System for encoding sound recordings for high-density storage and high-speed transfers

A system for enabling production of a CD music ROM containing a plurality of addressable data files representing respective high-fidelity audio programs, said system comprising:

• A. video format storage means for storing said addressable data files,
• B. data processing means for processing data and for generating catalog and pricing data characterizing respective ones of said audio programs,
• C. playback means for producing high-fidelity analog audio signals representing said audio programs,
• D. Dolby encoding means for encoding said analog audio signals thereby to generate plural digital data streams representing audio programs, said data streams being generated at different bit rates,
• E. interface means for interfacing said Dolby encoding means and said data processing means, said interface means including data blocking means for generating formatted data blocks of said plural digital data streams and for transmitting said data blocks to said data processing means, and
• F. said data processing means including means for storing said data blocks including said catalog and pricing data in said video format storage means for subsequent storage on a CD music ROM containing said addressable data files representing said plurality of audio programs.

An apparatus for making a premastered digital representation of an audio program comprising:

• A. data processing means for processing digital data,
• B. dolby processing means for converting said audio program to ADM signals representative of said audio program, said ADM signals comprising a plurality of digital data streams of different bit rates,
• C. interface means for converting said digital ADM signals to a format compatible with said data processing system, said interface means including means for generating timing data for said dolby processing means thereby to synchronize the operation of said interface means and said dolby processing means, and
• D. said data processing means utilizing said timing data for storing and handling data blocks representing said data file of the premastered recording of said audio program.

A method for producing a plurality of addressable digital data files on a non-mapped information storage media wherein each data file represents a high-fidelity sound recording, said method comprising the steps of:

• A. generating analog signals representing said high-fidelity sound recording,
• B. digitally encoding said analog signals to form digital audio data,
• C. generating n-bit data segments representing said digital audio data,
• D. appending to each n-bit data segment an m-bit sync code substantially unique from m-bit sequences in said data segments, and
• E. supplying said data segments and said sync code to a data processing system and writing a data file comprising digital representations of said audio programs which are retrievable according to said sync codes.