CD Burning Basics Page 5 — Final Touches: While setting up CDR hardware and software, there are a few tweaks that will help the recorder make the most of your machine's processing power. When you install your recorder, try to isolate it on its own bus. When it's isolated, the recorder doesn't have to share the IDE channel or SCSI bus with other devices that can slow the flow of data. If you are using an IDE interface, set up the recorder as the master on the secondary IDE channel. There are usually two IDE controllers on your motherboard. Just follow the data cable from your IDE hard drive (this will be the primary IDE controller) or consult your manual to locate them. There will be a jumper to set Master/Slave on your IDE CD recorder. If SCSI, you can try to place the device on it's own SCSI bus. This is only possible if you have a dual channel host adapter, or it is your only SCSI device. Consult your SCSI host adapter documentation. At minimum, try to isolate the source drive from the CD Recorder. The source drive contains the files you will burn to CD. Windows users, find the Control Panel/System/Device Manager/CDROM/Device Name/Properties window, under the Settings Tab. Enable DMA (direct memory access) if your IDE drive supports it. This allows your burner to access the memory directly, without going through the CPU. Enable disconnect. Disable auto-insert notification, which can slow things down by periodically polling the recorder for the possibility of a new disc. Before burning, close all unnecessary programs. Then check for any resident programs like a virus scanner, and other programs that run in the background. Screensavers can be a big problem, so be sure to disable those flying toasters before you start to burn. And close any other programs you don't need at the time. Windows users check the Task Manager or System Tray. One of the biggest factors for success with CD recorders is the amount of RAM on your machine. While most drives suggest at least 32 MB of RAM, it's better to have 64 MB or more. Also, the type of software and discs you use can make a difference. Buy several brands of discs and see which ones your drive likes the best. For music, a good test is the car stereo: If you can skip through the tracks easily, you've got a good burn. Blank CDs come rated at certain speeds -- just like a CD recorder -- and this represents the top recommended burn speed. There is some debate about which color CDs work the best -- green, gold, blue or silver. This CD-R FAQ discusses this issue, and has an extensive FAQ on CD burning. When burning a disc, leave your system alone. Don't write email or play Tetris. If you have family members who try to get on your computer, leash up your pit bull and put some whipped cream on his mouth. Finally, it is always smart to get hardware that can learn, so look for flash upgradeable firmware in a recorder. If there is a conflict or compatibility issue down the road, this can be a toy-saver. A CD recorder manufacturer can update its hardware to comply with software programs, new operating systems, and other changes in environment. No guarantees, but it helps. Check the manufacturer's website for firmware updates. As you can see, CD recorder applications can do a lot more than just burn music mixes. Sure, there are some decisions to make. But if you set up the hardware and software with a little planning and forethought, it will reward with you an excellent and cheap backup system for all your precious audio, video, and data. To 4th page of Burning CD's Back to the Bison HTML Home Page