Need tips on preparing tracks for CD-Audio

[Helge Krabye]

I have no experience with CD mastering, so I need some advice from those of you who do have experience

I am preparing and mastering my tracks for CD-Audio, and I have a collection of 32 tracks where each track is supposed to glide into the next without any pause or break in sound. In my ProTools Session, I have everything in place, with automation on the Master Fader (or really on a sub fader before the Master Fader) where I am using Sony Oxford EQ and TCElectronic MD3. All levels etc. are set, and I am pleased with the mix.

My plan is to bounce the mix to my harddrive and give the files to the CD Factory. My question is: should I bounce the whole mix (two tracks AIFF stereo, 44,1kHz, 16 bit (dithered from 24bit) or each track separately?

If I bounce the whole mix (63 minutes), I will provide an accurate list of where each new track starts (timecode). Is this ok? What should I remember to include in the list? (Track number, title, length, start and end time?)

If I bounce each track separately, what should I remember to do - in order to avoid gaps when the CD is being put together for the glass master?

When I bounce each track separately and load them into ProTools again, put them all in a row with no gaps - they play perfectly, just like the whole mix did originally. However, when I import these tracks into iTunes and play them back on my iPod (latest generation, latest software), there are small noisejumps between most of the tracks. Not gaps, just an audible difference that sound like iTunes is not able to connect or play the two tracks seamlessly. - Is this normal? If I play the tracks back on my G5, they sound fine. Is this a problem with the iPod's, or did I do something wrong when bouncing the tracks in ProTools?

Thanks!

Helge Krabye

[ChaplainPC]

Do you have Waveburner bundled with Logic? If so you could bounce your one long file at 24 or 16bit, open Wavebutner and slice your one long song into many pieces yet maintaing the fade in fade outs.

I think Jam will also do this.
Good luck.
Pete
Studio

[Helge Krabye]

I am using ProTools, not Logic, so Waveburner is not needed. ProTools is fully capable of exporting each tracks as a single audio file. That's not my problem. My question is if there is anything I should do (in ProToolsHD) to avoid that the transition between the tracks is audible (gap/jump/noise). I was thinking that maybe I need to be careful with lower frequencies, but I thought that because I export each track accurately (a track stops exactly on the place where the next track starts, etc.), the transition will not be heard.

I am also curious to know if it is the iPod and/or iTunes that is the problem, or if I need to do things differently in ProTools.

Helge

[crizdee]

I My question is if there is anything I should do (in ProToolsHD) to avoid that the transition between the tracks is audible (gap/jump/noise).

Hi,

What you need to do is bounce the whole mix as one stereo file, with all the fade ins and outs etc just as you want them!!

Then load the stereo mix back into pro tools @44.1 16bit and cut the tracks exactly where you want each track to change to the next track! with no crossfades etc, just a clean cut right at the start point of each track!! now select all the regions and export them all to a new folder using "export regions"

Now place all the regions in order into toast or jam and change all the track pause time to zero (except the first track which can't have zero pause!) now all your seperate tracks will have unique start ID's where you made the cuts!! but there will be no audible gaps etc, just a smooth transition to the next track. now burn your CD and try playing the CD. itunes might not play exactly as one long mix, it might just glitch at each new track beginning, but any CD player should play this fine!!

Chris

[Tweakhead]

Mix as one long file. Buy Toast 8 Titanium. Use the included CD Spin Doctor to define the track IDs. Use the menu command Send All Tracks to Toast. Burn.

[Helge Krabye]

Thanks, Chris. Your suggestions make sense

Just to be sure: Is there any risk of getting bad transitions if there is much low frequencies in the audio files when they are played back on an iPod?

Helge

[crizdee]

Thanks, Chris. Your suggestions make sense

Just to be sure: Is there any risk of getting bad transitions if there is much low frequencies in the audio files when they are played back on an iPod?

Helge

Hi,

there shouldn't be any problems! as long as you burn the finished CD first, then import into itunes? though itunes and ipod might have their own way of dealing with start points etc so check the preferences! it works ok here on my itunes, but i haven't tested with my ipod!

Chris

[letrev]

You might want to insert a single band EQ on the master bus to roll off frequencies below 40hz if you are concerned about low frequency rumble.

Also JAM is a better program than TOAST for setting up track markers and transitions on a long program.

[Naagzh]

Hi,

there shouldn't be any problems! as long as you burn the finished CD first, then import into itunes? though itunes and ipod might have their own way of dealing with start points etc so check the preferences! it works ok here on my itunes, but i haven't tested with my ipod!

Chris

My old iPod can't segue from one song to the next without stopping at least a little (but you can set your preferences so that one song fades out as the other comes in). My new iPod Nano doesn't stop from song to song, though. Plays just like a CD in a boombox.

It may also be this way with older versions of iTunes. Do you have the most recent version?

[Russ M.]

Here's how I do it. As others have said bounce the whole mix with dither at 44.1 / 16 bit / non interlaced.. Then load this file into a new PT session. Find the point you want each track to start at and mark it. Now in order for CD players to not clip the beginning of each track if you jump around you need a start offset which is usually done in Jam or whatever you use to burn. But i have run into problems with that when playing through because the offset will mute the audio for a split second.. The way around it is to go to your markers and backup from that point around 150 milliseconds. This is equivlent to using the start offsets. There is a trade off because some cd players start faster than others, boom boxes can be slow and sometimes may need 250 milliseconds to start at the right point. The trade off is that the more you backup the more of the previous audio you may get on faster CD playes. Ok so now you have backed up from you marker, try to find a point where the audio is a minimum, 0 crossing, and cut there. export the regions as files. Load them in Jam or etc. Set track spacing to 0 and start / stop offsets to 0 except for the first track which should be 15 frames or so.
If your CD burning program does not have that first track option then when you bounce your stereo mix you may need to add a half second or so to the beginning of the mix, you can trim that to 150 or so milliseconds when you chop up your regions.