I have some .SHN audio files and I'm trying to convert/burn em to a standard audio CD. I tried using the SHN plugin for Nero as described here: www >DOT< afterdawn >DOT< com /guides/archive/how_to_burn_audio_cds_page_4.cfm I'm using Nero 8 with Win7 X64 Home Premium. I downloaded the plugin, copied the DLL to what I thought was the correct location (the guide is different from what you'd find with Nero 8 on Win7 X64; the DLL would be copied to C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Nero\Audio Plugins). Nero simply locks and stops responding exactly as described here: forums >DOT< afterdawn >DOT< com/thread_view.cfm/781583 I eventually got the .SHN files converted to .MP3, but I was hoping that this step wasn't needed, that I could go straight from .SHN to CDA with Nero (or some other burning tool). I do not want to install WinAMP or anything else, I shouldn't need to. THANKS! (as a new user I apparently can't post links to the guide or forum post; obviously the ">DOT<" is a "." )
I would use dbPoweramp to convert the shn files to flac or ape files. Then you can burn with Nero. I distrust Nero to burn anything. I have had quality problems with it and there have been plenty of complaints about Nero burns over the years. I haven't used it in over 10 yrs. I was a good app 15 yrs ago but not now. shn is a legacy lossless format used before ape and flac. Very few utilities can convert it. Although they have a capicity for high fidelity, all the ones I have run into were very low fidelity. Most of the shn file I have heard where captures of old analog tapes that had very poor fidelity. Analog tapes can have amazing fidelity but those recorded taping at high speed with a professional unit. These were probably consumer grade portables recording at slow speeds to conserve tape use to make a pirate recording of a live event. They had the fidelity of AM radio, about 50 BR. The mp3s could be over kill. One more thing... if you have a choice, burn as a audio CD not as a CDA. They should be one in the same but sometimes they aren't or someone in their ignorance over thinks the job and screws it up. We get complaints from persons trying to burn CDAs. We never get complaints when someone just burns an audio CD. Good Luck