Possible stupid questions....

Larry1 wrote on 5/26/2005, 8:19 PM
Howdy,

I'm new to CD Architect (CDA) and Red Book audio, so please forgive. I've read in the manual that CDA leave a 2 second blank between takes to comply with Red Book, but why does it have the '-2:00' sec count down? We don't see this in commercial CDs. Also, I can hear the 2sec space even if on the ending track I've reduced the volume all down using SF. Is this common experience? Am I missing something, or is this not mentioned in the manual?

Further, as an experiement, eliminating the 2 sec gap between tracks on the CD line to remove the count down, I hear this soft kinda muffled pop (for lack of better words) between tracks when listening in the car. Anyone with similiar experience, or what am I hearing?

Any tips on making a professional sounding CD with CDA. This sounds silly 'cause basically CDA is so easy to use. Is the goal of CDA to provide a CD master to a printing facility, or can I get similar results at home?

Using SoundForge, should I leave a blank second at the beginning and end of my tracks? Don't leave any blank time at the beginning or end? If I have space, then that adds to gap between tracks.

Silly question I know, and I'm pretty tired, so I migh nott be making complete sense. Anyway, thought I seek some advice.

Thanks

Larry

Comments

MikeDee wrote on 6/6/2005, 1:21 PM
Based on my personal experience, I perform the following for all of my "non-live" [no live audience sounds] music tracks:

1. I include 3-4 seconds of silence at the end of each tune. The length of the silence depends on how the song ends (e.g., fade) and, thus, how the it "flows" into the next tune. Doing this obviates the need for the 2-second gap between songs (of which I am not a fan). I include the silence in all tunes so that I can order them however I wish.

2. I include approximately 1/10 second (100 ms) of "silence" at the beginning of the tune. (Basically, I slide the song [region(s)] to the right.) I have found that on a number of CD players (particularly car stereos and boomboxes), the very beginning (about 100 ms) of the first song on the CD is lost; the tune "fades in." I include the "silence" in all tunes so that any song placed first on the CD will not be subject to the above issue.

3. As far as the two-second "gap" at the very beginning of the CD is concerned: I respect the Red Book standard and do not alter this "gap" in any way. I've never seen a negative two-second countdown on any of the CDs I've created...yet, even if I did, I simply would pay no mind to it. This "gap" has no adverse effect on my CD production, so...if it ain't broke, I ain't fixin' it. ;)

Again, this is based on own my personal experience...it works wonderfully for me. Feel free to "season to taste." :)

Regards,

Mike E. Dee
wymondham wrote on 9/8/2005, 12:09 PM
Hi Larry 1,

There is no reason why you have to have a 2 second gap between tracks, however you must at the start. That's Red Book standard. In CDA you can do what you feel sounds right. I recently did a bonus track which is not on the sleeve by having say 5 minutes silence after the last track and then bonus track.
David.H