Following on from our recent post on CD duplication errors this article looks at the different kinds of disc errors. There are 3 main types of disc error associated with CD audio. These are C1, C2 and CU errors, below is a description and explanation of each error type.

C1 errors are the lowest level bit errors and are usually measured as errors per second. This block error rate or (BLER) is an indication of the quality of the master disc. All masters contain some degree of C1 errors and an average is somewhere between 50 and 200 errors per second. In general the lower the BLER or C1 error rate the better the master is. Although the Philips red book specification allows for up to 220 errors per second most replication plants like to see error rates of below 50 per second.

C2 errors can be caused by poor master CD burning, poor mastering media and also scratches and scuffs to the disc. C2 errors are read errors and not always a physical defect of the disc. One CD player may read more C2 errors than another CD player attempting to read the same disc. Most C2 errors are correctable by the CD player’s error correction, basically this error correction method makes a guess at what values the missing data should be. A certain degree of C2 errors may be acceptable on a master without any audible artefacts, however many replication plants much prefer masters with C2 errors rates of zero.

CU errors are errors that cannot usually be corrected, these uncorrectable errors render a master disc useless and all replication plants will reject a disc that contains CU errors.
The most common uncorrectable error is reffered to as an E32 error and in essence can be thought of as a string of 3 or more C2 errors that cannot be corrected by the CD drives error correction system. Pressing plants mastering software systems such as Eclipse will automatically fail any disc that contains E32 errors.

For most CD duplication orders we are able to use the direct master supplied by the customer. As long as the customer has prepared the master correctly our CD duplication machines will accept the master and make identical copies of the master provided.

However we often receive CD masters that are not suitable for CD duplication.

Common CD duplication master errors include:

• Master has been burnt in .wav or .mp3 format and not as an audio master
• Master has been burnt onto cheap unbranded CD media
• Master has been burnt to a re-writable CDRW
• Underside of master CD is scuffed and scratched
• Master has been provided on a DVD-R or DVD-RW
• Master has been burnt at too high of a speed
• Master has been burnt as multisession
• Session has not been closed or CD finalised
• Software has not written to correct Philips “book” specification

We can often detect most errors on a supplied CD master and request a replacement master from the customer. Alternatively we can rip the audio from the master and prepare a new production master to red book specification.

Occasionally a customer can supply a master which they have checked by listening and all sounds fine. Even though a master sounds as if it plays back without audible errors there can still be errors on the master. Most CD players use error correction to correct these small disc errors however these small disc errors can in effect be magnified by the duplication process to a degree where error correction is not effective and audible artefacts are present on the duplicated copies.

In our next article we look at the various types of CD disc errors in more detail and explain how to reduce the risk of these errors.

If you are a band looking to release your own album or perhaps some CD promotional copies then our CD duplication packages could be just what you are looking for. For promos or short runs of albums we offer CD duplication and for albums or EPs our replication packages start from 500 units.

For promotional purposes one of our most popular packages is a simple CD in plastic wallet. To keep costs down whilst ensure maximum audio playback compatibility and reliability most bands opt for CD duplication with black thermal text print on our Sony silver discs. Our Sony CDs have a silver record side which gives them the appearance of a factory pressed disc and the topside has a protective surface to prevent damage from scratching and harmful UV sunlight exposure. If you are looking for full colour presentation then CD duplication in clear plastic wallet is great option. Again for this service we use very high quality Sony discs with a special surface allowing for full colour gloss print.

When a full album product is required but there is still a budget to work to we can offer CD duplication packages from 100 to 400 units. With these album packages we can provide exactly the same high quality offset litho full colour booklet and inlays that we use on our replication orders. For orders of 400 and above it is then worth considering our full replication packages that use factory pressed glass mastered CDs.

For EPs a popular product is CD replication in full colour card wallet. We can now provide cellophane overwrap with our card wallet deals to provide a retail suitable fully manufactured CD release. Our replicated CD in wallet deals start from just £429 for 500 copies.

Here are the Easter CD duplication opening hours for Testa-Rossa. Our sales office will close at 5pm on Thursday April 1st and will remain closed for the holidays until Monday April 12th. Any short run CD duplication orders that have been approved and paid for will still continue through production and be delivered by Wednesday 7th April.

Our CD replication production will continue as normal between Tuesday 6th and Friday 9th of April. Any new orders received during these dates will not be processed until Monday April 12th but orders already placed, approved and paid for before Thursday April 1st will continue through our pressing plant as normal. Replication orders placed prior to Thursday April 12th will be scheduled for delivery on Tuesday 20th of April. Due to high workloads our replication leadtimes are approximately 11 working days.

All our CD duplication, DVD duplication, CD replication and DVD replication leadtimes should return to normal as from April 19th. As a guide short run duplication with no packaging will be back to 2 working days and replication with no packaging back to 7 working days. All orders that involve litho printed paper parts should return to 9 -10 working day leadtime.

During the Easter holidays we will still endeavour to reply to CD and DVD sales enquiries and quote requests albeit on a limited service. We would like to take this chance to wish all our customers a happy Easter break.

With all the advances in high quality home studio plug ins, additional mastering for CD duplication is becoming less of a requirement. Most of our customers supply masters that are acceptable for the CD duplication or replication manufacturing process. Most modern CD burning software applications now automatically write CDs to the Philips red book specification making them suitable for use as a production master.

There are simple procedures that can help to ensure you produce a “good” master for CD duplication. Firstly try to use a bona-fide professional version of your chosen software application, often many free, trial or lite versions omit essential coding from the burning process. Also always use a high quality CD-R specifically for CD audio, cheap data CD-Rs from your local supermarket are usually low quality and not good more mastering purposes. Discs such as Sony CD-R for audio or other quality brands such as Verbatim are more suitable for masters.

When you burn your master do not burn at highest speed settings, if you are using a good CD burning application there should be an option to choose the speed at which the disc is burnt. A good setting for masters is usually around 4x speed. Also check for settings such as CD text, DAO and ISRC to make sure all the correct coding is embedded to the master.

Once you have burnt your master handle it with great care. Do not allow the underside of the disc to get scratched or damaged and keep the CD away from strong sunlight which has harmful UV light that can damage the chemical layers within the CD-R. Check the master on a few different players to make sure it performs exactly as intended. Once you are happy with master make sure you place it in some good packaging to avoid the disc getting damaged on its way to the manufacturer.

One of the most common enquiries we receive is the request on turnaround times for CD duplication. Duplication can actually be achieved very quickly, around 1 hour for 100 discs. The discs also have to be printed and timescale depends on type of print required. For simple black text print 100 discs can be printed in around 20 mins whereas full colour CD printing can take around 2 hours.

The overall leadtime for CD duplication is critical on how customers submit their orders and artwork. If we receive a package that contains all the relevant information together with print ready disc artwork and suitable production master then we can usually process the order within a few hours. As soon as we have processed the order we will email PDF proofs and a pro forma invoice. If the customer then approves artwork and makes prompt payment it is usual that production can actually proceed the same day that the order is received.

For speedy processing and fastest turnaround of CD and DVD duplication orders always supply the following:

Suitable CD artwork
Suitable production ready PMCD master
Order form or purchase order.
CD duplication order title.
Delivery address.
Telephone number.
Email address.
Catalogue number.

The main issue that delays us processing orders is unsuitable artwork. For over 50% of received orders we will have to reject CD and paper parts artwork and ask customer to re-supply. Another factor that slows down processing of orders is lack of order and specification information. Many customers supply discs with no title or catalogue number and no delivery details. This results in us having to chase the customer for sufficient information before we can even enter the order on our system.

When designing artwork there are various colour modes for CD duplication disc print. It is essential to supply artwork in the correct colour mode depending on the type of print used.

For short run orders of less than 500 discs CD duplication is available with a choice of black text, grayscale or full colour thermal print.

For CD black text print artwork should be in grayscale mode with all text as 100% solid black. For best results use of bold fonts is recommended.

If you require shades of black including hi resolution graphics and photos then thermal grayscale print is suitable. CD artwork should be supplied in grayscale mode.

Full colour thermal print for duplication can handle all graphics and photos. Designs must be supplied in CMYK mode. Please ensure designs do not include any RGB images.

Moving on to CD replication for larger orders the two main print options are spot pantone colour and CMYK full colour.

For spot colour screenprint it is essential that all colours are defined correctly within the file as spot pantone separations. CMYK designs are not suitable for spot colour screenprint. To check if your colours are defined correctly use the output preview tool in acrobat to view the colour separations. All colours should be pantone solid coated and there should be no CMYK content in the output preview window.

For CD replication with full colour print we usually use white base + CMYK offset litho print. Offset litho can reproduce all high resolution graphics and photographs containing full colour. Again all content of the design must be CMYK. Acrobat output preview can be used to check that the artwork is entirely CMYK and that no content is in RGB.

One of the main reasons we have to reject artwork for CD duplication is due to designs not having suitable bleed. All designs for commercial print require bleed, whether it be CD duplication booklets, flyers or packaging. Bleed ensures that no visible white markings end up around the edges of the final print by compensating for any cut tolerance during print finishing.

All print finishing equipment such as guillotines, folders and perforators have what is referred to as a tolerance. This tolerance is a very small amount of play or movement that can occur under operating. It is very hard to make a cut in stacks of CD duplication booklets or other paper at the exact same place on each sheet. Due to machine tolerance and the fact that stacks of print can be uneven it is widely accepted that the cut could be up to a millimetre in difference between each sheet.

This tolerance is why bleed is so important. Artwork bleed is usually an extra 2-3mm of the artwork so that a millimetre tolerance of the print finishing will not be visible on the final print.

All Testa-Rossa CD duplication artwork templates incorporate an area of 3mm bleed. On most of our templates the bleed needs to extent up the red dotted lines. This means that all graphics and background images need to extend by an extra 3mm up to this bleed marking.

Any artwork that we receive that does not have 3mm bleed will be rejected by our reprographics department. So to save time and potential artwork re-supply charges always ensure that you include 3mm bleed in your artwork and designs.

Here is the third article relating to CD duplication copyright issues. In the first two articles we covered the intellectual property and sound recording copyright issues. For most CD duplication UK orders there is usually a third copyright factor you will need to consider. This is the artwork copyright.

If you are having your album duplicated or replicated and you have designed all parts of artwork yourself then you have the right to copy this artwork onto your CD album booklets and inlays. In this instance you are the artwork copyright owner.

If parts of your artwork are not original and you have used artwork libraries such as istockphoto you are not the sole copyright owner of the artwork and you must seek copyright permissions from all copyright owners. With libraries such as istockphoto there are usually various purchase options dependent on what you are using the library artwork for. For commercial use you will need to make sure you select the correct option and payment which in effect provides you with a “license” or permission to make copies or print the artwork for commercial purposes such as CD sales.

If your CD duplication order involves the licensing of sound recordings from 3rd party record labels you should also check whether you have the rights to use the record labels logo and the corresponding artwork for the track. Many licensing arrangements with record labels will include the necessary permission to “copy” or print the artwork but you should always check your licensing agreement or contract.

So we have now covered the 3 main copyrights required to manufacture your album by means of duplication or replication. Always be certain that you have the required IPR, sound recording and artwork copyright permissions in place before proceeding with CD manufacture.

In Our previous CD duplication article we looked at copyright issues involving IPR. Today we are looking at the Sound recording copyright.

The sound recording copyright is usually controlled by the owner of the sound recording. If you are an artist who has recorded a track in your own studio or you have hired a studio then this would usually make you the owner of the sound recording. In this scenario you have the right to manufacture or “copy” the recording by means of CD replication or duplication.

If you are an artist who has signed a recording deal usually all sound recording copyrights are then owned by the record company for a fixed term. The record company has all rights to manufacture, duplicate or replicate CD copies of the sound recordings.

If you are looking to place an order for CD duplication you need to either own the sound recordings or seek permission from the sound recording copyright owners. Collection agencies such as PPL can often help trace the sound recording copyright owners but any necessary copyright permissions will usually need to be granted directly from the copyright owner.

There is also the scenario where a sound recording is “out of copyright”. In these circumstances it may not be necessary to seek any copyright permissions, again agencies such as PPL should be able to advise on such issues.

So far we have covered the 2 main copyright issues, Intellectual property rights and sound recording rights. We will also look at copyrights relating to artwork and logos in our next article.