Auto read waveform off CD's

This is a problem I mentioned in one of my other posts.  The player does read and save the waveform data for future use in other CDJ decks however, it seems to be much too slow VIA USB or SD.  The cd/dvd portion reads the track much more quickly and builds a waveform usually within 10-15 seconds the first time it is loaded.  The USB/SD/LINK portion doesn't seem to read ahead at all, resulting in a 'real-time' building of the waveform.  This problem can be 'fixed' in a couple of ways that I've seen or used.  Rekordbox is the first way, by having it analyze your tracks ahead of time, which will save the waveform for instant access to it (this however is full of it's own problems right now and a lot of people are having errors, including me).  What I do is either play the track at home ahead of time so the waveform saves for later use, or if you're playing live already, and you like to scratch like I do, then play like the first 30 seconds of the track without touching anything then cue it back.  the waveform for the 30 seconds will be there allowing you to scratch within that section without affecting the waveform.  As long as you allow the track to play normally from that 30 seconds on, the waveform will build as the track plays.  This applies only to the first time a track is introduced to the player.  Once the waveform data is saved, it's always there. 

The problem is that an MP3 has to be decoded as it is read.  CD-Audio has the advantage of read-ahead because it's simply redbook audio.

If you're using MP3s, run them through Rekordbox and export them to a USB device; all your waveforms will load instantly.

Is it possible to run Mp3's through Rekordbox and then burn them to CD so that the CDJ 2000s can see the waveform before you play it?

I don't want to do it from a HD.

to be clear... I want to burn data CDs with mp3 320s on them, not audio CDs.

@Alex > No, rekordbox and CDs are not combinable technology.

Burn your audio files to CD as CD-Audio not as an MP3 CD - then your waveforms should display instantly.

@Gavin - Did you mean they are NOT compatible?  You said the opposite.

I really can't burn to CD audio - although I wish I could - it ends up being way too much to carry, and a huge waste of CDs.  I know the waveform displays works fine with CD-Audio, but I was hoping for a solution for mp3 data.  No worries if there isn't a solution.  Just let me know (which I think you just tried to do, but your statement was confusing).

@Alex > Correct, they are NOT compatible.

CD-Audio is an uncompressed audio format hence the players do not need to uncompress the audio files to extract the data from them e.g. waveform hence why the waveform builds instantly. If you decide to burn as an MP3 CD then you are burning your files to CD using compression. Therefore, the CDJ needs to uncompress the files to extract the data thus why the waveforms then build in realtime and can't read ahead. Burning as CD-A is the only solution.

Just wanted to say thanks for getting back to me on this... Although the answer is not what I'd have ideally wanted, it led to me finding a solution that I'm satisfied with.

thanks!

@Alex > Can I ask why you are not using USB anyway? Because you still rely on legacy gear?

I'm big enough as a DJ to get to play at venues I've never been to before, but not big enough to have a serious contract with equipment requirements, etc... I have to be compatible with the venue, so data CDs or audio CDs are the only real option, that is unless I want to cart a whole ton of fragile gear with me when I travel. Plus, (and this is silly, but it is what it is) I'm a vinyl DJ convert. I'm used to physical media, and I just don't trust the other options. I've had hard drives fail, laptops go out, etc... And I just prefer the security of CDs.

At home is a different story, and I'll probably start using flash drives (I just need the right connector cable), but even for that, I have a bit of resistance to change my method, because I like to practice with the media I will use live. Call me a fossil if you want to, but in this case, my confidence is more important than convenience. *shrug*

Hey guys, I'm having a similar problem. All was well with my tracks and the waveforms but some have started to disappear all of a sudden? Sometimes the CDJ won't read the waveform either- this hasn't been a problem before. All my equipment is less than two months old, brand new gear. I'm running the Rbox 1.5.4 and have updated my CDJS with the latest firmware, 4.11 I think. All my tracks have been put through Rbox and have been analzyed and exported to USB devices. I've just wiped everything and I'm starting from scratch to see if that helps. Any ideas on what's happening here? Thanks