Build a CD-Copier PC?

[snek11]

Hello, I wanted to build a PC that has 4 CD writers. I realize I need a motherboard w/multiple HDD controllers, probably a large power supply as well. Anyone have some advice on doing this?

Basically I want to be able to burn 4 CDs at the same time from an image stored on the hard drive. I realize this is going to tax the system, so I wanted some recommendations on system requirements. Anyone know of any software that will let you copy out to multiple recorders?

Thx

 

[lagger]

nero allows multiple recorders I'm sure there are other commercial apps out there that are probably better suited though as for the system as much ram as you can afford, as fast a processor, and a RAID enabled mobo will allow you to boot from the raid array and store cd images there and use the 2 ide channels for the 4 cdrw's For the price of a high end PC you might also consider a machine like the Primera Bravo Disc Publisher <A HREF="http://www.bravopublisher.com" target="_new"> link here </A> this thing even labels em for ya but you do need to connect it to a regular PC



<b><font color=blue>Of all the things I've lost in life, I miss my mind the most </b></font color=blue>

 

[AndrewT]

don't bother building one when there are cd copy machines already. not like anyone would need that at home unless you do something illegal, then again, how dumb would it be to ask about it on a board like this

<b><font color=blue>Press 1 if you want to be on hold, 2 for disconnect, 3 for a representative who will put you on hold before disconnecting.</font color=blue></b>

 

[zepper]

I would put the hard disk on the primary on-board channel, disable the secondary on-board IDE channel (so one of the add-on controllers can use IRQ-15)in the BIOS. To get max performance, buy two add-on non-RAID adapters (ATA-33/66/or 100 - doesn't really matter for burners) with two channels each (be sure they support CDROMS, some only support hard drives - maybe that's the RAID adapters?). Connect one burner to each channel of the add-on adapters (four in total).
. Or you could go SCSI and put an older hard drive and all the burners on one channel or just use an IDE hard drive w/ the burners on SCSI. SCSI burners aren't the easiest to find and aren't as fast as the latest IDE, except for Yamaha$$$.
. Use Nero 5.5x and you're set...
.bh.


----------
Perhaps the only reason for your existence is to act as a warning to others...<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by zepper on 01/18/03 01:45 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[KWPLunchbox]

Andrew, it's people like you that make it easier for the corporations to take away the choice of the consumer to respect the law. A perfect LEGAL example of wanting such a system is being in a band and making cheap copies of your CD to sell at shows. I've got 2 burners in my system for that purpose. There are all type of reasons to mass produce CD's for legal reasons.

<font color=purple> You know its bad when license plate letters all look like file extensions </font color=purple>

 

[lagger]

I have to agree with lunchbox here


there are people who used to burn a ton of freeware and shareware onto cd's and then sell them for like 5 bux at comp shows.. it was worth it to buy them to avoid the hassle of finding them & d-loading them.. additionally there was "value added" because the family that did this also added a gui to launch or install them as well as a dll library and such in case you needed some obsure file or patch to run the programs.. many small graphics companys and programmers I know of use business card and mini cd's to send out promo's of their material too I'm sure there are dozens of other legal uses besides selling knock-offs of disks illegally

<b><font color=blue>Of all the things I've lost in life, I miss my mind the most </b></font color=blue>

 

[AndrewT]

please cry me a river

4 burners in one system to burn some garage band music? what's the hurry, selling hundreds every weekend and no time during the rest of the week to burn?

after watching some moron trying to sell copies of The Lord of the Rings part 2 (4cd svcd) on e-bay (till he got removed, quick) I'm not surprised of anything.

anyway, if it's for a legit reason then look into buying a cd copy machine, don't have to get the one that does 15 at the same time (or hold 400 discs and automated to burn it all), go with the one does 2-3. why bother building a system just for that and suffering with problems when you can get a copy machine for the same price or less and it's built for making copies only. don't have to bother with OS or any hardware, no need for a monitor, they can copy one after the other and no need to wait till they cool off.

<A HREF="http://www.runtechmedia.com/product.asp?sku=rp386b40x2t" target="_new">$575, 2 copies at once</A>

there are hundreds of companies in the US selling all kinds of cd copy machines, shop around for best price.

<b><font color=blue>Press 1 if you want to be on hold, 2 for disconnect, 3 for a representative who will put you on hold before disconnecting.</font color=blue></b>

 

[KWPLunchbox]

The cd copiers are fine if you have a master that you are going to mass produce. However, you still need a machine to edit and compile material whether it be audio or data. Since you need a system to do this anyways, it is financially advantagious to buy the extra drives for under $300. This way, you have a machine capable of storing multiple images for easy retrieval, audio and video editing, cd image editing, label design and printing as well as burning 4 copies at a time. My point is, both methods have advantages and disadvantages but neither one lends itself to a strictly illegal status.

<font color=purple> You know its bad when license plate letters all look like file extensions </font color=purple>

 

[jihiggs]

so the people that want to copy illeagle cds cant buy a copyer?

my computer is so fast, it completes an endless loop in less than 4 seconds!

 

[dhlucke]

You will most likely need some commercial software. If I'm not mistaken, Nero can only handle 2 burners at once.

<font color=red>
<A HREF="http://kevan.org/brain.cgi?dhlucke" target="_new">Forum Assassin</A></font color=red>

 

[dhlucke]

CD duplicators are very expensive. If you're looking at a $500 one then you're better off just putting a couple cd-r's in a tower. If you really need a duplicator, you will most likely be dropping 4-5 figures.

<font color=red>
<A HREF="http://kevan.org/brain.cgi?dhlucke" target="_new">Forum Assassin</A></font color=red>

 

[AndrewT]

"CD duplicators are very expensive"
no they're not, unless you want to do more than 2-3 copies at once since price goes up by ammount of cds you can make the same time, or have auto loader, maybe even a printer with it. but I doubt he want to add all those extras


"If you're looking at a $500 one then you're better off just putting a couple cd-r's in a tower"
yeah buy a couple of burners and you're better off, don't let it bother you that duplicators use the same thing. what did you think they use?


"If you really need a duplicator, you will most likely be dropping 4-5 figures"
maybe if you're shopping at we-sell-overpriced.com, unless you're talking about the five figures price like this $575.00

and for the other dude, duplicators have the option to be used with a hard drive, with a removable drive tray you can have a drive that you can edit using your computer and then burn.

(now I am the one too lazy to post another, so I just put it here)

anyone who come up with another post before reading up on duplicators will get a nasty post from me, if you're too lazy to read up on something you want to talk about then just shut up instead of guessing about it.

I edited this post a couple of times so I don't come out like a nasty person, if it didn't work then "OOPS" imagine what was in the original

<b><font color=blue>Press 1 if you want to be on hold, 2 for disconnect, 3 for a representative who will put you on hold before disconnecting.</font color=blue></b>

 

[dhlucke]

He stated that he wants to burn 4 cd's at once off a hard drive. That already puts your suggestion at $725. We don't really know what kind of labels he wants, or what kind of labor he is using to complete the task.

For anyone doing high volume cd-duplication for business, you will need to not only burn cd's but you will need to print labels to cd's. This means that you will have to pay a person to load the cd's into both a printer and a cd-duplicator. They're better off buying an auto-loading duplicator, and possibly one that has the built in label printer. This is expensive.

For anyone doing low volume cd-duplication for business, they will still need labels. They can probably get by paying someone to load the cd's, but in that case they're better off just sticking some burners in a tower and then buying a single cd-label printer.

I don't believe that it's professional to print labels out on stickers for business. A frosting type label printer will be necessary. No labels at all isn't going to work either. A sharpee is not appropriate.

I was merely suggesting a possible alternative to spending $725 for a cd-duplicator that doesn't even meet his requirements. On your site alone, a 1-4 cd duplicator is $1075-$1660, depending on the speed and brand of cd-burner.

<font color=red>
<A HREF="http://kevan.org/brain.cgi?dhlucke" target="_new">Forum Assassin</A></font color=red>