Ableton Forum

What professsional software are you guys using to burn your audio to master cds? Looking for something super affordable and gets the job done. Doesnt need all of the excess features (although nice) as long as it burns cd's properly.

For PC - Sony CD Architect, red book compliant, super easy to use, easy to set up crossfades, burns disc at once (so capable of gapless burning), has PQ lists for duplication houses, including UPN/ISRC codes/CD Text etc.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CDArchitect

Very awesome burning program I have used for years to burn CDs. (It's also included in Soundforge since v8).

This one might be an option, too:
http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/AudioCreator/

for pc infra recorder

free
open source
portable
simple to use
just works
no unnecessary bullshit like cover designers etc
no rubbish into the registry

http://portableapps.com/news/2010-03-17 ... 0.50_Rev_3


an other great app again for windows is imgburn http://www.imgburn.com/
more complicated but can burn anything

it is free 2 and a portable version can be found here http://www.softpedia.com/get/PORTABLE-S ... Burn.shtml

you dont need a made by nasa software to burn a CD

even the default windows burner is more than EXCELLENT for audio cds

Peak or toast, since toast 8 it is red book compliant, prior to that you had jam from roxio, which now is basically integrated into toast.

that is on OSX, though.

IP wrote:for pc infra recorder

free
open source
portable
simple to use
just works
no unnecessary bullshit like cover designers etc
no rubbish into the registry

http://portableapps.com/news/2010-03-17 ... 0.50_Rev_3


an other great app again for windows is imgburn http://www.imgburn.com/
more complicated but can burn anything

it is free 2 and a portable version can be found here http://www.softpedia.com/get/PORTABLE-S ... Burn.shtml

you dont need a made by nasa software to burn a CD

even the default windows burner is more than EXCELLENT for audio cds

If I recall correctly, none of these applications support adding the necessary data for a master disc suitable for professional replication.
Pre gap digital silence + Redbook DAO + PQ data(UPC/MCN/ISRC codes)

If you're just duplicating discs on your own, those will work fine. Just be sure to check the initial copy for c1/c2 errors with Nero disc speed or equivalent. Any more than 50 C1 errors and you have yourself a new coaster, C2 errors are unacceptable. If you continue to burn discs with errors, get a plextor burner.

shuutobi wrote:If you continue to burn discs with errors, get a plextor burner.

the man spreads some serious knowledge here!!! plextor 716, the only burner if you mean your business serious and need to make audio CDs. every single mastering studio on the planet has one!

and me, too... the magic black box

...as far as software for sending a pre-master to a replication facility I'd can recommend CD Architect.
If you don't want to send in a burned pre-master, find an app that supports DDP2 such as Bias Peak on PC, or Waveeditor on MAC. You just FTP them the file and don't need to worry about QC.

@Subfunk
I'm using a Nec ND 3550A, and it is definitely not suitable for LONG error free burns.
Material under 20 minutes it can handle fine, anything over that and I go burn it elsewhere. XD

shuutobi wrote:@Subfunk
I'm using a Nec ND 3550A, and it is definitely not suitable for LONG error free burns.
Material under 20 minutes it can handle fine, anything over that and I go burn it elsewhere. XD

well, yes, i know... and it is not any plextor it is the 716, the truly only one to be found in any mastering studio or serious audio facility, they often have several: sony, nec but always also a 716, there is a reason i own one too, i often need to supply error free CDs with work i did for clients, the 716 gives me the insurance that my 'product' leaves the house without any faults.

that, the 716 and tayo yuden or verbatim CDs / DVDs

They are getting hard to find. I might want to snag one before they become extinct.

CD Architect is the only windows product mentioned above which is suitable for professional replication/duplication as it includes a PQ list with timecodes, UPC and ISRC codes and is fully red book compliant with disc at once burning. It also allows you to do advanced things such as set up crossfades or dual audio layers and comes with 20 reasonable plugins, envelope controls, drop markers to split up a track (useful for dance megamixes where one hour long .wav file can have index markers dropped on seperate tracks with no audio gap, if you set it up as such).

Pyro/Nero/Roxio and other softs mentioned here are consumer level stuff for compiling mp3s and quick burn of .wav files. for your quick burn house party mix CD. They are not designed for semi-professional/professional use.

The only thing CD Architect is lacking is DDP support. But for burning from a CD-R, it offers the most complete feature set and is a darned sight cheaper than it used to be ($250 not so long ago).

Wavelab

Sure. Wavelab is an expensive way to burn CDs though if you don't need the other features ! You can also do it with Samplitude, or the the pro version of Presonus Studio One.

If you are on a Mac you might as well just buy Logic - it comes with Waveburner, it's not the most elegant red book CD burning program ever, but does the job.

If I recall correctly, none of these applications support adding the necessary data for a master disc suitable for professional replication.
Pre gap digital silence + Redbook DAO + PQ data(UPC/MCN/ISRC codes)

Correct! didnt mentioned in the first post...

imgburn can go bit deep with some tags but i dont know if it can do the job 100%


**** misunderstand: "mastered audio to cds" ****

BTW, Sound Forge 10 has the capabilities of CD Architect now.
It is 2-3x the price, but you get a lot with it. (Noise reduction, a great audio editor, mastering plug-ins). It is also easier to use (IMO) than CD Architect.
For description: http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/soundforge