pressing cds

[tylerxxx]

i really dont know if this is the right place to ask... but im doing it anyways.

say i wanted to press my own cds, what equipment would i need and where would i get it?

i searched everywhere and couldnt find anything.
any help is appreciated(this is mainly for a friend of mine)

[shiatzu]

you'd need a ton of VERY expensive equipment and a warehouse to keep it in. stick with CDRs.

[AvoidTheClap]

i'm getting mine done at a studio, 200 for $90. i think it's worth it.

[gtrman_66]

Originally Posted by AvoidTheClap

i'm getting mine done at a studio, 200 for $90. i think it's worth it.

That's awful cheap. I'd ask them about their guarantee. They might be burning on really cheap media at too high speeds for that price.

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by AvoidTheClap

i'm getting mine done at a studio, 200 for $90. i think it's worth it.

Are you sure those are pressed from a glass master and not burned to CDRs?

[Blue Bear Sound]

Originally Posted by tylerxxx

i really dont know if this is the right place to ask... but im doing it anyways.

say i wanted to press my own cds, what equipment would i need and where would i get it?

i searched everywhere and couldnt find anything.
any help is appreciated(this is mainly for a friend of mine)

You can't "Press your own CDs" -- pressing CDs is a big operation, requiring specialized equipment and facilities, clean rooms, and the ability to create a glass-master -- none of which is accessible to the general public either from a cost or technical aspect.

You can burn and duplicate your own CD-Rs though...

[Blue Bear Sound]

Originally Posted by AvoidTheClap

i'm getting mine done at a studio, 200 for $90. i think it's worth it.

Those are definitely not PRESSED... those are BURNED CD-Rs.

[ecktronic]

Would anyone advise burning their own CD-Rs for an album release of say 100-500 copies? Im asking cause i know that CD-Rs dont always work on all CD players and also silver side just looks more professional than the good quality half silver side coloured Maxell ones you can get.

[Blue Bear Sound]

You can get short-run duplications (under 300) done on high-quality, unbranded CD-Rs... they look professional (no lettering on the face) and they play well on MOST machines... It's the older CD players that generally have the problems.

[tylerxxx]

so it would be impossible for my friend to start his own cd pressing company?

i highly doubt it.
there has to be somewhere that you can buy this stuff, extremely expensive or not...

[MadAudio]

No, you can't. Read Bruce's post above. True pressing takes tens of thousands of dollars in equipment, etc. You CAN, though, get a duplicator tower from Microboards and burn CD-Rs on quality Taiyo Yuden discs.

[Blue Bear Sound]

Originally Posted by tylerxxx

so it would be impossible for my friend to start his own cd pressing company?

i highly doubt it.
there has to be somewhere that you can buy this stuff, extremely expensive or not...

I thought you were talking about trying to PRESS your own CDs at home. It's "at-home" pressing that's impossible.

But if a friend of your is trying to start a business, that's a completely different thing. It's going to be a huge startup cost, though - well into several millions..... and if your friend is asking you to post this question on a homerecording forum, then he shouldn't even think about getting into the business.

[Farview]

read this: www.cinram.com/cd/tech/cdmake.pdf

Then go here for more info: www.cinram.com/cd/index.html

[Alexbt]

Our album was duplicated on high-quality silver CD-Rs. They're indistinguishable from pressed CDs and a fraction of the price.

[tylerxxx]

Originally Posted by Blue Bear Sound

I thought you were talking about trying to PRESS your own CDs at home. It's "at-home" pressing that's impossible.

But if a friend of your is trying to start a business, that's a completely different thing. It's going to be a huge startup cost, though - well into several millions..... and if your friend is asking you to post this question on a homerecording forum, then he shouldn't even think about getting into the business.

he didn't ask me to post it, he was just looking for information about it and couldn't find any. i looked too, and found nothing, so i posted it here.

[dgatwood]

Originally Posted by Alexbt

Our album was duplicated on high-quality silver CD-Rs. They're indistinguishable from pressed CDs and a fraction of the price.

They can't (quite) be indistinguishable. By definition, a CD-R has some extra data encoded into the inner portion of the disc that tell players that it is rewritable media, indicate the track width (I think), etc.

You can also tell by reading the human-readable text printed on the solid silver flood just outside the clear plastic center portion of the disc. CD-Rs will always be identified as such, along with a company name and (generally) lot information so that defect reports can make it back to the manufacturer of the materials.

That said, probably a third of all computer software sold comes on CD-R, so you're definitely in good company. I'm curious about the comment about them being a fraction of the price, though. Last time I checked, the price for 500 burned CD-Rs was about two-thirds of the cost of 1000 pressed. Per unit, it's not so good, or at least it wasn't a year ago. Prices do change, though, so I could be wrong.

Of course, if all you want is 200, you can't do pressed media anyway, so it's a bit of a moot point. (Most stamping factories won't touch anything under a lot of 1000, though a few will do 500, IIRC. The reverse is also true; good luck finding a duplicating company that will do over 500.)

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by Alexbt

Our album was duplicated on high-quality silver CD-Rs. They're indistinguishable from pressed CDs and a fraction of the price.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I have heard that CDRs have a limited shelf-life compared to pressed CDs. IIRC, CDRs start failing at about 5 years (Depending on disc quality), whereas pressed CDs theoretically last much much longer. Here's an interesting (albeit, long) read: http://www.itl.nist.gov/div895/caref...dlingGuide.pdf

[xstatic]

CDR's also tend to scratch easier and have a lower tolerance to scratches. $1.25 a disk for a pressed CD, printed on in full color, barcoded, stamped, with a jewel case and full color graphic insert and tray card really is not a bad deal at all.

[dgatwood]

Originally Posted by scrubs

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I have heard that CDRs have a limited shelf-life compared to pressed CDs. IIRC, CDRs start failing at about 5 years (Depending on disc quality), whereas pressed CDs theoretically last much much longer. Here's an interesting (albeit, long) read: http://www.itl.nist.gov/div895/caref...dlingGuide.pdf

Poorly made stamped CDs can have a short shelf life too (some failing in a matter of months), due to oxidation (rust).

What usually kills CD-R media is that the recording surface is on the underside of the painted label, so you can scrape it off pretty easily. That has been improving over time, though; newer, more robust lacquer coatings have reduced this problem significantly.