Converting multiple *.CDA's to 1 MP3 file

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

Hello all …

I have a question in regards to trying to convert multiple *CDA tracks into a single *.MP3 track… is there a way to merge the multiple files into the single MP3 file without having to play all the files and recording them into AUDACITY, then saving/exporting as an MP3? I do not seem to be able to find anything reagrding that ability in the help files…

Thanks for any possible help;
DrDon :slight_smile:

2

Try CDex ( http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/ ) . Press F10 and select the whole length of the CD. You can then rip the CD as one file containing all the CD tracks either as MP3 (“Compressed Audio File”) or WAV.

If you want to edit the CD tracks in Audacity (for example apply filters to make them sound brighter or more “bassy”), rip the tracks to WAV, not MP3. This means you only have to do one lossy encoding to MP3.

Import the WAV into Audacity. Make your edits, then File > Export and choose “MP3 Files” (press “Options” to choose bit rate). To export MP3, you will need LAME ( see http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/faq_installation_and_plug_ins.html#lame ).


Gale

3

Thank you for your response. Though this is not the ideal answer that I was wanting to hear, it is the answer that I will end up living with at the time being. I do very much appreciate your answer and your help!

DrDon

4

What is it you are trying to do? Or were you hoping Audacity would rip the combined track directly into the project?

We can add your vote for CD import if you like.


Gale

5

They’re not actually CDAs. CDAs are just pointers to the real music on the disk. Music CDs have a very severely stripped down filesystem in order to save as much space as possible. Did you notice that if you play a CD on a non computer player there are no music titles? That’s because there isn’t room for music titles.

To get the music off, it has to be reconstituted with a ripper program. It’s not a matter of sliding the CDA file off and playing it.

Some programs allow you to “think” you’re dragging music from the disk by clever management of the graphics, but really, there is a ripper running in the background.

Koz