Creating
Red Book Standard CD Audio Files Using iTunes
While
it’s good that many clients are feeling empowered
enough to supply their own Audio CD files and
Masters, the
inexperience of many DIY'ers (ie: do-it-yourself’ers)
can lead to some real problems when trying to
produce replicated discs.
One increasingly common problem is the supply of
off-spec CD Audio files from
computers using iTunes. It seems that Mac computers
and iTunes default to settings that do not comply to
the CD replication Red Book Standard.
The Philips “Red Book Standard” for
CD Audio
replication is as follows:
- Sample Rate: 44.1 khz
- Sample Size: 16 bit
- Channels: Stereo
- Maximum Duration: 74 minutes
Here
are the steps for creating on-spec CD Audio files using
iTunes:
- In the Menu Bar…. Click on “Edit” then click on
“Preferences”
- Under the “General” tab there’s a title that
reads “When You Insert A CD”. Select “Ask to Import
CD” from the menu.
- Next to the menu you just selected from there’s a
button that reads “Import Settings”. Click on the
button and a new window pops up.
- Where it reads “Import Using” … select either
“AIFF encoder” or “WAV encoder”
- Where it reads “Setting” … select “Custom” and a
new window pops up.
- Where it reads “Sample Rate” … select “44.1”
- Where it reads “Sample Size” … select “16 bit”
- Where it reads “Channels” … select “Stereo”
Click “OK” on each window to get back to the main
iTunes window – now you will be ready to create your
Red Book Standard CD Audio files.
As always,
for best results when creating a Master use quality blank media,
use the slowest possible burn speed, and ensure you
are created an Audio/Music disc and not a Data/ROM
disc. Always keep the Master Copy yourself for
safety/backup purposes.
When you have made your Master and copies you should
listen to each disc from beginning to end (every
single minute) to make sure there are no glitches or
errors of any type. Once satisfied that your Master
and copies are perfect (both the audio and the meta
data) you are ready to submit your Master copy for
replication.
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