Pregap

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The pregap on a Red Book audio CD is the portion of the audio track that precedes "index 01" for a given track in the table of contents (TOC). The Pregap ("index 00") is typically two seconds long and usually, but not always, contains silence. Popular uses for having the pregap contain audio are live CDs, track interludes, and hidden songs in the pregap of the first track (detailed below).

1 Unconventional uses of the pregap
2 External links

[edit] Unconventional uses of the pregap

[edit] Computer data in pregap

The Pregap was used to hide computer data, tricking computers into detecting a data track whereas conventional CD players would continue to see the CD as an audio CD.

This method was quickly obsoleted in late 1996 when an update to Windows 95 in driver SCSI1HLP.VXD made the Pregap track inaccessible. It is unclear whether or not this change in Microsoft Windows' behavior was intentional: for instance, it may have been intended to steer developers away from the pregap method and encourage what became the Blue Book specification "CD Extra" format.

[edit] Hidden audio tracks

On certain CDs such as the Songs for the Deaf by Queens of the Stone Age, the Pregap contains a hidden track. The track is truly hidden in the sense that most conventional standalone players and software CD players will not see it. Such CDs with an unusually long pregap before the first song can be detected by using EAC, which will highlight the first song in red.

Such hidden tracks can be played by playing the first song and "rewinding" (more accurately, seeking in reverse) until the actual start of the whole CD audio track.

[edit] Albums with songs hidden in the pregap

Songs in the Key of X (soundtrack from The X-Files)

"Time Jesum Transeuntum Et Non Riverentum (Dread the Passage of Jesus, For He Will Not Return)" by Nick Cave and the Dirty Three
The X-Files theme by the Dirty Three

2 Many DJs – As Heard On Radio Soulwax Pt. 2: Can't Get You Out Of My Head Remix of Kylie Minogue's song
311 – Transistor: "[Transistor Intro]"
AFI: Decemberunderground - hidden introduction

Very Proud of Ya - "No Dave Party"

Alcazar - Alcazarized: "Dance With The DJ" (On the first edition of the album, released in Sweden)
Arcturus – La Masquerade Infernale: Untitled hidden track
Armor for Sleep – What to Do When You Are Dead: A hidden suicide note
Ash – 1977

"Jack Names the Planets"
"Don't Know"

Autechre – EP7: (untitled track)
Ben Folds Five – Whatever and Ever Amen: message by Ben Folds about Ben Folds (only on re-masters)
Better Than Ezra – Friction, Baby: (untitled track)
Billy Bauer – Plectrist

"Lover Come Back To Me" (incomplete take 1)
"Lover Come Back To Me" (incomplete take 2)

Blind Melon – Soup: "Hello Goodbye"
Blink-182 = Blink-182 Self-titled: "Stockholm Syndrome Dialog"
Bloc Party – Silent Alarm: "Every Time Is The Last Time"
Blur – Think Tank: "Me, White Noise"
Boo Radleys – Kingsize: a minute of melodic vocoder sounds
Brand New – The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me: Overlapping phone messages
Calexico – Feast Of Wire: (unknown title)
Course of Empire – Initiation: "Running Man"
Criteria – En Garde (2003): song by Team Rigge
Dashboard Confessional – Dusk and Summer: "Write It Out" & "Vindicated"
David Gray – White Ladder: I Can't Get Through To Myself
Damien Rice – 9: "9 Crimes" (demo)
Diamond Rio – IV: Various earlier hits mixed with sound effects
Die Ärzte

13 - "Lady"

Geräusch - "Hände innen"

Evanescence – Origin: A humorous outtake from the song "Anywhere"
Farin Urlaub – Am Ende der Sonne: "Noch einmal" in the pregap
The Gathering:

Black Light District: "Over You"

Souvenirs: "Telson" (edited Feb 8, 2007)

Hilltop Hoods - Left Foot, Right Foot:"Afternoon Group Session"
Hilltop Hoods - The Calling:"Stay The Fuck Away Because I Spilt When I'm Talking"
Hilltop Hoods - The Hard Road:Untitled hidden track
Hybrid – Morning Sci-Fi: "Lights go down Knives come out"
Hybrid – I Choose Noise: "Everything is Brand New"
I Am Kloot - I Am Kloot (album): Deep Blue Sea
Jack Planck – To Hell With You I'll Make My Own People: "F**k You"
James Brown – Live At The Apollo Vol. 2 (Deluxe Edition): Radio DJ (and concert MC) Frankie Crocker talks to the crowd with a comedian for about four minutes before the show begins.
Jebediah – Of Someday Shambles: Big Beer Wall
Jimmy Smith – Root Down: Untitled intro featuring Jimmy Smith talking to the crowd about the song he's about to perform, and a request for the crowd to be quiet.
Luke Haines – Das Capital:"overture"
Kylie Minogue – Light Years: "Password"
Lamb:

Fear of Fours - "Lullaby" (remix)

Best Kept Secrets: The Best of Lamb 1996-2004 - "Wonder" (instrumental version)

Less Than Jake – Losing Streak: banter spoken by former band mascot "Howie J. Reynolds", an elderly Gainesville local
Lit – A Place in the Sun (album): (untitled Track)
Look Down – 24/7 Dance Force: Untitled
Maxwell – Embrya: Untitled track with various voices and watery sound effects
McFly – Room on the Third Floor: "Get Over You"
Mono Puff – It's Fun to Steal: (untitled track)
The Music – The Music (Limited Edition CD): "New Instrumental"
Muse – Hullabaloo CD 2: "What He's Building", a poem read by Tom Waits
Nobuo Uematsu – Final Fantasy VII Reunion Tracks: Karaoke version of "One-Winged Angel (Orchestra Version)".
Oceansize – Everyone Into Position: "Emp(irical)error"
The Offspring – Americana: "Pretty Fly (Reprise)" (some versions)
Opeth – Ghost Reveries: "Reverie"
Queens of the Stone Age – Songs for the Deaf: The Real Song For The Deaf
Rammstein – Reise, Reise: (Fragment of the flight recorder of a Japanese Boeing 747 disaster.)
Relient K – Mmhmm: "Mmhmm"
Sanctifica - Negative B (2002): 9min 20sec of hidden content (band members talking?)
Satyricon – Rebel Extravaganza (1999): "Untitled"
Simon Webbe – Sanctuary (2004): "Pusherman"
Sister Machine Gun – Burn (1995): "Strange Days" (A cover of The Doors song)
Skunk Anansie – Stoosh (1996): (Untitled Track)
Soulwax – Much Against Everyone's Advice (2000): Untitled
Super Furry Animals: Guerrilla (1999) - "Citizen's Band"

Out Spaced (1998): "Spaced Out"

Michael Tait – Empty 2001: various random recordings
They Might Be Giants – Factory Showroom: Token Back to Brooklyn
UNKLE – Psyence Fiction: "Intro (Optional)" (Uncredited intro featuring an audio collage of some of DJ Shadow's and James Lavelle's musical influences). This hidden audio is not on the US pressing, but can be found on UK and Japanese pressings. May be available on other pressings around the world.
Vitalic – OK Cowboy (2005):"One Million Dollar Studio"
When – The Lobster Boys (2001):[Untitled Hidden Track]
Winds – Reflections of the I: "untitled"
Wintersleep – Untitled (2005): Untitled

[edit] Pregaps In CD-R Media OS support

Mac OS X:

Currently does not support more than a 2 second pre-gap in the first track under its CD burning utilities.

Windows XP:

Linux:

cdrecord doest support more than a 2 second pregap
cdrdao is currently being researched
K3B, a frontend for several CD/DVD burning/ripping utilities, supports hiding the first track in the pregap of the second one.