The Steel Guitar Forum

Need some advise. I'm looking for a softwear program to burn a copy of one CD onto a blank CD. I've got two CD (one read, one write) drive system on my computer. Don't want have to download the target CD onto my hard drive to make a copy of it onto another CD if I can avoid it. Any suggestions? Thanks a bunch.

Bob

Nero, Roxio's Easy Media Creator and DeepBurner Professional can all do that. Nero has the most additional features, Roxio is the easiest to use, and DeepBurner Professional is the cheapest. I have sucessfully used all of them and use Roxio on a weekly basis.

My mistake.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 17 July 2005 at 03:56 AM.]</p></FONT>

I use Roxio CD Copier a lot. It used to be called Adaptec CD Creator or something like that. It has been included with every CD-RW drive I've bought, and on every computer that came with a CD-RW drive. Look around - you might already have it.

Roxio or Nero, are the two most often used CD burning programs and both have a disc to disc copy program. Recent new Dell's have come with Sonic Record Now ("Lite" verson) and I see a lot on the Dell fourm replacing it with either Roxio or Nero. However, Roxio is now owned by Sonic and the full Retail version of the current Roxio (V7.5) contains some Sonic modules.

The built in Windows XP CD burning is pretty lame and won't do a direct disc to disc copy. In fact most people turn off the Windows XP burning function since they usually have a full feature CD burning program that works better and has more options (and with a full feature CD burning program there can be conflicts and another reason to turn off the Windows XP CD burning).

I used "Adaptec" until I got a newer CDRW drive which it did not have drivers for. Roxio would not let me download a driver for free. They said I had to purchase a whole new version of "Easy CD Creator". The Roxio program was very easy to learn to use.
I didn't like their attitude, so I now use "Nero Ultra 6" with the XP upgrade(upgrade was free). With a little time invested, I have learned to do a lot of things with the Nero software. It has a lot of options for burning CDs. I use the "Nero wave editor" program to mixdown from my recorder tracks to "wav" files. Then I can convert the wav file to a lot of different formats with "wave editor". I convert to mp3s of less than 1mb per song (32bit/12kz)which is good enough for emailing demos. My average song file in this format is about 600kb.

Same situation as John, lost Adaptec when we upgraded to XP. No love lost. Got Roxio on the eBay for 7.95. Works great.

The Adaptec versions are not XP compatible and only Win Me compatible with the patches.

Roxio purchased Adaptec, and last year Sonic purchased Roxio. The V5 has problems with Windows XP, SP1 and 2 and unless you have the (free) updates to the V5 it won't work correctly with XP. Roxio V6 and V7 fixed a lot of problems that they had in V5 but took a step backward on their "Spin Doctor" program that is used to "record" from the Line In (e.g. tape, vinyl, etc). The new V7.5 is a big leap forward and has the best Line In recording program - superior to the Nero V6.

I have both Nero V6 and Roxio V7.5 on my PC as I do part-time computer support and what most of my customers are using (actually most are using some version of Roxio). Nero used to be the program that "techies" used but with their expansion and "suite" of applications they have fell behind in several application areas.

As far as the Nero free "upgrades" that is only for the Version you have. e.g. when they went from V5 to V6 I had to purchase the new version. When they go to V7 I'll have to purchase that if I want it - no freebie new "version" just like Roxio or the others.

All newer CD burners have some type of "burn proof technology" that pretty much eliminates buffer underruns.

As far as the read speed from the source CD drive. That uses "DAE" Digital Audio Extraction and with many drives the DAE speed is so slow that it can actually slow down the actual burning speed. My "standard" CD burning speed for Audio is 8X (so it's compatible with just about any audio CD player) and although I specify 8X for the burning speed, disc to disc can vary and many times the actual burning speed will be something less than 8X. (and that is with a DVD/CD ROM, or a DVD/CD burner drive as the source).

Jack, I wasn't aware that the burning speed had to be that slow.. I slowed mine to 32x and it works on everything I have but sometimes I get a disk with "skips" in it. Do you think I should do them all at 8x ? It takes a lot longer to burn that slow.
I am burning from "wav" files on my hard drive,using "Nero ultra 6 w/xp upgrade. I am running winxp.

John, the recording speed is critical for many audio players. Most new players int he last year or two will play the higher burned speed CD's. But many older players will not or they will skip, like you've found out. Car in-dash CD players are particualary finnicky. A friend and I did a lot of experimenting with Audio CD burning speed and came up with the 8X as a "standard". I sell my steel guitar CD's at shows and not knowing what someone is going to be playing it on, the 8X is a pretty safe burning speed. I've never had one returned or a complaint because it wouldn't play. It may take a little longer to burn at 8X but not really that much more.

If your just burning them for yourself and they will play on everything you have then the higher speed is OK. I have a 4 year old CD player in my stereo system and over 16X and it can skip. My wife has a Sony "boom box" that plays MP3's and Audio CD's and it will play Audio CD-R's (don't use RW discs) burned at 48X.

Another issue, and it's critical with car in-dash CD players. Do not use the paper (self adhesive) labels. The labels can flake and come off and if it does the car in-dash unit will have to be removed and repaired (if it can be repaired). Both GM and Ford (that I know) will not repair/replace one if they find a paper label inside. Actually, I have quit using paper labels, especially since I'm selling my CD's. I have an Epson printer that will print directly on CD blanks (that are made for ink jet printing).

Nero, oem suite is the best I've used in a while. It came free with Lite On cd/dvd burner.

Bill

Jack, thanks for the advice. I would never dream that an adhesive label could come off. I tried to remove one and could not remove it. The problem probably occurs if the label gets cut. Perhaps heat and ageing would do it also.
Here is a note,for what it's worth: When I used Nero 6 with win98se, the computer would lock after loading "Nero Express". It worked most of the time when I loaded the application without using "express". After I formatted the hard drive and installed XP Nero worked great, except for the nag screen (compatibility issue). After installing the XP upgrade, the nag screen didn't appear. I put shortcuts on my desktop to the Nero applications I use and do not use Nero express.

Paper labels haven't been a problem for me.
Most of the original cd's I put out only get played once.

Roxio rocks! (Just trying to sound younger.)<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Charlie McDonald on 18 July 2005 at 06:35 AM.]</p></FONT>

Thank you for all the wonderful information! Yesterday I bought Roxio's "Easy CD & DVD Burning" program. Works like a charm and the wife loves it (when Mama's happy, everybody's happy!). Thanks again for the help. Is this Forum great or what!

Bob