CD vs. DVD burner?

[Cary B. Cornett]

As I continue to develop my new DAW and road rig, the next step is the optical drive. Since, even with multiple computers, I see no need to use more than one optical drive at a time, and since I want to be able to "shut away" the DAW machine and still burn discs from it, I am opting for an external USB2 burner drive. Where I am dithering is on whether I really want/need DVD burning capability.

At present I burn CD's using a Plextor Premium burner in my Web machine, and this has served me well so far. I am, in fact, kind of spoiled by the QC features of the Plextor drive, so I really hate to give it up.

I recently purchased a Sony DRX-830U external DVD burner. The first unpleasant surprise was that Sony discourages the use of software other than what comes with the drive, and will not certify the drive's use with "outside" software. It so happens that I like EAC and CDRWin, so that could be a deal-breaker for me.

I am considering returning the Sony drive and instead buying an empty USB2 case for my Plextor Premium. OTOH, I would then not be able to burn backup DVD's of sessions.

Does anyone here use a DVD burner for archiving sessions or file backup? Is it useful and reliable enough to be an IMPORTANT upgrade to a system, or am I just as well off to settle for my older, but very nice, CD burner moved to a shiny new case??

Be sure to "cast your vote".... :)

[AudioAstronomer]

I couldn't live without my dvd burner after I've been using it so long..


But on the same token, if i never had one I'd probably happily be going along with CD's. Last I checked cds were still cheaper per mb of storage but that may have changed... i buy cds and dvds in large bulk so i probably wont check again for a year or two :D :eek:

Id stick with cd really. In a year you'll be able to get blue-ray or hd-dvd for same price as a dvd writer now.. with significantly more storage. Right at that transition point in the tech world where switching is probably silly :o

[Tim Miskimon]

When I built my last system this past spring I decided to put both a CD & DVD burner in.
My first reason was I needed a DVD drive to install Sonar & a few other recently purchased software.
I was glad I did a few months later when a client requested that I give him DVD backups of his session files.
I bought a Sony which has been pretty dependable thus far and I kept the trusty Plextor for CD burning.
Since both CD & DVD drives are so cheap these days as well as the media I think having both are a good idea.
Personally I prefer internal drives for burning. They just appear to be faster and more stable at this point.

[Mark Stebbeds]

Does anyone here use a DVD burner for archiving sessions or file backup? Is it useful and reliable enough to be an IMPORTANT upgrade to a system, or am I just as well off to settle for my older, but very nice, CD burner moved to a shiny new case??


I think an external firewire drive(s) is a better option for archiving. It is far less work, and much faster.

I am rethinking by system since I have massive piles of DVDs and CDs around here....and it's just a huge pain in the butt whenever I have to dig something out of the archive which requires looking at dozens of disks 'til I find the right one, and try to jog my memory what my detailed labeling actually means. Then it's a slow exercise of loading in a DVD, wait for it to mount, realize I have the wrong one, and start over.

I think my new plan is going to be daily backup FW drives....and seperate *archive* FW drives to put on the shelf and pull out when it's time to clean house and archive.

Of course, we still need to burn disks to hand off to others. In that regard, I highly recommend a combo DVD/CD burner. I don't understand what the problem is with your Sony, and find it hard to believe that other software would have a hard time recognizing it. On the other hand, I have EAC for ripping, and used to use CDWIN, so I am familiar with their fussy quirks recognizing certain hardware.

One day I downloaded Nero demo, and never looked back. I recommend that as well. Very good bang for the buck and VERY user friendly. Just point and click, drag and drop, however you like, and burn. Done deal, no coasters.

Mark

P.S. I have a Plextor external that I might be interested in selling, although I suspect you can solve your Sony problem. I bought it because I needed a DVD burner, but then my internal CD burner went south, so I replaced it with a DVD burner. The new Mac came with one on board, so I am set. Two is enough, three's a crowd.

[Craig Allen]

I think an external firewire drive(s) is a better option for archiving. It is far less work, and much faster.
Another similar but cheaper option is to get a firewire/USB2 enclosure and use off the shelf drives. That way when you're done with a drive, you can put the drive back in the original packaging for safety and you don't have to spend nearly as much. Of course, it's a little more work.

[Mark Stebbeds]

Another similar but cheaper option is to get a firewire/USB2 enclosure and use off the shelf drives. That way when you're done with a drive, you can put the drive back in the original packaging for safety and you don't have to spend nearly as much. Of course, it's a little more work.

A friend has a cable (can't remember who makes it) that connects to a SATA port internally and hangs out the back of his machine, with the mobo power connector.. Then he uses raw SATA drives and keeps them in the orginal package. Not much work at all.... but I have one machine with SATA and another with ATA so not the best choice for me.

Mark

[mikebuzz]

I just bought a SONY DVD burner and I have NERO as well I tested it last night and it was just like using the cd burner so ? , anyhow I just needed to archive some data as well ( not as much as others but it's building up )

ANyhow try NERO VERY easy to use ( just make sure you select the dvd tab DUHHHHHHHHHHHH ) and FREE !!

LAter
Buzz

PS: I paid $45 for it from New Egg # DRU120c

[Craig Allen]

A friend has a cable (can't remember who makes it) that connects to a SATA port internally and hangs out the back of his machine, with the mobo power connector.. Then he uses raw SATA drives and keeps them in the orginal package. Not much work at all.... but I have one machine with SATA and another with ATA so not the best choice for me.

Mark
That's the beauty of using a firewire/USB2 enclosure - it'll be compatable with everything you have (that has USB or firewire) and not attached to one computer only.

[Mark Stebbeds]

Another similar but cheaper option is to get a firewire/USB2 enclosure and use off the shelf drives. That way when you're done with a drive, you can put the drive back in the original packaging for safety and you don't have to spend nearly as much. Of course, it's a little more work.

I was thinking about this. Why would you take it out of the enclosure, put it back in the box, take it out of the box, and put it back in the enclosure.

Sounds like something a musician would do.:D

Mark

[Craig Allen]

I was thinking about this. Why would you take it out of the enclosure, put it back in the box, take it out of the box, and put it back in the enclosure.

Sounds like something a musician would do.:D

Mark
If it's something you're going to erase and update every week or whatever, I'd leave it in the enclosure forever. But what I was getting at is if you were doing a client archive for them to have or for you to store, you would take it out of the enclosure when you're finished doing the archive. Then you wouldn't have to put it back in the enclosure until you needed to get to it for some reason. Unless you want to be an engineer and overwrite something important... :p

[AudioAstronomer]

I was thinking about this. Why would you take it out of the enclosure, put it back in the box, take it out of the box, and put it back in the enclosure.

Sounds like something a musician would do.:D

Mark

"you don't have to spend nearly as much"

It's safe, it's cheap and it works. I have an entire closet of hard drives because of this... but im not complaining :D

[mghtx]

I am rethinking by system since I have massive piles of DVDs and CDs around here....and it's just a huge pain in the butt whenever I have to dig something out of the archive which requires looking at dozens of disks 'til I find the right one, and try to jog my memory what my detailed labeling actually means. Then it's a slow exercise of loading in a DVD, wait for it to mount, realize I have the wrong one, and start over.

Ain't that the truth! :D Drives are a little scary to me because I keep thinking, "well, what if the blasted thing dies?" :o Don't know why 'cause I got years-old drives still going. :)

[Mark Stebbeds]

"you don't have to spend nearly as much"

It's safe, it's cheap and it works. I have an entire closet of hard drives because of this... but im not complaining :D

OK, I see what you guys mean...as you fill up the drives...replace the drive and keep the case. Good point. Now why the hell did I just buy two.:confused:

Mark

[Craig Allen]

OK, I see what you guys mean...as you fill up the drives...replace the drive and keep the case. Good point. Now why the hell did I just buy two.:confused:

Mark
Engineers... :D

[Tim Miskimon]

Funny but in years past in the good ole tape days we didn't have any stinking backups...:D
So I think backing up by any means possible is a step in the right direction.
Since all this technology is largely unproven no one knows for sure which will last the longest - hard drive, DVD, CD, tape - take your pick - no one really knows.

[Mark Stebbeds]

Engineers... :D

Oh wait, I just remembered. A lot of musicians hire me to fix what they ***ked up, so I had some extra cash...:D

[Craig Allen]

Oh wait, I just remembered. A lot of musicians hire me to fix what they ***ked up, so I had some extra cash...:D
Now you not only have to fix what they initially screw up, but also their attempt at engineering...

[Ian Alexander]

Hi Cary,

I have both in my DAW. I use the CD burner for CDs and the DVD burner for DVDs. Duh. I remember reading here that CDs burned in DVD burners don't always meet redbook standards. Still true? Dunno.

I have used a DVD burner in my office machine to burn CDs of iTunes for the kids. It has worked flawlessy. Every player we've tried happily plays those CDs.

I bought the DVD burners from NewEgg.com. Pioneer DVR 110D internal IDE units for about 40 bucks each.

[UpTilDawn]

I'm currently using cd and dvd burners, both, in two pcs. But, I haven't moved them to a closet yet since moving to my new place a couple of years ago so the internal burners are quite convenient. External drives may soon be my only real option in the not too distant future and then I'll need to come up with a good solution for myself as well.

The Sony cd burners I've tried (two of them) both were really difficult to get good burns with, so it's made me Leary of them. Lite-on and Pioneer drives have worked flawlessly for me in the last five years.

Cds seem to burn more reliably in my cd burners than they do in the dvd burners....... It seems to be born out by the number of coasters I have made doing cds in the dvd burners, but maybe it's also because these burners are older versions... Maybe newer ones are better.

DanT

PS.... there's so much conflicting opinion on the reliability of using one medium over another for archiving, or just regular back-ups that I just go with what seems to give me a good bang for the buck. I use dvds for backing up projects all the time and don't seem to be having any difficulty recovering older sessions. But, like Mark, I'm getting tired of the piles of cds and dvds.

[Cary B. Cornett]

P.S. I have a Plextor external that I might be interested in selling, although I suspect you can solve your Sony problem. I bought it because I needed a DVD burner, but then my internal CD burner went south, so I replaced it with a DVD burner. The new Mac came with one on board, so I am set. Two is enough, three's a crowd.I might be interested in buying, especially if that drive can run the Plextools tests that I can do with my Plextor Premium CD burner. PM or email if interested...

[Dave Labrecque]

Cary,

I don't know how'd I'd get by without my DVD burner. It's been my archive backup workhorse for several years. Being able to burn six CDs worth of projects on a single DVD is a huge advantage for me. Along with that is the issue of files (usually, but not always, video) whose sizes exceed a single CD's storage capacity. I used to have to break 'em up. That's about as silly as squiggling a needle through a groove in a piece vinyl to make sound! :)

Buy the DVD burner, and don't look back. Even if your archive needs are minimal, the peace of mind of being able to do an instant on-site back-up of your remote recording date is reason enough, I'd think.

[Dave Labrecque]

I am rethinking by system since I have massive piles of DVDs and CDs around here....and it's just a huge pain in the butt whenever I have to dig something out of the archive which requires looking at dozens of disks 'til I find the right one, and try to jog my memory what my detailed labeling actually means. Then it's a slow exercise of loading in a DVD, wait for it to mount, realize I have the wrong one, and start over.

Mark,

I have a couple of Fellowes CD storage books (they come in varying sizes):

Check this out... it's HUGE! (http://www.amazon.com/Fellowes-Nylon-Album-320-Disc-Capacity/dp/B0000326O3/sr=1-4/qid=1167870742/ref=sr_1_4/102-3460866-1308135?ie=UTF8&s=electronics)


And a disc catelogue progam:

This one's free! (http://www.loggytronic.com/ezcat.php)


Using the program's search feature, I can find the project or even a specific file within seconds, go to the archives, pull the correct DVD/CD and pop it in my DVD/CD drive. If only those parts were automated! ;)

I have over 350 archive discs. I used to do it the way you're describing. It sucked big time. This is akin to a fine Mark Stebbeds-engineered John Cougar recording by comparison.

[Mark Stebbeds]

I have over 350 archive discs. I used to do it the way you're describing. It sucked big time. This is akin to a fine orgasm by comparison.

Or you could have two (or maybe only one) FW drives.

I use those Fellows (and similar) notebooks as well.

I suppose the software database requires detailed data entry to get detailed results. That would cut into my audio newsgroup and web surfing time.:)

mark

[Mark Stebbeds]

It sucked big time. This is akin to a fine orgasm by comparison.

Whoa dude. I just realized what you said. TOO MUCH INFORMATION FOR ME. Does your wife know? You should start a website with live demonstations.:eek:

Mark

[Dave Labrecque]

Or you could have two (or maybe only one) FW drives.

I use those Fellows (and similar) notebooks as well.

I suppose the software database requires detailed data entry to get detailed results. That would cut into my audio newsgroup and web surfing time.:)

mark

If you don't mind harddrive storage, it's definitely superior. I just can't get over my paranoia of x hundred GB of my work being gone one morning, possibly yesterday morning.

In the program I use you have an option to enter notes. I almost never do. The search results are as detailed as the filename, size, date. If I ever think I may need more info than that (which is almost never), I enter it in the notes. Looking at the job folder contents is usually enough for me.

Maybe the thing that makes it work so well for me is that I have a regular backup regimen. My discs are each labeled "Archive x". (x being a unique number for each disc, silly). I have a folder on my project drive called "ready to be archived". I drag/drop jobs I'm done with in there. When it gets close to 5 GB in size, I burn another DVD.

But nothing would beat the instant (or near-instant) accessibility of a harddrive (or two), to be sure.

[Dave Labrecque]

Whoa dude. I just realized what you said. TOO MUCH INFORMATION FOR ME. Does your wife know? You should start a website with live demonstations.:eek:

Mark

Mr. Stebbeds,

First off, I resent your alteration of my post's quoted content to achieve your sordid ends. And especially as a retort to my highly-complimentary remark, it seems that much more inappropriate and deplorable.

Second, I can only imagine that any such demonstrations (live streaming logistics for which are currently being worked out, btw) would only provide additional "information" as you put it, and so I am at a loss to comprehend this apparent contradiction of your desires.

Third, why would you assume that my wife (or any other person, for that matter) has any knowledge whatsoever of such a thing. This is for me a very, very personal matter. Er... that is, would be... if I had written what you have misrepresented as such. Ahem.

[Mark Stebbeds]

Third, why would you assume that my wife (or any other person, for that matter) has any knowledge whatsoever of such a thing. This is for me a very, very personal matter. Er... that is, would be... if I had written what you have misrepresented as such. Ahem.

It was her idea, after the success of your "Dry Heat" series.

[Dave Labrecque]

It was her idea, after the success of your "Dry Heat" series.


Ah... then you're familiar with our work?

[Mark Stebbeds]

Ah... then you're familiar with our work?

Yes, I particularly like your your scene with the long, spiny cactus.:eek:

[MikeDee]

Aaahhh....

Season Three has begun for Mark & Dave / Dave & Mark!

A Happy New Year, indeed! :)

[AudioAstronomer]

Oh good, I came in here to get some tools and I found what i needed :D



booya

[Dave Labrecque]

Yes, I particularly like your your scene with the long, spiny cactus.:eek:

That particular episode ranks up there with the I Love Lucy where Little Ricky was born, I think.

[Sean McCoy]

Man, it's amazing what the images of Nancy Pelosi holding that gavel have done for your dispositions! Can't wait until Hillary's inauguration day! :)

[Sean McCoy]

I suppose the software database requires detailed data entry to get detailed results.
Assuming you're serious about this part, Mark, I can't speak for the software mentioned but I use a similar program called Advanced Disk Catalog, and it creates a searchable database by reading the contents of the archived disks one time. It's lightning fast and extremely convenient.

BTW, I saw your name in the credits of "Permanent Record" the other night. The sound and soundtrack were very good. Nice work!

[Tim Miskimon]

Can't wait until Hillary's inauguration day! :)

oh no please no!....:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
I need to buy a gun first......:eek: :eek: :eek:

[Mark Stebbeds]

BTW, I saw your name in the credits of "Permanent Record" the other night. The sound and soundtrack were very good. Nice work!

Joe was a good friend to my wife an I. His death was a shock, and we think of him every day.

That session was an experiment for Joe and fun to be part of. There were many more songs recorded that never made it into the film. Thanks for the kind words.

Mark