| All of us who own a personal computer have burned | | | | mastered and duplicated or replicated at a professional |
| at least a CD or two in our days. Being able to | | | | facility. In that regard, track-at-once is best suited for |
| download music and create your own mix CDs has | | | | CDs for personal enjoyment. |
| been one of my favorite features since the beginning. | | | | Disc-At-Once |
| Software such as iTunes and Nero has made this | | | | This burn mode takes all of your data, be it audio data |
| task even easier, pretty much doing all the work for us. | | | | or regular data, and burns it all to disc in one big block. |
| All you need to do is insert your CD-R into your CD | | | | No gaps are added between tracks, the laser never |
| burner, pop open either one of those programs, drag in | | | | stops burning the data to disc. This is a newer feature, |
| your audio files, and hit the burn button. In a couple | | | | which should be an option in most modern CD burning |
| minutes your CD is ready to go. But wait a second, | | | | software. One option you have with disc-at-once |
| what about these options like burn speed, and should I | | | | mode, which is kind of interesting, is that you can place |
| choose disc-at-once or track-at-once? Well, today | | | | allows any amount of audio data (or no data at all) to |
| we’ll be attempting to get to the bottom of one of | | | | be written in the "pre-gaps" between tracks. With this |
| these confusing options. We’ll be discussing what | | | | option, you can place track introductions between |
| the differences are between these two CD burn | | | | each song. This is cool, because you can create |
| modes; track-at-once and disc-at-once, and to decide | | | | “hidden tracks” on the CD in the pre-gap areas, |
| which one is the right option to choose for your | | | | that are only accessible by rewinding backwards into |
| project. | | | | the pre-gap area. This is the ideal choice for CD |
| Track-At-Once | | | | masters that will be going to a CD duplication or |
| This is the first option that was introduced when CD | | | | replication house. |
| duplication software was first created. With this mode, | | | | I hope that this fully explains these two different CD |
| each time a track is finished burning, the laser recording | | | | burning modes for you, or at least explains it enough |
| the information stops. When it stops, two run-out | | | | for you to successfully create your next CD mix or |
| blocks of data are written. After that, one link block | | | | master. I was going to leave out explaining burn speed |
| and four run-in blocks are written when the next track | | | | for another article, but it really is simple enough to |
| begins to record. With track-at-once, you may burn | | | | explain at the tail end of this article. Basically, your burn |
| both data and audio on the same disc. These blocks in | | | | speed should be15-30% of the drive's maximum |
| between tracks are not a problem when data is being | | | | capacity. I.e. For a 52x burner, the optimal burn speed |
| read, but you may hear a click on some CD players | | | | would be from 12-16x. It’s as simple as that. Thanks |
| when playing back audio. This is something that may | | | | for reading this article, and best wishes on your next |
| cause you problems if you are having your disc | | | | project! |