MOTUnation.com

Hi all,

I don't get a chance to post or reply here often, due to work demands, though I have come to deeply appreciate and respect the diversity in community, and the mentoring aspects of the whole. Thank you all for demonstrating that; you are a gift. I do need some input/advice, that I couldn't find addressed on this board:

Given not all blank CDs are the same, I would appreciate hearing any recommendations for a good source or brand of high-quality, printable, blank CDs that will run well in a high speed CD duplicator stack.

Thanks!
Dave

I stick to known brand names (Sony is preferred). You can probably find good bulk deals online if you're making a ton of them. I probably burn about a dozen discs a year, if that. Delivery is almost always digital these days on most projects unless there is a playback in a theater/classroom or someone specifically request an archive on CD.

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:I stick to known brand names (Sony is preferred). You can probably find good bulk deals online if you're making a ton of them. I probably burn about a dozen discs a year, if that. Delivery is almost always digital these days on most projects unless there is a playback in a theater/classroom or someone specifically request an archive on CD.

Thanks for the input, MLC. I resonate with your preference for digital delivery; it is my highly favored method. This, however, is a special project that will include burning about 300 or 400 CDs, and the end client doesn't want that part of it outsourced (I'm thinkin' I should have disposed of my duplicator a few years ago, and maybe it will end up disappearing after this ). Honestly, it's far more of a hassle, but it is what is needed in this situation. I had problems in the past with consumer grade CD media (pre high speed data lines) in the duplicator.

Thanks again!

Taiyo Yuden are highly regarded.

Some reviews here:

http://www.amazon.com/Overprinted-Taiyo ... =pd_cp_e_2

billf wrote:Taiyo Yuden are highly regarded.

Agreed. For years they were considered the standard. I don't think the Taiyo Yuden brand name is used any more. Look for JVC. I get mine here:

http://www.uline.com/Cls_20/CDs-DVDs-and-Media

dmerkel wrote:This, however, is a special project that will include burning about 300 or 400 CDs, and the end client doesn't want that part of it outsourced...

That may be so, but I'd go ahead and act as a good little contractor and sub-contract out the job. I'd probably charge more for the tech work in duplication that I'd charge for the composing. That'll show 'em! CDs! What is this, 1990?

I may still end up doing just that. They wouldn't know either way who fired up those old thrusters/burners. Honestly I wouldn't burn them myself even on my own duplicator - I'd have one of their peeps do it. But the 90s? I was thinking more like the 80s.

Verbatim DataLifePlus, made by Mitsubishi last time I checked, is the only brand I like to use. I went through a lot of coasters and tried some brands that wouldn't play back on some old CD players before finding these. The DataLifePlus have an extra coating that makes scratching through to the data layer very difficult. You can write on one with a Magic Marker, Sharpie or even a ball point pen without ruining your disk.

I've used Philips, Sony and TDK in a pinch without problems.

Brands that have given me grief: Memorex and Kodak. Old disks that I have burned no longer play back.

I'll second Mike's choice. I've tried to get the Taiyo, but now they seem to have the JVC brand on them, and I suspect there is a lot of stuff in the stores (judging from the price) that says JVC, but it's not Taiyo.

mikehalloran wrote:Verbatim DataLifePlus, made by Mitsubishi last time I checked, is the only brand I like to use. I went through a lot of coasters and tried some brands that wouldn't play back on some old CD players before finding these. The DataLifePlus have an extra coating that makes scratching through to the data layer very difficult. You can write on one with a Magic Marker, Sharpie or even a ball point pen without ruining your disk.

I've used Philips, Sony and TDK in a pinch without problems.

Brands that have given me grief: Memorex and Kodak. Old disks that I have burned no longer play back.

That product from Mitsubishi definitely rings a bell, from a discussion I had just a few year back. Thanks tons, Mike! I remember having used them a few years ago - easily printable, though I just used a sharpie.

bayswater wrote:I'll second Mike's choice. I've tried to get the Taiyo, but now they seem to have the JVC brand on them, and I suspect there is a lot of stuff in the stores (judging from the price) that says JVC, but it's not Taiyo.

What a great group of cohorts! Y'all are the best, thanks!

Thanks tons, Mike! I remember having used them a few years ago - easily printable, though I just used a sharpie.

They make 'em with the coating and also inkjet printable, both clear and white. You can get printable DVD and DVD-DL blanks as well. I buy the DVD in clear and the DVD-DL in white so that I know which is which in a pinch.

Since I have a great deal of difficulty writing by hand anymore, I print every CD/DVD. There are free apps that work ok but DiskLabel is very well thought out and works great.
$35.95 for a single user/$44.95 Family Pack
http://www.smilesoftware.com/DiscLabel

Our main job was CD duplication for about 13 years. We were doing 14,000 a month for several years to give you an idea. At some point Taiyo was bought out by JVC IIRC but the quality was the same. I highly recommend Taiyo and can put you in touch with an excellent supplier we used for many years if you'd like to PM me.

Even though CD demand has dropped, I also use the (JVC) Taiyo. I get mine through Uline or Amazon. No problems, ever.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I can't tell you how glad I am to be out of that business and just doing audio editing/producing. My wife and I estimated that we duplicated (and printed and cased and boxed and shipped) somewhere between 2 and 3 MILLION CD's over the time we were doing it. A lot of 7-day weeks and keeping the duplicators running and printing was a job in itself. I could build one from parts blindfolded now I think.