Help w/burning a disc

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Am trying to transfer some MP3 downloads (Paul Horn and Roy Haynes) onto a

cd-r using the Real Player. Everything sets up properly but once it goes into 'burn' mode an 'error' message appears within the first minute or so and the disc is ruined. Since this hadn't happened with any other MP3s I mistakenly attributed it to a random layer of bad discs in the stack, and kept repeating the process over and over like a fool. Tired of wasting blanks, I then took a 74 min. TDK rewritable and experimented around with switching the track sequence and even re-downloading the individual tracks from eMusic just to make sure that a file hadn't been corrupted during the initial transfer. No problem whatsoever with the TDK. Go back to the FUJI and Memorex discs and it's the exact same thing all over again. I've now ruined 10 blank discs and can't figure out why this is only happening with these? I notice that the TDK burns at 4x and the others at 40x....could it be something related to that? This is the first and only time that this has happened. Well, suppose I could just keep the tracks on the TDK CD-RW and buy another RW?

[Christiern]

• Weizy, I have had the same problem with speed discrepancies. Solved it by switching to Roxio Toast (I believe they also have software that runs on your platform--no, not Republican!), Toast reads the blank and lets you know the safe speed range. Toast also lets you go through a test run, which would have saved you some blanks.
  
  Of course, I have also come across bad blanks, but very rarely do I encounter one--even among the budget variety.
  
  BTW Neither Paul Horn nor Roy Haynes has ever resisted burning on my Mac--Gladys Swarthout is another matter.
  

[Noj]

Did you extract the mp3s to your hard drive first? I used to struggle with burning cdrs until learning to do this.

[Shrdlu]

I agree with Noj. I used to use Easy CD Creator, which alternately read a bit off the original CD and then burned it onto the CDr. I lost a lot of blanks that way (usually because of buffer under-runs). The problem was solved by using Nero, with which you can put all of the stuff onto the hard drive before burning. I can't remember the last time a burn has bombed out, as Nero has been so reliable. Plus, you can edit the tracks before burning, essential when transferring an LP to a CDr.

[AfricaBrass]

I'm using Nero also on my PC. I burned too many coasters with Easy CD Creator.

Noj is right about copying the mp3s to your hard drive.

Also, do you have sufficient hard drive space / and have you defragmented your drive lately. I've had a lot of problems when I haven't defragged in a while.

One thing that has worked for me is to create a cd image before I actually burn the cd. This is when the cd creation program essentally does all that it needs to do before the actual burning process begins and saves a large file on your hard disc (the actual size of the cd itself). Once you've created the cd image, you can create a cd from the disc image.

Good luck!

[couw]

you can download a free demo version of the nero burning rom software from nero.com. It has all the features but will self-destruct after a certain date.

I got nero with my burner and have been very satisfied.

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Thanks for the tips folks.....I'm going to latch onto Nero. Good question AfricaB.---- I don't have sufficient space.....5200 tracks have helped eat up 30+ gigs and I have less than 10% left (can't defrag with less than 15-20% available, correct?). I'm in major delete mode. Whoops...there go all the Billy Childs MP3s...why the heck were they here in the first place? B)

[michel devos]

Nothing to add to these excellent advices...However bear in mind ALL the CDR blanks have an optimum burning speed which lays usually between 4x and 8x.Professional CDR like Mitsui's usually give this value, but well known commercial brands are very close.

You would spare a lot of blanks by limiting the burning speed to 8x...

[mmilovan]

you can download a free demo version of the nero burning rom software from nero.com. It has all the features but will self-destruct after a certain date.

I got nero with my burner and have been very satisfied.

Nero Express wich has all features as reguler Nero is free, I think.

[Claude]

The best CD writing software for audio CDs I know is Feurio. With other programs (Easy CD Creator, WinOnCD) I often had clicking errors on my CDs, even with reduced writing speed (4x). But Feurio is much more reliable. I use it to copy complete CDs (ripping function is included) or to create compilations. It also imports MP3s and has a cover editor.

It may look a bit too complicated for non-experts, because Feurio is one of the most advanced cd writer programs and has many features and setting which most users won't need. But it is definitely worth trying for the reliability alone. It is non-limited shareware, there is only a nag-screen that has to be clicked away.

Edited October 26, 2003 by Claude

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

It may look a bit too complicated for non-experts, because Feurio is one of the most advanced cd writer programs and has many features and setting which most users won't need.

True. I went ahead and downloaded it but soon realized that it was out of my amateur league and quickly zapped it (thanks anyway ) and went instead for Nero. This one seems like a cinch to use.....but I'm wondering about the 'self-destruct' comment of Couw's? How long does one typically have before the demo version implodes?

[AfricaBrass]

but I'm wondering about the 'self-destruct' comment of Couw's? How long does one typically have before the demo version implodes?

My guess is about 30 days.

As for Feurio, I've heard great things about it too, but I couldn't get it to work for me either.

[Uncle Skid]

I just downloaded the demo version of Nero a few days ago -- and it looks like it was time limited to run during the month of October only. I think it would have expired on Oct 31.

I ended up removing it, and went with an earlier version of "Nero Express" that came with the CD-RW drive. The Express version seems to have fewer features than the regular software, but it has work fine for me, so far.

[mr jazz]

I just downloaded EAC and could use some advice on how to best use it.

[Stefan Wood]

Weizen, you've come a loooong way since those dark and uncertain days when you thought burning a disc meant opening your Rat Pfink Zippo lighter and torching those unwanted discs..........

[danasgoodstuff]

OK, emboldened by this thread, among other things, I finally burned my first CDR the other day using Music Match. (All the as played versions of "Go Ahead John" from the complete Jack Johnson box plus the final mix from Big Fun) It plays fine but doing it was incredibly slow, even if you don't count the time I spent reading the help screens and the fact that it did it twice, once in Test mode and them again for real. I noticed that Real Player keep butting in so I gave it a try and it was at least quicker and I was able to correct the fact that Music Match had reordered the "Playlist" on its own so "Go Ahead John 1A" came after "Go Ahead John !" (which I'd actually typoed as "Go Ahead John!"). As I understand it these are both compressed, i.e. not as good as/not exact copies of the originals. Can I make direct digital copies with either of these softwares, or with Roxio____ which I also have (I think my wife downloaded that )? Or should I bite the bullit and get something else? I'm not trying to make professional level stuff here, just car copies for my own amusement and, of course the Organissimo Blindfold Test when it's my turn. Thanks for any/all input...

[danasgoodstuff]

OK, I got another Q related to the ones above. I have some CD labelling soft ware which I haven't loaded yet and am wondering if in the meantime I can write a little something right on the top side of the discs or if I should stick blank labels on 'em and write on that?

[Harold_Z]

I write on the discs. Use a SHARPIE - almost anything else will ruin the disc.