CD Duplication or Replication?

By Frank Smalls


It will be easy to choose which technique you should use once you know how the CD replication technique differs from the CD duplication technique. You should base your decision on the number of CDs to be produced, how much time you can wait on the final product, and the quality of sound needed when you have your project created professionally.

If you want to make a lot of a particular CD at one time, then CD replication will offer you a high-quality process. This method will be done by a professional manufacturing facility. With this technique, a mold is made for each run of discs. A high volume of CDs are produced at one time by an injection molding process using the mold. This technique is recommended for quantities over 1,000 discs.

The master CD created for this process is very special. The original sound is introduced to a recording system. This system imprints a positive version of the sound onto a master that is normally made from glass and then transferred to metal. Once these malleable surfaces are imprinted with the recording, copies are made of them with a stamping system to produce negatives. These negatives then have injection molds made of them to create positives again.

CD replication turns out an extremely good quality of music. Injection molds can make a high volume of duplicates that are also covered with an aluminum film and some lacquer for protection. These also go through a hardening process under an UV light before they are ready to use.

Now, for a less complex procedure you may be able to use the CD duplication technique if you need less than three to five hundred copies. With this technique, a disc drive in a computer transfers the desired sound from the original CD. The recorded sound then is burned (transferred) onto a special type of CD to make an exact replica.

For this process, you may choose from three types of blank CDs. Older computers and stereo systems will only recognize CD-Rs as readable discs. Modern systems, including car stereos and DVD players, are capable of reading both CD-Rs and CD+Rs. Choose between the minus and plus as is applicable for your intended audience. CD-RWs mean that the CD is capable of being recorded over. Once the recording is made, it can be removed and replaced like an old VHS tape.

I don't believe that CD duplication returns quite the same caliber of disc as the replication process. But, from what I've read, it is negligible.

Which of these processes you choose will make a slight difference in your final product. While CD replication does produce a slightly better product, it generally takes more time and is cost prohibitive for runs under 300 pieces. CD replication produces the standard shinny discs and duplication is on the greener discs. Duplication is normally faster. Keep these facts in mind when choosing which method you want to use in creating your CDs. Remember to plan ahead for either process.




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