HD Tracks to CDR

[Darren69]

Guys, Gals, what do you use?

Amazingly, I can buy the track and get it to my pooter but how does one burn to a CDR without changing from WAV (I use WAV files, the CDT see's them etc).

I have used Windows Media Player but I don't know if it is reformatting the music.

Any thoughts?

[gcgreg]

If you mean to make an audio CD, then you will be limited to 16 bit 44.1khz anyway. For the rare occasion I burn to CD, I use either iTunes or Roxio Toast (Mac).

[Darren69]

@@gcgreg thanks mate, that's all the sort of stuff I don't know.

OK, hence people streaming...

[gcgreg]

I just looked up your player, it CAN handle hi-res if you burn your HD Track WAV files to a DVD. That process would be a simple drag-and-drop in Windows. Does your PC burn DVDs?

[aechmea]

WAV (or AIFF) is actually PCM data wrapped-up inside a 'suitcase'.  The structure of the suitcase/wrapper is what distinguishes the different file types.

 

Think of it like going on holidays and you need to take your clothes in a suitcase.  You have a choice as to which suitcase you use. The clothes are the same but the cases are different.  And some cases are really small (FLAC) where you squash everything into a smaller space, but at the other end the clothes will still come out the same.

 

A CD has a different file structure to any of the 'puter formats so whatever you use has to grab the PCM data representing the music from the container and reformat that into the CD structure; but the music itself remains the same, unless of course your initial PCM is not 44.1/16 in which case the writing program will have to convert to the CD standard before writing.

 

So, if you have downloaded 96/24 music then the program will have to extract the music from its computer file-type, convert  it to 44.1/16 and then write it to the CD in the correct format.  I use Toast on my Macs.

[aechmea]

I just looked up your player, it CAN handle hi-res if you burn your HD Track WAV files to a DVD. That process would be a simple drag-and-drop in Windows. Does your PC burn DVDs?

 

Yes it can, just like mine but I thought that that was a step too far at the moment.  Just making a CD is probably a useful intermediate step.

 

The DVD has to be written as a data DVD with WAV files to the root level of the disk. (root level, I think; haven't tried it for years so I am a bit rusty as to whether it handles folder structures.)

 

[OT; I have half a dozen Reference Recordings HRX dvds containing 192/24 or similar.  Magnificent recordings/mastering as one would expect from RR.  But like all audiophile recordings I only tend to have played them once simply to see what the system can do.  I then revert to CD for real music.  Haha.]

[Darren69]

I just looked up your player, it CAN handle hi-res if you burn your HD Track WAV files to a DVD. That process would be a simple drag-and-drop in Windows. Does your PC burn DVDs?

Greg, yes it does, there is some sort of app on here that does it.

It has windows media player, DVD Suite Deluxe, Power2Go etc.

Just wasn't sure if these tools keep the WAV as a WAV file or if they re-format them.

[gcgreg]

Greg, yes it does, there is some sort of app on here that does it.

It has windows media player, DVD Suite Deluxe, Power2Go etc.

Just wasn't sure if these tools keep the WAV as a WAV file or if they re-format them.

Use DVD Suite, make a data DVD (as aechmea mentioned). Should be straight-forward and it will absolutely be an exact replica of your original WAV, untouched.

Edit: spelling.

Edited December 21, 2015 by gcgreg

[aechmea]

Ohhh, yes, OK, sorry.

 

I misinterpreted the requirements - the reference to CD threw me a bit.  Darren if you are downloading HiRez (ie. 96/24 or thereabouts) then you can burn the WAV files unchanged onto a data dvd disk.  Your spinner (PS-Audio?) can read the files from there.  Its one of the very few hifi spinners that can handle this sort of disk.

 

Note that it is a data dvd which is different to dvd-video or dvd-audio.  And its a dvd disk not a CD.  And once created it will not be recognised by a dvd player - twill only work on your spinner or a computer.

 

Not sure how your Windows software works but it shouldn't be any harder than copying files to another disk.

[Darren69]

Guys, thanks for all of the advice. I understand.

Aechmea, I can choose between making an audio CD or a data CD so one assumes I would choose the data option but that's through Windows Medie I fink?

Will have a play with the DVD side of things. Sorry for the noobie questions but can I use CDR or do I need to buy blank DVD's? Or are they the same thing?

[aechmea]

Its gotta be DVD for this to work.

 

Blank DVD disks are different to blank CD disks.  Same size but quite different.

 

So when at Big W or whatever buy the blank DVD-R disks (4.7GB).  DVD-RW may work - I dunno - that depends on the drive inside your spinner and the one inside your computer.

 

That reminds me - the burning software will probably ask whether you want to 'add' to the disk ie left 'open'.  You should answer "single session - finalised" or whatever words that they use.

 

That reminds me - since you only get to burn onto each disk once, it might be wise to make sure that it is pretty full otherwise you might waste too much space.  The software should show you how full the disk will be as you add stuff to be burnt.

 

That reminds me  - be careful of track names so as to make sure that the album tracks get written to the disk in the correct order for replay.  You don't want track 6 to be played first because its title starts with "aardvark".

 

[The whole reason that this scheme works is that our spinners are actually DVD-R computer drives driven by special firmware which is quite different to normal CD, DVD and BluRay hifi boxes.  They are really single function computers.]

[Darren69]

Ok, thanks lads.

One learns something every rotation of the planet.

[Darren69]

Went shopping and came across DVD-R and DVD+R.

Sigh.

Any difference. Googled and read a lot of Greek.

[gcgreg]

DVD-R is the short answer.