[comp.ivideodisc] Comparison of CD-ROM and "music" CD formats; Where can I find it?

dnb@fltk.UUCP (David Buonomo) (02/23/90)

About 3-6 months ago I came across a posting that compared CD-ROM to "music"
CD's.  It pointed out the differences between the two and explained why it
was difficult/impossible to make a player that could handle both.  Does anyone
out there still have a copy that you could e-mail me?  If not, does anyone
know who posted it?  Thanks in advance for any help with this.

David Buonomo
Filetek
Rockville, Maryland
...!uunet!fltk!dnb

fsfacca@avelon.lerc.nasa.gov (Tony Facca) (02/27/90)

In article <386@fltk.UUCP> dnb@fltk.UUCP (David Buonomo) writes:

>About 3-6 months ago I came across a posting that compared CD-ROM to "music"
>CD's.  It pointed out the differences between the two and explained why it
>was difficult/impossible to make a player that could handle both.  Does anyone
>out there still have a copy that you could e-mail me?  If not, does anyone
>know who posted it?  Thanks in advance for any help with this.
 

Sorry I can't help with the details you are looking for, but I was just out
at the local Sun office last week and they have an (as yet unreleased?) CD
ROM player that does both.  It also has an output jack for speakers, which
the guys had hooked up to some Sony bookshelf speakers.  So, while we were
running through a graphics application, we were listening to "Abbey Road" --
CD quality.  So, its not "impossible".


--
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Tony Facca                     |     phone: 216-433-8318
NASA Lewis Research Center     |    
Cleveland, Ohio  44135         |     email: fsfacca@lerc08.lerc.nasa.gov 
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kg19+@andrew.cmu.edu (Kurt A. Geisel) (02/27/90)

What I'd be interested in is whether a "music CD" (perhaps with Sun's
drive) can be indexed and read just like a data CD by the computer.
If you have to switch between "music" node and data mode, this
probably isn't possible.  If it IS possible, a sample-based musical
instrument could "load" sounds directly off CDs without the DAC/ADC
path.

- Kurt
Kurt Geisel                       SNAIL :
Carnegie Mellon University            65 Lambeth Dr.
ARPA : kg19+@andrew.cmu.edu           Pittsburgh, PA 15241
UUCP : uunet!nfsun!kgeisel  "We just need to short-circuit the continuum on a
BIX  : kgeisel               5 or 6 parsec level."  - Forbidden Planet

ellisond@phobos.UUCP (Dell Ellison) (02/28/90)

In article <386@fltk.UUCP>, dnb@fltk.UUCP (David Buonomo) writes:
> About 3-6 months ago I came across a posting that compared CD-ROM to "music"
> CD's.  It pointed out the differences between the two and explained why it
> was difficult/impossible to make a player that could handle both.  Does anyone...
                                                                                 
I didn't see that article, but                                                   
I have seen several different CD-ROM drives that could also play "music" CD's.
They don't have all the features that the music CD players have, though.

(I had read an article more than a year ago that said something about this.
They said something about how a "music" CD player would not have to do all the
seeks required of CD-ROM.  It would just have to continuously read in the data.
etc, etc...
But, I have definitely seen several that do both.)

poggio@apple.com (Andy Poggio) (02/28/90)

It is true that most recent CD-ROM drives (Apple's, Sun's, and many 
others) can both read CD-ROM discs and play CD audio discs.  Apple's drive 
can also use "mixed mode" discs, reading the CD-ROM track and playing the 
CD audio tracks (but not at the same time).  If you are an official Apple 
developer*, you will have received such a disc.

The original poster, though, wanted to read CD audio data and instead of 
playing it, transfer the digitized audio over the computer interface (SCSI 
in Apple's drive) into his Mac or whatever.  Of the drives I know (20 or so 
including Apple's and Sun's), none will do this.  It is not technically 
impossible, of course.  But no manufacturer seems to provide it for now.

Some time ago, I posted a 5 part technical summary of CD audio, CD-ROM, 
formats, and how it all works.  If there is interest, I can do so again -- 
I would prefer posting to individual requests.  Thanks.

--andy (poggio@apple.com)

*  I know this question will come up so I'll answer it here:  if you want 
to become an official Apple developer, call (408) 996-1010 and ask for 
Developer Services.

schear@ttidca.TTI.COM (Steve Schear) (03/03/90)

I too have been looking for a drive which would provide the digital version of
the music through some sort of standard interface.  For some time, I thought
that the recording industry and the CD mfgs. had struck some sort of deal to
keep this type device off the market (similar to the DAT controversy).  Recently,
however, I found that a number of CD audio players will output the audio track
in a standard digital format (the standard name escapes me at the moment) for
connection to receivers which can process digital audio directly.  I hope
this helps.