Burning Bin/Cue Files: Alcohol 120% Guide

Alcohol 120% is a popular program for burning bin/cue files to CD. While the exact audio copy (EAC) can be configured with preset profiles to rip CDs and compress the output to MP3 or FLAC, some users have reported issues with the audio quality of burned files. To burn bin/cue files with Alcohol 120%, first open the program and select the Image Burning Wizard. Then, locate your image file (usually a .cue file) and select the burn speed. Finally, let the CD burn and finish the process through the program.

Open Alcohol 120% and select Image Burning Wizard

To burn BIN/CUE files with Alcohol 120%, start by opening the Alcohol 120% software on your computer.

Once the program is open, look for and select the "Image Burning Wizard" option. Clicking on this will launch the Image Burning Wizard. A new screen will appear with the Image Finder, where you can browse your hard drives to locate the specific image you wish to burn.

After selecting the desired image, you will be presented with detailed information about the image file, including its type, path, size, and name. At this point, you also have the option to delete the image file after burning it. This step is entirely optional and depends on your personal preference.

If your image is only CD-sized (under 700MB), a warning message may appear. This message indicates that Alcohol 120% has detected a DVD burner on your system. To ensure the image is burned to a CD, select the appropriate option in the warning message.

Locate the .cue file

A .cue file is a metadata file that describes how the tracks of a CD or DVD are laid out. It is a plain text file that commonly has a .cue filename extension. The .cue file is a type of cue sheet, which was first introduced by CDRWIN. These files are now supported by many optical disc authoring applications and media players.

The .cue file is especially useful when dividing audio stored in a single file into multiple songs or tracks. It specifies track lengths and CD-Text, including track and disc titles and performers. The data files referenced by the .cue sheet may be audio files, commonly in MP3 or WAV format, or plain disc images.

When used for disc images, the format is usually called BIN/CUE. This format supports Mixed Mode CDs, which can contain audio CD tracks as well as data tracks. The .cue file acts as a table of contents that tells emulators how to handle the .bin files.

To locate the .cue file, you can search for it on your computer by using the search function in your file explorer. The file will likely be located in the same folder as the associated .bin file. If you have downloaded the .cue file from the internet, it may be in your Downloads folder.

Select the WRITE SPEED

Once you have opened Alcohol 120% and selected the Image Burning Wizard, you will need to use the browse button to locate the .cue file you want to burn. After selecting the .cue file, click NEXT.

Now, you will need to select the write speed. The write speed determines how fast or slow you want to burn the CD. The slower the burn speed, the less chance there is of a bad CD. It is recommended that you select a slower burn speed to ensure the CD burns correctly. However, if you are in a hurry, you can select a faster burn speed, but there is a higher risk of the CD being faulty.

Use the drop-down box next to WRITE SPEED to select your preferred burn speed. Once you have selected the speed, click the burn button and the CD will begin the burning process.

When the burn is complete, a window will appear to notify you. Click FINISH, and you're done!

Insert a blank CD

To burn .bin and .cue files, you will need to insert a blank CD into your computer's CD drive. This is because the bin and cue format is for CD and not a format that can be burned to DVD.

If you have blank DVDs and want to burn .bin and .cue files, you will first need to insert a blank CD. The CD will need to have the same raw geometry (tracks/sectors) as the original media the .bin and .cue files came from.

To do this, follow these steps:

• Find a blank CD-R or CD-RW disc.
• Insert the blank CD into your computer's CD drive.
• If your computer does not recognize the blank CD, try ejecting the drive and inserting the disc again.
• Once the blank CD is recognized, you can proceed with the burn process using your preferred software.

Note that if you are using Nero, you might need to choose the correct recorder in the software settings. Go to "Recorder > choose recorder," and select your CD burner if it is not already selected. If your CD burner is not shown, you may need to download an update from the Nero website.

Click FINISH when complete

Once you have completed all the steps, from opening Alcohol and selecting the Image Burning Wizard to selecting the write speed, the burning process will begin. When the burning process is complete, your CD will be ejected. A window will appear on your screen. Click FINISH when this window appears, and you're done! You have successfully burned your first Bin/Cue with Alcohol.

It is important to note that the window that appears after clicking FINISH may vary depending on the specific version of Alcohol 120% you are using. However, the overall process described above should remain similar.

Additionally, you can adjust the write speed to control how fast or slow you want the burning process to be. Slower speeds can reduce the chance of a bad CD, so it is recommended to consider the quality of the output.

By following these steps and clicking "FINISH" when prompted, you can confidently burn your Bin/Cue files using Alcohol 120%.

Congratulations! You now know how to burn Bin/Cue files using Alcohol 120%. Feel free to put your new knowledge into practice and enjoy the fruits of your labour!

Frequently asked questions