Radio & Audio: Frequently Asked Questions

Students in the radio studio
Photo/Rebecca Castillo

How do I burn a CD, audio and data?

To burn a CD in the radio lab, you have two options: Disc Burner and Toast.
For Disc Burner, insert a blank CD. Name it and open the CD in the finder. Drag files and/or folders into the CD window. When the files are finished copying, drag the CD to the trash. A window will pop up asking if you want to burn the disc.
Toast is a more comprehensive app. It has a simple interface. Open the program. Choose the type of CD you want to burn Audio or Data. Audio CDs play in regular CD players. Do not burn MP3 CDs unless you plan on using it in a CD player that can play MP3s. Also, MP3 are a compressed format so the audio quality is inferior. Data CDs like the ones created with Disc Burner store files that can be accessed from the CD-ROM drive in most computers but will not play in Audio CD players.

How do I backup my work?

You can use CDs (as described in the FAQ above) external hard drives including iPods, and flash drives. Some hard drives plug in through USB others Firewire. Each Radio Station has a Firewire and USB cable attached and available on the top of the desk. Most USB flash drives can be attached through the keyboard. The computers in the lab only support USB 1.1 so transfer times with USB devices is slow. Drives should be formatted for FAT32 to support both Mac and PC Ask a member of the tech staff for recommendations before purchasing a backup device.

I can't hear Pro Tools through the speakers.

Make sure the speakers are turned on.

Make sure “Main Mix” level is turned up.

Turn up the gain for the Pro Tools channel on the mixer. Make sure the “Main Mix” button is selected under “source.”

Do you see audio levels?

Make sure no channels are soloed and that the Pro Tools channel is not muted.

How to I bounce a file?