Playback jumps on burned CD

[Brian49]

I've just burned a standard CD with CD Writer for the first time - a couple of dozen tracks, all from mp3s encoded at highest quality using dBpoweramp with the Fraunhofer encoder. On pretty well every track on the burned CD, playback jumps forward a few beats every ten seconds or so, making the CD effectively unlistenable. It does this whether I use a software player (XMPlay or WMP) or a hardware player. Any ideas as to what's gone wrong here, please? No errors were reported while burning the CD, or on completion. Many thanks.

[xoas]

Re: Playback jumps on burned CD

Brian-
Which version of CDWriter are you using (r2 with Music Converter r11.5 or r3 with Music Converter r12+/r13)? Were you applying any DSP effects to the converted mp3 files?

My first recommendation would be to see whether the problem lies in the conversion process or if it lies in the burning process. With CDWriter r2 you can preview converted tracks prior to burning, but r3 does not have this feature yet. In that case you can find the temporary folder where CDWriter placed the converted mp3 files prior to burning. If those temporary files are still there, can you play some of them? I believe there is an option to automatically clear the temporary folder after burning. If this folder is empty, you might need to set about converting a tracks for a new CD to play them from the temporary program.

If the problem can be heard in the unburned preview files, then my guess would be that the problem lies with your conversion settings (either conversion priority or some DSP setting). Conversion priority should be set to Below Normal. I would also recommend that you check your mp3 files to see if the sampling frequency is other than 44.1 kbs. If so, then going to dbpoweramp Configuration to enable Professional Frequency Conversion may help.

If, on the other hand, the converted tracks sound OK prior to burning, then I would think that the problem might lie somewhere in the burning process. First I would make sure that CDWriter is configuring your project for the correct size disk (either a 74 minute disk or an 80 minute disk) that you are actually using for burning. If you were set for the wrong size disk, you will need to start the project over (because the disk size and any other formatting has to be set prior to adding tracks to the disk). Or you can try burning to a disk of the size that CDWriter is expecting.

If the disk size is ok, then I would make sure that buffer underrun protection is enabled and I wuold recommend slowing down the burning speed. Burning speed might be especially a problem if you have a high speed burner but your blank disks do not support high speed burning.

Those would be my ideas and recommendations. Hopefully one or more might help. Please let us know how you make out. If none of these help, please let popst back with details about what you tried and what the results were and what versions of CDWriter and Music Converter you are using.

Best wishes,
Bill

[Brian49]

Re: Playback jumps on burned CD

Thanks for responding. I'm using r3 with dBpoweramp 13. I didn't apply any effects.

I looked for a conversion options dialog before starting the process, but couldn't find one anywhere, so just went ahead. I opted to have the temporary files deleted when burning was complete.

Although your suggestions for diagnosing the issue look very sensible, they would of course involve going through the whole thing again, on spec as it were (and using another disc, since Windows couldn't reformat the first one). I think I'll leave those investigations for another occasion, especially as I've now burned the self-same tracks with WMP and the CD has come out flawless.

Thanks again for taking the trouble to reply so fully.

[xoas]

Re: Playback jumps on burned CD

Brian-
I'm glad that WMP did the job for you.

Whenever you get back to this, I would like to point out a few tips:

1. You don't actually have to burn a new disc (since you know how it turned out the first time). You only have to start a new disc, converting a few of the same tracks you converted before. Then find the temporary folder and listen to the converted tracks. While you are at it, look at the disc size in the Writing to CD menu (which will be set to whatever you used last, options are mp3 data CD, Gapless Audio CD (74 minutes), Gapless Audio CD (80 minutes), Standard Audio CD (74 minutes), and Standard Audio CD (80 minutes). Make sure that this is set to the size of blank disc you are using (NOT to the playing length of your project).

2. The conversion priority is set from the window that shows conversion progress. When that window appears, you will see an arrow pointing down in the lower left hand corner of this window. Click on this and click on Priority. The set it to Below Normal, if it is not there already. (This can also be set during ripping as an option from the options menu of the ripping screen).

Take care,
Bill

[javajeff]

Re: Playback jumps on burned CD

I had the exact problem burning files with writer. I did not notice this at first and started a new thread. I used Windows Media Player to burn with no problem as well.

[Spoon]

Re: Playback jumps on burned CD

Rip the disc using CD Ripper back to Wave, and play in Windows Media Player, is the skip there?

[Keg of Heg]

Re: Playback jumps on burned CD

I am having a similar issue. On one of the burned CD's the jump occurs at 36 seconds into each song on the burned CD.

[Spoon]

Re: Playback jumps on burned CD

Is it repeatable? does it happen for all CDs, or just 1?

[Keg of Heg]

Re: Playback jumps on burned CD

Thanks for the quick response!

It has happened on all of the Cd's I have burned using the Cd writer. It is not the files, as I can create Cd's fine with no issue using Zune or WMP, and can play back all of the files just fine. I seem to get the "jump" at a consistent point in all of the songs, with the exception of one or two that have more than one jump in the song. I have tried using different Cd's, and that didnt' work either.

I'll try and be as much help as possible, but I can hardly consider myself an expert when it comes to digital media.

[Spoon]

Re: Playback jumps on burned CD

After burning a CD, use dBpoweramp CD Ripper to rip the track (rip to wave), and play the ripped file in Windows Media Player, does the ripped track have a skip? What position is the skip? (ie position 20 seconds in all tracks?)

[vance43211]

Re: Playback jumps on burned CD

try defragging the computer

[Keg of Heg]

Re: Playback jumps on burned CD

Ok, I just ripped some of the burned cd's to a wave file, and the jump was still there during playback on all of the songs with WMP. I tried this with more than one burned cd.

[Spoon]

Re: Playback jumps on burned CD

With the next CD you are about to burn (once disc is ready to be burnt), try, select start >> Run >> and type:

%appdata%\dBpoweramp\dBpoweramp-CDWriterTmp\

Change into the folder which is the correct 'Standard CD (xx Min)' and play those files in WMP. Are there skips? Next burn the CD, select the slowest writing speed, are there skips in the written disc?

[Keg of Heg]

Re: Playback jumps on burned CD

I'll give it a shot when I get home from work today. Sorry it is taking me so long between posts, the weather has been nice and I haven't spent much time inside (or at home).

[Spoon]

Re: Playback jumps on burned CD

I have issued a bug fix which solves the problem:

http://forum.dbpoweramp.com/showthread.php?p=80907#post80907