The file size issue could possibly be attributed to the extra information held in the file header of the .pmi file - audio is only a part of this file, whereas, the imported CD stuff is pretty well all audio.
The imported CD-image also contains the CD-Text, ISRC, PQ data and UPC/EAN info and only differs from the PMI file in terms of structure. The only way to compare the file sizes between image and re-loaded CD is when you have everything working properly...and use a 'known to be good' CD-writer...
In order to do a true null test, you have to carefully line up the files. Look for some distinctive waveform and zoom in a lot, and then drag one file or the other until they are perfectly lined up.
Transients are best. If you are even one sample out it won't null. Try using the 'Nudge' functions to move the selected clip in one sample increments. My apologies if your CD consists of soft gongs for an hour...
You do know that you have to flip the polarity of the Left and the Right clips for one group or the other, by right clicking on the clip and selecting Properties and then finding the field to do the inversion. If you only do this once, even though you might have both left and right selected, it will only affect the clip you clicked on, so you have to do it for both
Wrong. There is a hierarchy in the 'Properties' window. 'Media' is the lowest level and is read-only. 'Clip' is next and will only affect the last clip you clicked on. Finally, there's 'Selection' where what ever selection you have made in the timeline will be affected by the choices made in the 'Selection' area of the 'Properties' window.
As for the time discrepancy, Audio CD is remarkably imprecise, as it was never designed to be accurate below the CD frame level. You may very well find that there is extra material at the beginning or end of your imported CD data, which is why you have to visually line up the two sources.
This is just as much a function of having a crap CD-writer/reader. Can I get a 'Plextor!' from the congregation??!!
For the most part, the extra material on the CD is from the lead in or lead out, and is not audible to the listener, so it's not really a huge worry.
Again, poor extraction from a crap CD-drive can lead to missing ISRC, etc. and/or CD markers in the wrong places (especially track end markers, if they make it at all...) Part of a null test is checking the PQ markers, etc., to see if they 'null' or not.
What is at issue is whether your program material nulls out perfectly or not.
Of course that's part of it, but marker placement and CD-Text, etc. are very important as well.
If you do all this and find you have a bunch of errors, then you need to start looking at your burner and the media you're using. Some burners are better than others, and usually every burner performs best with certain brands/kinds of media, as well as at certain burn speeds. It's no longer accurate to say that the best way to burn is to use slower burning speeds - it's all determined by the individual burner and media.
From (you guessed it) Plextor tech support a couple of years ago: "CD Writers are 'tuned' for half of the max. burn speed of that particular writer." My own experience is that 16x is the max. write speed that *all* of my CD-players will reliably work with. That's from no-name junk to EMM Labs quality. Your mileage may vary.
Media? Taiyo Yuden. It's a good combo with <cough> Plextor drives.
You could download the LE version of PlexTools Pro that is available at the Plextor site, which can help you examine disks for errors,
Not without a compatible Plextor drive you won't. It's the 'C1/C2' tests that you really want and that's where you'll need an appropriate burner with that brand name I'm almost sick of mentioning.
Now there are the Lite-On drives with their 'K-Probe' software that also apparently reports C1/C2 errors. I say 'apparently,' because I've never gotten it to work properly. Also, the Lite-On drives are crap in my not so humble opinion. I went through three of them before I smartened up.
I spend enough of my time dealing with the idiosyncracies of Pyramix to also want to scratch my head about flakey CD-writing/reading.
Best,
Graemme
