The relatively recently appeared FLAC audio format among users and especially true music lovers has become incredibly popular because it offers a much higher sound quality compared to everyone else by recording the original sound material without compression and without loss of quality. No wonder it is still sometimes referred to as lossless. Despite all its advantages, which will be discussed later, there are several problems, in particular, due to the fact that not all household players are capable of reproducing it. That is why you have to convert the FLAC format to the Audio CD format. In turn, the CDA standard (audio track format) is recognized by absolutely everyone, even hopelessly outdated players. We will talk about how to perform the simplest recording operations. And you can use several basic options for this. But first, let's see what this sound format is, and why it is preferred.
FLAC format: what is it and why is it better to use it?
The popularity of this format is primarily due to, as mentioned above, high sound quality. Even compared to the still popular MP3, which, in essence, is file compression through compression with reduced sound characteristics, FLAC offers audio with a bitrate of 1400 kbps and higher. For comparison: the format of a regular audio disc has the same bit rate, and MP3 is only 320 kbps at maximum. Thus, writing FLAC to an Audio CD is nothing more than a usual format change without changing the sound parameters, but the currently used recording methods make it possible to abandon bulky players. What can I say? Even mobile devices support FLAC.
Which drive is better to choose?
Sometimes you have to choose the appropriate "discs" for recording. It should be based on the fact that FLAC format files can be quite impressive in size, so you need to choose a disk of the appropriate size. On the other hand, in its original form, files of this format are integral and inseparable (additional objects of the CUE format are responsible for the order of individual tracks and tracks). Thus, when speaking about how to write FLAC to an Audio CD, you need to consider the type of disc so as not to deal with unnecessary splitting of files into parts.
Since even a DVD standard disc can be recorded in the format of a regular audio disc, there is absolutely no problem, double-layer discs can be used for large files. Bilateral ones are not suitable, since it will not work to split the file into parts without first changing the format.
How to burn FLAC to Audio CD: the easiest method
As you probably already understand, you can record in the simplest way by directly copying files to an empty disk.
In this case, both the FLAC audio file and the accompanying CUE component must be copied, without which the distribution of the tracks, if you need to quickly jump from one track to another, will be impossible (in this case you will have to fast-forward or rewind, which looks extremely inconvenient).
How to burn Audio CD from FLAC format using burning programs ?
It is believed that the best option for recording is the use of specialized programs for recording (burning) discs in which you can set different output formats. You can find a lot of such applications today, but the most popular are software packages like Nero Burning ROM (Nero Express), CDburner XP, and the like.
Any such program for recording FLAC on an Audio CD uses the same principles, and the actions performed by the user are practically no different.
After starting the application and inserting an empty disk into the drive, you must select your preferred final format in the music section (in our case, this is an audio Audio CD).
After that, you need to add files using the appropriate button and indicate their location on the hard drive or removable media. Please note that the accompanying file with the list of tracks does not need to be added on its own, as it will be pulled up automatically. Further, the matter remains small. You will need to indicate the name of the project, select your preferred recording speed and activate burning.
What should be considered when recording?
How to record FLAC on an Audio CD, a little understood. Now let's dwell a little on some of the nuances that should be considered before starting burning, and which many users often simply do not pay attention to. First of all, it concerns the choice of recording speed. From the list of available options, it is better to choose the smallest. If the drive and disk support burning at a speed of 2x, this is the best option. If there is no such support, choose the very minimum that is (usually 4x). By setting this parameter, you can avoid errors during recording and reduce sound quality.
Another point is related to the activation of the data verification mode at the end of burning. Do not disdain using these two actions, although the total time spent on all operations can significantly increase.
Pre-Conversion Issues
Now a few words about how to make an Audio CD from FLAC if the accompanying track-leveling file is not pulled (in this case, the project will be recorded as a single file converted from FLAC to CDA).
In such a situation, the easiest way is to use pre-conversion, but you need to use only those programs in which it is possible to convert the original format to another with division into audio tracks (for example, Switch Sound Converter). At the end of the conversion, recording to the "blank" can be done using the methods described above.
Note: when choosing a converter, pay special attention to the parameters for converting one format to another, so as not to get a significant decrease in the quality of the original audio material. As a means of conversion, and a recording tool, you can even use some software players. In this regard, the VLC player looks very attractive.
Using audio editors
Finally, let's see how to convert FLAC to Audio CD using sound editors (of course, provided that they support processing of this format, and you have the necessary skills to work with such software). One of the easiest is the Cool Edit Pro program, now available as an updated Adobe Audition software product.
In the application, it is enough to open the file and immediately indicate the characteristics of the audio conversion. Then the tracks can be cut from the original file and saved as separate objects. You can do it even easier by writing the project directly to disk (if the function in your program is provided for) with the choice of the desired final format.
Note: not all applications of this type support the maximum bitrate for the format, so choose the highest with a sound depth of 32 bits and save, if necessary, intermediate objects only in the WAV format. In some ways, it resembles conventional conversion with subsequent recording, however, if desired, you can add a lot of additional effects to the original tracks or equalize them all in volume if the project is created from several files with different sound parameters.
In addition to this program, you can use many other professional editors like Sony SoundForge, ACID Pro, etc.
Conclusion
How to record FLAC on an Audio CD, I hope that many have already figured out. As for the preferred method or the software used for these purposes, it is best to use programs for burning, since pre-conversion takes longer and the final formats can vary significantly in playback quality. Some people think that you can convert the FLAC format directly to CDA files. Alas, it is impossible to do this with all the desire, since objects of the final format are created exclusively during the recording process. In the same way, there is absolutely no point in copying the original CDA audio tracks from the audio disc while saving them to the hard drive for further playback. Such files will not play! And converting them to another type of audio directly from the hard drive also fails. So keep that in mind.