OT - CD burning software

n-Track Studio Discussion Forum
1

Any that let you pick order of files?

2

Hi guys,

my problem is this:
I have a cd player in the car now that plays mp3’s, but when I burn a data (not audio) cd with mp3’s all the folders and files within the folders are burnt in alphabetical order.
This is annoying when I want to preserve the order they are on the original CD and also put albums in chronological order on my mp3 disc.

I’ve tried Nero, BHA Gold and just using Windows Explorer.
I can get the files in the order I want in Explorer by sorting by date modified (my ripping program rips them in the order hey are on the disc) but then when I drag them over to the buring software ther are just sorted in alphabetical order again and I can’t resort them!!!

Does anyone know of any burning software that lets you specify the order the files and folders are burnt on the CD (or of a way to if it’s just some windows setting I’m missing)

thanks,
Rich

3

Interesting. I’ve never thought about this issue.

I’m only theorizing here, but I think you may find that as with other computer drives, the file display and play order of a burnt CD-ROM disc is not based on the burning order, but on the file ordering convention… and I think that convention is normally the file name.

So, I’m thinking the simplest solution is to use numerals in the filename to force the listing and play order:

1. Black Dog
2. Rock and Roll
3. Battle of Evermore
4. Stairway to Heaven
5. Misty Mountain Hop
6. Four Sticks
7. Going to California
8. When the Levee Breaks

4

Yup, archimedes is right. Generally I name my MP3s like this to avoid that exact problem:

Artist - Album - (#) Song.mp3

Keeps things nice and organized.

I think the only way you could play mp3s in a certain order would be to number them (if you didn’t want them organized by artist, album, and track no)… sort of like this:

001 - song.mp3
002 - song.mp3
…
143 - song.mp3

If you did this, you could make your own custom playlist - but it would involve a lot of renaming…

5

OK thanks guys.
DBPoweramp doesn’t add the track numbers when it rips the CD… anyone know of a FREE ripper that does wma and adds the track numbers?

thanks,
Rich

6

Windows Media Player 9 or 10.

For example “09 Roll Over Beethoven.wma”

7

Ah!! Right under my nose!!!

Thanks Phoo

8

Make sure you turn protecting the files off in the WMP preferences (it defaults to on) or you might not be able to play the burned data CDs on any other computer or some devices. I don’t know if other devices that play wma files from data CDs stick to the copy protection, but my guess is they probably do or they wouldn’t be able to play wma files. Unprotected files will play anywhere.

CDs burned as regular audio CDs should play anywhere anyway. Of course with the protection on you can do anything you want with the wma files on the machine they were ripped on, but no where else. It’s when they go other machines in wma format that the copy protection kicks in.

I lost 2 gigs of ripped files when I upgraded my CPU and did a clean install a couple of years ago…I didn’t backup the keys like I should have. Fortunately, I had all the CDs but it sure was a pain having to rip them again. That’s how I found about DMR (Digital Rights Management) being there in the first place, and that there was an option to turn it off.

9

Hey Richlum, I beg to differ that DBPowerAmp doesn’t add the track number. Go into the Options, then File Creation and add [track number xx] to the beginning of your setup.
Paul

10

Ah!!!
Thanks a lot for that vanclan

I went into options to set it to wma but didn’t even realise you could change the naming there.

Once again right in front of my face!!!

I must be getting old or something :)

Rich

11

CDex is a awesome ripper. it uses the Lame engine. about the best sounding and fastest ive found. free too. no DMR bs either…

12

In my old computer I had Easy CD creator. I don’t know about MP3s but it allowed me to place selections in any order I wanted just by dragging and dropping. Another great feature it had was the ability to select songs from different CDs. I tried that with Record Now and it became confused because I had chosen similar numbered songs from different CDs. From one disk I selected 1, 3, 4, & 5 and from another disk, 1, 2, 5, & 7. It gave me duplicates of the same numbers from one disk. I havent tried Nero out yet regarding this threads issue or selecting from multiple disks.