My suggestion: Download iTunes for PC. It encodes files cleaner than any other software of its kind and allows you to directly convert formats and burn playlists to CDs. It is also the best way I have found to organize your music on your hard drive. It's really easy to use and it's free. Make sure you download the latest version of Quick Time, too while you're there: http://www.apple.com/itunes/ Playback issues: If you're experiencing noise problems on home and care CD players, consider the fact that older players and some newer ones can't play CD-Rs very well. One solution would be to use 650 MB (74 minute) discs since that's the standard most players were created for. People are using those 700 MB/80 minute ones which are OK, but can do funny things to you. -- Ken Kase Editor www.nighttimes.com / Night Times, LLC On 12/3/04 8:57 AM, "markeichelberger@comcast.net" wrote: > Hello all. In this email, I discuss some issues I am having creating audio > CDs on my PC. If you are not interested or know nothing about this topic, > feel free to delete this email now. > For those who kept this email, here is the deal. I started out burning audio > CDs using Roxio software, but I found the software too cumbersome and buggy > and decided to switch to MusicMatch Plus. That software seemed to work fine > for a while but I have found that recent software upgrades keep locking up on > my PC (Windows 2000 Professional), but even worse, I have found that upon > playback on multiple CD players, some audio CD-Rs contain very noticeable > noise. The noise is similar to radio static. Oddly enough, this noise > doesn't appear on initial playback of the CD-R, but on subsequent playbacks > and usually starts up around tracks 15 and higher. I am using TDK CD-R's, and > I have used them in the past and up to this point, I never had any problem > with them, so I am thinking the issue is with the software and not the media > (but I may be wrong). > Anyway, in the event the issue is with the CD-Writer software, I am looking > for alternatives to Roxio and MusicMatch. What I need is software to burn > both MP3 encoded CDs and traditional audio CDs (with on-the-fly MP3 conversion > since WAV to MP3 conversion is such a pain). If you are using CD-Writer > software that you think you could recommend, feel free to respond offlist. > Of course, if you think the issue with the CD "surface noise" is unrelated to > the software, please feel free to respond too. > Thanks in advance. > Mark Eichelberger > markeichelberger@comcast.net