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| 2-Drive Duplicator | DVD+R Burners | CDR Media |
Special Karaoke CDG Certified DVD Burners
Discover The Four Unique Problems
For Karaoke Burners
Problem #1 - Uncorrected Data
The Karaoke CD+Graphics disc format is different than audio and all other optical disc formats. The graphics and lyrics that highlight to the music are stored on the disc in an area that is not error corrected when read back from the disc.
In the past, certain burner manufacturers included a hardware chip that corrected errors for the graphic lyrics data. It was usable, but since 2004, the few drives using it are no longer available. An MTU CDG Certified burner used with Microstudio 4.001+ software or Hoster 3.314+ software provides the highest error correction available at any price today. Even scratched discs with damaged graphic-lyrics data are now corrected to better quality than you find on many new commercial discs.
Problem #2 - Incompatible Discs
Burners can write a CDG format disc that you are confident in, until you find it won't play in all Karaoke Players. MTU customers tell us their discs play at any show they take them to, when made with MTU Certified Burners.
If you have a modern Burner with MMC support, it may work with Microstudio 4.001 or higher, and it may write CDG format discs. The Microstudio demo allows you to test your burner. However, is it worth the risk to wait all night for your turn, then find out your disc won't play? Instantly the whole night out is ruined, not to mention the embarrassment!
Problem #3 - Discs Play Bad Graphics
When singing a Karaoke CDG song, have you noticed random color changes in the lyrics or background? These are "read" errors from a bad disc. When you use software to rip a karaoke track from a disc to a hard drive, the errors are even worse. Remember, burners DO NOT error correct the special CD+G lyric words. When you see changed dots on the screen, do you stumble on stage if you're reading the lyrics? Many customers have told us errors upset their focus and rhythm.
Problem #4 - Bad Manufactured Discs
Have you ever paid good money for Karaoke discs that the silk screen flakes off and the disc is useless within weeks? Or how about buying warped discs that generate so many errors on the highest numbered tracks that you can barely read the words? Why go on stage to gain excitement and the respect you deserve... and then stumble through errors on screen? Many Karaoke Producers use the cheapest media available!
Confidence In MTU CDG Certified Burners
MTU realized these problems, and certify our burners to duplicate and write professional quality CD+G Karaoke discs. Is the risk of embarrassment worth a few dollars you may save or pay more elsewhere?
"I just received my USB DVD+R Burner from MTU yesterday (July 5, 2007). I'm using it with Hoster. I'm tickled to death with it. My default reader/burner was importing the graphics with random garbage in it. The MTU USB DVD+R Burner is importing the graphics without a glitch and my Karaoke inventory is Chartbuster, which I've heard has some problems with the graphics. So far everything has imported clean. I give the MTU USB DVD+R Burner a 10!" Kenny in MTU.Community Forums
IMPORTANT NOTES
These burners are certified to read and write the Karaoke CD+G format when used with Microstudio 4.001+ software or Hoster 3.314+ software (order separately).
MTU does NOT claim these drives will work with CD+G discs using software from other manufacturers, including CDRWIN.
NOTE: We only ship within the USA territories and APO, but not Canada, Mexico, or International.
MTU CDG Certified DVD Burners |
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No claims are made for use with other software. Orders received by 9:00AM EST ship the same business day. |
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| USB External Mount DVD+R/CDR 20X-48X Burner and Case | $129.95 |  |
| IDE Internal Mount DVD+R/CDR 20X-48x Burner | $79.95 | |
| Microstudio Software for CDG Certified Burners | $79.99 $49.99 | |
| 300 Quantity CDG Certified 80 Minute CDR Media | $127.00 | |
| 100 Quantity CDG Certified 80 Minute CDR Media | $49.00 | |
USB DVD+R Burner, External Mount
This DVD+R CD+G burner (recorder) (assembled in USB case and tested by MTU) plugs into a Laptop or other computer with a USB-1 or USB-2 port, mounting outside the computer in its own case. When connected to a USB-2 port it will have a sustained read and write from 8x to 10x (the burner spec claims faster peak speeds). When connected to a USB-1 port it will have a sustained read and write speed around 4x. This burner is assembled, tested and certified by MTU to work in the USB case.
The burner achieves blazing fast 18x CAV performance on recommended 16x DVDR, the burner also supports dual-layer DVD media for up to four hours of content.
Microstudio 3.003 and higher can copy your karaoke CDG discs, make custom compilation discs, and turn your PC into a Professional Karaoke Machine.
Hoster 3.314 and higher support using this burner for importing all of your karaoke cdg discs into the computer for running or storing your karaoke songs on the PC hard burner.
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IDE DVD+R Burner, Internal Mount
This CD+G burner (recorder) IDE burner mounts inside your computer in a standard 5.25" drive bay. It interfaces to the computer using an IDE or PATA (Parallel ATA) cable. It writes a CDR at up to 48X (max, not sustained), DVD+R up to 18x, and reads up to 48x (max, not sustained).
The burner achieves fast 18x CAV performance on recommended 16x DVDR, and supports dual-layer DVD media to burn up to four hours of high-quality content.
With Microstudio 3.003 and higher you can copy your karaoke CDG discs, make your own custom compilations, and play them from disc on your PC!
Hoster 3.314 and higher supports this burner for importing your karaoke cdg discs into the computer hard burner. Click here for more information about Hoster.
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MTU CDR Media is Best for Karaoke CD+G Use 
MTU compact disc recordable media are engineered for Karaoke singers and hosts. Karaoke CDG Players will not play some CDR media due to several reasons. Over the years, MTU has heard many problems and realized that you need a CDR media that WILL work with Karaoke Players. Discs written on poor media may play in some Players, and then you take them to a new show and they won't play. MTU engineers searched and found CDR disc media that works reliably in Karaoke Players.
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Professional Karaoke CD+G Disc Copies
Protect your karaoke discs before they are scratched. Karaoke CD+G discs are not the same as audio or cdrom discs. Once they are scratched, there can be permanent damage. Many CDG manufacturers come and go out of business, and many more discontinue CDG discs. You need to make a backup while your discs are still good.
CD+G CAPABLE BURNERS
Do not be fooled by sales statements like "sure it can do karaoke". The majority of sales people do not know the LYRICS will not be copied!
Since 1992, we discovered which burners will work for backing up CDG discs. We have sold all of these capable burners over the years. Buying burners in lots of 10 to 100, after our certification testing we typically reject between 10% and 100% in each lot that will not write a professional copy. If you buy a burner from MTU, it will make a professional copy! If you even buy the same burner we sell elsewhere, it will fall into one of these classes:
- Professional - The copy shows the lyrics equal or better than your master. Microstudio software with an MTU burner often makes IMPROVED copies of scratched CD+G discs. NOTE: Chartbuster commercial discs have so many mastering errors that even with a Certified CDR burner and media, they will show random dots in the background and characters.
- Standard - The copy appears like the original with random dots in the background.
- Not Usable - Random dots appear in the background and the lyric letters, worse on tracks 7 and higher. Copying a copy will further increase the damage. Most CD/DVD burners that claim to "do karaoke" produce this damage.
- Total Failure - No graphics or lyrics appear. Most CD/DVD burners perform this way.
CD+G CAPABLE SOFTWARE
Audio CD software will not copy karaoke lyrics. Microstudio with an MTU CDG Certified burner will copy and play karaoke with the lyrics. MTU has written professional studio, commercial grade CD software since 1992 and Karaoke CD+G software since 1997.
CD RECORDER DISCS
CDR stands for Compact Disc Recordable, while CDRW is ReWritable.
MOST Karaoke players won't play CDRW discs! Unless you know without question that your machine will play CDRW discs, we STRONGLY recommend you not even have any CDRW discs around. If you accidentally use them, you will turn gray trying to figure out why they won´t write as fast as your CDR discs, and then why they won´t play in your Karaoke machine.
- Use QUALITY media.
- Clean all discs with a soft dry cloth to remove fingerprints, lint, etc. Wipe from the inside outward, not circular motion.
- Protect discs from cold temperatures or the lacquer layer can literally curl up and roll off the plastic disc.
- MTU CD+G CERTIFIED discs have been engineered specifically for Karaoke CD+G use.
YOUR MASTER CD+G DISCS
Scratched discs show dots in the lyrics on your karaoke player and on a copy. Make backups before it is too late. Microstudio 4.000 and higher have advanced the state-of-the-art in error correction, which can clean up many errors caused by scratches. If you don't have Microstudio 4.000 or higher, prove it yourself and run the demo to test your burner and scratched discs.
CLEAN THE BURNER LASER
If you see dots in the video, clean the laser with a cleaning disc in your burner.
CD+G Discs Instructions
Labeling Options
CDR's can be labeled in several ways, depending on how professional a look you desire and what it costs.
- Hand Written - Felt tip pens with permanent water soluble ink are the least expensive method, such as made by Dixon Ticonderoga.
- Never use a permanent marker pen that contains a solvent (you can smell them). The solvent can penetrate the disc surface and cause damage to the dye or reflective layers.
- Never use a ball point pen or any other sharp object that can scratch the surface.
- The absolute safest area where you can label your CDR is within the clear area that surrounds the center hole.
- Press-on Labels - This is a less expensive method to produce a professional-looking label. They also allow more information such as the Track numbers and song names. Follow these guidelines when using labels:
- Always use an applicator device that centers the label on the disc. If the label is not centered or has wrinkles or bubbles, the disc will spin out-of-balance, creating difficult to recognize problems with 12x and faster CDROM players.
- NEVER try to reposition a label after it is partially applied or you will damage the disc.
- Only use labels with adhesive that have been tested in spin and heat cycles, and that are not solvent based. Unapproved adhesives may have solvents that can damage the disc, or prevent it from playing properly.
Handling Warnings
- Holding the media - CDR discs should always be held with your fingers on the outside edge, or with a finger in the center hole, or by grasping it inside of the center hub.
- Storage - CDR discs should be stored in a protective case to prevent scratches rather than stacking them up.
- Protect from the Environment - Although MTU Silver CDR's can withstand direct sunlight, high humidity and UV light, it is still a good idea to avoid exposure to these conditions.
- Clean Off Fingerprints - To clean smudges on a CDR disc, use a lens tissue (from any camera shop or department). Always wipe the disc in a radial direction from the inside circle to the outside edge. Do not wipe in a circular motion around the disc. The read laser in a Karaoke Player normally will focus beyond the disc surface so that fingerprints and minor scratches do no change the data.
- Blow Off Dust - Dust should be blown off not wiped off to prevent scratching the disc surface. It also should be removed so it does not get into the drive mechanism and wind up on the reader mirror or lens and reduce the lifetime of the Karaoke Player or CDROM drive.
General Questions
- Will discs written at 12x, 16x, or 24x be readable on 1x Karaoke Players? - Yes. The recording speed is independent of the playback speed.
- Is Recording at 48x or 52x Speeds Better Than 1x? - Yes. The physics, chemistry and thermodynamics of the recording process seem to produce more consistent and readable pits within the recording dye layer at higher speeds. This may be due to an "annealing process" that occurs in pits written at 1x because the laser remains focused on the pit for a long time, causing over-heating. At higher speeds, the heating (and thus annealing process) is less.
What is a buffer underrun and why is it a problem with CDR? - When you record a CD, blocks of your music and lyrics data are interleaved between disc frames. This interleaving is done to protect the data from large surface scratches. Once the CD Burner begins to write a block, it can not stop before the interleaving is completed. If your computer cannot provide data to the cd burner fast enough, you, in effect, drain the buffer memory of the recorder. This buffer underrun condition cuts off data from the recorder and interrupts the writing process. The resulting disc will be unplayable in most CDROM players.
NOTE: MTU cdg certified CDR drives and our Microstudio software are engineered to avoid buffer underrun problems.