Cd Duplication

[Albertm]

I am looking into getting CD's made. Is there a difference when a company say they Duplicate" the CD or "Manufacture" the CD. Or do both those words mean the same thing in the end?

[Golden]

duplicate usually means "burn"... The other option should be "replicate" which is like a pro CD found in stores... Replicated CDs are not burnt cds, they are replicated discs with the music manufatured right into the disc... via a glass master.

I'm too tired to make sense ...

[Albertm]

So for better sound I'd want to look for those who manufacture right from glass master, not duplicate?

[masteringhouse]

Not really the same thing. Duplication usually refers to burning a recordable CD with a laser where replication (or manufacturing) involves an injection molding process using a glass master and stampers to create the disc.

If you're only getting a few hundred made most plants will only duplicate the disc as it's cost prohibitive to manufacture them.

[Golden]

Originally Posted by Albertm

So for better sound I'd want to look for those who manufacture right from glass master, not duplicate?

I don't know for sure, but I don't think there's a sound quality issue going on between the two... Have you ever noticed how burnt cds don't always play on all stereo systems? Well, replicated CDs are pretty much guaranteed to work on all systems... and will last longer, continue to play with scratches etc...

[Ironklad Audio]

continue to play with scratches

this is my main beef with CD-R's, especially cheap ones

not only do they scratch ridiculously easily, but the scratches seem to have way more of an effect than on mass-produced albums

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Originally Posted by Albertm

So for better sound I'd want to look for those who manufacture right from glass master, not duplicate?

The actual quality of sound should not differ; the 1s and 0s - the actual program content - is the same. What's different is the compatability, durability, and cost.

Like Tom said, if you're only ordering a small run, the question could be moot and your choices limited to laser burned.

Pssst: Look at Tom's site for a quality answer to your other question in this forum

G.

[Llarion]

Glass mastering ensures it will play on virtually ANY CD player, DVD player, computer drive, etc. CD-R replication is good, but you'll sometimes run into problems on some car stereos, and the more finicky home DVD players.

The 1s and 0s being the same is not necessarily the case; most glass masters are run at 4x-8x, and the occasional bit variation can indeed occur. Whether this variation is actually audible is the subject of great debate.

Oasis is a very good, reputable CD manufacturing plant. I used them on my first CD, I'll use them on my upcoming one too. They offer "short-run" CD-R duplication, and glass masteered full production services. They also offer 1X glass mastering at additional cost, but they even admit to it being an audiophile debate subject...

www.oasiscd.com

Diskwriters is another reputable national... More pricey..

[masteringhouse]

Originally Posted by SouthSIDE Glen

The actual quality of sound should not differ; the 1s and 0s - the actual program content - is the same. What's different is the compatability, durability, and cost.

Like Tom said, if you're only ordering a small run, the question could be moot and your choices limited to laser burned.

Pssst: Look at Tom's site for a quality answer to your other question in this forum

G.

Thanks Glen!

Manufactured discs are more durable over the long run as Glen said. As a result they will tend to have less errors and after the point where the errors will disrupt reliable playback sound better over time as a result. As long as a CD or CD-R is within "tolerence" and specs there is no difference in sound. Scratches, dust, smudges, warping, and teenage kids borrowing your CDs are your worst enemy as far as errors go.

[Albertm]

Thaks all. Thats what I thought. I notice when I burn my own it doesnt work on all systems. I'm getting 1000 made, so I believe that puts me in manufacturing range I hope. I will check. Will check out Oasis also. Discmakers are at about 1:19 a disc when you supply art and master. Sounds like a decent price. And yes, I'm an idiot, I will check out Tom too. Should have noticed his user name I guess.

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Originally Posted by masteringhouse

and teenage kids borrowing your CDs

I KNEW I shouldn't have gotten you that Britney Spears Gift Set for Christmas!

G.

[cusebassman]

I was looking into Oasis, and it would seem they do glass pressing down to a run of 500 disks in the various packaging styles you might want. Perhaps I am missing something on their site, but that isn't bad. ~200 bucks more in some cases will double the order, which seems reasonable.