The Friendliest Computer Club in Ventura County Since 1986
EASY CREATING CD'S AND DVD'S
This is a reprint from the July 2005 issue of TOE (The Outer Edge)
Book Review By Stan Ranson
"Easy - Creating CDs & DVDs," by Tom Bunzel, published by Que Books, Second Edition, $19.99. User Level Beginning.
This book deals primarily with Easy CD Creator 7 with a mention of Nero 6. Having been an Easy CD Creator user for the last 10 years with occasional usage of Nero 5, I decided to try this book to see whether an upgrade from version 5 of Creator would be worth the cost.
I'm aware that many users of this type of program are interested in downloading music from the Internet and possibly selecting various tracks from existing CDs, and this program is mainly for your interests. In addition, the book covers DVDs, and, although that is not my interest, I did learn some methods from reading those sections.
My prime requirement is the recording of music from the early 1900s through to the introduction of 45 and 33? vinyls. Therefore, I wanted to see how this program covered those older type recordings with enhancement capabilities to eliminate the "bacon frying" and other clicks and scratches that plague the earlier acoustic and electrical 78s.
The book is in pictorial layout, with each page or pages depicting an operation. Hints and tips are located below the pictures, and I found these very helpful. Content is 219 pages with additional glossary and comprehensive index. Each part and section has a color- coded tab in the top right hand corner with the same color repeated at the base of the pictures. Each part is identified in the cover pages in the color of its location, making it extremely easy to locate the section you need.
There are eight parts covering the following:
- 1. Creating CDs with Creator Classic in Easy Media Creator (originally Adaptec, now Sonic Solutions)
- 2. Burning CDs and DVDs with Nero 6 Ultra.
- 3. Using Media Player to Enjoy CDs and DVDs.
- 4. Capturing Video and Images with Easy Media Creator.
- 5. Preparing your DVD Video in Video Wave.
- 6. Creating a Project in DVD Builder.
- 7. Creating a Final DVD Movie Disc.
- 8. Tips and Techniques, Glossary and Index.
In addition, a CD is included that allows you to load a minimal version of Easy CD Creator. This program is sufficient to record data and audio CDs and makes it possible to create case insertions and disc labels.
The biggest effect on home recording of music was the introduction of CDs in the 1990s. Sure, we could record music in the past using the old 78 rpm recorder, which actually cut a record. Then along came the wire recorder, usually a Weber model, and this was surpassed by the reel to reel recorder in the early 1950s. That was supplanted by the 8-track and, in turn by the cassette, but it took the computer and the CD to open up the floodgates. Of course, there were the naysayers who derided the CD as being short-lived because of the effect of time and the environment on its coating. However, I can remember the same being said about reel tape that you were encouraged to rewind every few weeks to stop it from clinging to itself. Now, with good class audio CDs I've found that 10 years doesn't affect them at all.
R/R tape at $7 - $10 per reel meant you had a large investment in the raw product, and all you could do with the music was either accept it or record over it. With CDRs at 15 cents apiece and audio CDs just slightly higher, we can afford to scrap the odd one out and start over. Also, the computer now gives us the opportunity to go into the music track and make all kinds of adjustments to suit our taste. All this is because of the development of the software such as Roxio's and Nero's. There are many others on the market to suit all requirements but these two seem to be the foremost for the majority of music and data manipulators.
As I said earlier, I was interested in seeing how version 7 would approach my problems of eliminating noise from older recordings. In version 5, there was a program called Spin Doctor, which controlled both LP and cassette recording by reducing clicks and scratches on LPs and reducing the hiss on cassettes. It also allowed recording a full side of an LP and separating the tracks by detecting silence between them. I never found this worked for me as the noise between the tracks was sometimes greater than the music. Plus, if there happened to be a short silence in the tune, the program identified it as a separate track, so I always record one tune at a time. Version 7 left this out!
I suppose it's asking a lot from an author to go into details that are peripheral to his main theme, but if you record from just a turntable without attachment to an amplifier you will need a preamp as the signal is too weak for the sound card to pick it up. He does indicate the importance of making sure the sound card line in is active and not the microphone. I had a lot of trouble with that aspect when I first started to record.
There are 40 pages allocated to Nero 6 Ultra, and before you make a decision on which program to buy, you might take a look and see if it would suit you better.
Personally, I found Roxio's products suit me very well for the standard recording. If I want to get into the nitty gritty of manipulating the music, I use a Digital CD Recording Studio II Professional Edition, which allows me to record a 78 rpm acoustic record on a 33? turntable and then play with all the bells and whistles to get it to the point where I can hear the music and not the background.
If your interest lies in CDs or DVDs and you're just starting out, get this book. You'll save a lot of time and media by following Tom Bunzel's suggestions.
