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Whenever I burn audio CD's there's too much static to listen to them

T

theLemur

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 6, 2008
192
12
I keep making coasters. Whenever I burn an audio cd there is so much static that I can't even listen to it. It also is confusing the hell out of my car cd player. I have a nissan altima, and I read that the cd player doesn't like CD-r's. Is there a setting I can adjust when burning that might clear this up?

I've tried switching CD's, and I tried to switch from Toast to Itunes, but Itunes always puts my tracks out of order, and I have no way to reorder them.
 
I always burn audio CDs at 4x or 2x in Toast. Makes all the difference for many picky CD players.
 
More information...

- Do the CDs sound staticky when you listen to them IN THE MAC with which you burnt them?

- What is the format and bitrate of the audio files?

- You said that you tried switching to iTunes... when you burn a CD in iTunes, does it have static, even if the order is wrong?
 
mkrishnan said:
More information...

- Do the CDs sound staticky when you listen to them IN THE MAC with which you burnt them?

- What is the format and bitrate of the audio files?

- You said that you tried switching to iTunes... when you burn a CD in iTunes, does it have static, even if the order is wrong?
Click to expand...

No, they don't sound staticky in the MAC. I'm not sure what the format and bitrate are. How do you check that? I believe that iTunes still had static, but I will try it again today just to make sure.

Thanks
 
Hmm, interesting. Do let us know how the iTunes burns sound and how the 2x burns go.

And also, I guess, while I'm at it... if the CD's sound okay in the Mac, and they sound staticky in the car, do they sound ok or staticky in other devices besides the car? Can you test with a home CD player, or if you don't have one anymore, perhaps your DVD player?

So far, what you describe is pretty strange... iTunes for instance, in my experience, handles burn speed regulation pretty well and I've never had to mess with its settings.

In iTunes, you can find out the format and bitrate by right clicking the song and choosing get info. You can also find out the format simply by looking at the file extension. ;)
 
I just burned one in iTunes at 2x and it still had the static :(

Unfortunately, the car cd player and my macbook are the only cd players I own.

As far as the format, it says MPEG 1 Layer 3, and its 128kbps. This isn't the only set of files that have caused the static issue.
 
Does anyone have any other ideas? It's very important for me to be able to listen to audio books in the car, and I'm just dead in water here. :(
 
Is the CD player in your car old? Older players were very "dumb", and would play the data stream as a standard CD. Resulting in a terrible static-type sound. (with a very digital effect to it)

Try burning in itunes, and check the option off as "audio cd" instead of data disc.

Mpeg 1 Layer 3 is an MP3 file. You need to burn it as an audio CD - not a data CD. I think that is your problem.
 
theLemur said:
I just burned one in iTunes at 2x and it still had the static :(

Unfortunately, the car cd player and my macbook are the only cd players I own.

As far as the format, it says MPEG 1 Layer 3, and its 128kbps. This isn't the only set of files that have caused the static issue.
Click to expand...

MPEG 1 Layer 3 is long for MP3.

I'm pretty sure it's your car stereo. Perhaps there's some surround setting on the stereo that is cocking up the stereo or mono file.

If you can, can you try exporting and burn a wave-file to a CD and play that to check if it works in the car?
 
Big-TDI-Guy said:
Is the CD player in your car old? Older players were very "dumb", and would play the data stream as a standard CD. Resulting in a terrible static-type sound. (with a very digital effect to it)

Try burning in itunes, and check the option off as "audio cd" instead of data disc.

Mpeg 1 Layer 3 is an MP3 file. You need to burn it as an audio CD - not a data CD. I think that is your problem.
Click to expand...

It's being burned as an audio cd. The Cd's still play, and I can hear what is being said, but the static comes and goes as if I was listening to AM radio in the mountains.

Also, I just replaced the CD player and it still does it. It's a 2003 Nissan altima.
 
Tosser said:
MPEG 1 Layer 3 is long for MP3.

I'm pretty sure it's your car stereo. Perhaps there's some surround setting on the stereo that is cocking up the stereo or mono file.

If you can, can you try exporting and burn a wave-file to a CD and play that to check if it works in the car?
Click to expand...

Im not sure how to export to a wave file, otherwise id try it.
 
In that case - it could be the fact the player is having a hard time reading the disc. You could try a different brand (or color) of CD-R - or even cleaning the CD player with one of those cleaning kits.

If your car is capable of reading MP3 CDs - toy with the bitrate, and using independent, or joined stereo. Little tweaks might make it play better.
 
Big-TDI-Guy said:
In that case - it could be the fact the player is having a hard time reading the disc. You could try a different brand (or color) of CD-R - or even cleaning the CD player with one of those cleaning kits.

If your car is capable of reading MP3 CDs - toy with the bitrate, and using independent, or joined stereo. Little tweaks might make it play better.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I've tried different CD-r's and I still have the problem. The cd player doesn't play mp3 cd's so I guess I am just out of luck. I'll have to bring my laptop with me I guess.....
 
Then it seems odd that the files are coming up as Mpeg1 Layer 3. Are those the originals, or what you're burning? Because the burnt files should be in the PCM 16-bit 44100Hz format. (standard CD format) Not Mpeg 1 Layer 3.
 
Big-TDI-Guy said:
Then it seems odd that the files are coming up as Mpeg1 Layer 3. Are those the originals, or what you're burning? Because the burnt files should be in the PCM 16-bit 44100Hz format. (standard CD format) Not Mpeg 1 Layer 3.
Click to expand...

Oh sorry those were the original files
 
Not to be too blunt, but it sounds like you have an extremely crappy car stereo or something wrong with it or the CD burner. I think the last player that gave me problems with burned CDs was a 1997 factory unit.

I have never heard of this issue with all the static. Have you checked factory CDs to see if they give you problems? If so, the player or wiring may be faulty. I can also suggest buying an iPod and getting the appropriate adapter for your car stereo (FM, line in, tape). No need to bother with CDs when you have an iPod.
 
Yes, you need isolating evidence.

Take the CD's somewhere (you must have access to another CD player somewhere -- school, work, friends), and validate that it works,

Get a CDR that someone else made, that you know generally works, and try it in your car.

Otherwise, yes, MP3 128k is too low a format to be ripping at, yes, there are subtle differences between CDRs and iTunes and Toast burns, yes, yes, but the bottom line is that in 2008, if you burn pretty much anything from any modern computer on any CDR, it works... so something is amiss somewhere in your setup.
 
Ok I'm going to track down another cd player as a test. Buying an ipod isn't a bad idea, maybe I can get a good used one on ebay.
 
theLemur said:
Ok I'm going to track down another cd player as a test. Buying an ipod isn't a bad idea, maybe I can get a good used one on ebay.
Click to expand...


Hey theLemur,

Do you mind telling me what you found out years ago? I'm having the same issue. No matter what cd player I play a burnt disc, I still hear a hissing sound.
 
nick1981 said:
Hey theLemur,

Do you mind telling me what you found out years ago? I'm having the same issue. No matter what cd player I play a burnt disc, I still hear a hissing sound.
Click to expand...

Sorry dude, I haven't the slightest idea, that was 7 years ago
 
It's an easy fix, CLEAN your old CD/DVD( Super Drive)! A simple clean lense cleaner CD you can get online or box box electronic stores!

IMHO all disk drives lenses NEEDS cleaning about once every two years!
 
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