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Thread: SCSI CDR & EIDE HD? Pls hlp

  1. #1
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    Question SCSI CDR & EIDE HD? Pls hlp

    Hello all,

    i've been searching the forums and haven't found an answer for this quesion, but forgive me if it's been answered previously.

    i'm having a system built for me and i want it optimized for cd burning. i'm definitely going SCSI for the CDR. i want to be able to multitask while i burn... so, do i need a separate HD dedicated to burning? if so, does it matter if it's SCSI or EIDE?

    thanks in advance

    steve

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    I think, although I don't burn myself, that a SCSI writer and a SCSI hard drive is best. This takes a lot of usage away from the processor and the IDE controllers, and results in less buffer underruns and problems when copying onto a cd. Both devices will be controlled on the SCSI bus, and will not really have to have as much data passed through the system.

    This will also leave you a connection free on the motherboard to have another hard drive or cdrom in the future.

    But before you decide let someone else answer because as I said, I don't burn myself.

    I don't burn cdrom's either .

  3. #3
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    Yep... if you want your system optimized for burning, then your second CD ROM should also be SCSI. Would not hurt to have a hard disk that is SCSI as well, though most IDE HD's now are fast enough to prevent buffer under-runs.

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    ok, i guess i should've asked this in the 1st place... do i need a 2nd hard drive? i.e., is having a SCSI CDR enough to allow me to multitask?

  5. #5
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    Having a scsi everything except my floppy, I can attest to the value of not having the processor working overtime. SCSI devices as stated above use very little processor resources. I personally wouldn't recommend mixing IDE and SCSI but that's just me. As far as needing a second hard drive is concerned, go with one fast, perhaps a 10K SCSI2 with LVD and you should be ok.
    Then there's the question of your processor, what kind? how fast? RAM? If you insist on multi-tasking while burning make sure the rest of the system is up to speed.

    sincerely

    Vincnet

  6. #6
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    In my opinion, no, having a SCSI CDR is not necessarily enough to multi-task while you burn. Generally, I don't recommend that you do anything else when burning a CD.

    If however you are dead set on doing so, you can take some steps to help you be more successful, and avoid the dreaded buffer under-run errors (aka: Making coasters)

    1) Have a good quality SCSI CDR and SCSI controller card.

    2) Get as much CPU horsepower as you can.

    3) Load up on RAM

    4) If doing CD to CD Copies, make sure your source CD ROM is also SCSI, and fast enough to provide ample data feed to the burner

    5) Defrag whatever it is you have on your HD that you are going to burn, before starting the burn process. Wouldn't hurt to have the data on a seperate partitian from your OS too, and even better, if it could be on a SCSI HD instead of IDE.

  7. #7
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    Lightbulb

    check out these threads for some info you may need on PIO, Dual and Single FIFO and Underruns...
    http://www.sysopt.com/forum/Forum2/HTML/003729.html
    http://www.sysopt.com/forum/Forum2/HTML/003802.html

    And SCSI info at http://www.sysopt.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/003080.html

  8. #8
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    Well,I do burn mostly audio CD's, currently on a mixed path, an LG IDE CD-ROM as source and Plextor SCSI writer/ Adaptech SCSI card. My first problem was the quality of copies since I listen them back on my home High-End Audio system and it unveils any differences. Tried to use only the Plex and write from image file but it is worse than use of LG and keep the 2x speed.
    Also, I checked the quality of different base material and I found it makes more impact to the final (sound)quality than the method you write. Prefer TDK and Traxdata blank discs, while both have their own "sound character" they closing best the original.
    One more important addition. My Plex is external and runs from it's own PSU with a dedicated AC cable. Quality of this cable and the direction as you plug it in (n.b. in Hungary we use DIN plugs, it can be connected two directions)gives a well noticeable touch on the recorded music. It is the same during listening, try your amp to plug opposite to AC and hear the difference. The right direction sounds more airy and has more depth of sound. Before writing, check this by listen to a known CD through a headphones (a GOOD headphones...!).
    As far as wire, try Audioplan's (Germany) dedicated digital AC wire (with a built-on filter )which keeps out AC-borne HF noise from your writer/source and enjoy your almost identycal copies. I agree in SCSI to SCSI writing, it keeps the jitter (digital distortion form) out and makes the straight connection between source and writer. ( Today I bought a Pioneer 303S SCSI DVD to replace LG...)

  9. #9
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    Whoa there Paul.
    This is digital audio we're talking about here isn't it? Changes in sound quality due to media type and AC supply line conditions sound a whole lot like analog attributes to me!?!
    As far as I was aware the only change you would get to your output would be from data errors. The most likely source being tracking problems from your source reader due to no block identifiers in the DA format.
    This would appear to be in direct contradiction to what you have reported.
    I'll certainly be doing a few comparisons to see if I can detect this sort of difference?
    Have tried these tests double blind?

  10. #10
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    Multi-tasking while burning a CD? Hope you're not trying it in Win9x...

  11. #11
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    Cool

    As far as setup is concerned, I have a SCSI CDRW and a SCSI HD which I use for temporary files. My CD and main HD is EIDE.

    I have no problems with buffers, but then I don't try to multi-task.

    People who run complete EIDE systems generally end up copying to the HD first because of buffer underruns.

  12. #12
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    To BEOR999:

    Contrary to what you wrote in 3802 I've found that most CDROM drives are happy reading my CDRW. Adaptec also have a small utility that should work with most drives, but I've found newer drives work straight off in Win98.

    [This message has been edited by Prince (edited 03-12-2000).]

  13. #13
    Ultimate Member pickel's Avatar
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    Burn on one , surf on the other that's my motto. Burn um slow and burn um long and leave him alone when he's a burnin'. For the extra few minutes, you can really tell the difference. Hopefully the CD you burn will last a long time and give you many playbacks
    why rush things???? Sometimes ' the need for speed ' has drawbacks. Just my $ .02

    the pickel

  14. #14
    Senior Member Smokey's Avatar
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    If I were you, I would go for a cheaper EIDE burner and HD, because even if I had SCSI, I wouldn't touch the computer while burning.

  15. #15
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    Hi Lynx,

    Thanks for your reply.
    It is a great misconsideration that digital is free from any possible and easily recognizeable analog-field born impacts during any process with datastream. Most people thinks while it is data, 1 or 0, no other changes can be expectable than a simple data error.
    IT IS NOT TRUE.
    Digital audio is perhaps the most sensitive way to recognize differences since the human ear is very sensitive, "measuring" energy-saturation in 4 dimensions 3D+time.
    I want to invite you for some challenging experiment: theoretically, a cable in digital line can cause no harm by it's own nature, if the connection is stable, 1 and 0 inputting one side come 1 and 0 at the other, so no possible data error can be done. Try different cables between your digital transport and DAC and you will realize easily defineable different sound characters. Some terrific bad, some sounds bright, some dull. In digital domain.
    An other example. Years ago I bought a cheap CD-player. I did some tweaks to reach better music (master clock generator from Trichord UK, analog amp IC changes, PSU components changes AND transport mechanism tweak.
    The latter brings the most appreciated difference. What to do: Take off cover, unscrew Philips transport unit from it's bed (plastic), remove all other transport parts(drawer,etc.) and hang the entire transport on four household rubber ring. This gives an easy moving ability toward any direction(very difficult to use, in fact) and this way the transport hang in the air and the connection cables are the only mechanical contact to the board.
    Listen and gasp for breath...
    I would highly recommend you to look after nature of jitter,too. This is a digital domain distortion, a kind of timing error which can be easily born during EIDE way of CD-writing. Every time you change the original datastream's time conditions like it goes in EIDE you cannot restore it quite exactly. This can cause high effect in sound quality. It is important WHEN comes 1 and WHEN comes 0.
    Hope this can bring new thinking of it.
    I like Waltzing Matilda anyway, my mobile's ring has been set to this song. :-)))
    Rgds. Paul

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