November 2005
CD player/recorders: Buying advice
These devices make it easy to copy the music you want onto CDs, with no loss of quality.
Audio CD player/recorders cost more than CD players without recording capability, but prices are dropping. They sell as stand-alone units and as components of some minisystems.
There's another way to make your own music CDs: Record them using a computer. CD drives that burn CDs are now standard on many computers and can be as adept as component CD player/recorders, often performing the task more quickly. But component CD recorders allow you to easily record from other components in your sound system--such as a tape deck, radio, turntable, or TV set. They're the most convenient way to convert a collection of vinyl LPs to the compact disc format, for example.
Both CD player/recorders and computer CD burners let you copy entire discs or dub selected tracks to create your own CD compilations. There's no quality lost in high-speed CD-to-CD dubbing. Recording speeds usually are real-time or 4x, which records in one-quarter of that time. (Computer CD burners can be as fast as 16x.)
With either approach, you can record to CD-Rs (discs that can be recorded on only once) or to CD-RWs (rewritable discs that can be erased and rerecorded). CD-Rs play on almost any CD player, whereas CD-RWs generally play only on newer disc players that are configured to accept them. Be aware that some older DVD players may have problems reading CD-R and CD-RW discs.
WHAT'S AVAILABLE
Audio CD player/recorders are sold by audio-component companies such as JVC, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, and Sony.
Dual-tray models. One tray is for play/record, another for play. Price range: $130 to $700.
Changer models. These typically hold four or five discs and allow you to change the discs while one is playing. Price range: $200 to $1,500.
Computer CD burners. A CD-recording drive in a computer lets you copy other CDs or download music from the Internet and record it on CD. Price range: Standard with many new computers. A drive can be added to older computers for about $100, including software.
IMPORTANT FEATURES
With CD recorders, you program your selections from discs loaded in the changer; the steps will be familiar to anyone who has programmed a CD changer. Most units give you a running total of the accumulated time of the tracks as you are programming them. The computer approach to burning CDs makes compiling "mix" discs easier than it used to be. Once a blank CD is inserted into a computer CD drive, the accompanying software displays a track list from the source disc and allows you to "drag" the desired tracks into the lower panel. As you insert successive CDs, you can see the playlist for your CD-to-be and even change the order of the tracks, combine two or more tracks or files into one, or split a track or file into two or more.
With both the CD player/recorder and the computer option, you must program selections from each disc in succession. Defining tracks on the CD onto which you're recording is accomplished with varying degrees of flexibility. How many track numbers a given player/recorder can add per disc, for example, differs from one model to another. Additionally, assigning track numbers when you're recording from cassettes or LPs may be automatic or manual. (Such track numbers are inserted automatically when recording from CDs.) Text labeling, available on some models, lets you type in short text passages, such as artist and song names. This is a much easier procedure with a computer keyboard than with a console's remote control.
The number of delete-track modes gives you flexibility, whether you need to delete one track or the entire disc. One-track, Multitrack, and All-disc are three common modes. An audio CD player/recorder typically has three playback modes: Program, which plays tracks in a specific order; Repeat; and Random Play (or Shuffle), which plays tracks randomly.
Connection types can affect which external sources you're able to use to make a CD. A digital input jack may be optical or coaxial. An analog input jack lets you record your tapes and LPs. A microphone input offers a low-cost way for home musicians to make digital recordings of their performances. A record-level control helps you control loudness while recording digitally from analog sources--a problem you don't face when recording from digital sources.
HOW TO CHOOSE
Decide between an audio CD recorder and a computer drive. Either method of burning a CD--using an audio CD player/recorder or a computer--makes a recording that's audibly (even electronically) indistinguishable from the original CD.
Audio CD player/recorders excel in versatility; you can record from virtually anything that you can connect to a sound system's receiver.
The computer method affords a connection to the Internet, so you can burn downloaded MP3-encoded files onto CDs, as well as record music from CDs. A computer offers more set-up choices when you're assembling a CD from several prerecorded discs. And, when you're recording from analog sources, the computer's CD-burning software often includes sound processing that will reduce the snap and crackle of a vinyl LP or the hiss of a cassette tape. However, connecting a turntable or cassette deck to a computer requires additional equipment.
If you don't already have a CD-burning drive in your computer, you can add one. A CD-RW drive is standard equipment on many new computers.
If you want an audio unit, get a multidisc changer rather than a single-disc player. The relatively low cost of burning high-quality CDs makes CD recording a good alternative to making cassette tapes. If you're buying a CD player/recorder, a changer has advantages over a single-disc model and needn't cost much more. Its multidisc magazine or carousel will make it easy to record compilation CDs or to play uninterrupted music.
These devices make it easy to copy the music you want onto CDs, with no loss of quality.
Audio CD player/recorders cost more than CD players without recording capability, but prices are dropping. They sell as stand-alone units and as components of some minisystems.
There's another way to make your own music CDs: Record them using a computer. CD drives that burn CDs are now standard on many computers and can be as adept as component CD player/recorders, often performing the task more quickly. But component CD recorders allow you to easily record from other components in your sound system--such as a tape deck, radio, turntable, or TV set. They're the most convenient way to convert a collection of vinyl LPs to the compact disc format, for example.
Both CD player/recorders and computer CD burners let you copy entire discs or dub selected tracks to create your own CD compilations. There's no quality lost in high-speed CD-to-CD dubbing. Recording speeds usually are real-time or 4x, which records in one-quarter of that time. (Computer CD burners can be as fast as 16x.)
With either approach, you can record to CD-Rs (discs that can be recorded on only once) or to CD-RWs (rewritable discs that can be erased and rerecorded). CD-Rs play on almost any CD player, whereas CD-RWs generally play only on newer disc players that are configured to accept them. Be aware that some older DVD players may have problems reading CD-R and CD-RW discs.
WHAT'S AVAILABLE
Audio CD player/recorders are sold by audio-component companies such as JVC, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, and Sony.
Dual-tray models. One tray is for play/record, another for play. Price range: $130 to $700.
Changer models. These typically hold four or five discs and allow you to change the discs while one is playing. Price range: $200 to $1,500.
Computer CD burners. A CD-recording drive in a computer lets you copy other CDs or download music from the Internet and record it on CD. Price range: Standard with many new computers. A drive can be added to older computers for about $100, including software.
IMPORTANT FEATURES
With CD recorders, you program your selections from discs loaded in the changer; the steps will be familiar to anyone who has programmed a CD changer. Most units give you a running total of the accumulated time of the tracks as you are programming them. The computer approach to burning CDs makes compiling "mix" discs easier than it used to be. Once a blank CD is inserted into a computer CD drive, the accompanying software displays a track list from the source disc and allows you to "drag" the desired tracks into the lower panel. As you insert successive CDs, you can see the playlist for your CD-to-be and even change the order of the tracks, combine two or more tracks or files into one, or split a track or file into two or more.
With both the CD player/recorder and the computer option, you must program selections from each disc in succession. Defining tracks on the CD onto which you're recording is accomplished with varying degrees of flexibility. How many track numbers a given player/recorder can add per disc, for example, differs from one model to another. Additionally, assigning track numbers when you're recording from cassettes or LPs may be automatic or manual. (Such track numbers are inserted automatically when recording from CDs.) Text labeling, available on some models, lets you type in short text passages, such as artist and song names. This is a much easier procedure with a computer keyboard than with a console's remote control.
The number of delete-track modes gives you flexibility, whether you need to delete one track or the entire disc. One-track, Multitrack, and All-disc are three common modes. An audio CD player/recorder typically has three playback modes: Program, which plays tracks in a specific order; Repeat; and Random Play (or Shuffle), which plays tracks randomly.
Connection types can affect which external sources you're able to use to make a CD. A digital input jack may be optical or coaxial. An analog input jack lets you record your tapes and LPs. A microphone input offers a low-cost way for home musicians to make digital recordings of their performances. A record-level control helps you control loudness while recording digitally from analog sources--a problem you don't face when recording from digital sources.
HOW TO CHOOSE
Decide between an audio CD recorder and a computer drive. Either method of burning a CD--using an audio CD player/recorder or a computer--makes a recording that's audibly (even electronically) indistinguishable from the original CD.
Audio CD player/recorders excel in versatility; you can record from virtually anything that you can connect to a sound system's receiver.
The computer method affords a connection to the Internet, so you can burn downloaded MP3-encoded files onto CDs, as well as record music from CDs. A computer offers more set-up choices when you're assembling a CD from several prerecorded discs. And, when you're recording from analog sources, the computer's CD-burning software often includes sound processing that will reduce the snap and crackle of a vinyl LP or the hiss of a cassette tape. However, connecting a turntable or cassette deck to a computer requires additional equipment.
If you don't already have a CD-burning drive in your computer, you can add one. A CD-RW drive is standard equipment on many new computers.
If you want an audio unit, get a multidisc changer rather than a single-disc player. The relatively low cost of burning high-quality CDs makes CD recording a good alternative to making cassette tapes. If you're buying a CD player/recorder, a changer has advantages over a single-disc model and needn't cost much more. Its multidisc magazine or carousel will make it easy to record compilation CDs or to play uninterrupted music.
