Cd burner used as CD player!

[Masdefi]

I have installed a CD burner on my PC, so now I have both installed a CD burner and a CD player. Now a very strange thing happens: I cannot play a CD with the CD burner (can't hear the music) when I use as player "RealJukebox" or "MatchMusic" or also "CD player" from Windows 98 operating system. I can listen to CD by using the CD burner ONLY if I use the Windows Media Player: could you tell me why?



It is different if I play a CD with the CD player (not with the CD burner) installed in my PC: in this case every player is good to hear the music: MusicMatch, RealPlayer, CD Player from Win98, and (of course) the Windows Media Player. WHY??? I'm getting crazy!!

[BrunoRepublic]

On 2002-01-06 10:32, Masdefi wrote:

I have installed a CD burner on my PC, so now I have both installed a CD burner and a CD player. Now a very strange thing happens: I cannot play a CD with the CD burner (can't hear the music) when I use as player "RealJukebox" or "MatchMusic" or also "CD player" from Windows 98 operating system. I can listen to CD by using the CD burner ONLY if I use the Windows Media Player: could you tell me why?

Because for "normal" CD Audio, your sound card simply passes through the signal from the analog outputs on your CD-ROM drive. These are two tiny, rectangular connectors that go from your CD-ROM drive to your sound card, which you can see if you open up your PC. Anyway, your sound card would only have one set of inputs for these, so you can't have two different CD-ROM/RW drives hooked up at once.



What Windows Media Player does is pull the audio data off the CD digitally, so that you don't need to use the analog outs at all. There are a few other apps that can do this; I know there's a plug-in for WinAmp. Having said that, the analog outputs on any given CD-ROM drive are ABSOLUTE GARBAGE, and your CDs will sound way better using Windows Media Player anyway. CD-ROM drives were simply not built for listening to music. While it is convenient to do use them this way (since as you've noticed, most Windows CD players will only work with the analog outs), you're getting the sound quality of a cassette at best. They are soooo noisy and hissy and just crap all around. Pro sound cards don't even have the CD-ROM connectors at all, since all they do is add noise.



If you are recording anything on your sound card from the LINE IN, make sure you mute the inputs for all other jacks, *especially* the one marked "CD Player". This will improve the sound quality on your recordings considerably.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Graham Start on 2002-01-06 11:39 ]</font>

[Masdefi]

Thank you for your quick reply, Graham, and for the time you have spent to write such a clear and complete answer, I really appreciate.

I can understand now.

I will keep your recommendations in the next playings & recordings.