Tascam CD-500B User Manual

This unit can play the following types of discs and files.
CD-DA format discs (audio CDs)
This unit can play commercially-available music CDs and 

CD-R and CD-RW discs that have been recorded in audio 

CD format. These types of discs are called “audio CDs” in 

this manual. 
This unit cannot play unfinalized CD-R or CD-RW discs.
CD-ROM format discs (data CDs)
This unit can play discs that have MP3 and WAV files and 

use ISO 9660 Level 1, Level 2 or Joliet file system formats. 

These types of discs are called “data CDs” in this manual.

This unit can play back MP3 files that have sampling 

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frequencies of 32, 44.1 and 48 kHz and have bit-rates of 

32–320 kbps or are variable bit-rate (VBR). 
This unit can play back WAV files that have sampling 

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frequencies of 32 kH/44.1 kHz/48 kHz and are 16-bit.

When playing back MP3 or WAV files, the sampling 

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frequency of this unit’s digital outputs is 44.1 kHz. 

When the pitch control function is enabled, output is 

also digital, and some devices might not be able to 

receive digital output from this unit. 
This unit uses the “.mp3” file extension to recognize 

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MP3 files. Always add the “.mp3” extension to MP3 file 

names. The player cannot play back MP3 files that do 

not have the “.mp3” extension. In addition to having 

the “.mp3” extension, the file must also be in the proper 

MP3 data format to allow playback by this unit. 
This unit uses the “.wav” file extension to recognize WAV 

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files. Always add the “.wav” extension to WAV file names. 

The player cannot play back WAV files that do not have 

the “.wav” extension. In addition to having the “.wav” 

extension, the file must also be in the proper WAV data 

format to allow playback by this unit. 
Discs that contain more than 1000 files or 255 

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directories might not play back correctly. 
Depending on the condition of a disc, this unit might 

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not be able to play it back, or skipping might occur.

This unit treats all the audio (WAV and MP3) files on data 

CDs as “tracks.” Some data CDs store files inside directories 

(folders) in the same way that ordinary computers do. In 

addition, directories can be stored inside other directories 

creating a multilevel structure.
This unit assigns a directory number to each directory 

to manage them. Directory numbers are assigned 

sequentially starting with the directories at the highest 

level followed by the directories (subfolders) inside them. 

If the root directory of a data CD contains one or more 

audio files, it will be numbered as the first directory.
Each audio file is also assigned a track number. Track 

numbers are assigned in order starting from those in the 

lowest numbered directory.
During ordinary playback of data CDs, tracks are played 

back in the assigned numerical order just like those on an 

audio CD.
Directories that do not directly contain audio files are not 

given numbers. For example, in the illustration below the 

directory that contains Directory 5 is not given a number.

(DIR 1)

: Directory (Folder)

: MP3/WAV file