WAV, always.
MP3 is a compressed, lower quality version of a WAV file.
that can't be. Can he burn a CD that will play in a regular CD player?I guess I opened a can of worms by using replication. I was just referring to reproduction. The guy that is doing my mixing/mastering does not have the capability of producing the Red book master . . .that's why I was asking. .
That's not true by a long shot... I can personally attest to discs that "might" play - this time - and not play next time, lose time code, jump around during playback, skip, stop, stutter -- And that's just with iTunes. I won't even get into Roxio or WMP...that can't be. Can he burn a CD that will play in a regular CD player?
If so THAT'S a redbook CD.
regular CD players won't play anything besides redbook CDs so if he can burn a CD that will play in a regular CD player how can it NOT be a redbook CD?That's not true by a long shot... I can personally attest to discs that "might" play - this time - and not play next time, lose time code, jump around during playback, skip, stop, stutter -- And that's just with iTunes. I won't even get into Roxio or WMP...
Improperly formatted discs might play. They might play for almost anyone. Maybe... Or they might stop dead in their tracks (no pun intended).
And the horror stories of said discs -- Oh, I've got a bazillion of 'em. From botched radio interviews to dance company performances to bands opening up 1,000 CD's and replacing them all...
dance company performances
The Lord works in mysterious ways...
But seriously, assuming you magically have a series of mastered tracks sitting around somewhere, is there software that will produce a red book standard CD? Or is special equipment required as well?
I have five consumer grade CD players here ..... two Pioneers ..... a Teac ...... a Sony and a Cambridge.The only thing that will normally play in pro decks is RedBook. A lot of consumer players play fast and loose with the rules -- Most are data drives with firmware that allow for a lot of "slop" in the TOC. Some decks will play straight PCM data discs, many are designed to play WMA and MP3 discs -- Those won't care if the TOC is in the wrong spot or if the disc was written in TAO mode, or if the 150-frame pre-gap is missing.
Even still -- A lot of pro decks might play an improperly formatted disc (such as an iTunes disc) this time, but not next time. Or it might play fine for the first few tracks and then just inexplicably jump into the middle of track 7 for no apparent reason.
I was actually at FOH when that happened during an Irish step-dance performance. Those poor kids... Heck, I've had it happen dozens of times -- But I wasn't usually right there in the theatre...
virtually anything that will burn a CD should have a redbook option on it.This is all very interesting, but that brings me back round to my problem . . . where can I, Joe Rookie get a Red Book master made from my WAV master here in beautiful downtown Tucson Arizona?
You don't need special equipment. I've burned lots of Red Book on whatever drive is in the PC.