Duplication.

Cassette duplication is easy - put the master in one slot, the blanks in the other slots, and hit a button. CD duplication can be just as easy, but there are many more options to consider. Perhaps the most important consideration is whether or not to include printing as part of the duplication process.

Blank CD's can be purchased with a printable surface - they look very like any other CD, accept that the surface looks slightly dull, rather than glossy. Using special printers, these discs can be printed to look just as professional as any commercially produced product. Many manufacturers now offer combined copier/printers, which duplicate the CD's, and print them as one process. This is certainly a convenient solution, and if space is at a premium, may be worth considering. Apart from that, there are good reasons why it is better to consider separate printers and copiers.

Combined units tend to be more complex than separates - apart from the lowest cost models, the "robotics" for moving discs between copy drives and print mechanism are complicated. This means that mechanical problems are more likely, and if they do occur, then the complete (usually bulky) copy system needs to be returned for repair. On the other hand, separate printers are less complex, as are the copiers - problems are less likely, and if something does go wrong, repair will be much easier and less costly. (Most copiers use "off the shelf" CD writer drives, available from computer suppliers. Repair may be a simple "do it yourself" job - screwing out one drive and replacing it with another).

The copier and printer you choose will depend both on your budget, and the number of CD's you need to copy. The simplest printers take in only one disc at a time, so every single disc needs to be manually loaded. If you only intend copying around a dozen discs each week, this is fine, however if your requirements are greater than this, then you need to consider a printer which can be loaded with a stack of discs. The smallest capacity is usually up to 25 discs, though printers are available with capacities of several hundred blanks.

Although there are a range of print technologies available, the most common is inkjet. Just like the inkjet printer attached to most domestic computers, this "sprays" tiny droplets of ink onto the print surface. This is the reason that "printable" discs must be used - some people have discovered to their cost that using slightly cheaper "white top" discs which are not "printable", is not an option! The ink just sits on the surface of these discs, and does not dry - the result is a messed up print job and ink everywhere but where it should be! Printable discs cost only a few pence more than standard discs, and are essential. (The main competitor to inkjet printing is thermal printing, which uses standard discs, but is still more expensive in terms of running costs than inkjet).

Printing may be carried out before duplication, and some people will choose to work this way. They can then use pre-printed discs for duplication immediately after a church service, and have completed CD's ready for people to take home with them only minutes after the service ends! Most however, choose to duplicate first and then print. This reduces the chances of duplication failures, which although not frequent, do mean that discs are wasted.

One-to-one copiers are available, and once again for the budget conscious, good deals are available. However copying large numbers of discs this way is very time consuming, and most users opt for more efficient one-to-many copiers. A one-to-five copier, with discs running at x52 speed, is capable of duplicating around 80 discs per hour. Most lower cost duplicators need to be attended - the operator places blank discs into each drive, presses copy, then waits for the copy process to complete before starting the next lot. In this respect they are very like cassette duplicators. For anyone duplicating large quantities, "robotic" copiers are available which can run unattended, with capacities of around 100 discs. They are however slower at copying each disc - a full run could take several hours. This is because at the lower end of the market, they have only a single copying drive. For those who need speed, large quantities, and unattended operation, multi-drive robotic copiers are available which can duplicate over 1000 discs per day - but these cost several thousand pounds each.

A further option is to include a hard disc drive in the copier. This allows the user to store "images" of CD's, and recall them for duplication. This reduces wear and tear on the master drive, and means that CD's can be duplicated without having to retain and catalogue multiple master discs.

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