I'm finishing an important project for commercial release and the (US) pressing plant has asked for a DDP format master. I haven't exported to DDP before and have discovered that Waveburner is extremely buggy when it comes to DDP export, so much so, that I feel I can't use it.

Unfortunately the project is a live concert with subtle cross fades, so it's going to mean a complete rebuild.

I'm exploring bouncing the complete audio from Waveburner and then entering codes, text and indexes in Sonoris DDP Creator which I've just downloaded.

Anyone else mastering to DDP on a Mac? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Bob

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www.bickerton.co.nz

Peak Studio does this very well.

I use Wavelab Bob.

Loopy

Quote Urthlupe:

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I use Wavelab Bob.

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I'm All Ears.

Here we go again - You don't have to waste £500 just to create a poxy DDP!

Reaper!

Yes, Reaper does a DDP. It does not burn from a DDP or Burn a DDP (yet - this is due soon!) but it can create a DDP and burn in something else to test.

It doesn't stop, does it? Reaper is taking the doughnuts out of the beaks of ProTools, Logic etc., and now all that mastering stuff that is hopelessly overpriced!

I don't think £500 for possibly the most versatile editor (bar SADiE) is overpriced.

I remember when the DDP plug in was over £1500 by itself.

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I'm All Ears.

Quote The Red Bladder:

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It does not burn from a DDP or Burn a DDP (yet - this is due soon!) but it can create a DDP and burn in something else to test.

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Hmmm... sounds like beta to me!

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I'm All Ears.

Edited by ken long (28/01/12 10:37 AM)

Well, I haven't tried it myself yet, but it is there, with logo from DCA etc.

I've just had a go and you may be right! Not proper mastering at all! Soon, no doubt!

Quote The Red Bladder:

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Well, I haven't tried it myself yet, but it is there, with logo from DCA etc.

I've just had a go and you may be right! Not proper mastering at all! Soon, no doubt!

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Yes, all in favour of cheaper software BUT not in favour of false economies. Apple (Waveburner), which Bob uses, was fast to promote DDP integration but as with all things...

Now look! Waveburner discontinued by Apple! They may try and integrate with new version of Logic BUT the damage is done, as far as I am concerned.

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I'm All Ears.

DDP is bundled in with Sequoia, which I use.

Where are you in NZ Bob?

I know a guy in Auckland that I could put you in touch with - not sure what he has, but he has the contacts in NZ that may be able to help.

It may be possible to export a master wav and make the DDP in another DAW ???

Anyway .....

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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

Sonoris - about £200. http://www.sonorissoftware.com/catalog/index.php

This guy has DDP tools for free - no idea if they are good, bad or brilliant, but worth a try -

http://ddp.andreasruge.de/

For what it's worth (not much!) I avoid DDP like the plague, as you can't get a customer to sign a DDP file and I need that signature on a dated CD or similar, before I do anything! And I need the rep. plant to be able to send me the signed CD back in case of dispute. You can send all the DDPs on Planet Earth, but I want my CDs made from a master that carries a signature and a date.

Has anyone used Audiofile Wave Editor?

Seems to offer DDP functionality for only $79(US)..

Sadie6 free 30 day trial?

Hugh

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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound

Quote Hugh Robjohns:

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Sadie6 free 30 day trial?

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Hugh, you pusher!



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I'm All Ears.

Wave Editor for mac. Free trial.

Thanks Everyone

That's a nice conglomeration of answers! But I'll answer myself first!

Quote Bob Bickerton:

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I haven't exported to DDP before and have discovered that Waveburner is extremely buggy when it comes to DDP export, so much so, that I feel I can't use it.

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Having spent the day working on this, I bounced the complete audio from Waveburner, tweaked some of the index point positions which appeared to have moved slightly in the bounce and then exported this complete file to DDP. I then imported the DDP into Sonoris where I could assess the project and apart from a couple of text issues (DDP requires MCN code not UPC code, 13 versus 12 digits, you add a '0' on the front of the UPC to get MCN, also Waveburner placed the ISRC code against all index points instead of just the first), the DDP file seems error free.

I was then able to export the new DDP file and burn a CDR master off this to test its sonic accuracy. So all seems well, but I'm holding my breath until the pressing plant responds.

Quote ken long:

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Now look! Waveburner discontinued by Apple! They may try and integrate with new version of Logic BUT the damage is done, as far as I am concerned.

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That's a worry Ken, I really like Waveburner's flexibility for compiling an album and applying mastering plug-ins either to individual tracks or across the whole album and it seems to integrate very well with my UAD plugs. Hopefully they'll reintroduce it in a coming version of Logic.

Quote John Willett:

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I know a guy in Auckland that I could put you in touch with - not sure what he has, but he has the contacts in NZ that may be able to help.
It may be possible to export a master wav and make the DDP in another DAW ???

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Thanks John, that's effectively what I did. I live in Nelson.

Quote The Red Bladder:

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For what it's worth (not much!) I avoid DDP like the plague, as you can't get a customer to sign a DDP file and I need that signature on a dated CD or similar, before I do anything! And I need the rep. plant to be able to send me the signed CD back in case of dispute. You can send all the DDPs on Planet Earth, but I want my CDs made from a master that carries a signature and a date.

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That's an interesting view Bladder and I've always worked with master CDRs previously. I guess in terms of sign off you would need to be very clear about tagging your final DDP and burning your 'sign off' CDR from this............

Quote Hugh Robjohns:

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Sadie6 free 30 day trial?

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Isn't Sadie still Windows only? I work on the dark side.........................

Thanks everyone else for suggestions, free trials are certainly a boon in these situations.

I think I'll continue to work with CDR masters in the meantime, but I can see the advantage of the 'ultimate control' of DDP, especially with MD5 checking.

If Waveburner is indeed discontinued, I'll need to buy into a sophisticated mastering programme that will enable me to access my UAD plugs.

Thanks

Bob

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www.bickerton.co.nz

Quote Bob Bickerton:

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Quote Hugh Robjohns:

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Sadie6 free 30 day trial?

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Isn't Sadie still Windows only? I work on the dark side.........................

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I thought Windows was the dark side.........

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John - Sound-Link ProAudio
President - Federation Internationale des Chasseurs de Sons

Me too!

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PA stuff on FB

I was unduly being kind....................

Bob

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www.bickerton.co.nz

Sad news that Waveburner's being dropped. It's a very useful tool, I love it ... now that it's stable!
I'm still on the version bundled with Logic 8

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PA stuff on FB

Quote Bob Bickerton:

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That's an interesting view Bladder and I've always worked with master CDRs previously. I guess in terms of sign off you would need to be very clear about tagging your final DDP and burning your 'sign off' CDR from this...........

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It once happened to me that the artist sent the label a test mix and the label printed that and not the master. When the artist created hell, the label came to me wanting all the money for a repressing on the grounds that I had sent them the wrong CD!

As it was, I asked them to produce the master, signed and dated by the artist - and then they realised that they had managed to muddle up the two CDs. Now imagine what would have happened if the label had a DDP? I would have been several thousands out of pocket and the label would have continued to think that it was my fault and that it served me right!

Exactly how do you take a DDP into a court of law and make it stand up?

I guess first up each DDP file generated needs to have a unique code/tag. You'd generate a CDR tagged with that code for the client to sign off. You'd then email the (correct) DDP to the pressing plant, and emails do stand up in court, but that would not be an issue if you only sent the plant one DDP.

Actually your scenario would not have happened if you were using DDP! Not that I'm particularly endorsing it.

Bob

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www.bickerton.co.nz

Not really necessary.

Generate a checksum for the DDP file, send it over, client verifies checksum and sends you back the hash. Data integrity and receipt in one fell swoop.

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I'm All Ears.