livetrax/manual/xml/exporting_to_cd.xml

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<section id="sn-exporting-to-cd">
	<sectioninfo>
		<authorgroup>
			<author>
				<personname>
					<firstname>Nick</firstname>
					<surname>Mainsbridge</surname>
				</personname>
			</author>
		</authorgroup>
	</sectioninfo>

	<title>Exporting to CD</title>

	<section id="table-of-contents">
		<title>Table of Contents </title>
		<para>
			A Table of Contents is a description of the data stored on a medium. In the
			case of audio Cds, the TOC comes in the form of PQ data which is
			intermingled with the audio data whaen the CD is burnt. Because PQ data
			isn't part of 'normal' audio file formats such as wav or aiff, this
			information must be stored in a separate file on your computer (a CUE or
			TOC file) ready for use by your CD burning software which will combine the
			two.
		</para>

		<para>
			At the moment, Ardour can export TOC and CUE files containing the red-book
			related fields Track, Index, ISRC, SCMS and Preemphasis. The CD-TEXT fields
			TITLE, COMPOSER, PERFORMER and disc title are also supported.
		</para>

		<para>
			Range markers in Ardour can be 'promoted' to become CD tracks in the
			locations window. Marks (point markers) can be promoted to be CD Indexes in
			the same window. All TOC/CUE export operations hinge on this.
		</para>

		<para>
			Assuming you have several songs on your timeline laid out so that their
			spacing and level is 'correct' as you hear it, you should then set ranges
			that represent the start and end points of each track, These will become
			the start and end points on your CD. The start times are all rounded down
			to the previous CD frame (Of which there are 75/second) on export, so if
			you want to hear the exact point that your CD player will start from,
			select 'CD frames' as your snap setting while you do this. If you want
			track indexes (nobody does, but they're there), set a location marker for
			each desired index.
		</para>

		<para>
			The locations dialog is useful here, as you can just 'go' to a point to
			audition the exact position of a marker/range.
		</para>
	</section>

	<section id="pregap">
		<title> Pregap </title>
		<para>
			A word about pregap:
		</para>

		<para>
			A 'normal' redbook CD should have a blank (digital black) space of 2
			seconds before the first modulation called the pregap. Ideally, your first
			song will have been placed at 2 seconds when you began, but you can always
			drag the whole collection of songs to the right position fairly easily at
			this point.
		</para>

		<para>
			Also, note that this 2 second rule can be fun to break. You can make the
			pregap as long as you like.. even hide whole songs in there. The player
			will still play track one when the disc is inserted. Only those listeners
			with the urge to rewind beyond the beginning will find your hidden song/dog
			bark. Also keep in mind that there is a pregap for each song. It starts
			where the previous song ends. In other words, if you leave a gap in the
			ranges between songs 2 &amp; 3, that gap will only play for those listening
			through the entire CD. Anyone skipping directly to 3 will miss your secret
			'long' intro.
		</para>

		<para>
			After setting a non-overlapping range for each track (overlapping CD tracks
			are removed on export, from left to right, as are indexes that aren't
			inside a track), open the locations window and make your ranges into track
			markers by clicking the CD button. Fill in whatever information you feel is
			necessary in the boxes below. Unused fields will be ignored as far as the
			exported TOC/CUE file is concerned.
		</para>

		<para>
			CD-TEXT track titles are taken from the range's name. The CD-TEXT title of
			the CD is taken from the session name (i should have told you that first,
			right?).
		</para>

		<note>
			<para>
			Pre-emphasis is there for those strange types that use it (they also
			use track indexes). You almost certainly don't want pre-emphasis. A valid
			ISRC is all capitals, 12 characters.
			</para>
		</note>
	</section>

	<section id="cue-files">
		<title> Cue Files </title>
		<para>
			Cue files have no notion of 'the end'. Its a drag. They think the end of
			the file is the end of the last track. If you want to use CUE files, you
			have to make sure that the session end marker is snapped to CD frames
			(before you export, of course), or else use the -pad option when you burn.
		</para>
	</section>

	<section id="export-the-session">
		<title> Export The Session </title>
		<para>
			Now export the session to a file (16bit 44.1kHz for CD), selecting your
			preferred cuefile type (TOC or CUE). The TOC/CUE file is written to the
			same directory as your audio file, and has the same name, only with '.toc'
			or '.cue' appended. Usually you will only be selecting the two master
			outputs to export, with output 1 always being 'left'. The export is post
			fader and panner. Don't assume that the sound will be identical after you
			have truncated/dithered to 16 bits. It can be worthwhile to experiment with
			different dither settings when making your export.
		</para>

		<para>
			To check out the details without burning
		</para>
<screen>
cdrdao show-toc blah.wav.toc
</screen>
		<para>
			to correct a problem, make your changes, then use the 'export toc file
			only' option. If you have to change the session end marker, you'll have to
			re-export your audio file.
		</para>

		<para>
			To burn
		</para>
<screen>
cdrdao write /home/britney/globalsmash.wav.toc
</screen>
		<para>
			One last thing:
		</para>

		<para>
			If you don't make any CD Track ranges and export a TOC/CUE file, the entire
			session is treated as one track with no pregap. Indexes, if present, will
			be honoured.
		</para>
	</section>

	<section id="ddp-support">
		<title>FAQ </title>
		<para>
			Why no DDP? ( http://www.dcainc.com/products/ddp/ )
		</para>

		<para>
			A: DCA have been kind enough to get in touch. Hopefully they will allow a
			GPL implementaton soon.
		</para>
	</section>

	<section id="catalog-numbers">
		<title>What about catalog numbers for the CD?</title>
		<para>
			A: coming eventually.. we need a tab for session-wide variables like these.
			where to put it? in the export dialog or the options menu?
		</para>
	</section>
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