When you are preparing a CD/DVD project for duplication or replication, it's important that you prepare the master disc correctly to eliminate any problems or delays. Your master disc should be an exact copy of what you want produced. Make sure you have tested the copy you're going to send on several different players to assure they play as expected. Sometimes older burning software is used and the master will not play across a variety of players due to the software so make sure your disc plays in systems other than the one it was burned on before you send it in. Below are the basic rules you need to follow to assure your project goes smoothly:
There are many brands of media to choose from. With so much low quality cheap media on the market, it's easy to try and save a few cents and use the cheap stuff. Remember, the master is what your copies are going to be made from and low quality media might not produce the best result. It's best to spend a few extra cents and buy higher quality media like Mitsui, Maxell, or Taiyo Yuden. The company performing the work for you should be able to recommend a quality brand for you to use for the master.
Duplication and replication facilities deal with numerous accounts and many different masters. There is nothing worse for them than getting a master that is not identified. It can delay your project. Clearly label your master with your company name and the project name either by using disc labels or markers approved for writing on the surface of the disc. Doing so will save you and the dupe or rep houses headaches down the line.
Testing is probably the most crucial step. After you have burned your master, you need to test it in several different types of target players and not just on the system that produced the burned disc. Make sure the disc loads and plays as intended. Also listen to the sound quality. If you hear pops and hisses on the master, then you're going to hear them on the duplicated or replicated discs. Many older burners produce discs that can not be played on newer players so again, make sure you have tested your master on as many players as possible before you send it in. Remember, your going to get an exact copy of what you send in so if it does not play well, neither will the copies.
Following the very basic steps of the producing your master will assure your project goes smoothly. Vendors want to complete your job on time and right so that you will refer more business to them and use them again when you need their services. Take a few extra moments to follow these steps and your project will get done much quicker.
The success and resultant quality of a CD or DVD duplication or replication depends a lot upon the quality of your master CD. The mantra is simple: the better the quality of master disc, the better would be the quality of replicated CDs or DVDs. Here are some tips to help you create a high quality master disc:
?If you are planning to spend good amount of money on CD and DVD duplication or replication services, it is advisable to set aside a good amount for buying a high quality branded master disc. Don't compromise on the quality of your master disc. Do a thorough research, and then choose a brand that provides a superior quality disc.
? For CD masters, use high-density, Red Book approved CD-R media. Red Book is the standard for audio CDs. It contains technical specifications for all CD and CD-ROM formats.
? Don't ever burn your master disc on a laptop which is running on a low battery. The fluctuations may affect the results.
? Try and avoid copying from a network source. Instead burn a disc after copying the files from a network drive onto your computer's hard drive.
?While burning the disc, avoid opening multiple applications. This can slow down the burning process.
?When burning the master disc, strictly avoid any movement or shaking of the drive. Even a little movement can make the laser jump tracks and you may end up with a poor quality disc.
?Use a burn-proof feature on your computer. It might take up more time by slowing down the speed of burning process but in the end you would be assured with a better quality disc.
?It's preferable to burn your CD master in the Disk-At-Once mode as this mode ensures that there are no gaps placed in the audio data. On the other hand, in Track-At-Once mode, a gap of 2 seconds is added in between each song. These gaps are considered by machines as defects in the audio, and then cause problems during the duplication process.
?Never fail to finalize your disc as the disc may not play back afterwards. It's important to finalize a disc as it enhances the reading compatibility in other CD-ROM drives too.
?Avoid using the packet writing method to burn a master disc.
?Never use a sharpie to label your discs. As the chemicals present in sharpies can damage the data. Instead use either a water-based permanent felt tip marker, or a sticker type label made for CD-R labeling.
These are some of the important things to be kept in mind while preparing your master disc. Remember if you compromise on the quality of a master disc, you are likely to end up with a substandard quality of CD duplication, which won't be of any help.
Follow these tips to make sure that you have a high quality master disc in order to get high quality CD and DVD duplication and replication
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