How can I confirm what types of audio files are on a CDR

Hi guys, here's my problem that google has refused to help out with. I hope someone can assist.

I occasionally recieve CDRs with music burned to them. However they often register as blank, arrive scratched, or even if some of the files work and others don't I cannot find a way to check what formats they are recorded in, either within the OS (vista + 7) by checking installed devices or from within wmp or itunes. I guess there may be some driver issues, but do I really need to go down that road just to see the file types/formats on the disc.

I convert all audio files to WAV but I'd like to know what they are on the disc prior to conversion/rip. And I'd be quite happy to download an app just to read the file types if available on cnet/download.com. Among the reasons for this are that it seems pointless to rip as WAV if it's been recorded as mp3.

Thanks in advance.

reply to post by merkins


I'm confused. You can't read the disc with explorer (or whatever in iOS) and right click the file to view it's format?

Are these cdrs that are burned as a music disk? If they are merely mp3 dumped onto a disk, not only is ripping not required, there is literally nothing for your media player to rip.

A "audio disk" like a retail music cd, or something you added mp3s to and in your burning software selected "audio disk" will be in their own format. The sampling rate is similar to wav and aif but, because of how cd players read disk information, they aren't straight up wav.

i'm still confused as to what you are asking. If you can rip the disk, you can read it, if you can read it, you can look at the file and see if it's .wav .mp3 or "other" it's been years since i dumped a cd in my computer, i don't even know if the tracks would show up in windows explorer without an audio program.

reply to post by phishyblankwaters

Phishy has the right idea. Once windows sees the CD, go to windows explorer, right click on a file, and click properties. The dialog box that pops up will tell you the file extension(mp3,flac,wma,etc), bitrate, and so on.

When is the last time someone tried to view an audio cd with explorer?

They're not wav, mp3, flac, ogg or any format, they're cda pointers to the raw data.

you cant copy a song or a file from an audio cd. You have to rip it into a format, as the OP mentioned. So I'm not sure if they just forgotten what's going on, or never knew.

* MP3's fistwaving What have you done!!!! *

O.o

Sometimes the CD's can be un readable since the disk was never finalized by the burning software

sometimes i just use a command prompt and a swift dir x: where x: is the drive letter of the cd drive will show all the files and their extensions such as .mp3 .flac etc

I am certainly no expert, but I shall endeavor to assist.

If windows is unable to read the disk, and you are sure there is something burned on it, then the disk formatting may be such that windows can't understand. I have run into a few disks that were burned in Linux that windows reported as being blank. Could be true also if burned by a Mac.

If the disk is scratched to the point that it is unreadable then there isn't anything you can do. A CD is burned with grooves that are read by the reader. If there are too many scratches then the reader can't differentiate between the scratches and the grooves. I would say like the scratches on a vinyl record and the ensuing skips and static, but you may be too young to know about such things.

The unrecognized files could well be due to a lack of codexs on your system, Windows can only identify the file if it has the corresponding codex to read it. There are many different sound recording/editing software available that have many different sound export options as well as their own proprietary format (which is intended to be more of a working file than an export). If you don't have the right codex you will get the "Unknown file format" error. Google Audio Codex. You will be presented with quite a few sites to download from. I can't make any suggestions as I have not used any of these sites.

Hope that helps.

I'm not at my computer yet but thanks for those who have attempted to be helpful.

I have nine PCs (xp, vista, 7) and two macs (SL, lion) Same issue on all of them yet they play in my mates car and on his PC. I was hoping not to have to say that aloud because he's a member here and knows less about computers than me and thats difficult in itself. I want to find out once and fr all where the problem is, and I have suspected for a while that I'm not getting the file type he thinks i am. Finding out what theses files are is where i wanted to start.

Sorry mate if you're out there but same problem with "the heavy" CD.

Not interested at this stage about reading playing opening files just want to know file type.

reply to post by phishyblankwaters


"Are these cdrs that are burned as a music disk? If they are merely mp3 dumped onto a disk"

I don't know, this is exactly what I am attempting to find out so that in future the CDRs i get will work on my systems.

I can put the CD in wmp or itunes and sometimes for a moment it is listed with all the tracks etc then it says errors then it pukes the CD out and next time states its blank. Next time it might read 2 tracks. I'm flying in the dark trying to find out why I've got 20-30 CDRs with albums I'm desperate to listen too that wont play or give me a consistent result.

reply to post by Maxatoria


This sounds like what I might be after thank you. But I'm no computer expert and need more instruction. Treat e like a 90 year old please. so how do i do this on say a vista pc.

Edit: found the command prompt nd have entered as you suggested but I'm getting 'incorrect function'.

music cds are in only one format, cda, which is not really an audio file, just a pointer to the data on the disc
CDA files are only 1 kb(just few bytes actually) big

Just open the disc up in explorer / my computer and check the properties, it will either say cda, or some other format which would be a REAL audio file

reply to post by Maxatoria


Thanks very much this was exactly what I was after.

Thanks also to everyone who attempted to help.

Edit turns out that wasn't what i was after but this particular CDR started working after I used command prompt on third occassion.

Originally posted by merkins
reply to post by Maxatoria

 

Edit: found the command prompt nd have entered as you suggested but I'm getting 'incorrect function'.

what did you enter?
'swift dir e:' ?? lol
because the actual command is: 'dir e:'

He just meant he 'swiftly' entered the command

reply to post by Kr0nZ


Oh darn it really? Back to square one?

Properties states "audio cd" that's all. No details of the 10 files on there.

Edit:

Lol!

no I entered dir f:. I now see the ten 44 byte .cda

Suddenly this CDR has started working for first time. Usally in properties here is nothing.

Originally posted by merkins
reply to post by Kr0nZ

 

Oh darn it really? Back to square one?

Properties states "audio cd" that's all. No details of the 10 files on there.

Edit:

Lol!

no I entered dir f:. I now see the ten 44 byte .cda

Suddenly this CDR has started working for first time. Usally in properties here is nothing.

edit on 27-2-2013 by merkins because: (no reason given)

Windows 7, vista is ancient:


If you dont choose a file, then yes it will only say audio cd.

reply to post by Kr0nZ


Thanks for your help

I know vista is old, its my couldn't give [snip] machine and therefore the one I use the most. my 7 is not updated and is without security as its my offline machine it's also having power/battery issues right this minute. Once its stable in a bit i'll try it. I'll also fire up the s.leopard just in case.

On the vista exactly where you have highlighted it states "audio cd".

reply to post by Kr0nZ


There's no option to choose click on a file exactly same with my win7

I'll DL VLC and see if i can replicate your screenshot. Can't do it on win7 coz ts like a year behind updates and has no security installed. I'm also tethering to a cell phone in breach of contract and therefore have dial up speeds or less.

Thanks for helping.

reply to post by Kr0nZ


I am DLing VLC but my speed is 3 KB/s currently 2 hrs to DL. Aaagh the 3rd wrld problems of a skint Brit.

I have GOM if you are familiar with it, perhaps I can do it with that. Dunno where to look though.

Scratch that cancelled DL

--------

In properties I know have for the first time the ability to see track properties. It states "CD Audio Track (.cda).

I've been asking my mate to burn in WAV for two years. Found out recently that he wasn't but i'm still not sure what he's ripping and burning in. So I was previously happily importing when they worked and storing them when they didn't, thinking I was getting a WAV not converting to WAV from something worse. Result painful ears and only a low volume achievable. Then TSHTF and 99% of his rips don't wrk for me but do at his end. I want WAV in and WAV out at the highest rate with no compression if that makes sense. I've asked him to use free burning software that everyone gets pre-installed on PCs instead of WMP or itunes that way he can just click 'copy CD' and it'll work fine. But pulling teeth seems easier. These less than 1411.2 Kbps files are killing my ears on my ipod/mp3 players.

Sorry matey if you are reading this but it's true. I am trying to build a compression free library that's why I have 21TBs of storage. One CD ripped well is worth 20 poorly done. I do it, takes a bit longer but it's not like you can't do ther stuff while it's ripping. You're not still doing low bitrate wma are you?

CD burning software can normalise the audio when burning which can seem to flatten out the sound so its why rip->encode->decode->burn can sound slightly different than just doing a direct cd copy

But if you're building a mahoosive library on disk then look at .flac files, no loss of audio data like on .mp3's but a lot less file size than storing .wav files

21tb of storage - i'll assume you have a backup and recovery plan should a drive die

Originally posted by merkins
reply to post by Kr0nZ

 

I am DLing VLC but my speed is 3 KB/s currently 2 hrs to DL. Aaagh the 3rd wrld problems of a skint Brit.

I have GOM if you are familiar with it, perhaps I can do it with that. Dunno where to look though.

Scratch that cancelled DL

--------

In properties I know have for the first time the ability to see track properties. It states "CD Audio Track (.cda).

I've been asking my mate to burn in WAV for two years. Found out recently that he wasn't but i'm still not sure what he's ripping and burning in. So I was previously happily importing when they worked and storing them when they didn't, thinking I was getting a WAV not converting to WAV from something worse. Result painful ears and only a low volume achievable. Then TSHTF and 99% of his rips don't wrk for me but do at his end. I want WAV in and WAV out at the highest rate with no compression if that makes sense. I've asked him to use free burning software that everyone gets pre-installed on PCs instead of WMP or itunes that way he can just click 'copy CD' and it'll work fine. But pulling teeth seems easier. These less than 1411.2 Kbps files are killing my ears on my ipod/mp3 players.

Sorry matey if you are reading this but it's true. I am trying to build a compression free library that's why I have 21TBs of storage. One CD ripped well is worth 20 poorly done. I do it, takes a bit longer but it's not like you can't do ther stuff while it's ripping. You're not still doing low bitrate wma are you?

edit on 27-2-2013 by merkins because: (no reason given)

You can use this software, CDex, its free and open source, it will let you rip the files to wav format, the files on the cd (what the cda points to) is already an uncompressed format. So dont worry about losing quality.
sourceforge.net...
Dont forget to set the directory, in options, to where you want the files saved to.

ETA:also just ask your friend to burn the files as data, then you wont need to rip the cds, but then they wont play in most regular cd players, only on computers and "special" cd players

reply to post by Maxatoria


Yes some kind of back up! Lol.

Will be running identical itunes and wmp libraries to remain platform independent and running it through a sonos system, using 5 ipods & 2 wmp compatible players. So thats a kind of back up there but i will be going RAID when organised. I have zero digital downloads so all music is on CDS + CDRs. About 4TB already in WAV.

Could you please explain to me or point me to somewhere that I can learn why .flac format quality no worse than WAV despite smaller file sizes. I'm not worried about storage space, its cheap as chips and combind with my downloaded video collection (about 8000 fles) I expect to reach 40TB by year end although my videos will be compressed. Storage needs will be higher again when my physical DVDs are added.