Optical technology such as CDs and DVDs has paved the way for cheaper, easier, and more stable distribution of musical material and other data. The fact remains that CDs are, unfortunately, not ideal source material for replication. Such tools that will lead you to the creation of standardized premastering CDs (or PMCDs) are essential if you really want pristine copies of your work to be created for distribution. One option to do just this would be the use of Sonic Studio PreMaster CD 1.3.2, which is one of Sonic Studio's products about to be showcased at the 127th AES 2009 convention.

PreMaster CD 1.3.2 opens AIFF, WAV, BWF and SD2 stereo files, and performs editing, sequencing, and provision of PQ support. Despite being priced at approximately a third of the more fully featured soundBlade, it still runs on the same engine for that audio fidelity Sonic Studio has been very proud of as well as features the same NGC interface that Sonic Studio users are very much familiar with. While Premaster CD is running, it creates what is termed as "CD refs" in the background to free up your Mac system to do other work.

KEY FEATURES:/p>

• Saves to DCA’s DDP, the Disc Description Protocol format specifically for replication
• Fast, easy editing with advanced Smart Fade Tool
• Breakpoint-based gain adjustment tool helps even out track–to–track amplitude
• Opens AIFF, WAV, BWF & SD2 44.1 kHz interleaved files at 16 to 24 bits
• Provides essential PQ editing, including UPC/EAN and ISRC
• Background Sample Rate Conversion to 44K
• Automatically generates & validates PQ subcodes in real time
• Automatically creates CD Text for DDP and for CD
• Creates CD-DA–formatted Orange Book “audio” CD-Rs in the background
• CD-R “check discs” support CD Text including album title & artist, track name & artist
• Automatically creates track name & artist from Project metadata
• Re–sequencing CD Tracks is just drag & drop
• Saves version 2-compliant DDP image file sets
• Navigate with convenient Mark Info pop–up
• Tape transport–like direct Transport Controls
• Keep track of your noise floor with premastering–optimized meters
• Produces industry standard Sonic Studio PQ log files for your duplication house
• No additional hardware required-plays back through Core Audio
• Leverages our SSE playback engine for unprecedented fidelity
• Clean, uncluttered, easy to navigate NGC user interface
• Optionally opens DDP file sets for rework & repurposing
• Optionally supports NoNOISE FixIt, affordable restoration
• Optionally supports Manual DeClick II, the gold standard of audio restoration
• Optionally supports nexStage DSD Converter
• OS 10-native for Mac OS 10.4.3 or newer

Sonic Studio PreMaster CD ensures that your premastered CDs are standardized, consistent, and will provide those pristine and faultless copies out of your distributor without incident. Pricing for the Sonic Studio PreMaster CD 1.3.2 is TBA.