Why so long to create an MP3 CD?

[mirsky32]

I've been using CD Writer to create some standard audio CDs from my MP3 files. It has worked just fine in doing so.

Now I'm trying to use it to create MP3 CDs, and for each MP3 file that I add to the list, CD Writer takes several minutes to 'convert' this file.

It seems to me that no conversion should be required to burn an MP3 file onto an MP3 CD. What am I doing wrong?

[ChristinaS]

Re: Why so long to create an MP3 CD?

I've been using CD Writer to create some standard audio CDs from my MP3 files. It has worked just fine in doing so.

Now I'm trying to use it to create MP3 CDs, and for each MP3 file that I add to the list, CD Writer takes several minutes to 'convert' this file.

It seems to me that no conversion should be required to burn an MP3 file onto an MP3 CD. What am I doing wrong?

Do you perhaps also have some DSP effects that get applied to these files?

[mirsky32]

Re: Why so long to create an MP3 CD?

Do you perhaps also have some DSP effects that get applied to these files?

Christina:

No, I don't apply any special effects to these files when I create my MP3 CD.

Thanks,
Steve

[ChristinaS]

Re: Why so long to create an MP3 CD?

Christina:

No, I don't apply any special effects to these files when I create my MP3 CD.

Thanks,
Steve

I will venture a guess, but I may be way off.

I think that even if you are using only mp3 files to create an mp3 cd the program still has to convert all the files to one unifirm format that is being requested for the mp3 cd. Not sure it can do a straightforward copy.

Thus it will go through each file, and maybe just analyze it or maybe actually convert it - first to wav and then to mp3 of the required specs.

So it may well end up being a double conversion: mp3 to wav and wav to mp3. You can tell if a conversion is involved quite easily as you'd then see the dMC window open and you';d see detauls of the conversion in progress.

As to why it takes that long for each file, I think mp3 to mp3 is longer than wav to mp3 because of the double conversion first of all.

Then perhaps you may also have priority of conversion set to above normal which will make is actually slower.

[mirsky32]

Re: Why so long to create an MP3 CD?

I will venture a guess, but I may be way off.

I think that even if you are using only mp3 files to create an mp3 cd the program still has to convert all the files to one unifirm format that is being requested for the mp3 cd. Not sure it can do a straightforward copy.

Thus it will go through each file, and maybe just analyze it or maybe actually convert it - first to wav and then to mp3 of the required specs.

So it may well end up being a double conversion: mp3 to wav and wav to mp3. You can tell if a conversion is involved quite easily as you'd then see the dMC window open and you';d see detauls of the conversion in progress.

As to why it takes that long for each file, I think mp3 to mp3 is longer than wav to mp3 because of the double conversion first of all.

Then perhaps you may also have priority of conversion set to above normal which will make is actually slower.

I tend to agree with your guess, as it closely matches what I'm seeing. It defnitely appears as though CD Writer is doing an MP3->WAV->MP3 conversion as it preps each file for writing to the CD.

For comparison, I've just tried using Nero Express to do this, and it does the 'right' thing. The MP3 file doesn't go through any up/down conversion.

CD Writer's behaviour makes no sense to me. Surely there must be a way to have CD Writer directly write these MP3 files to the MP3 CD without a lengthy conversion.

[Spoon]

Re: Why so long to create an MP3 CD?

Yes setup Smart Conversions.

[mirsky32]

Re: Why so long to create an MP3 CD?

Yes setup Smart Conversions.

I thought this might be the way to go, so I told Smart Conversions not to convert any .mp3 file of any bitrate. Unfortunately, CD Writer now complains:

Support for the audio type '.' might be obtained
at 'Codec Central', visit codec central now?
(connect to internet before clicking Yes, install
codec to same location as Music Converter)

I thought that codec support for mp3 was baked in to CD Writer? What codec do I need to make this work?

[mirsky32]

Re: Why so long to create an MP3 CD?

I thought this might be the way to go, so I told Smart Conversions not to convert any .mp3 file of any bitrate. Unfortunately, CD Writer now complains:

Support for the audio type '.' might be obtained
at 'Codec Central', visit codec central now?
(connect to internet before clicking Yes, install
codec to same location as Music Converter)

I thought that codec support for mp3 was baked in to CD Writer? What codec do I need to make this work?

My mistake, Spoon:

Smart Conversions does what I want, as long as I add the mp3 file as a file. If I add a folder containing mp3 files to the compilation, then CD Writer throws out the above error.

Is there a way to create an MP3 CD by dragging in folders containing MP3 files?

[Spoon]

Re: Why so long to create an MP3 CD?

Use the program 'File Selector' (in dbpoweramp).