cd architect or X1 for final CD rendering?

Something is amuck....   I've been using CD Arch since it first came out...in the 90's or so.  I haven't found a program to top it, watch its' price come down a couple hundred bucks, and most importantly, haven't ever heard any audio degredation.  I've sent stuff off to be mastered arranged in CD Arch and made copies from masters, etc, etc etc...   always sounded like the source input to me.

I've never gotten that deep in Wavelab, but I think that's the only program to touch CD arch.  I find it hard to understand that WMP makes better sounding files than CDA.

I have to agree with Bub and clarify my post.  I didn't send files rendered in CD arch to be mastered...which is what it sounds like I said above.  I meant I've made reference files, showing cross fades, volume balances, etc... with CDarch...as a reference for the mastering engineer.  I would send 24 bit files, usually 44.1 to be mastered and let the engineer dither it down and create a mastered version of my CD arch example.

using 5.2?    just guessing to help....
 
and more guessing...not fx added in, volumes all kept constant...  since you can add or change all that stuff in CD arch

The problem is not CDA.  It is a superb program that is used professionally.  So something is amiss in how you are using it.  I couldn't begin to guess.  No bass, harsh highs?  Basically, it takes your wav files and lines them up for CD replication.  It can do a lot more, but that is its core function.  It shouldn't sound any different from what you give it.

I can only say to make sure you don't have any processing on the fx section, nothing in preferences that would effect the sound and check the vol with the rubber band envelope.

Really weird.

@

CDA is probably my best ever software purchase after Sonar

+10 on all of the above CDA is the shizz

If it's just for burning with the ability to add CD text, ISRC numbers etc. you'll be hard pushed to find better value than Imgburn mainly because it's free.

It's not the easiest to use but very powerful and configurable with good online "how to's" as well.

one last shot off into cyberville...
I've NEVER had CD arch lock up, crash, etc.   and back around '96 or so... I had ONE coaster...  before they had the buffer underun checking stuff..

NEVER a crash in over 15 years or so...

Don't do any processing at all on the audio file in CDA and it should write the file exactly as you supplied it. You're not using the Normalize feature, are you?

I've never seen Nero ask to load VST's or anything other than it's own software.  V7 is old as they are up to V10 now.  But, I've had Nero since V6 and never saw anything that you have.

When I burn audio files from Sonar, I export them as standard 16 bit stereo wav files.  I use Nero "Burning ROM" to burn and the program has never asked for or wanted to load anything other than it's own program.

Was this some special version that came with some recording program?

Jack

I love CDA 5.2 
My only gripe is that it only takes DX and not VST effects, though I found a good wrapper that works.  (I believe it is called "console" - highly recommended if you are bringing in VST effects - like limiters, eq, into CDA 5.2)

Ok so first off the noise I was hearing was a buzz on  bass tracks that was prominent when I played it on CDA but not any other software/player.  Weird, but the good news is that the bass buzz wasn't on the burned CD just on the track when played on CDA. The harsh high end I think I figured out was that the sound of the track when burned with CDA was actually a better representation of the track than the sound of the track when burned with Windows Media Player. WMP actually smears the track a little and has the effect of rolling off the very high frequencies which hides some harshness that would normally make me go back and remix or remaster to get the high end sounding smoother.  So, that's what I did and the tracks sound a lot better in general and on CDA specifically.
  I don't know how to check the driver profiles in CDA.  I can't find it on the gui or the help files.  I know I must be missing it.  Is there any way to check them like you can in Sonar in the Audio options dialogue window? 
  I'd like to figure out what's causing the bass buzz on the CDA player even though it doesn't seem to end up on the CD.  It certaintly seem like everbody really digs this program.  I do too. I love the ease with which you can arrange the layout of  your project with crossfades etc so easily.  If I could figure out what's causing the buzz and felt a llittle more confident that  I've tackled the high end issue I'd be a true believer too. Thanks for your feedback and any advise on the buzzing would be helpful.
Thanks
Pete

I don't use Nero's wave editor either.  I have Goldwave (paid version) that I use for any audio editing.
 
Actually, disc copy and audio CD burning are the only things I use. 

Re comment above about wrappers. I've always found Cakewalk's wrapper works well with CDA. Actually, I'm surprised to see so many folk using CDA: I thought I was alone as the forum is rarely visited. I've been using it since '98 but it appears to have been abandoned by Sony. It could do with DDP and several other updates.

CDA was also included free in SoundForge 9 along with Ozone.