Testing Audio CD Player

[LunarMist]

Last year I purchased a new auto with the fancy 6-CD player (where do those CDs go after entering the slot?). I have not used the CD player yet so there is a possibly of a defect. This may sound foolish, but is there an easy way to use a PC to create 6 CDs with multiple audio tracks? I would like to fully test the 6-CD player without actually buying 6 CDs. I have Nero Burning the ROM 5.5 and Cool Edit 2000 installed. Thanks for any advice.

 

[Fushigi]

Since it's just for a test, and you don't seem to mind wasting 6 CD-Rs, take 1 existing CD (preferably with 12+ tracks), bring in it's tracks as WAVs or whatever, and write 2 different tracks to each of the 6 CD-Rs. Then use them for your testing.

Of course, this assumes the car deck can play CD-Rs. Most, but not all, can.

- Fushigi

 

[LunarMist]

I don't have any audio CDs. I have about 250 blank CDs, most of which will probably will never be used, so that is much less expensive than spending $60-70 for 6 commercial CDs. Is it legal to buy one audio CD and make 6 copies for personality use? I don't want to do anything that would land me in jail.

 

[Mercutio]

So, um, you know that any old WAV, MP3 or WMA file can be used to make an audio CD, right?

There are some good (classical) MP3s at http://calligaris.carisch.it/scalen/piaen.htm

 

[LunarMist]

Thanks, Merc! I did not know that there were any MP3s available for download after the Napster fiasco.

PS. The site is down.

 

[Handruin]

If you are really worried about the legalities of all of this. You could simply hook up a radio into your sound card's line-in and record it to your PC at 44KHz 16 bit stereo for a half hour and then burn that wav file to 6 different CD's.

If you want different CD's, just record 6 different stations.

BTW, past the napster fiasco, you could always try winMX for MP3's. (not technically legal) You can find some nice quality MP3's recorded at 320 KB/s.

 

[LunarMist]

Thanks for your help, but I no longer have a stereo. My last audio system was from 1973 and after that I never got around to using the CD technology of the 80s. Maybe I could use the TV audio output?

 

[Mercutio]

That would work. Got anything with a mini headphone jack (Merc says, noticing that his clock radio has one).

1973. Wow. That's before I was born.

 

[Handruin]

You could use a microphone and record random sounds, you could even put the microphone up to a television, or hang it out your window to gather the sounds of birds or cars, whichever frequents your neighborhood.

If you are truly hard pressed for audio, just search for random sound clips. Hell, if you have a fast enough internet connection, I'll record something (radio station) for you and send it to you.

1973 is before my time also too.

 

[LunarMist]

That would work. Got anything with a mini headphone jack (Merc says, noticing that his clock radio has one).

1973. Wow. That's before I was born.

:roll: Oh, I am not that old to deserve a wow. I am younger than Greg Santilli and Bill Green, to name a few.

The odd part is that audio equipment is still stored somewhere in my parents house. The tuner and amp were both discrete designs I assembled from Heathkit, and I built the speakers. I think Heathkit went out of business a few years ago.