Why does a CD have a long gap between certain tracks?
pglbook
Posts: 2,222
in Electronics
I have noticed an odd thing on a few CDs I own: the gap (or pre gap silence) from one track to the next can be very long: 1 or 2 or even 3 minutes. Why is this? Has anyone else had this issue? I have only had this happen on 2 or 3 CDs and it only happens between two tracks on the CD (for example, between tracks 6 and 7) and all the other tracks are fine (with the usual few second gap between tracks). But it is an annoying issue when it occurs because the CD player counts down from 1 or 2 or even 3 minutes and there is complete silence until the next track starts. I'd appreciate any feedback on what may be causing this. I am referring to red book (commercial) CDs and not to CD-Rs or burnt CDs.
Comments
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nbrowser: That is a good question and would obviously be a first step in determining if the issue is with the CD itself or with the CD player. Unfortunately, I do not have another CD player at home but I will be able to access another CD player in a day or to check it out. Thanks.
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nbrowser: That is a good question and would obviously be a first step in determining if he issue is with the CD itself or with the CD player. Unfortunately, I do not have another CD player at home but I will be able to access another CD player in a day or to check it out. Thanks.
Got one in your car? -
Ken: The CD player in my car does not work but I do have another CD player at my book shop (my p/t job is selling used/rare books) and I will be going there this week so I will be able to check it at that time.
Has anyone else had this issue occur with any CDs? I have never had it happen until this past year and it has only occurred on 2 or 3 of the 100+ CDs I have played. -
Your optical pickup is hunting, meaning it's having a hard time reading the info. It's an indication of either a dirty lens or that your pickup is going south. You can try to clean the lens by using a Q-Tip and denatured alcohol.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Thanks, F1. I thought of that as well but it seemed strange that it has only done it on 3 CDs, out of the hundreds of CDs I have played in the CD player. And, on those 3 CDs, the long gap of silence is only between 2 tracks, at the same spot every time, which made me think it might have something to do with the CD. Buy, then again, it may be the optical pickup. I will have to try the CD in another CD player and see if the problem travels with the CD.
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Perhaps those discs are starting to rot. Hold them up to a light and look for holes in the reflective layer.Oh, Listen here mister. We got no way of understandin' this world. But we got as much sense of this bird flyin in the sky. Now there is a lot that bird don't know, but it don't change the fact that the world is happening to him all the same. What I am tryin to say is, is that the course of your life, well its changing, and you don't even see it- Forest Bondurant
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Demo CD's have cuts set up that way. They isolate specific cuts from the others with a blank cut in between so a disc jockey doesn't accidentally play a wrong cut or forget to stop it and have a second song start below the intended.
Another thing you'll see sometimes on collections from labels, is that they'll have a variety of country artists in a batch, then a blank cut like your describing, then the pop stuff separately. Again, trying to setup for not having errors by the user that's not paying attention.
Are they white jacket and maybe plain bold black print?
CJA so called science type proudly says... "I do realize that I would fool myself all the time, about listening conclusions and many other observations, if I did listen before buying. That’s why I don’t, I bought all of my current gear based on technical parameters alone, such as specs and measurements."
More amazing Internet Science Pink Panther wisdom..."My DAC has since been upgraded from Mark Levinson to Topping." -
Thanks, F1. I thought of that as well but it seemed strange that it has only done it on 3 CDs, out of the hundreds of CDs I have played in the CD player. And, on those 3 CDs, the long gap of silence is only between 2 tracks, at the same spot every time, which made me think it might have something to do with the CD. Buy, then again, it may be the optical pickup. I will have to try the CD in another CD player and see if the problem travels with the CD.
Some CD's or SACD's won't play right. For example, disc 1 of The Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden, which played fine when I bought it all of a sudden wouldn't play right, but disc 2 played fine. So, I bought a second copy, both discs played fine when new, but now disc 1 will not play right. They are not getting my money a third time.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk
