Silence at start of tracks or not for master...?

Author
Post
Essentials Only Full Version
hellogoodbye
Max Output Level: -64 dBFS
  • Total Posts : 1343
  • Joined: 2004/03/22 05:46:36
  • Status: offline
2012/03/26 14:52:18 (permalink)

Silence at start of tracks or not for master...?

I am working on a cd for my son and I noticed that after burning the wavs on a cd (as an audio cd, obviously) on ONE cd player the start of each songs fades in/is cut off. It sounds fine on all other players, but not on that one.
 
So I wondered if it is wise to add a split second of silence at the start of each wav to remedy this...? Does this happen more often on some cd players?
 
I also wonder if I can indeed simply burn all wavs on cd using something like Toast on a Mac or should I really be using something else to create a 'real' master...?
 
On a sidenote... it's quite a job to get all this done, I have to say! I have to do all the mastering myself too and I haven't got a clue about mastering, really, so this project is getting on my nerves. I posted about this earlier on (about comparing tracks etc.) but I just don't have the talent, I think. I suck at this. Unfortunately I also don't have 500 bucks to let someone else do the job. I've been thinking about using the Ozone 10 days demo for the cd but I think I will be only fooling myself using some loudness presets and thinking it sounds great then... If it was that easy, everybody would be using Ozone... Still... it amazes me that someone didn't create a one click master plugin yet... one that would scan your files and you only have to click OK to get the perfect master....
 
Ok, back to bloody work again: why did I start with this hobby...?
post edited by hellogoodbye - 2012/03/26 14:56:03

Sonar 8.5 PE, Edirol FA-66, Behringer C-1. All instruments in my songs are VSTi's. 
Check out Soundclick
#1

3 Replies Related Threads
    Guitarhacker
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 24398
    • Joined: 2007/12/07 12:51:18
    • Location: NC
    • Status: offline
    Re:Silence at start of tracks or not for master...? 2012/03/26 16:43:34 (permalink)
    Most burners will automatically allow 2 seconds between tracks. This is adjustable and usually there is no pause on track one. 

    You want the tracks to start playing immediately when they switch to the new track.... no more than 1/2 second delay beyond that it becomes too long. 

    There are also options to have no delay between tracks.... Pink Floyd is one band that does this on DSOTM where one song flows right into the next.... the 2 second gap there would ruin it. 

    My website & music: www.herbhartley.com

    MC4/5/6/X1e.c, on a Custom DAW   
    Focusrite Firewire Saffire Interface


    BMI/NSAI

    "Just as the blade chooses the warrior, so too, the song chooses the writer " 
    #2
    hellogoodbye
    Max Output Level: -64 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 1343
    • Joined: 2004/03/22 05:46:36
    • Status: offline
    Re:Silence at start of tracks or not for master...? 2012/03/26 17:11:07 (permalink)
    The gaps aren't the problem: they are fine. I can indeed adjust them to my liking. The problem is that the very beginning of each song is being skipped/faded in on one specific cd-player (Phillips) and I am afraid that this might happen on more cd-players because the cd I am burning will me the official master... This cd is going to be released to shops and all and I don't want people to miss out on EVERY start of the song! So I wondered if is was normal (apparently not) to add a very small bit of silence at the beginning of each and every wav file before I burn them to prevent the beginning from being skipped. I am not talking about a pause between songs but an actual bit of silence at the start of the wav. As it is now I always export songs from the EXACT beginning...

    But I guess I maybe should be using different software to burn a proper master...?

    Scary stuff this...
    post edited by hellogoodbye - 2012/03/26 17:13:36

    Sonar 8.5 PE, Edirol FA-66, Behringer C-1. All instruments in my songs are VSTi's. 
    Check out Soundclick
    #3
    Jeff Evans
    Max Output Level: -24 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 5139
    • Joined: 2009/04/13 18:20:16
    • Location: Ballarat, Australia
    • Status: offline
    Re:Silence at start of tracks or not for master...? 2012/03/26 17:25:30 (permalink)
    The problem must be in that particular player. If you say the music starts normally on all other players then you are doing nothing wrong. I only put a 100ms (0.1 sec) in front of any music I master just in case some CD players cue up so tight they might miss the very first part of the sound. I have never had any problems with the 0.1 sec silence ever.

    That player might have some feature where the starts of tracks can be faded in rather than start hard, not sure but it is the problem. Do not put a second or more in front of a track just to satisfy that player because then the music will take way too long to kick in on normal players.

    You have already answered your own question. The fact that it does not do it on any other player tells you it must be that particular unit. It may be faulty as well.

    Specs i5-2500K 3.5 Ghz - 8 Gb RAM - Win 7 64 bit - ATI Radeon HD6900 Series - RME PCI HDSP9632 - Steinberg Midex 8 Midi interface - Faderport 8- Studio One V4 - iMac 2.5Ghz Core i5 - Sierra 10.12.6 - Focusrite Clarett thunderbolt interface 
     
    Poor minds talk about people, average minds talk about events, great minds talk about ideas -Eleanor Roosevelt
    #4
    Jump to:
    © 2024 APG vNext Commercial Version 5.1