4 replies to this topic

[magma12]

Back in OS 9, using Roxio Toast, I was able to insert an audio cd into my drive, and then instantly see the number of tracks on that cd, the length of each track, and length of the gaps between the tracks. I was able to see this information more + less instantaneously.

But in OSX, Roxio's Toast will give me the # of tracks, the track lengths, and the space between the tracks ONLY after it extracts the audio --- actually ripping the audio to cache.
It's aggravating + time-consuming.  To find out the # of tracks, track lengths, + gaps, you have to let Toast rip the entire cd.  Utterly ridiculous.

I've downloaded two freeware apps (Burn and Max-CD), which both allow me to see the # of tracks and the track lengths instantaneously, without extracting or ripping the audio.
But neither show the length of the gaps before each track on an audio cd.

Is there way to get Toast to display all this information without ripping the audio to cache?
And if not, does anyone know of any Mac software that can do what I'm wanting?

[tsantee]

Toast 6 and 7 do that. Roxio added a lot of audio CD features starting with Toast 8 that requires Toast to have the audio CD tracks on the hard drive in order to implement the adjustments. I don't recall seeing other applications that list the length of gaps.

[magma12]

Thanks a million for the clarification.
Glad to know that Toast 6 + 7 had that same feature I used to love back in OS9.

[I have Toast 8, which was the problem.]

I wish these newer versions of Toast would have the option of being able to see the # of tracks + the gaps + everything, without ripping the audio.  (Like an option in the Preferences.)  But I suppose I'm not their market anymore.  I just use Toast as a basic burning tool, for audio CDs and data CDR + DVDRs.  I would never use Toast to "fade in" or "fade out" or any of those bells + whistles.  If I need to tweak audio, I just pull the AIFFs into Logic.

Too bad there don't seem to be any other basic apps out there for Mac which will show you the length of the gaps.

[tsantee]

Thanks a million for the clarification.
Glad to know that Toast 6 + 7 had that same feature I used to love back in OS9.

[I have Toast 8, which was the problem.]

I wish these newer versions of Toast would have the option of being able to see the # of tracks + the gaps + everything, without ripping the audio.  (Like an option in the Preferences.)  But I suppose I'm not their market anymore.  I just use Toast as a basic burning tool, for audio CDs and data CDR + DVDRs.  I would never use Toast to "fade in" or "fade out" or any of those bells + whistles.  If I need to tweak audio, I just pull the AIFFs into Logic.

Too bad there don't seem to be any other basic apps out there for Mac which will show you the length of the gaps.

I've found a possible workaround but it requires you creating a spreadsheet to simplify the calculations. Insert the audio CD and choose Disc Info from Toast's Recorder menu. In a few seconds you'll see a list of all the tracks. Choose Time with the popup button. The list shows when the track begins and its track length. You'll notice that the track length is less than the start time for the next track. So there is your gap (to the 100th of a second). You can select the info in the window and copy it to a spreadsheet where you create a formula that does the math.

The disc I tested this with does not have CD Text so the track info was the generic Track 1, etc. even though the track info was in my cdinfo database file.

[magma12]

That's genius.
Thanks for that idea.

In the end, though, I've just started using Toast 7.

I'm very very happy now.