TASCAM CD-A550MKII
21
5 – Playing Back CDs
This chapter explains the playback functions of this
unit’s CD player.
Discs that can be played
This unit’s CD player can play the following types of
discs.
• CD-DA (audio CD) format discs
This unit can play commercially available audio CDs
and CD-R and CD-RW discs that have been recorded in
audio CD format. These discs are called “ audio CDs” in
this manual.
• CD-ROM (data CD) format discs
This unit can play discs that contain MP3 and WAV
files. These discs are called “data CDs” in this manual.
NOTE
MP3 files that can be played include files that have sam-
pling frequencies of 32, 44.1 or 48 kHz, and bit rates of
32 to 320 kbps or variable bit rate (VBR). WAV files that
can be played include files that have sampling frequen-
cies of 8 to 48 kHz and are 8-bit or 16-bit.
CAUTION
MP3 files that use VBR compression
Due to format limitations, positions in VBR files cannot
be accurately detected. For this reason, when using the
call function, the A–B repeat function or other functions
that require points to be set in the middle of tracks, the
points set and the actual playback starting points might
be slightly different.
Data CD folders and tracks
This unit treats all the audio files (WAV and MP3) on
data CDs as “tracks.” Some data CDs store files inside
folders in the same way that ordinary computers do. In
addition, multiple folders can be stored inside another
folder creating a multilevel structure.
This unit assigns a folder number to each folder to
manage them. Folder numbers are assigned sequentially
starting with the first folder at the highest level followed
by the folders (subfolders) inside it. Folders inside a
higher-level folder are numbered in order before the
next folder in the higher-level is numbered as shown in
the illustration below. If the root folder of a data CD
contains one or more audio files, it will be numbered as
the first folder.
Each audio file is also assigned a track number. Track
numbers are assigned in order starting from those in the
lowest numbered folder. During ordinary playback of
data CDs, tracks are played back in the order of their
assigned numbers just like the tracks on an audio CD.
Folders that do not directly contain audio files are not
given numbers. For example, in the illustration below
the folder that contains folder 5 is not given a number.
Folder
MP3/WAV file
An Example of Data CD Structure
Loading a CD
To load a CD, press the
OPEN/CLOSE
key on the main
unit or the remote control to open the disc tray and
place a disc on it with the label side up.
Press the
OPEN/CLOSE
key again to close the disc
tray. After a disc is loaded, this unit reads the disc
information and shows on the display the total number
of tracks and total playback time for an audio CD or the
total number of tracks in the current folder or on the
entire disc for a data CD.
