How to Use the Multimedia Stations in Parlin 104A

The CWRL has two multimedia stations in Parlin 104A. CWRL instructors desiring to work on the multimedia stations should first contact AD Woo Yeom (auden@mail.utexas.edu) to have accounts set up in their name.

This master guide aims to provide instructors with a basic orientation to the array of programs available on the multimedia stations. Instructors may not know, for example, that they can create interactive, multimedia teaching materials that integrate text, sound, graphics, and video with such professional-quality programs as Director or Premier. While it does not purport to be comprehensive, the guide does bring together multimedia software tutorials and ideas on how to use the software to enhance both classroom pedagogy and professional development.

If you have created professional development or teaching materials using multimedia software, please share the materials with the CWRL by contacting an AD or developer.

To mount the Transfer, Admin, or Developer volumes on the multimedia station, go to Go > Connect to Server, type in <smb://syverson>, select desired volume, and type in Teacher folder password.

Making Audio

Broadly, making audio involves three main steps: importing, manipulating and burning audio tracks. Each of the three applications below features one or a combination of these capabilities. Briefly, you can use iTunes to import and burn and Peak, to import, manipulate and burn. To burn an audio CD, you may use either the multimedia stations or the iMacs; alternatively, you may check out a CD-burner to use on PCs.

iTunes (available on Macs as well as multimedia stations)

iTunes is Apple’s contribution to CD-burning software. Unlike other burning applications such as Peak 4 (see below), iTunes is strictly for importing and burning audio files. You can also use iTunes to listen to Net-based radio stations. To listen to CDs or Net Radio, however, you may use any Mac.

Note that the default format for iTunes when importing is Advanced Audio Coding (AAC). If you wish to import in a different file format, such as Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF), MP3 or WAV, go to iTunes > Preferences > Import and select your preferred format encoder from the Import Using pop-up menu. Note also that the default format for iTunes when burning is AIFF.

You can also convert already imported files in your Library from one format to another while retaining the original file. For example, you can save a copy of an uncompressed song file such as AIFF or WAV in a compressed song format such as MP3 or AAC. If you choose to convert from a compressed to an uncompressed file format, you shouldn't notice any reduction in sound quality. However, when converting between compressed formats, you may notice a reduction in sound quality. For the best results, if you want your audio encoded in a different file format, you should import the audio again from the original source using the new encoding format.

A tutorial is available on burning CDs with iTunes. For more information, consult the tutorial on the Help menu.

Peak 4

Peak 4 is a multipurpose digital audio capture program. You can use it to import, edit and burn digital audio tracks (cassette as well as CD) and encode MP3's, RealAudio and Shockwave files.

Help is available from the Peak Tech Support Site and the downloadable User's Guide (.pdf).

Making Movies

Digital Video Camcorders
The CWRL owns two digital video camcorders available for instructor use. To borrow a video camera, create a meeting on the Calendar Server and pick up the camera from in FAC 8.

iMovie (available on Macs as well as the multimedia station)
iMovie is an application that lets you edit your video footage and enhance it with sound (using iTunes), photos (using iPhoto) and text. You can also share your movie in a variety of formats: view it full-screen on your computer in iMovie; use iDVD to publish it on DVD and view it with any standard DVD player; or copy it back to a tape in your camcorder, then view it on your TV or record it onto VHS. iMovie saves only in QuickTime format (as a .mov extension). While all CWRL Macs and PCs possess this player application, some of your students may not. Therefore, you may want to provide them with this link to the Apple QuickTime Download.

Brief instructions are available on importing and editing video footage using iMovie, as well as sharing your movie in QuickTime format on the web (using Dreamweaver MX or HTML). For further information on editing, enhancing and sharing your movie, consult the iMovie tutorial on the Help menu or the iMovie 3 website.

Adobe Premier 6.0
Adobe Premier 6.0 is a professional-quality digital editing program to produce and manipulate video, film, multimedia, and Web content. Because it is a classic application (it works only on Mac OS9), you will may choose to create your movie in iMovie or Final Cut Express instead.

Resources and tutorials are available at Adobe's Premiere Support page.

Final Cut Pro 4
Like iMovie but more sophisticated, Final Cut Pro is a movie-making application that combines stylish editing, compositing, effects and audio tools with a broad range of formats, frame rates and resolutions.

For more information, consult the Final Cut Pro website.

Cinema Tools 2 (for Final Cut Pro 4)
A database that tracks the relationship between your original film and sound with its digitized counterpart in Final Cut Pro 4, Cinema Tools provides the vital link between your original film negative and your digital video edits. Help can be found on the Cinema Tools Support website.

iDVD
iDVD is an application that lets you design and create your own DVDs. Start with the movies you created with iMovie, Final Cut Pro, or any other application that exports movies in QuickTime format. Then use iDVD and its built-in themes to design the menus and buttons you'll use to access the movies on the DVD. You can use the iMedia browsers to import content from iTunes, iPhoto, and iMovie directly into your iDVD projects. You can even use iDVD to create a DVD slideshow from your digital pictures or other still images. Once you have designed your DVD, iDVD creates the disc using your SuperDrive (a drive that writes DVDs; it is the top drive on the CPU). The result is a DVD that can be played using most consumer DVD players and computers with DVD drives.

Remember that before you can create a DVD, you need to assemble your images in iMovie or Final Cut Pro and be sure your movies are in the right format for iDVD. All movies in QuickTime format except MPEG files, QuickTime VR, and Sprites can be added to an iDVD project. For best results, export your movies as QuickTime files that are in DV (digital video) format.

Brief instructions are available on sharing your movie in iDVD. For more information, consult the iDVD tutorial on the Help menu or the iDVD website.

Attachment	Size
13 Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Even.m4a	804.2 KB

Screen Shots and Scanning

Screen Shots On the Mac

Use the keyboard combination Command-Shift-3 to take a picture of the entire screen that will be copied to the Mac hard drive.

To isolate a smaller, rectangular section, use the combination Command-shift-4, and then drag a square with your mouse to the proportions you need, and you will hear a picture being taken which will likewise be copied to your hard drive.

Macs save screen shots as PICT files, and will not open in Photoshop if you simply double-click on the file. In order to open the image, you must:

1. Open Photoshop
2. Go to File | Open
3. Choose the PICT File type from the pull down menu

Screen Shots On the PC

Select Alt-Print Screen to take a picture of the active window and copy it to the Clipboard.

Then just paste (Control-V) it into whatever application you are using.

There are also a number of more sophisticated screen shot utilities available as freeware or shareware on the web. These allow you to view and edit your screenshots, and have other helpful features.

Scanning

Scanning in the CWRL is a very simple process. All classrooms are now equiped with new Epson Perfection 1660 Photo scanners; Parlin 6 has two -- one for Mac users and one for PC users. The scanners are not hooked up to the network. To determine which computer the scanner is hooked up to, simply follow the USB cable out of the back of the scanner to the computer.

The scanners have one-touch features, which provide you with the ability to place the document you want scanned into the scanning bay, and press one of the four buttons on the front of the scanner: scan, print, email, publish on web. The large button on the left, will scan the document onto the computer so you can manipulate it.

Because of the network, however, you will most likely want to scan documents directly into Photoshop 7, which can be found in All Applications folders on both the Macs and MCs.

When placing your document on the scanner, be sure the document is face down and aligned with the top right, as shown below:

Scanning an image into Photoshop 7

1. Open Photoshop 7.
2. Go to File | Import | EPSON TWAIN 5...
3. 
4. The following window will then pop up on your screen, asking you if you want to scan in Full Auto mode or in Manual Mode. Full auto mode is the fastest mode, as whatever you place in the scanner will be scanned in to the computer. If you want to select only a small portion of what you have placed in the scanner, then use Manual Mode. In Manual Mode you can preview your scan and make specific adjustments based on what you are scanning.
5. 
6. 4. If you select Full Auto Mode, you will see the following window, informing you that the computer is scanning an image.
7. 
8. If you decide to scan in Manual Mode, you will see the following window, which has selections for:
9. previewing the image before you scan it
10. adjusting the source size
11. adjusting the scale
12. adjusting the image type and other configuration settings
13. returning to full auto mode
14. 
15. After you have set all of your settings, press the Preview button. The following window will pop up, informing you that it is previewing the document and determining if it is an image or text file or both.
16. 
17. A pre-scanning window will then pop up on your sceen, and gradually the document you want scan will appear begind it. In this case, a CD was scanned in.
18. 
19. After the scanner is finsihed pre-scanning, you will have the ability to select the entire image or just a portion of it to scan in to your computer. To select both the whole image and just a portion, position your cursor over the image, click and hold on the mouse (left click when using a PC), and drag over the entire region you want scanned. You will see a dotted line around the area that will scan. When you are finished, press the Scan button. You will see the same scanning window shown in step 4.
20. 
21. When the computer is finished scanning your image, the image will appear in a window in Photoshop. Depending on your settings, the image may be quite large, like the one below. Notice that in this case even thought the image is large, it is being displayed at 50% of its actual size. In short, the image is actual twice as big as what you are seeing on your screen.
22. If you select the Zoom tool from the Tools menu, and click on the image, you'll see it grow to its actual size. (Note: If the image is larger than the window, expand the window to fit the image. The actual size of the image may be larger than can actually fit on your screen, which is one reason Photoshop displays the image at a percentage of its actual size.)
23. 
24. A very large image might be nice because you can see all the details quite well, but larger ../images have much larger file sizes. The larger your file size, the longer it takes to download on to computers. So, when making ../images for the Web, it is best to have smaller images with smaller files that download faster so viewers of your Web page won't have to wait a long time to see the image.
25. There are, however, techniques for making it seem like large images are downloading faster, one of which can be seen at: http://www.eyewire.com/tips/mini/lowsrc.html.
26. To change the size of your image, go to: File | Image Size.
27. 
28. The following window will pop up, providing you will the ability to change Width, Height, and Resultion of your image. Scanner often assume that you will be using the image for printing, which is why it sets the Resultion at 300. For Web use, however, ../images only need to be at 72. By changing the resolution, your image will become smaller. If you want your image to have the same general dimensions, but on a smaller scale, make sure the Constrain Properties check box is checked. With that button checked, when you change the Width, the Height will adjust automatically. Select OK when you are finished, and you will see your image change its size.
29. 
30. Before making any other changes to your image, make sure you save your image by going to: File | Save, or Save As, or Save for Web.

Making Audio

Converting a Song’s File Format Using iTunes

1. Chose iTunes > Preferences, then click the Importing button at the top of the window.
2. From the Import Using pop-up menu, choose the encoding format that you want to convert the song to, then click OK to save the settings.
3. Select one or more songs in your library, then choose Advanced > Convert Selection to MP3, AAC, AIFF or WAV. (The menu item changes to show what is selected in your Importing preferences.)

   To convert all the songs in a folder on a disk, hold down the Option key and choose Advanced > “Convert Selection To,” then choose the folder or disk containing the songs you want to convert. All the songs in the folder or on the disk will be converted except songs you purchased from the audio Store. (Purchased songs are encoded using a protected AAC format that prevents them from being converted.)

The song in its original format and the newly converted song appear in your library.

Using Peak 4 to Import and Edit Audio Cassette Tracks

1. Open Peak 4. Cancel the option on the dialog box to open a file.
2. Turn on the audio/video selector (small box on top of VCR) and select 2. Turn on the VCR.
3. Turn on the audio cassette player. Place audio cassette in left deck. Hit play when ready to record.
4. Click on the record button (black button) on the panel at the top. A dialog box will appear.
5. Click on the record button (black button) on the dialog box. You should hear your audio cassette playing.
6. When you are finished importing, click the stop button. A dialog box will appear. Save your file to the desktop.
7. Click the play button on the transport window (the horizontal strip at the top). You will see a vertical bar move across the large window with the squiggly lines indicating the playing of your file.
8. Click stop and position cursor in the middle of this window between the two horizontal squiggly lines. Drag the cursor to highlight those parts of the file you wish to delete.
9. Under the Edit menu, click delete. Alternatively, drag the cursor to highlight those parts of the file you wish to crop, or keep. Under the Edit menu, click crop.
10. When finished, save file to desktop.

Using Peak 4 to Import, Edit and Burn CD Audio Tracks

1. Insert audio CD in SuperDrive (bottom). Insert blank CD in ComboDrive (top).
2. Choose File > Import CD track.
3. An Import CD Audio dialog box will appear. Choose desired tracks. Click Mark. Next, click Import.
4. In Choose a Folder dialog box, save marked tracks to desired location.
5. A Transport panel will appear at bottom. Next, waveform display windows will appear.
6. Edit audio track into regions you desire eventually to burn. You may, for example, position cursor in the middle of the the two bottom panels, then drag the cursor to highlight the portion of the audio track you wish to delete, then choose Edit > Delete. Alternatively, you may drag the cursor to highlight the portion of the audio track you wish to crop, or keep, then choose Edit > Crop.
7. Highlight the edited region of the audio track that you wish to burn. Choose Action > New Region. An Edit Region dialog box appears. Edit and name regions as you wish. Click OK. Repeat as necessary.
8. Choose File > New > Playlist Document. A Playlist window appears.
9. Choose Windows > Contents. A Contents palette appears.
10. Click the Regions tab (middle tab at bottom of Contents palette), then click arrows to the left of track names to display regions.
11. Drag tracks and or regions into the Playlist window.
12. Click the Burn Audio CD button (shows "B" in lower right of button) in the Playlist window.

Using InDesign

What It's For

InDesign is a layout program primarily used for desktop publishing (arranging the formats for newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and HTML versions of print documents). It can hold up to 9999 pages of text and graphics. QuarkXpress is the other main desktop publishing program; Aldus Pagemaker, the old industry standard, was retired by Adobe and replaced by InDesign.

These instructions will teach you to make a letter-sized, 2-section, 3-page, 3-columnnewsletter with facing pages, a banner on each page, text, block quotations, graphics, and page numbers. This lesson will be followed by instructions on how to generate a webpage and an FTP file in InDesign.
How to Use It

1. Open InDesign
2. Go to File |New |Document
3. In the window that appears, set your page specifications: 3 pages, 3 columns each, with facing pages. Select the Master checkbox. (If you need to add more pages, you may do so later.)
4. Because you chose "facing pages," your pages will be displayed in pairs, the first page by itself. To move from one paired set of pages to another, either scroll down or click on the desired pages in the Pages Palette in the top right corner.
5. Setthe boundaries for the elements of all of your pages by dragging guidelines down/over from the rulers and placing them on the master pages. (To go to the master pages--essentially your template pages--click on the A-Master pages on your Pages Palette).
6. Drag one horizontal guideline to indicate where you want the bottom of your banner to be.
7. Drag another to indicate where you want your columns to begin under the banner.
8. Drag another to line up the page numbers
9. Drag a 4th to line up the bottom of the columns above the top of the page numbers.
10. If the guidelines only appear on one of your 2 master pages, repeat above steps for the 2nd master.
11. Add a banner that you want to appear on every page to the masters. Either use a graphic banner from Photoshop or else create a text banner in InDesign.
12. To import a graphic for a banner into InDesign, go to File |Place and, in the pop-up window, choose the appropriate image file.
13. Drag the place cursor to create a box lined up with the guideline you placed for the banner. The box should be big enough to contain your banner.
14. The banner will appear in the box. Make sure the banner is aligned to the guideline.
15. Repeat for the 2nd master page.

OR

1. To create a text banner in InDesign, use the A (text) button on the toolbar on the left.
2. Use the cursor to drag a rectangle whose base is aligned with the banner guideline you created.
3. Click within the text box and begin typing. To format the text (size, font, italics, or bold), use the Character tab on the Type Palette.
4. Make sure your banner is aligned with the guideline,
5. Select text box and choose Edit/Copy. Paste text box into 2nd master page.
6. Add page numbers to all of your pages. Click on the A (text) button of the toolbar to the left and drag a text box where you want the page numbers to appear (lined up with the guideline you created for the page numbers).
7. Go to Type/Insert Special Character/Auto Page Number
8. Repeat for the 2nd master page.
9. Now you can enter your text and graphics elements. Your life will be simpler if you sketch roughly how you want the pages to look and place the interruptions of the text (graphics, block quotations) FIRST.
10. To import your graphics, go to File/Place and, in the pop-up window, choose the graphics file you wish to use.
11. The paintbrush cursor will appear. Use it to draw a square large enough to accommodate your graphic.
12. Go to the Text Wrap Palette and choose the formatting that suits your best (the 2nd and 4th from the left are the most standard).
13. Repeat steps 11-13 for remaining graphics.
14. Place your block quotations. Click the A (Text) button on the toolbar at left to draw a text box in the desired location. Click within the box to type out the quotation. (Alternately, after drawing the text box, go to File/Place and select a file to be entered into the box.)
15. Set the box off from the rest of the text by drawing heavy, black lines above and below it. Use the line-draw tool from the toolbar at left (3rd button from the top right column) to draw the lines.
16. After drawing each line, use weight function of the Stroke Palette to make the line thick (~5 pixels).
17. While holding the SHIFT key, click on both lines and then on the text box. All 3 elements are now selected. Go to Object/Group.
18. Now, with your grouped block quotation highlighted, use the Text Wrap Palette to choose the wrapping format you prefer.
19. Repeat steps 15-19 for your remaining block quotations.
20. Now you may enter your body text. Go to File/Place and choose the word processor document you wish to include. (It is not recommended to compose in InDesign--better to import files from MSWord)
21. Your cursor will change to the text-insert cursor. Draw a rectangle within the first column of the first page and align it at the top and bottom with your guidelines. Your text will fill the column.
22. Assuming that your text is longer than 1 column, a small red box will appear at the bottom right of the new column, Click on this box to get the text-insert cursor.
23. Drag a box that fills the 2nd column from top to bottom guideline, as before.
24. Repeat steps 21 - 24 until you run out of text. When you come to graphics or block quotations, drag right over them--because you have already set their wrapping properties, the text should automatically arrange itself around the object.

Appendix

To add graphics to the existing project:

1. Go to File/Place and choose the appropriate file.
2. Draw a box anywhere in or outside of the text to place the picture.
3. Drag the picture (using the black arrow from the toolbox on the left) to its final resting place in your document.
4. Use the Text Wrap Palette to make the text wrap around your graphic.
5. If the object that you want to work with is behind another object:
6. Go to Object/Arrange/Send to Back to submerge the intervening object.

To add a page to your document:

1. Use the Pages Palette and click on the arrow at the top right.
2. Select insert page and specify where.

To create sections within your document:

1. Click on the first page of the new section in the Pages Palette.
2. Go to Layout/Numbering and Section Options.
3. Select the numbering style to be applied to the new section.
4. Give the new section a name.

You have now completed your InDesign project!

Web Pages and PDF files

Once you've created a file in InDesign, you can save it as a web page (HTML) or as a PDF file. To do this, you must go to the File menu and choose Export; from there, you can select what format you would like to export the file to.
The advantage of PDF is, well, you can create PDF files. The advantage of the web page is that if you are creating a web page and an equivalent printed page, InDesign allows you to do so with one document. This would be particularly useful for journals and newsletters that have a print and a web copy.

The disadvantage of this method, however, is that once your web page is in InDesign, you cannot use another program to work on it. Why? Because everything on the page is saved as an image, including the text. So when you open up an InDesign page in Dreamweaver, you may be able to move things around and change their size, but you cannot actually change any of the text itself.

Using iMovie

Importing

1. Insert your videotape into the VCR.
2. Click on the “iMovie” icon on the desktop.
3. Choose “New Project” from the File menu and save to desktop.
4. Make sure small icon at the bottom left of the screen is set to DV (on the left) and not to Editing (on the right).
5. Hit “Import” once and hit play on the VCR.
6. Drag the video clip to the frame at the bottom of your screen (the small icon at the bottom left of the screen will now move from DV to editing).

Editing

1. You are now in editing mode and can crop the clip to exactly the length you want.
2. Click the arrows beneath the blue bar under the screen and use them to crop your clip as you wish.
3. Choose “Crop” from the Edit menu.
4. Save what you have created with a title on the desktop.

Sharing Your Movie in iDVD

1. Click iDVD icon to open program.
2. Choose “New Project” and save on the desktop.
3. If you’d like, click the Customize button and choose a Theme. (These visuals appear on the menu screen.)
4. If you’d like, create Folders to hold different films (with multiple scenes in each folder).
5. Import your clip by clicking on “Import” in the File menu.
6. Choose the Quick Time format of your film and hit “Burn” twice.
7. Insert your DVD (make sure your DVD is formatted for Mac).
8. Your DVD will automatically begin burning.

Importing Digital Video Footage onto the Computer Using iMovie

1. Connect FireWire to the side of the camera (marked “iDV”) and into the back of the computer.
2. Turn the camera to “VCR.” Insert tape.
3. Open iMovie. Set to the camera switch.
4. Hit “Play” on the side of the camera.
5. Hit “Import” on iMovie. You should see everything displayed on the screen.
6. Switch from “Camera” to “Edit” and drag the movie clips down to the video selection screen bar. To edit, use the bottom arrow keys.

Sharing Your Movie in QuickTime Format on the Web
(using Dreamweaver MX or HTML)

Given: On iMovie, under the Edit menu, you have “exported” your movie to QuickTime in web format.

1. Insert a hyperlink to your .mov file on your webpage. By clicking it, the movie will play in a separate window.
2. Or, if you wish to embed the movie in your webpage such that it plays immediately upon opening the webpage, in a frame on that page, go to Insert, click on Media, select Plugin and choose your .mov file. On the panel at the bottom of the screen, you may align the movie and adjust its size/resolution according to your needs. If you are using HTML, type in the following code: <embed . . .>. Here is an example:

   <embed src="Delicatessen.mov" width="200" height="200"></embed>

3. Or, if you wish to embed the movie in your webpage such that it plays in a frame on that page only when the play button is hit, follow the steps in #2 above, then click on “parameters” on the bottom panel and adjust the parameter to “autostart” and the value to “false.” If you are using HTML, type in the following code: <embed autostart="false" . . .>. Here is an example:

   <embed autostart="false" src="Delicatessen.mov" width="200" height="200"></embed>

Using iTunes

Please note that it is illegal to store any dowloaded copyrighted files on CWRL servers that are not used solely for educational purposes. If you chose to download copyrighted material from the Internet you are placing yourself, the CWRL, and the university at risk of lawsuit. For more information on university policies, see What You Need to Know about Peer-to-Peer File-Sharing Applications.

iTunes is Apple's contribution to CD-burning software; because this is an Apple application, the program is available only on the Macs. Unlike other burning applications, iTunes is strictly for burning audio files. With iTunes, you can also listen to Net-based radio stations. If your interest is in burning, the default computer to use is the Multimedia Station in Parlin 6; alternatively, you may check out a CD-burner to use on a computer in the FAC basement. To listen to CDs or Net Radio, however, you may use any Mac.

Burning A CD From Another Audio CD:

Upon opening iTunes, you will see the above screen. To copy an audio CD with tracks on it to a blank CD, insert the CD into the CD drive. You will see a CD icon and "audio CD" listed in the "Source" window.

To speed the process of identifying track and album names, go under "Advanced" and select "Get CD names" to automatically (using the Internet) access this information. In rare instances, selecting this option will leave you with choices, but most times the computer will automatically download the track and album information.

To keep your tracks for the computer to access after you place in your blank CD, you will need to create a new playlist file. Under "File" in iTunes, choose "New Playlist." (Alternatively, you can click on the "new playlist icon in the bottom left of the iTunes browser window.)

An icon with a musical note will appear under the "Top 25 Most Played." Click on this icon to open the file.

There are two ways to proceed from here:

1. Go to your desktop and double click on the "Audio CD" icon. A window will appear with all your tracks listed (probably as numbers) next to an iTunes icon:
   
   You can change the tracks to titles if you wish.

   Select All (apple + A) the tracks and then drag them into the "untitled playlist" file. The tracks may not appear in the order they appear on the CD from which you're taking tracks -- one track always seems to get out of order -- but you can arrange the tracks any way you wish in iTunes. Simply click, hold, and move the track where you want it to be. If you want to change the order entirely, it may be in your best interest to drag and drop tracks separately. You can also complete this process by using the "Import" function from the iTunes "File" menu.

2. Alternatively, you can begin this process by Importing the Audio CD into your iTunes Library, by clicking on the "Import" icon:
   

   If you have already accessed the album and track titles, after iTunes imports the music, you can go to your Library and organize the files by "Album" by clicking on that heading. Use the "shift" key to allow you to click on multiple files, and select as many of the songs as you want to burn onto your blank CD:

   

Once you've highlighted all the songs you'd like to burn onto a CD, drag the highlighted bunch of them to your new playlist (you may rename this list to reflect an album or a mix CD title of your choice). Use the mouse to highlight your playlist, and check the order of the songs. Rearranging them is as simple as clicking and dragging songs into place.

If you want to get all fancy, you can also decide how the burned CD will go from song to song: simply choose "Preferences" from the "iTunes" menu at the top of your screen. From there, choose "Effects":

In this menu, you can select "Sound Check" to assure even volume on all chosen tracks as well as play with the crossfade and enhancement of general sound, as you can see.

For both 1) and 2): Once your tracks are on the new playlist, eject your CD and replace it with your blank CD-R in the CD-ROM drive.

Burning A CD From MP3s or Other Files On The Computer

After you have downloaded the files (for your convenience, make sure you save all your files to the same folder), you will need to Import and possibly Convert your files to AIFF files. If you purchased a CD player or car in the past 2-3 years, your files will play without problem as mp3 files. Older CD players, however, cannot read mp3 files and so you must burn AIFF files.

As above, you will want to create a new playlist before dropping your tracks into iTunes and put your blank CD into the drive.

Before importing, go to iTunes' Preferences (located under the "iTunes" menu). Click on the "Importing" button. Change the preference from "Import Using MP3 Encoder" to "AIFF Encoder:"

Obviously, if you don't want to the songs to play while importing, simply uncheck the box. Now you're ready to import as directed above.

Now you have your playlist all set up and ready for burning. Go the the "File" menu and choose "Burn Playlist to CD." The "Burn CD" window will open.

From:

To:

Click on the yellow and black button. If you don't press the button within 15 seconds, the window will close and you will have to go through the Burn Playlist to CD command again.

The CD will now burn. It takes about 6-7 minutes to burn 70-80 minutes of music. Eject the CD when finished and enjoy!