Best CD making Program

[funkyfreddy]

It's been a while since I mastered a music CD with crossfades between tracks, etc.

I used to use BIAS Peak for this but the computer Peak was installed on has bit the dust.

What program would you recommend nowadays to create decent music CDs?
Thanks, Fred

[mikehalloran]

It's been a while since I mastered a music CD with crossfades between tracks, etc.

I used to use BIAS Peak for this but the computer Peak was installed on has bit the dust.

What program would you recommend nowadays to create decent music CDs?
Thanks, Fred

I presume you are talking about mastering to Orange Book standards.
https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/a ... erlist-cd/

There are a few programs out there still. I use DSP Quattro (Mac only)
https://www.dsp-quattro.com/dspquattro/Site/

Besides being the least expensive that I know, Stefano does or used to offer a discount for BIAS Peak owners (I took advantage of that a decade ago). Don’t know if still available but it never hurts to ask.

[stubbsonic]

It's been a while since I've used DSP Quattro to burn a proper CD for commercial release, but it has all the tools. I have the current version and it still has the full CD creation section.

[bayswater]

I think DSP-Q comes in different editions now that do different things.

[James Steele]

I think DSP-Q comes in different editions now that do different things.

The do indeed!

It definitely bears some research because cursory examination of the website shows they now have three different products:

• The regular DSP Quattro we're used to up till now
• DSP-AudioEditor
•DSP-AudioCDBuilder

My guess is that DSP-Quattro is the full featured and probably more expensive app that covers all the bases and the other apps are less expensive apps with a subset of specialized features appropriate to a specific task. YMMV

[mikehalloran]

My guess is that DSP-Quattro is the full featured and probably more expensive app that covers all the bases and the other apps are less expensive apps with a subset of specialized features appropriate to a specific task. YMMV

That is correct. DSP-Q includes the feature sets of both others. Here's the manual
https://www.dsp-quattro.com/FreeDownloa ... Manual.pdf

It looks like Audio Editor is trying to take on TwistedWave at half the price (but without the latest AV functionality). Although I prefer the cleaner interface of TW, this will do just about everything one needs incl. time/pitch and batch file conversion, all except CD Mastering. Here's the User Manual.
https://www.dsp-quattro.com/FreeDownloa ... Manual.pdf

Audio CD Builder will allow you to build and burn Red Book compliant CDs (Orange Book is a superset that includes Red Book and Data CDs). Again, the User Manual.
https://www.dsp-quattro.com/FreeDownloa ... Manual.pdf

I've mastered enough CDs so that the idea of having an audio editor bundled is quite appealing to me—even though I prefer TW when I want a stand-alone editor or batch file converter.

Which brings up Roxio's Toast. Yes, it does Orange Book (Red Book + Data CDs) but there's no audio editor. Neither is there a graphic interface that gives you a decent overall picture of exactly what's going on when Mastering. I mastered one CD in Toast after BIAS Peak went south on me but before I discovered DSP-Q and swore never again. OTOH, it's great for AV and Video DVD mastering as well as Data CDs and duplication of any of these.

TwistedWave is the opposite—great for editing and prep but you can't burn CDs from the app.

I have current licenses for DSP-Q, TwistedWave and Toast.

[James Steele]

It looks like Audio Editor is trying to take on TwistedWave at half the price (but without the latest AV functionality). Although I prefer the cleaner interface of TW, this will do just about everything one needs incl. time/pitch and batch file conversion, all except CD Mastering.

Rats! There's one thing it doesn't do that I would still need from time to time: saving audio in Ogg Vorbis format. Occasionally I hack together NKS support files for third-party VIs that don't come with it, and that seems to be the format the audio previews require. I'll be keeping Twisted Wave v.28 around for that as long as it will work. I'm probably going to pass on the subscription model the developer is introducing with version 29.

[funkyfreddy]

I think some of us will find this interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0wTMZKN3dU

[mikehalloran]

It looks like Audio Editor is trying to take on TwistedWave at half the price (but without the latest AV functionality). Although I prefer the cleaner interface of TW, this will do just about everything one needs incl. time/pitch and batch file conversion, all except CD Mastering.

Rats! There's one thing it doesn't do that I would still need from time to time: saving audio in Ogg Vorbis format. Occasionally I hack together NKS support files for third-party VIs that don't come with it, and that seems to be the format the audio previews require. I'll be keeping Twisted Wave v.28 around for that as long as it will work. I'm probably going to pass on the subscription model the developer is introducing with version 29.

Stefano sometimes finds threads where DSP-Quattro is mentioned. Perhaps he'll find this one. You could also ask him to add it to the list.

[James Steele]

Stefano sometimes finds threads where DSP-Quattro is mentioned. Perhaps he'll find this one. You could also ask him to add it to the list.

Great idea! He actually incorporated one small change at my suggestion, albeit truly trivial. When you checked for if there were updates from within DSP-Quattro, if there was no update, the dialog would say "This is the last version available." Well, tagged on to the end of a suggestion which I don't think he implemented, was a smaller suggestion that he should maybe change it to "This is the most recent version available." English isn't his first language, but his English is infinitely better than my Italian so I explained the subtle difference and it was in the next update. LOL. And yeah... it was silly. Ogg Vorbis is a much better request!

[daniel.sneed]

After mixed results with Toast, I jumped with Hofa app : CD-Burn.DDP.Master
Very glad I did.
https://hofa-plugins.de/en/plugins/cd-burn-ddp-master

[Killahurts]

HOFA.

Everything you need for Mastering, PQ etc., client delivery, and DDP for replication. I've used it for final layup and CD plant delivery for 2 CDs so far.. I used to use the old Sonic Studio, before it bit the dust. It's the best out there for what it does, IMO, and it's not expensive for the pro solution it is.

[c.roc.o.dile]

I don't see anyone in this thread talking about DP's built in CD mastering and burning. Has anyone used it successfully? I'm currently trying to burn a CD from a project file (11 tracks, 56 minutes; DP 11.34, Apple USB Superdrive, MacOS 14.7.4) and am encountering a DP error at the final stage of burning.

This is the error message: "The operating system made an incorrect data request. The resulting disk is probably corrupt. Try reducing the number of tracks or shortening the audio."

Any advice? Should I continue to troubleshoot or give up on DP and pursue another burning option?

Thanks in advance!

[mikehalloran]

I don't see anyone in this thread talking about DP's built in CD mastering and burning.
…

There are good reasons for this. For years and many versions, it didn't work very well—if at all. The DP 11 manual now says it does on the Mac. Start with pg. 973.

There's only one reference to a redbook spec but nothing about orangebook nor any indication that it actually meets either standard. Likewise. no mention of metadata, ISRC or UPC codes, important requirements for any of us mastering CDs for clients.

On a Mac, you can burn audio CDs directly in AppleMusic from your stereo mix (Apple has removed this from QuickTime but I don't recall when). Music.app doesn't support metadata either. I suspect that DP is using the Apple engine on a Mac, especially since, per the manual, this function is not available in Windows.

The current version of Toast burns redbook but it is long in the tooth and much of its functionality depended on Soundflower, depreciated in Sequoia with macOS 15.2 so those parts are gone. Although It still works to burn CDs, I cannot recommend it until Corel/Roxio gives it a long overdue rewrite. If you do have Toast 20, I can give tips and workarounds.

DSP Quattro works great and is current.

[c.roc.o.dile]

Thanks for your input, Mike! Seems like DP is not the right tool for the job. Best to you!