A/D and B/C double albums
What it is
Some older double albums were pressed for record changers, so a stack of two discs could play the whole album with fewer trips to the turntable. Disc 1 carries sides A and D; disc 2 carries B and C. Record them one disc at a time — side A, flip, side D, then the second disc — and your file runs A, D, B, C, while the tracklist reads A, B, C, D.
The box
On "What album is this?", tick A/D and B/C double album recording before you search. We put the tracklist into the order your file plays, cut it, and then put the album back: your files come out numbered 1 to the end in the album's own order, with disc 1 and disc 2 as the album lists them.
Record the whole album in one file, in playing order — A, D, B, C.
How we check
When the listing has four sides, A to D, and a length for every track, we check the cuts against the song lengths. If they fit poorly, we try the album in the other order. If that order fits far better, we stop and show a card. It works both ways: a box left unticked on an A/D and B/C pressing, or ticked on an album that plays straight through.
What to do
When the box was left unticked:
- Cut it as A/D B/C. We tick the box for you and cut the album in that order.
- Keep the listed order. We cut it as listed.
When the box was ticked:
- Use the listed order. We untick the box for you and cut the album as listed.
- Keep A/D B/C order. We cut it as you set it.
Start over is on both, back to the beginning. Your choice holds while you work on this album.
When we can't check
- When the listing doesn't show four sides, A to D, or a track has no length. With nothing to measure, the box is all we have — so it's worth getting right.
- When the lengths can't be made to fit at all in the order you chose. You'll see the "Track lengths don't match" card instead, with no offer of the other order — if the album might be A/D and B/C, flip the box and try again.
- Three-record sets pressed the same way (A/F, B/E, C/D). We don't handle those yet.
What we never do
We never re-order an album on our own — the box, or your click on the card, decides. We never move your cuts to make an order fit, and we never alter your recording. Everything happens on your Mac; the only thing that leaves it is the lookup of the album's listing.
Still need help? hit us up.