any sampling rate to a stereo file at 44.1 khz. Problem there is that some editors, when changing the sampling rate also change the speed and pitch (sorta like playing a 33 record at 78).

A program that I've recommended for recording streaming audio from the internet, Total Recorder, will meet all your needs, with the addition of enabling you to convert RealAudio to wave format as well. It's found here:

Total Recorder

and the registration fee is $11.95. With Total Recorder, you merely play your audio file through MusicMatch or any other player while recording through Total Recorder with imput set to 'Software.' Before recording, you'll need to configure for the qulity of recording you want (a simple process). Again, TR won't give you any enhancement of the sound, in fact you'll probably get a small degradation, but I doubt it'll be enough to keep you from learning the songs.

Good luck!

Subject: RE: Help: Audio Files won't write to CD
From: GutBucketeer
Date: 09 Oct 01 - 04:00 PM

Thanks Ivan:

I have burned a lot of Audio CDs. When I use MusicMatch to convert to wav or to 128kbit MP3 the files still fail. They remain in mono and at a lower XX khz level.

I will try Total Recorder. I want to get it anyway for transfering some of my old records to MP3's. Still, I would prefer some other software that doesn't have to do it in real time.

JAB

Subject: RE: Help: Audio Files won't write to CD
From: IvanB
Date: 09 Oct 01 - 04:40 PM

JAB, if you have the files on your hard drive already, Total Recorder has a fast recording option under the software recording settings, which speeds up the conversion. I tested it on a 2'39" MP3 file and the conversion took a bit over 30 seconds.

Subject: RE: Help: Audio Files won't write to CD
From: GutBucketeer
Date: 09 Oct 01 - 11:12 PM

Cool! Thanks Ivan!

JAB

Subject: RE: Help: Audio Files won't write to CD
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 12:17 AM

defrag your drives

shut off all necessary backgroundfiles (crtl alt del)

maximize your buffer size.

set the burn rate at 2X