1.

Collect all of your files in one folder. We recommend putting all of your audio files in one folder because it will allow you to add them to the queue in one step, saving you time.

2.

Purchase CD-Rs. These can be found at most stores where electronics are sold, the Pierpont Commons Bookstore, or the Reserve Desk on the second floor of the Media Union. CD-Rs, once written, cannot be reused. We recommend against using CD-RWs to create audio CDs, as many CD players will not be able to read this type of CD. More information on CD quality can be found in the Related Documents section at the end of this how-to.

3.

Check your audio file formats. All files should be in AIFF or WAV format. Toast (the application we will be using to write this CD) does handle MP3 files, but that is a compressed format and these files may not sound as good as files in AIFF or WAV format which have never been compressed.

1.

The audio files you plan on using. Transfer your files to any of the GroundWorks Macintosh computers — they all have CD writers. It is absolutely necessary that you transfer your files to a folder on the computer you are using before burning a CD. You can access your files from a GroundWorks computer if you have them on an Iomega Zip disk, on a CD-ROM disc, or on a file server such as IFS, AFS, etc. If you need help transferring your files, ask a GroundWorks consultant for assistance.

2.

Blank CD-Rs. Make sure to purchase CD-Rs ahead of time. GroundWorks does not provide them, although they are available for purchase from the Reserve Desk on the 2nd floor of the Duderstadt Center.

1.

Find and open the Roxio Toast Titanium
application.

2.

In the Toast Titanium window, select Audio from the row of buttons at the top of the screen.

3.

Finally, press the Eject button, located at the top right side of the keyboard, to open the CD drive. Insert a blank CD-R or CD-RW into drive, making sure the recordable side of the disc faces down.

1.

Locate the audio files that you have transferred to the computer you are using.

2.

Add your files to the queue by selecting and dragging them into the large light grey area in the center of the Toast window that says "Drag your sound files or audio tracks into this area." Do not drag folders into this area. As you drag your files into this window, the file names will appear in a list.

Alternately, you may click Add and select each file you wish to add from the Open menu.

To delete a track from the queue, select that track and click Remove.

To change the order of the tracks on your CD, highlight the track you wish to move and drag it to the spot you would like it to be. A dark black line will appear showing you where the track will be located.

3.

Be sure not to exceed the maximum time capacity of your CD-R.

All CD-Rs have either a 74 minute capacity or an 80 minute capacity, and this information is located on the case of your CD-R. The total minutes of audio you have selected to write to your CD is shown near the top of the Toast window.

4.

If you would like to name your CD, click once on the title next to the CD icon near the top of the window, and enter your preferred CD title.

1.

Select the desired Speed.

Your CD will be finished faster if you choose a faster Write Speed, but a faster Write Speed also increases the possibility of computer error. Though we can't guarantee that your CD will burn correctly at the fastest write speed, in most cases there will not be any problems.

2.

Select Buffer Underrun Prevention and deselect Simulation Mode if it isn't already.

3.

Click Write Disc to write your CD.

If you would like to play your CD in regular CD players it is necessary to click Write Disc, rather than Write Session. This ends the disc in a way that makes it recognizable to CD players. If you click Write Session by mistake your CD will not be playable in regular CD players. You can remedy this by letting Toast finish recording your CD. When it is done, you may add a short audio track at the end of the CD by following the previous steps and making sure to click Write Disc. If you need help with this, please ask a consultant.

4.

The Toast Titanium window will show the progress of your CD.

5.

When your CD has finished being recorded, a window will appear.

Click Eject to eject your CD.

6.

Exit the Toast application. A dialog window will appear asking if you want to save the changes to your CD. Since this is not your personal computer, and you do not need to burn another copy of the same CD in the future, Click Don't Save.

7.

If you copied files from a CD-ROM disc, eject it, as well. If you copied files from a Zip disk, retrieve it from the Zip Depot. Put your folder of audio files in the Trash can and select Empty Trash... from the Finder menu.

This document was written by Heather Campbell.

Last modified July, 2003