Disc-at-once (DAO or Red Book) CD Burning

From the Tools menu, choose Burn Disc, and choose Disc-at-Once Audio CD from the submenu to burn a disc-at-once CD using the current CD layout.

Use DAO CDs when you need to create a master disc for mass replication.

Creating a new CD layout

1. From the File menu, choose New to create a new project.

2. From the File menu, choose Import to add the files that you want to use to the Project Media list.

3. Use the Project Media window to sort your media:

   1. Click the Views button and choose Detailed from the menu.

   2. Enter track numbers in the Comment field to assign a track order.

   3. Click the Comment column header to sort the comments in ascending order.

   4. In the Project Media window, select your tracks, right-click the selection, and choose Add as CD Track from the shortcut menu.

      When you add CD tracks from the Project Media window, tracks are inserted starting at the cursor position, and the necessary silence is added between tracks. Each track is marked on the CD layout bar and is assigned a name based on the media file name.

      If necessary, you can edit the CD track list information by dragging the track and index markers or by using the Audio CD Track List setting in the Edit Details window.

   NOTE CD track numbering is based on the First track number on disc setting on the Audio CD tab in the Project Properties dialog. For more information, see Setting project properties

Adding CD layout regions and markers to an existing VEGAS Pro project

1. Arrange your audio files on the timeline.

2. Position the cursor and choose Time from the Insert menu to insert two seconds before each track.

   NOTE If you want to create a live CD with no silence between tracks, insert silence only before the first track.

3. On the timeline, select the length of the track and choose Audio CD Track Region from the Insert menu (or press N) to add track regions. A Red Book CD can contain up to 99 tracks.

   NOTE CD track numbering is based on the First track number on disc setting on the Audio CD tab in the Project Properties dialog. For more information, see Setting project properties

   TIP

   Double-click a region tag to select the duration of the track.

   

4. If you want to add index markers, position the cursor and choose Audio CD Track Index from the Insert menu (or press Shift+N).

   You can use indices to subdivide a track. For example, a track could contain a orchestral composition, and index markers could allow navigation to each of the movements. Each track on a Red Book CD can contain up to 99 index markers.

   

Creating tracks automatically using events on the timeline

From the Tools menu, choose Lay Out Audio CD from Events to automatically create a CD layout for a disc-at-once audio CD. The CD layout bar is displayed and track regions are added.

NOTE If multiple events are touching, they will be treated as a single track.

Inserting hidden or bonus tracks

Adding a hidden track at the beginning of a CD

If your CD recorder supports it, you can add a hidden track by adding a track in the space before Track 1. When the CD is inserted in an audio CD player, it will automatically start at Track 1, but the user can find the hidden track by rewinding past the beginning of the first track.

NOTE Most CD recorders require that the space before Track 1 be exactly two seconds, which eliminates the possibility of hiding tracks at the beginning of a CD. Check your CD recorder's documentation for specific information about your drive.

Adding a bonus track at the end of a CD

You can hide a track at the end of a CD by adding silence at the end of the last track and adding the new track after the silence. Drag the final region tag to the new end of the CD.

Because both events are marked by a single CD layout entry, they will be treated as one track by an audio CD player.

Viewing and editing the audio CD track list

The track list is the chronological reference that the CD-R device uses when writing a CD. This list contains information about tracks and indices. A track list is automatically generated when you add tracks to your CD project using any of the methods described in this topic.

Viewing the audio CD track list

1. Choose View | Window | Edit Details to display the Edit Details window.

2. From the Show drop-down list, choose Audio CD Track List.

   The list displays information for each of the tracks and indices in your CD layout.

   

   Item	Description
   Track	Displays the number of the track as it will appear on the CD.
   Index	Displays the index value within the track. For example, if a track had two indices, they would appear as 2 and 3 (the start of the track is always Index 1).
   Position	Displays the timeline position of the beginning of the track.
   End	Displays the timeline position of the end of the track.
   Length	Displays the length of the track (including the two-second pause between tracks).
   Name	Enter a name that will be used to identify the track in the timeline.
   Prot	Select the checkbox to add a flag to the Q subcode to prevent digital copying of your CD. In order to use copy protection, the CD player must support the copy-protection flag.
   Emph	Select the checkbox to add a pre-emphasis flag to the Q subcode. Pre-emphasis is a simple noise-reduction process that is implemented by a CD player. Emphasis involves boosting high frequencies during CD writing and cutting those frequencies during playback. The emphasis process reduces high-frequency noise without disrupting the natural frequency of the source material. VEGAS Pro does not impart the pre-emphasis boost on a track; it can only set the flag. In order for pre-emphasis to occur, the CD recorder and player must support the flag. Check your CD drive documentation to determine whether your drive supports pre-emphasis flags.
   ISRC	Enter the ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) that will be used to identify your disc.

Editing the list

Double-click an entry in the list to edit it. As you edit the fields, the track and indices in the timeline are updated.

Copying the list

Click the box in the top-left corner of the Edit Details window to select all rows in the list, and press Ctrl+C to copy them to the clipboard. You can then paste the list into a document to create a PQ sheet for a CD replicator.

Importing a CD Architect version 4 project

You can also work with your existing CD Architect (.cdp) version 4 projects. For more information about opening a CD Architect project, see Opening a project or media file

Burning your disc

After arranging your media on the timeline and adding CD layout regions and markers, you're ready to burn.

1. From the Tools menu, choose Burn Disc, and choose Disc-at-Once Audio CD from the submenu. The Burn Disc-at-Once Audio CD dialog is displayed.

2. From the Drive drop-down list, choose the CD drive that you want to use to burn your CD.

3. From the Speed drop-down list, choose the speed at which you want to burn. Max will use your drive's fastest possible speed; decrease the setting to prevent the possibility of buffer underruns.

4. Select the Buffer underrun protection checkbox if your CD recorder supports buffer underrun protection. Buffer underrun protection allows a CD recorder to stop and resume burning.

   IMPORTANT Buffer underrun protection can create a disc that can be played in CD players but may contain a bit error where burning stopped and restarted. Consider clearing this checkbox when creating a premaster disc.

5. Choose a radio button in the Burn mode box:

   Item	Description
   Burn CDs	Begins recording audio to your CD immediately.
   Test first, then burn CDs	Performs a test to determine whether your files can be written to the CD recorder without encountering buffer underruns. No audio is recorded to the CD during the test, and recording begins after the test if it is successful.
   Test only (do not burn CDs)	Performs a test to determine whether your files can be written to the CD recorder without encountering buffer underruns. No audio is recorded to the CD.

6. Select the Render temporary image before burning checkbox if you want to render your CD project to a temporary file before recording. Prerendering can prevent buffer underruns if you have a complex project that cannot be rendered and burned in real time.

   NOTE The rendered temporary file will remain until you modify your project or exit the application. If an image file exists when you open the Burn Disc-at-Once Audio CD dialog, the checkbox is displayed as Use existing rendered temporary image.

7. Select the Automatically erase rewritable discs checkbox if you're burning to rewritable media and want to erase the disc before burning.

8. Select the Eject when done checkbox if you want to eject the CD automatically when burning has completed.

9. Click OK to start burning.