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Wednesday

How To Copy CDs

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.

Tuesday

CDR Technology

Several years ago, CD-R media and CD burners were
never imagined.  Computers were just reached the
GHz speed, with Pentium 1 just starting to reach
the horizons.  Floppy disks were the ideal way to
store data, even though it took several of them to
store most types of information.  Looking at things
today, you can see at a glance just how far technology
has come over the years.

These days, computers are in 2 out of 3 homes
across the world, with almost everyone owning one.
CD burners and CD-RW drives are just as popular,
with everyone realizing just how much money they
can save by burning their own disks and copying
their own media. 

There are so many benefits to CD duplication and
CD-R disks that it's mind boggling.  If you've
never owned a CD-RW drive or dealt with CD-R media,
you'd be amazed with everything you can do.  CD
media helps to simply life as we know it and make
things easier than ever before.

The theory of CD-R duplication is priceless.  Writers,
those that are self employed, musicians, small
businesses, hobbyists, and even fortune 500
companies can all benefit from the brilliance
behind CD-R technology.  Not only to do they
save you quite a bit of time, but they are
also very affordable while providing you many
different services.

CD-R media is used to store files and important
security documentation.  The media disks are
widely used in the computer field to conveniently
backup software and data on disc.  Musicians
as well choose to use CD-R duplication as an
affordable marketing and promotion tool to get
their music out to those who want it.

Even the corporate world as well, uses CD-Rs as
a cost effective way of mass producing training
videos and as an aid in converting to the
ideal paperless office.  You can also use CD-Rs
as a business card, as they are smaller than
a credit card and store all of your memorable
business card information.

With everything they offer you, CD media is
truly something you can't live without.  The
disks are small and easy to store, yet they
will hold an impressive amount of information.

For all of your audio, storage, or backup needs,
rest assured that CD-R media can help you meet
your demands.  The disks will last a lifetime,
making them perfect for special memories.  If
you have the need for storage or saving data
and pictures, CD media is the way to go to
ensure that your precious files will be there
each and every time you need them.

Monday

What is the Difference Between CD and DVD Media

Even though both CD and DVD disks have the same
media size and shape, the things they have in
common ends there.  There are many different
things between the two, such as what they hold
and how much they hold. 

Data pits and lasers
A disc has microscopic grooves that will move
along in a spiral around the disc.  CDs and
DVDs both have these grooves, with laser breams
applied to scan these very grooves.

As you may know, digital information is represented
in ones and zeroes.  Inside of these discs, very
tiny reflective bumps known as lands and non
reflective holes known as pits, which can be
found beside the grooves, reflect both the ones
and the zeroes of digital information.

By reducing the wave length of the laser to 625mm
or more infrared light, DVD technology has
managed to write in smaller pits when compared
to the standard technology of CD.  This will
allow for a greater amount of data per track
on the DVD.  The minimum length allowed for a
pit in a single layer DVD-R is .4 micron, which
is obviously more than the .0834 micron that a
CD offers.

The tracks of a DVD are narrower as well, which
allows for more tracks per disc, which also
translates into more capacity than a CD.  The
avaerage single layer DVD holds 4.5 GB of data,
while a CD holds a mere 700 MB.

Layers
As stated above, a DVD has smaller pits and the
lasers need to focus on them.  This is actually
achieved by using a thinner plastic substrate
than in a CD, which means that the laser needs
to pass through a thinner layer, with less
depth to reach the pits.  It's this reduction in
thickness that's responsible for the discs
that were only 0.6mm thickness - which is half
that of a CD.

Data access speed
DVDs will access data at a much faster rate than
a CD can.  The average 32X CD-ROM drive reads
data at 4MB a second, while a 1X DVD drive reads
at 1.38MB a second.  This is even faster than
an 8X CD drive.

Universal data format
The recording formats of CDs and DVDs are quite
different, as DVDs use UDF, or the Universal
Data Format.  This format allows data, video,
audio, or even a combination of all three to
be stored in a single file structure.  The
advantage to this is any file can be accessed
by any drive, computer, or even consumer video.
CDs on the other hand aren't compatible with
this format. 

Sunday

Introduction To CD Mastering

Even though many assume that the mixing of the
seperate audio tracks is the final step, a recording
should always be mastered well in order to sound
great.  CD mastering is the final chance for
creative input when you create a compact disc.
After the discs has been mastered, it can be printed,
reproduced, and then sold.

The process of mastering a CD actually involves
several steps.  The first step is putting the songs,
or tracks at this point in the correct order.  The
length of time between the songs is also adjusted,
along with the editing of the songs.  Any unlisted
or secret songs on the CD are normally added at
this point as well.

There are several ways that you can go about
mastering a CD.  First of all, the mix can be
sent to a professional CD mastering engineer,
which is what professional musicians normally
decide to do.

The mastering engineers will often work in their
own mastering facilities, which are very different
from standard studios, in the fact that they have
much less gear and are designed for the best
possible playback of the mix as possible in
order to fix anything that's wrong. 

Aside from mastering engineers, CDs can also be
mastered at home using computer software.  This
option is normally more realistic for unsigned
artists or musicians who are just starting out
with their music.  Depending on the software
quality and skill of the individual doing the
mastering, the CD may turn out perfect or it
may sound very unprofessional.

You can also refer to online CD mastering as
another option.  Cds that are mastered online
can be great, as instead of sending a mix to a
mastering engineer, the mix is instead sent
via the Internet.  To do this, you'll need a
high speed Internet connection.

The cheapest way to go about mastering a CD is
with free mastering.  Artists and musicians may
choose to use free mastering programs with
demos or other earlier recordings that artists
will use to send to major record labels to
generate some interest in their music.

The major differences with a professional CD
and an amateur recording is normally found in
the mastering.  Every song that you hear played
on the radio is thoroughly mastered in order
to sound better.

Saturday

Duplicating On A Budget

If you plan to produce, market, and sell your own
CDs
, you have the need for high quality CD
duplication.  If you have the need for great
quality and great prices, you should thing about
things before you turn to one company to do all
of the duplicating for you. 

No matter what you use it for, CD duplication is
an expense that shouldn't take over your budget
at all.  Below, you'll find several tips on how
to keep duplication within your budget.

1.  Shop with comparison
All companies out there need to able to find the
company that is going to give them the best possible
price.  If you have access to the internet, you
can do this online.  Look from one company to
another until you find the best price that fits
your budget.

2.  Keep within your budget
Although this is easier said than done, it's
very important to find a company that can work
within your budget or you'll need to get a bigger
budget.  Even though you may not realize it now,
doing these types of things on credit can hurt
you later on down the road.

3.  Quality
If your music or other CDs mean a lot to you,
then you should put them in the hands of a reliable
duplicator - and never skimp on quality.  Always
make sure you a guarantee of the quality of their
work as well, to protect yourself.

CD duplication is a must have for the movie and
music business.  There's no doubt that you need
this type of service, although you should take the
time to find the best company for the job.  When
it comes to developing your product - you'll
want to have only the best.

Friday

CD Duplication Terminology

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.

Thursday

Hiring a CD Mastering Engineer

If a recording artist or inspiring musician has
any hopes of having their songs played on the
radio, they'll need to have their rough mix
mastered really well.  The best way to do this, is
to hire a CD mastering engineer.

Professional mastering engineers can make a
decent audio mix sound great and a good mix
sound completely amazing.  There are many different
things that CD mastering engineers can do.  They
will work with the artist to decide what order
the songs appear on the CD, and also equalize
the volume of the different instruments in each
song and across the entire CD.

They can also help to add more definition and
clarity to the instruments in a song.  Then,
they will adjust the introductions and ends of
the songs, choosing the length of time between
the songs and adding crossfades or other nice
effects if they need to.

The order in which the songs on a CD appear
can greatly affect the way the CD progresses
when it's played.  If similar sounding songs
are placed side by side on a CD, it can lead
listeners into thinking the artist has a very
limited range.  It's ultimately up to the
CD mastering engineer to work with the recording
artist and choose the order of songs on the CD.

It's very important that the instruments in a
song and the songs on the CD be at an appropriate
volume level.  Within a song, the different
elements must be mixed appropriately in order
for the song to sound like it should.

The CD engineer can also give clarity and
definition to the different instruments in a
song.  The engineer will also have the task of
assuring that the volume levels across all
of the songs are the same, in order to help
the CD sound more cohesive while still leaving
room for dynamics.

The CD mastering engineer will also determine
how much time there should be between the songs
on the CD.  They will also fade and crossfasde
the intros and endings of the songs to make
them have a better flow.

For an interesting career, CD mastering engineers
is a great choice.  They make excellent money,
get to work with top artists, and enjoy what
they do. If you like music, this career may be
what you've always wanted.  For those who are
already in the profession - it's a job unlike
any other out there in the world.

Wednesday

Some Benefits Of CD Duplication

CD duplication is the means of making
copies of CDs without doing a replication
- which is the process of doing large scale
copying.  The term is used to describe
the need and use of short run quantity
copying of various types of CDs.  Most CD
duplication is done for quantities under 500.

The value and quality of the duplicate is high,
with the sound quality being very good and matching
the quality of the original.  There are many benefits
to CD duplication, including:
    1.  Its less expensive to do CD duplication
than it is to do a full replication, especially when
the demands are much lower.
    2.  In most cases, during a replication there
will be a minimum amount that is actually more than
needed.  By using CD duplication, you can actually
eliminate this extra replication.
    3.  Believe it or not, it can actually be
much faster to use CD duplication than a full CD
replication run.

There are other things that can cause you to take a
second look as well.  With most cases, CD duplication
will cost more per CD than that of a full run
replication. In the long run however, this may still
be much lower.  Not all will look like the original
either, as some will have blue or even black
burn marks on them that make them appear to be
duplicates.

CD duplication, never the less, is a widely used
system of replicating CD's in a very effective and
timely manner.  The technology is always improving
as well, so you can look for updates in the quality
of CD duplication systems as well - which is great
news for those looking for CD duplication.