Issues reating Audio CD

[jonathanku]

Hi folks, got a problem with audio cds and am looking for some help. I'm using a PC to record talks then transfer them to audio CD, but the CDs are pretty much always bad - either causing TOC errors in CD players or playing with crackles and pops.

 

The recording comes through the PC soundcard to Audacity where we export as WAV. We then create a CUE file in ImgBurn and add the WAV to that. I've tried burning at a slower speed, but I normally see something like "tried for xxx kb/s (4x), got yyy kb/s (32x)" or something to that effect.

 

I've tried a couple of different CD-R brands, and I've also bought a new Pioneer drive, but neither change has made any improvement. I've also tried enabling/disabling CD-TEXT - no difference.

 

I started looking at advanced options for the drive, but I don't understand the implications of most of it.

 

Any suggestions?

 

 

p.s. I did read one post recently about a codec pack which can cause issues, is it possible to determine if that's also my problem? (I'm not 100% sure what's installed on this PC)

Edited August 25, 2010 by jonathanku

[mmalves]

Use GraphEdit to render (look in the File menu) your audio and then you'll see which filters are being used to decode it.

[jonathanku]

Use GraphEdit to render (look in the File menu) your audio and then you'll see which filters are being used to decode it.

Thanks... chose that option (then downloaded a trial version of DVD Info Pro) then tried the option again. I couldn't see any info on filters, but I only had a quick look. I'll search again (it's on another PC). In the mean time here's the contents of one of the IBG files... could this help me?

 

IBGD

;PLEASE READ THE LICENSE AGREEMENT BEFORE USING THIS FILE
;BY USING THIS FILE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY ITS TERMS

[sTART_CONFIGURATION]
IBGD_VERSION=2

DATE=29/08/2010 12:59:21

SAMPLE_RATE=100

DEVICE=[1:1:0] HL-DT-ST RW/DVD GCC-4480B 1.00 (D:) (ATA)
DEVICE_ADDRESS=1:1:0
DEVICE_MAKEMODEL=HL-DT-ST RW/DVD GCC-4480B
DEVICE_FIRMWAREVERSION=1.00
DEVICE_DRIVELETTER=D
DEVICE_BUSTYPE=ATA

MEDIA_TYPE=CD-R
MEDIA_BOOKTYPE=CD-R
MEDIA_ID=97m26s66f
MEDIA_TRACKPATH=PTP
MEDIA_SPEEDS=N/A
MEDIA_CAPACITY=359844
MEDIA_LAYER_BREAK=0

DATA_IMAGEFILE=C:\Temp\AudioRecording20100815.cue
DATA_SECTORS=29897
DATA_TYPE=AUDIO/2352
DATA_VOLUMEIDENTIFIER=

WRITE_TEST_MODE=False
WRITE_SPEED_SELECTED=MAX
WRITE_SPEED_START=14.40
WRITE_SPEED_END=16.27
WRITE_SPEED_AVERAGE=12.86
WRITE_SPEED_MAX=16.27
WRITE_TIME_TAKEN=82
[END_CONFIGURATION]

HRPC=True

[sTART_WRITE_GRAPH_VALUES]
18.18,999,99,0.00,0.00
7.20,1053,100,0.00,0.00
0.00,1053,100,0.00,0.00
0.00,1053,100,0.00,0.00
....numbers continue for a while....

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Nothing you've just said there is anything to do with what mmalves wrote.

 

Google for 'GraphEdit' and read his post again!

[jonathanku]

Can you explain further how to see any filter information in DVD InfoPro? I can't see this anywhere.

 

Should I test disabling some codecs or anything - might that help?

[LIGHTNING UK!]

What are you talking about DVDInfoPro for?! Nobody mentioned that.

[jonathanku]

Sorry guys, I'm trying to go between the Imgburn pc with no internet, and the one in my house. So I didn't remember the exact instructions. LUK, sorry, I didn't even see your first post as I was reading it on my phone. DVD Info Pro was required by the two "graph" choices in the file menu- I'll give it a better shot tomorrow! I'll get on google as suggested.

-JK

Edited August 29, 2010 by jonathanku

[LIGHTNING UK!]

He said the 'File' menu in GraphEdit, not the 'File' menu in ImgBurn.

 

Use a proper PC where you can see the entire screen if possible

 

I'm sure we'll get there eventually.

[jonathanku]

Ah ha! I assumed GraphEdit was a feature of ImageBurn (found in file menu). Didn't realise it was another piece of software. Thanks again.

[jonathanku]

GraphEdit shows the following:

 

Meeting.wav feeds into "Wave Parser" which feeds into Default DirectSound Device. Properties on that last box are attached as a screenshot if that tells us anything?

 

Thanks for your patience.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Ideally you should be recording/saving in 44KHz, 16 Bit, Stereo (i.e. 2 channels, not 1) format... not whatever you're using there.

 

When you've got some decent WAVs, try again.

 

Make sure the Verify box is ticked when you burn and then post the entire log for that burn+verify session.

[jonathanku]

That WAV file was a single channel 16-bit 44.1k wav. I was hoping ImgBurn might handle the conversion to stereo for me; if not, we'll work round that.

 

I'll try this once I fix another issue which has appeared - the motherboard battery has died, so the bios isn't happy. Can't even boot up just now.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

ImgBurn doesn't handle anything.

 

It gives the source file to directshow and tells it the format it needs out the other end - the format required for CD-DA.

 

DirectShow then performs the conversion - so if it's bad, I'm afraid it's out of my hands.

 

You're much better off using your sound editing program to save the files in the correct format in the first place.

[jonathanku]

OK, thanks.

 

This time I tried a stereo track (16-bit, 44.1kHz). It seemed to write ok, but gave an error as soon as it tried to verify - "Layouts do not match". I'll attach that error, plus info from GraphEdit and the log and cue files if you'd be willing to have a look these for me.

meeting-stereo.cue

ImgBurn-LayoutMatch-error.log

[LIGHTNING UK!]

That's more likely to be a burner issue than anything.

 

Switch to read mode and copy + paste the disc info from the panel on the right when that disc is in the drive.

 

p.s. you're using an old version of ImgBurn and you should be on XP SP3 unless you have a valid reason for not being on it.

[jonathanku]

HL-DT-ST RW/DVD GCC-4480B 1.00 (ATA)
Current Profile: CD-R

Disc Information:
Status: Empty
Erasable: No
Free Sectors: 359,847
Free Space: 736,966,656 bytes
Free Time: 79:59:72 (MM:SS:FF)

ATIP Information:
Disc ID: 97m27s18f
Manufacturer: Plasmon Data Systems
Start Time of LeadIn: 97m27s18f
Last Possible Start Time of LeadOut: 79m59s74f

I'm guessing the status: empty could indicate a problem. Does that indicate a problem drive?

 

This PC is normally stand-alone in a building without internet - hence the old software. I've actually just bought a network card today and am currently updating the PC with AV and SP3 etc.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

If it burnt the disc and yet still shows it as being empty (assuming 'Test Mode' wasn't enabled of course - which it wasn't!), yes that would indicate a drive problem.

 

What type of machine is that drive in (or was it in) ? Dell, IBM ?

 

A firmware update may fix the issue.

 

Failing that, it's probably about time you got a new one. The latest firmware I could find for it dates back 6 years.

[jonathanku]

It's a Packard Bell pc with a second-hand LG DVD drive.

 

I bought a new Pioneer drive the other day, but my first attempt resulted in a bad disk, so I whipped it out and returned it to the shop, assuming that it wasn't a hardware issue (but that was with a mono-wave file, not stereo). I'll try again with another newer drive I have... once these updates finish downloading and installing.

[jonathanku]

Well, the CDs seem a bit better - they are verifying properly now - even if I use a mono wav file as a source.

 

However, in my car CD player, I'm still getting TOC Error on occasions (even with a stereo wav file input. I would blame that on my CD player because it's 6 or 7 years old, but most other CDs play in it fine, including CD-Rs.

 

This other CD drive I'm using is reporting as Optiarc.