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OpenAudioCopy

Gaps and hidden audio

A pregap is the section before a track’s main start. A CD player may show a negative time while playing it. Pregaps can contain silence, applause, speech, or music.

In a CUE sheet, INDEX 01 marks the main track start and INDEX 00 marks the pregap start when one is present.

Find the gaps

Section titled “Find the gaps”

Load the disc and choose Action → Detect Gaps. Wait for detection to finish, review the results, and click Apply before extracting.

Creating a CUE sheet also starts detection if the necessary gap or index positions are missing.

Choose where pregap audio goes

Section titled “Choose where pregap audio goes”

Choose a gap setting in the Action menu to place pregap audio at the end of the previous file, at the start of the next file, or leave it out.

Figure 01Pregap placement
Pregap placementTrack 2 has audio before its main start at INDEX 01. Append to previous saves this audio in file 1. Append to next saves it in file 2. Leave out skips it.On the disc12INDEX 00INDEX 01Append Gaps ToPrevious Track12File 1File 2Append Gaps ToNext Track12File 1File 2Leave Out Gaps12File 1File 2
Pregap placementTrack 2 has audio before its main start at INDEX 01. Append to previous saves this audio in file 1. Append to next saves it in file 2. Leave out skips it.On the disc12INDEX 00INDEX 01Append Gaps To Previous Track12File 1File 2Append Gaps To Next Track12File 1File 2Leave Out Gaps12File 1File 2

Striped area: track 2 pregap.

CUE sheets and AccurateRip use the original track positions with all three settings.

First-track hidden audio

Section titled “First-track hidden audio”

Some CDs have music before track 1 normally starts. This is called hidden track one audio, or HTOA. To include it in your copy, detect the gaps, then choose an audio image or Append Gaps To Next Track.

Figure 02Track 1 pregap
Track 1 pregapHidden audio lies before track 1 begins at INDEX 01. Saving an audio image or choosing Append Gaps To Next Track keeps this audio when the drive can read it.INDEX 00INDEX 01Pregap audioTrack 1 audioAudio image / Append Gaps To Next Track
Track 1 pregapHidden audio lies before track 1 begins at INDEX 01. Saving an audio image or choosing Append Gaps To Next Track keeps this audio when the drive can read it.INDEX 00INDEX 01Pregap audioTrack 1 audioAudio image / append to next

Append Gaps To Previous Track leaves out the audio before track 1.

Discs with separate audio sections

Section titled “Discs with separate audio sections”

For CDs with multiple sessions or data tracks between audio sections, OpenAudioCopy creates an audio image and CUE sheet for each continuous audio section.

See Disc images and CUE sheets for the copying procedure.

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