which CD recorder to buy?

  • Thread starter Thread starter jmorris
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I have the same philips unit, and it's a good little piece of equipment. my only complaint is that sometimes it will start recording a new track if there's a little bit of silence. Other than that, it's a nice unit. Can't beat the price.
 
Have to say, have a Philips dual burner sounds good and served a purpose when I got it some time back - serves a different purpose now - still love the unit will not sell it. Have a Masterlink sounds great serves a purpose - LOVE it and will not sell it. Have a dedicated computer with a LynxOne, sounds fantastic, serves a purpose CAN AND WILL SUPPORT FURTHER PURPOSES IN THE FUTURE - LOVE them will not sell them. Yes each step UP is a committment to further your learning in this ADDICTION we term "Homerecording". Be honest where do you want or where will you be satisfied to be? The arena of "Demo-dom" is gray and has a very wide bandwidth. You will not compete with the real big boys with the SSL's etc. and their vast and extensive knowledge PERIOD!! But you can do very well in "Demo-dom" and have alot of fun and grow and learn with it and lay down some really great work. Don't forget tho music is an ART and a science, be creative with what you have and what you can AFFORD! I believe having said all that ( and I apoligize, I'm not preaching and I will now get off my soapbox), I think Ed's message was and always is to buy smart, buy once and move on. I, personally would not change out any of the equipment I've purchased because it reflected the level or apparent level I was occupying at a certain time in a certain phase of my addiction; yes I freely and honestly admit I AM AN AUDIO RECORDING ADDICT.

Bottom line: buy what you feel comfortable with, make the best with what you have, support this BBS because IT and the people on it are fantastic AND when in doubt - LISTEN TO ED.
 
This is another fine mess!....

Ed,
Here's the situation...
I have an Akai DPS-16 and I have two songs recorded so far at 24-bit/48kHz. We're in the process of collaborating on a song with someone who is 1,000 miles away, and he has a computer with a 24-bit soundcard and mastering capabilities.
I've been transferring the tunes to my Phillips CDR-880 via S/PDIF cable, and the results seem quite excellent, but I know we're losing some sound quality due to the bits being truncated.
I can't upgrade this old Dell computer (with only a Pentium 90) without spending a small fortune. I'm thinking of buying a Masterlink, recording that song at 24-bits, and then returning it a day or two later... therefore, I'd be able to send him a 24-bit recording, right? ;)

Lastly... can you shed some light on the Tascam CDRW2000?
My understanding is that it receives a 24-bit signal via S/PDIF, digital optical, or AES/EBU... and then dithers the recording to 16-bit/44.1 without truncating.
Is that correct? If so, it sounds like it would be the way for me to go at this point. At least it would be better than the Phillips unit I have right now, and I could get the CDRW2000 for $675 (new).
Ed, I understand that the computer route is the way to go, but I don't have the money, time, or patience to learn it right now. What's the best alternative for me at this point?
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanx! :)

....Buck
 
Your Dell could still have a CD burner in it with a Pentium 90, and I am sure that it will work fine. Recording software in itself is not processor intensive.

That unit is dithering the 24/48 file down to 16/44. Not a good thing to do before mastering.

If that is all you want to do Buck, and going the computer route doesn't interest you, and you don't want that kind of versatility, then something like the ML9600 is up your alley, and may be the easiest thing for you to do. Just don't get mad when others are mastering with ease in software, and you are dealing with that cumbersome box! ;)

Ed
 
Hey Ed, will you tell us what mastering software you like to use and what you find useful basic plugins? ...please...? I have been doing some ummmmmmmm "shopping" lately and would love to know. If this is a big secret you don't have to tell me! :)
Thanks!
H2H
 
ummm i got the same philips cdr770 for $250 tax incl. i was told they were discontinued,and that the going rate would be somewhere around the price i got.maybe the store i got it from f**ked up,i dunno,cause i still see it in sam ash and musician's friend for 349$
 
my 120mhz

Sonusman,I have a pentium 1, 120 mhz. I was told by computor people that there are not any cd burner for this machine. Its a Dell. I thought they might be wrong, most have been before in the big mega computor stores. So I can also have a burner for mine? YThanks ,Jim
 
My DELL P-90 burned 'em fine with a 2x Philips IDE CDRW!
Just keep your HD clean.
Don't try to burn a disc when your HD is anywhere near full. A tough job with a 4GB on two HD config. :)
 
jmorris,did you try the other rca digital out?and if so,was it loud enough like the analog?i washaving the same problem,and i figured that it was the br-8 i was using.it was frustrating,cuz the volume was low.i did not know what to do aside from mastering w/someone else.but i think you might have the solution for my mastering problem!!something so easy,that i would of never have thought of doing.thank you!and please let me know if you tried the other outputs(i am limited on my cds)
 
No mojo I have not tried the digital in/outs yet but I plan to. I dont know why the analog is louder but I take what I can get. I let you know in day or two, Jim
 
Plextor Plextor Plextor

Plextor Plextor Plextor- What I can't figure out is why there is no mention of Plextor in this thread????????????? Oh Boy?!?!
 
Why no Plextor? $$$$!! Here again is the BIG trade off... THE BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK! It applies to outboard gear and you better BELIEVE it applies to a computer, i.e. a RECORDING computer set up. If you r to apply the bulk of your budget to any one area, and you want digital you better spend more than $300 on the computer or at the very least MAKE SURE IT IS UPGRADEABLE! If the computer route scares you, DO NOT go bare bones budget. You'll spend more time on this BBS trying to solve glitches than recording. If you go outboard, it's gonna get expensive. Sorta a catch 22. Where do you want to go? Try to look ahead ,as in look ahead limiter :-) fashion. Plan your work, then work your plan. Just as in the mix - there are trade offs. Beware, however, of the budget shortcut computer route. When the putor thing works it's GREAT, when it doesn't, YIKES!!! SCSI/EIDE, modems internal/external, conflicting programs, IRQ's,slo bus fast bus, caches, NT, 98,Me, MAC, fast HD, partitioned HD, cpu draining plug ins, FAT 32, etc. etc. etc. MORAL: I had a TR 6 ONCE, spent more time under the car than in it, but it looked nice. Do you want to record or......
Good luck and TRY to buy once. Ain't this fun!
 
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