This may sound dumb, but I don't know what u need that's so special (once u have all your final tracks) to make a cd. I mean can't any multimedia suite, like roxio, do that?
Toast Titanium can do exactly what I'm talking about. CD Architect just did a waaayyyyyyyy better job as far as ease of use to my preference. This is one of those things where it's about getting the program that works right for you individually.
You can "master" in any program with a master output/fader. You can professionally arrange in any CD program that can save all your song info and place track separation in precise locations with fades, fx, ect. Cakewalk Pyro did an ok job of this for me as well.
All these programs I'm listing(CD Architect, Toast Titanium, Cakewalk Pyro)are cheap and not looked upon as "professional" like Bias Peak or
Wavelab, but all the other functionality of programs like those can be done within any DAW using a single stereo track if you're using these to arrange. Apple/Logic has a CD mastering counterpart as well(don't remember the name), it's just the GUI of most mastering software turns me away.
All preference. I've learned I work wierd compared to others, I'm real picky about software I use. But I think that's my age showing. I was originally taught to master using
a Finalizer 96k, a Focusrite EQ, and whatever else needed to be plugged up to fix the song in question. You'd arrange and edit track start/end on a minidisc or ADAT before running a digital opt line from that to a CD Burner(like actual rackmount burner) to make your finalized CD. Things have indeed changed.
