Duplicating CD’s

Copying CDs is something that is very popular now more than ever.  When CD burners and duplication was first introduced, people caught on although it wasn’t nearly as popular as it is today.  These days, millions of people throughout the world copy audio, data, and even video to CDs.

To make a copy of a CD, you’ll need a master to copy, a blank disk, a CD-RW drive, and the proper software. Most newer computers include either a CD-RW or DVD-RW drive.  If your computer is older, you’ll need to go out and buy the drive, which doesn’t cost much money and is very easy to install.

If you have a DVD-RW drive, you’ll be able to copy both CDs and DVDs.  The rate of copying will vary, with 4X being the slowest and up to 48X being the fastest. If your drive supports 48X, you can duplicate a CD in a matter of minutes.

Once you have the CD-RW or DVD-RW drive and some blank CD-R media, all you need is the software to duplicate.  Nero is among the most popular, as well as Sonic Record Now and Easy CD Creator.  There are many different types out there, from those that cost money to the freeware software that doesn’t cost anything to use.

Once you have everything you need, simply run the software and create your disk.  You can copy many types of media, including pictures, video, audio, and even data from your computer.  Depending on what you want to copy, all need to do is select it from the software menu and let it rip.

CD duplication is a lot of fun and easy for everyone to learn as well.  You can back up a lot of things, or just save pictures of your special memories - the choices are entirely up to you.

Below, you’ll find the most common terminology that relates to CD duplication.  Even if you are new to duplication, the terms below may help you learn more.

BLER

Block Error Rate.  This is the raw digital error rate before any type of error correction.

CD

This the Compact Disc, a digital medium that’s formed of a 12cm polycarbonate substrate, a reflective metalized layer, and a protective lacquer coating.

CD-R

Compact Disc-Recordable.  The term CD-R is used to describe the technology of recordable CD along with the equipment, software, and media that are used to make the recordable disks.

Data layer

With CD-R media, this is the organic dye that is sandwiched between the polycarbonate substrate and the metalized reflective layer of the media.  CD-R disks don’t have any data on them at all until the are recorded. 

Injection Molding

This is a manufacturing method where the molten material is forced into a mold, normally under high pressure, then cooled so that the material will take on the shape of a mirror image in the mold.

Media or blanks

CD-R media are the disks that are used to record digital information using a special recorder and premastering software with a computer. These discs are made of a polycarbonate substrate, a layer of organic dye, a metalized reflective layer, and a coating of lacquer for protection.

Organic dye

The data layer of CD-R media is made from a dye that is melted during the process of recording. Where the dye is melted, becomes opaque or refractive, scattering the reading laser so that it isn’t reflected back into the reading sensors.

Reflective layer

This is the metal later that sits on top of the dye that reflects the laser beam back to the reading assembly. This is normally 24k gold in CD-R disks, although it can be silver as well.

The high demand and dramatic increase in CD media, plus the competitive pressures to squeeze out every possible cost and improve the profit margins have given rise to many manufacturers of CD related media.  To help reduce the costs of increasing capacity, many of these firms have relocated their old manufacturing lines and hired staff that learn on the job.

The biggest problems with CDs occurs when discs are produced using older equipment then end up failing when you try to use them.  Luckily, most of these types will fail when you first try to record on them.  There is however, a likelihood that the disc will complete a burn and the media won’t play at all.

The agony of taking your photo or video treasures and putting them on CD or DVD and then deleting them from your camera or computer only to realize that the copy is corrupted is far too much to risk.  The brand name company’s such as Verbatim choose to guard their reputation for quality and durability by using only advanced recording dye and other types of technology to produce high speed discs. 

The stability of the recording dye is very critical as heat, humidity, oxygen, and even UV light can degrade the dye.  Verbatim research has also proven there is a strong correlation between the production and bonding processes of disc quality.

For data and personal pictures that are important, you should always buy quality CD media.  Then, before you go ahead and delete the source file, trying playing the disc back to ensure that it copied correctly. This way, you won’t have to  worry about losing your precious files and photos when you remove the source from your computer.

CD ripper software will open up an entirely new way of how you listen to music.  With the use of CD ripping software, you can take audio tracks from a CD and them into audio files for use on your computer.  You can save them as WAV, MP3, OGG, or WMA audio files.  The term “ripping” is the term used to describe this very process.

There are advanced CD ripper software as well, which allows you to convert back and forth between these formats.  You can also get software that can record vinyl LPs and cassettes to create those same audio files for your computer.

You can get a variety of ripper software programs online by searching the internet.  Most software is user friendly and offers you a variety of options.  You should however, do some searching and comparing before you decide which CD ripper program is best for your needs.

Each type of CD ripper software will offer it’s own style and interface.  You should always make sure the CD ripper software you choose is easy to use and easy to understand.  It doesn’t matter how good the software is - if you can’t use it.

When you explore the options of CD ripper software, make sure you also check the software’s editing abilities.  With most programs, you can select the output format for the music.  This will include the bitrate, channels, and even the frequency.  

Quality ripper programs will also tag the encoded audio files with medadata, which will contain information about the artist, song title, track number, and even the album title.  This will automatically be input for the file.  

Another great feature with some ripper programs is the ability to delete the silence at the beginning or end of song tracks.  Some programs will even give you the ability to edit the songs themselves, giving you full control of the sound provided by your files.

For those who enjoy to listen to their music from a CD, a CD ripper can aso be used to select your favorite songs and create a mixed CD.  Some rippers will even let you rip audio tracks directly from a CD then burn them to a new CD - without having to save them as a new audio file.

With millions of people ripping CDs these days, CD ripping is the wave of the future.  You no longer have to keep your music on your computer, as you can rip them to a CD or even put them in your favorite MP3 player and take the music with you - wherever you go.

With the increasing amount of CD duplication options for equipment, its very important that you read the reviews for the different types of equipment you are considering before you make that final decision and choose your model.  

The best CD duplication equipment for your project will all depend on the volume of CDs you plan to duplicate at a time, and the amount of money that you are planning to invest on a particular piece of equipment.

Your best source for reading reviews of CD duplication equipment is on the Internet.  There are many different consumer websites out there that will allow users to post reviews of equipment, then rate them on a five or ten point scale.  Anytime you are reading reviews, it’s very important that you get your information from a trusted and reliable source.

Websites that are up by the owner of the product, or those that are trying to sell you specific hardware normally aren’t the best to turn to when you need to read a review.  No one who is trying to get you to buy a certain piece of hardware is going to tell you about the flaws the equipment has, or even let you know about a competitor who has a similiar item for sale at half the price.

All across the internet, you can find many different websites that offer the information you seek.  There are several that offer forums, where other users will tell you honest opinions and give you feedback about the equipment they own.  This can be a great way to find out about the duplication equipment your interested in and what else is available for you to purchase.

Another excellent place to look for CD duplication equipment reviews is trade magazines and even electronic magazines.  Magazines will normally test equipment then share their their opinions with their readers.  Always be sure when you are reading a review that it’s an article sponsored by the magazine and not a paid advertisement.

CD duplication reviews of equipment are a great resource when trying to find a piece of equipment to use.  With so many on the market, its always good to have resources when you need to make an important decision.  A review will also tell you everything the label and description of the product leaves out, which can help to ensure you get the best piece of duplication equipment for your hard earned money.