FAQ

• Master Disc FAQ ( 5 Articles )
  
  Can you create an audio master from my MP3s?

  Yes. This service is and we will create an audio master from your files as outlined in Question 1, above. However, MP3 files trade off quality for file size and therefore are not ideal for creating great-sounding duplications. We only recommend MP3 files if there is no other way to provide us with an audio master within your time frame. For the best possible results, you should encode your files into 256 or 320kbps MP3 files, stereo encoding (not joint stereo, as it tends to introduce ringing and other unnatural sounding compression artifacts.)

  What type of blank media do you use?

  We source our professional quality discs from Taiyo Yuden, one of the world's top manufacturers of blank CD & DVD media. This is the good stuff. We prefer Taiyo Yuden media for broad compatibility and longevity along with a superior thermal silver or glossy waterproof color surface.

  What is the maximum length or size of my CD/DVD master?

  For CDs, we use 80-minute discs in production. We recommend leaving a couple of seconds near the very end to reduce the risk of incompatibilities during playback. Some older CD players may not be able to read the disc at 80 minutes and beyond. For this reason we suggest a maximum playing time of 79 minutes, 58 seconds. Generally speaking, if your project master burns onto an 80-minute CDR, it will be fine for duplication. Data CDs can be up to 700MB in size.

   

  Typically a DVD master will be 4.7GB or less in size, regardless of content. We can duplicate DVD projects up to 8.5GB in size using dual layer (DL) media. Please contact us for a quote if you need DL duplication as the pricing is different from our standard DVD packages.

  How do you check the quality of my master disc?

  We will perform a scan of your master CD/DVD to check for major errors. The software we use to check is able to catch potential problems with master discs before we duplicate. In the event that your master is unsuitable for production (i.e., too many read errors, scratches, fingerprints, etc) we will contact you for a fresh copy before proceeding. While we rarely encounter issues with "clean" masters, we cannot accept responsibility for the quality of the master disc we receive and therefore can only be liable for issues with the duplication itself.

  How should I prepare my master?

  We recommend for your final production master that you use a high-quality CD/DVD burned at the lowest speed that you can select for your burner. This is generally 1x, 2x, or 4x. Pacific Optimedia can provide high-quality Taiyo Yuden media if you need one for your master. In your burning software, you should choose to burn in Disc-at-Once (DAO) mode. We don't recommend using copies or copies of copies for your master, as this increases the chances of uncorrectable errors in the new copies -- which can later play back as scratches, pops, and skips. Also, never use ballpoint pens to write on master discs. Use only felt-tip permanent pens (such as a Sharpie) to avoid damaging the disc.