Adobe Audition 3.0 mastering/CD burning software

[Bob_D]

Hi there,

I am at the beginning stages of recording an album at home. I have just been reading up on mastering for when I (finally) get to that stage. I will be using Adobe Audition 3.0 for recording, mixing and mastering. The first 2 stages I am familiar with but I have never properly delved into mastering. So my first question is does anyone master their tracks in Audtion and, if so, were you please with the results?

My 2nd question is with regards to CD burning software. In the the Audition tutorial with regards to this it says:

"The first track on your CD must include a 2-second pause at the beginning. This setting is adjusted in the CD-burning application itself, not in Adobe Audition or on the actual wave file. Write this 2-second gap to your disc just after the table of contents to ensure proper indexing and playback. You do not need to include spacing on any tracks other than the first track. If your CD-burning application supports DAO (disc-at-once), it will create this space for you by default."

This confuses me just a tad. Does it mean that you can sort this out using an application within Audition or that you have to use different CD burning software altogether (e.g. Nero) that allows you to do this? If so, what would you recommend?

Apologies if this makes no sense!

Cheers,

Bob D

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

So my first question is does anyone master their tracks in Audtion and, if so, were you please with the results?

Which base editor you use for single track "mastering" does not really matter all that much. As long as you are comfortable with using the software, it will work just as good for you as any other brand.

My 2nd question is with regards to CD burning software.

As long as you use software that says it burns to "redbook specifications", you probably don't even need to lose any sleep over this issue. And they pretty much *all* burn to redbook specs these days.

While not absolutely necessary, unless I'm building a CD with custom track intro/outro spacing (which is rare), I usually put two seconds of silence at the start of every track I make just as a standard habit. Do that, and use a standard redbook burner software of practically any brand, and you'll be perfectly OK for your first time out.

G.

 

[Massive Master]

Gotta go sideways here -- Plenty of apps out there that burn discs will NOT burn to spec -- And unfortunately for those who use them, I end up having to deal with them at the most inopportune moments.

If the software you're using doesn't very specifically and unequivocally state that it IS INDEED authoring to RedBook specifications, assume that it DOES NOT.

The 2-second/150 gap is a PRE gap BEFORE the first track marker. Some players will play a disc that doesn't have that gap. Many will "choke" on it. Some players will play discs that were written in TAO. Many will choke on them.

If you're using a disc as a production master and you're aren't 100% certain that everything about that disc is to spec, don't use it. If you can't log it, don't use it.

I'm not trying to sound alarming - well, maybe just a little... I've seen this too many times and I've seen the cost in both time, money and stress that it's caused over and over and over again.

iTunes is the new bane of my existence... WMP comes in a close second.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

iTunes is the new bane of my existence... WMP comes in a close second.

I often forget that people actually use that cra...er...I mean, software.

Yeah, stay away from stuff designed for and marketed to Joe Minivan and Sally Soccermom. That doesn't mean you have to get the best stuff, but make sure it guarantees redbook.

G.

 

[jokerone]

I often forget that people actually use that cra...er...I mean, software.

Yeah, stay away from stuff designed for and marketed to Joe Minivan and Sally Soccermom. That doesn't mean you have to get the best stuff, but make sure it guarantees redbook.

G.

Does Ozone 4 meeting RedBook specs?

 

[Massive Master]

Ozone is just a plugin. They use the word "mastering" with it so people will think that it's used in the mastering process.

 

[LDS]

Audition 3.0 seems to have a pretty decent CD burning piece. Does anyone know if it actually meets Redbook specs (as it claims to)? Anyone had any problems working with output from it?

 

[leaningpine]

I haven't had any issues with it, Everything works, the track title and artist shows up on players that support it and the UPC/EAN code works as well, the CD cover always shows up with the right artist.

I goofed around and did some "mastering" with it(On crappy speakers I thought sounded good but that's another story) It seems pretty straight forward if you just want to goof off. IF you don't have the money to have your stuff pro mastered.

There was a couple of things I didn't think were necessary, like the stereo widening, reverb and exciter. Maybe you could use those on restoring old recordings but not on new mixes. Fix it in the mix, don't rely on mastering to fix it.

The 3 band paragraphic EQ is OK, you shouldn't need it though unless your mix is dull,

The limiter is easy to use, turn it up until you start to hear a little squashing and turn it back a notch until the squash is gone but your volume is loud.

Once you've done that, raise your output level if you need to within the bars, do not go past the bars, if you do you'll lose your dynamic range.

I downloaded a demo of Ozone 4 and I thought it had a bunch of needless crap in it.... It might be good for fixing old recordings but for mastering there's very little compared to what they give you in my opinion.

 

[Massive Master]

I've heard far more mixes wrecked by than helped by Ozone.

Like anything, it's just a tool - It's only as dangerous as the guy using it. But wow, they stuffed a whole lotta danger into that tool...

 

[mixmkr]

I may be out of the loop, but I believe for PC, CD architect is the winner for burning CDs. At only $100 nowadays, to me is a no brainer.

Re: the 2 second spacing between songs... that was THE first reason I wanted CD architect. I don't think I've EVER made a CD (that was a final, and not a reference CD) that I just used the "standard/default" 2 second spacing, which most programs I am led to believe DON'T let you alter.
Changing spacing between songs is about as important as the length of a fade out to me. But... those are my opinions. The impact difference of a 4 second space VS a 2 second space between two "different" types of songs can be significant (i.e... fast song to slow song...?)
Can you even cross fade in some of the other programs? ...and adjust fade styling, etc... What a HUGE feature to loose if you can't. Can you take a live performance and insert track markers wherever you want to create a CD you can jump around in? Another HUGE feature.

oh... and the goofy ones like "bonus" tracks and stuff like that.

 

[RawDepth]

Audition 3.0 seems to have a pretty decent CD burning piece. Does anyone know if it actually meets Redbook specs (as it claims to)? Anyone had any problems working with output from it?

I've been using Audition 2.0 since it came out. (I occasionally make demos for local bands.) I've never had anyone report that the CD's would not play in their player.

I am in the habit of editing my songs to have anywhere from 2 to 4 seconds of silence at the beginning and end. That is not to accommodate the burner, it is just for my own preference and timing aesthetics during CD playback. Then I just drag the song files to the CD window and hit "Burn."