# Recording CDs **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 16, 2000, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-cds/7856 "2000-02-16T12:18:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-cds/7856/21 "2000-02-19T05:25:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Ophanim: > **Sdrew it! Get a Md player and recorder. They’re much more versatile, and have a better interface (especially with Sony models), they’re also much more durable. Though if you want to copy data, get a cdrw. That’s all the imput I have.** Since you’re interested in putting vinyl on disc I have to add that I’ve been doing the same thing with my MiniDisc and having great results. I plug the “tape” output from my stereo receiver into the MIC input in the MiniDisc and record away. It’s a portable so I can take it everywhere and I bought one of those car adapters that you play by plugging your disc player into your car’s tape deck. I can’t believe how great it sounds. ## The MiniDiscs themselves are semi-hard to find (around here, anyway) and the pricing is a bit absurd. Most places sell them in a 2 or 3 pack for about $3 a disc. The music store I bought some at the other day had in their selection: A single “Maxell GOLD” disc for $7.99 (come on! What needs to sound THAT GOOD?) a three pack of (I think) SONY for $9.99, and (my purchase, of course) a 20 pack of Memorex for $35. Good grief! Please pardon our dust while we make improvements to our sig line! ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-cds/7856/22 "2000-02-20T16:15:00Z")
Note that the pops and crackles that are inevitable with vinyl are much more noticeable and distracting now that we have a low noise medium such as CD to compare to. For that reason I would recommend getting a CD writer for your computer. This will allow you the option of getting software that can reduce or eliminate the noise on the files recorded from your vinyl albums before you burn the CD. You can also print the jewel case inserts from the play list that you record the CD from. As a side note, I have also had great luck scanning the old album covers and printing out the jewel case cover insert. ---
**Author:** ![JoeyBlades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2000, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-cds/7856/23 "2000-02-21T14:28:00Z")
Guy Incognito, You wrote: > [@](#): > > I have to disagree about your explanation of why CDR/W media isn’t readable on most audio CD players. It’s not really the laser diodes or transport mechanisms that cause problems, but the actual media and format method used. Actually, what I said is it’s both. Inferior detection circuitry in audio CD players, coupled with inferior (soft) programming of the media. > [@](#): > > Rewritable CDs are formatted as multi-session discs which, unfortunately, aren’t readable by most audio players. I have to disagree, here. The format is independent of the media. > [@](#): > > In addition, most older model CD players have difficulty reading CD media that isn’t the familiar silver color associated with standard audio CDs. These players are only able to read a very narrow portion of the spectrum, and would have extreme difficulty reading anything that didn’t have the same refractive properties of a standard silver CD. Again, this gets back to my original point. The bandwidth of the older audio CD player’s detectors are just one of the limiting factors. I didn’t find anything useful at the Adeptec site you referenced, but here’s a better one for all your questions regarding CDR/CDRW: [http://www.fadden.com/cdrfaq/](http://www.fadden.com/cdrfaq/) ---
**Author:** ![Rich\_Hall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ebca7d/32.png) [@Rich\_Hall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_Hall)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-cds/7856/24 "2000-02-26T00:31:00Z")
CD’s should record up to 74 min. If you plan to copy CD to CD, you can probably condense lots of double Cd’s and 2 CD’s by most artists should easily fit on one copy. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-cds/7856/25 "2000-02-26T03:56:00Z")
Any audio cd you want to play on a standard music cd player must be recorded in one session and that session closed. Older cd players have problems with the difference in color of the recording media. To make a cd readable by almost any player it has to be recorded to a CDR. Recording to one brand may not work, but another brand might. Newer players like DVD home players can usually handle the CDRW media, but don’t count on it. My hove DVD player will play back my MPEG1 recorded movies converted from VCR tapes that are dying after all these years. I would go for the minidisk, if you want a portable player. Choose the home CDRW computer drive for regular cds. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-cds/7856/26 "2000-02-26T04:26:00Z")
I myself use Music Match JukeBox to rip and encode mp3s. It seems to work pretty well. * * * Well, either you’re closing your eyes to a situation you do not wish to acknowledge or you are not aware of the power of the presence of a pool table in your community. Ya’ got trouble my friends! - Prof. Harold Hill Gary Conservatory Gold Medal Class '05 ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-cds/7856/27 "2000-02-26T04:45:00Z")
Every source I’ve read says there is no difference in quality between “audio” CD-R media and regular CD-R media. The “audio” media simply has a bar code that tells the deck the record companies were paid for it, as part of a plot by the companies to charge you more for copies _and_ originals and blame piracy for the prices. ---
**Author:** ![JoeyBlades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-cds/7856/28 "2000-02-28T14:55:00Z")
Mr2001 writes: > [@](#): > > The “audio” media simply has a bar code that tells the deck the record companies were paid for it, as part of a plot by the companies to charge you more for copies _and_ originals and blame piracy for the prices. By “bar code”, I’ll assume you mean embedded code in the media. There would be no way to add a true bar code that would be readable by the deck and not interfere with the actual media. If you are indeed talking about an embedded code, there are certainly a number of special codes that are defined by the spec “IEC 908”, the “Red Book” and the “Orange Book”, but none of these are pre-programmed onto audio grade CDR media, nor do they signal your deck that you’re dealing with audio grade media… what would be the point? ---
**Author:** ![el\_jefe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e5b9ba/32.png) [@el\_jefe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/el_jefe)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2000, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-cds/7856/29 "2000-02-28T15:50:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Phobia: > \*\*Newer players like DVD home players can usually handle the CDRW media, but don’t count on it. My hove DVD player will play back my MPEG1 recorded movies converted from VCR tapes that are dying after all these years. > \*\* According to the instructions that came with my DVD drive, I should not play CDR’s or CDRW’s in the drive as it will damage them. Is this true? I assume from your post that you have played CDR’s in a DVD player without problem. Has anyone ever done this and had a problem? ---
**Author:** ![JoeyBlades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2000, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-cds/7856/30 "2000-02-29T15:19:00Z")
el jefe writes: > [@](#): > > According to the instructions that came with my DVD drive, I should not play CDR’s or CDRW’s in the drive as it will damage them. Is this true? I’ve never heard of such a thing. I can’t imagine how such damage would occur… Nevertheless, my **OFFICIAL** advice is to follow your instructions and refrain from trying to play CDRs and CDRWs in your DVD… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-cds/7856.md?page=1)