CD recorders, duplicators, and players. They’re the bread-and-butter of the pro-studio environment. Even personal and project studios routinely burn CDs. If you make your living in recording or sound, it should be pretty obvious that you need to have the best tools available. Of course, if you like making coasters out of your bad CDs, by all means choose an inferior CD recorder or duplicator. And if you don’t want to make a good impression on a client, a second rate player is exactly the right call. But for those who value their customers (and want to keep them) and don’t like wasting discs, TASCAM unveiled some great new machines at the most recent AES Show that promise to take CD technology to a whole new level of efficiency and performance.
Let’s start with players and work our way up. TASCAM’s latest comp
act disc player is the CD-450 ($760 list). It takes the place of their popular CD-401, while offering more features and superior performance. Perhaps the CD-450’s greatest quality is its versatility. It can integrate into any production environment and provides excellent performance in a large number of applications. DJs will find in the CD-450 the most loyal, dependable henchman they’ve ever had. The Auto Cue function lets DJs easily cue up any track to the very first frame of audio for immediate playback; when that track is finished, the Audio Ready function cues the CD-450 to the next track. This means a DJ never has to worry about (dare we say it?) dead air.
The same is true with broadcasters. The Call and EOM functions give broadcasters the freedom to transfer from one program selection to another, no matter h
ow many players might be in use. You can also control external equipment through the CD-450: A signal from the CD-450 starts playback automatically for smooth playback of multiple selections across many devices. In addition, an Incremental Play feature lets you “fly in” effects from CD with incredible accuracy and precision - a great tool for live applications. The CD-450 can search for material by track, index or time, and supports Timer Play, Program Play for customized playback order and Repeat Play to repeat the last track. Reliable, versatile, and delivering flawless performance, the CD-450 truly sets a new standard for professional CD players.
If you like your high-end audio gear to be as simple and easy to use as possible, you’ll definitely like the CD-D4000 ($1299 list). The CD-D4000 is a professional CD duplicator. It has no I/O. It may not be too flashy, but it reads and writes CDs like nobody’s business. And it’s pretty amazing on a number of levels. Not only can the double tray CD-D4000 playback discs, compare two discs, check discs for writing capability, and (of course) duplicate a disc, but every function on the CD-D4000 is done with only two switches. The Mode Select switch lets you select writing speeds of 1x, 2x, or 4x, and choose reading/writing functions. It’s simple and affordable, and delivers the superior performance you’ve come to expect from Tascam.
And then there’s the CD-RW5000 (pictured below, $1299 list), a CD recorder with a list of features and functions as impressive as its model number. There’s not a compact disc media invented yet that the stand-alone CD-RW5000 can’t read, write, or even rewrite, and its balanced XLR inputs and outputs, AES/EBU digital input, and fast, precise Sync Start feature ensure the CD-RW5000 a place at the head table in any pro-audio setup. In fact, the CD-RW5000’s ability to support all types of compact disc recording media - like CDR or CDRW - makes it unique among CD recorders. It also offers the user incredible control over its functions and operation. The Start ID function offers precision, speed and accuracy previously unheard of in a professional CD recorder. The CD-RW5000 can not only send commands like Play, Pause, Record and Stop to external machines, it can also respond to such messages, making it an incredibly useful, powerful addition to any recording or production environment. What’s more, the CD-RW5000 has the ability to convert the sample rate of an incoming digital signal to the standard 44.1 kHz, turning the once complicated procedure of mastering material recorded at higher rates into an easy, one-step process. You’ll like that. All types of studios and post-production facilities can benefit from the enormous power and capabilities of the CD-RW5000.
TASCAM has also recently come out with a new SCSI CD burner, the CDR400 ($630 list). This 4x12 burner actually comes in two versions, the CDR400W for PC or the CDR400M for Mac. In whatever version you choose, the CDR400 is an efficient, economical way to transfer information onto CDs. The applications are limitless. Musicians can put their demos on CDs quickly and for less money than cassettes. You can archive loads of information and files and back up your important CDs. The CDR400 also makes an excellent recording and editing tool. Both versions of the CDR400 come with SCSI cable and terminator, two blank CDR discs, TASCAM’s Quickstart Guide for CD-Recorders, and even a CD Stomper labeling system so you can make your own labels. The Mac version comes bundled with Adaptec Toast CD Recording Software and Bias Peak LE Audio Recording/Editing Software, while the Windows package offers up an Adaptec 2904 PCI bus master SCSI host adapter and the Adaptec EZ CD Creator Deluxe Software package.
Efficient and easy-to-operate, with state-of-the-art features and functions, TASCAM’s latest CD recorder/players are essential gear for the pro recording and production facility. Call Sweetwater Sound and ask your Sales Engineer for more information and your special pricing on TASCAM’s standard-setting CD recorders.
- Michael Summers