External CDR w/ 2.0 USB Connection to Computer

[rontokyo]

I'm considering moving my computer to a rather out-of-the-way place [two blocks down wouldn't be a bad idea]. Other than turning it on and off, all I need access to is the CDR. I'm currently doing a little research into USB 2.0 and external "boxes" [which contain IDE to USB connectors] in which to mount the CDR externally [on my desk]. USB 2.0 is quite fast, maybe as fast [faster??] than internal IDE. Anyone have experience with this?

[GoldenBoy]

Originally posted by rontokyo
I'm considering moving my computer to a rather out-of-the-way place [two blocks down wouldn't be a bad idea]. Other than turning it on and off, all I need access to is the CDR. I'm currently doing a little research into USB 2.0 and external "boxes" [which contain IDE to USB connectors] in which to mount the CDR externally [on my desk]. USB 2.0 is quite fast, maybe as fast [faster??] than internal IDE. Anyone have experience with this?

I would skip it and go for FireWire or FireWire 800 if at all possible if I were you. It's faster and more straightforward.

[rontokyo]

Firewire is Windows compatible?

[GoldenBoy]

Originally posted by rontokyo
Firewire is Windows compatible?

Of course it is. IEEE1394 , or as Apple, the company who invented it branded it, FireWire is also know as iLink (a name used by Sony and Pioneer and some other manufacturers) is indeed very compatible with Windows and is also available in nearly every DV camera on the market today and has found its way into mp3 players, scanners, external hard drives and CD-R/W drives, etc. You may have a problem finding FireWire 800 upgrade cards and peripherals for Windows as it is brand new, although is already available in most new Apple harware, but give it a little time, it will come. FireWire 800, as you may have guessed, doubles the speed of FireWire from 400Mbps to 800Mbps, but even FireWire in its original implementation bests USB 2.0 in real world tests.

[Sckott]

:agree: :agree: :agree: USB is nice, but not for CDR/CDRW. Not even 2.0. Firewire is best suited for reliablility and bandwith.

Optimal, for me would be an Internal CDRW drive, if and when at all possible.

[rontokyo]

Life is a tradeoff, gentlemen. Sure, leaving CDRW as is [internally IDE-connected] would be best. But for aesthetic reasons I want to get my computer the hell away from my desk. And as all I need to access on said computer is my Plextor CDRW, an external enclosure sitting atop my desk seems ideal.

Thanks for the advise about Firewire--as this external CDRW goodie is my first "real" peripheral [other than printer and scanner] I'm ignorant about this technology. So OK, Firewire it is! Question:

As my media is quite old, I only burn at 16X. Assuming that the only drawback to the Firewire-connected CDRW is speed loss, what kind of real-time loss could I expect?

[Sckott]

You should be burning audio at <8X actually. I've done tests and found that CDRs written over 16X are OK, but the accuracy goes a bit downhill after 12X with some burners and media. This goes for data and audio.

I have stacks of 40X media. I'd never consider going that fast. Even for quickies. For all intents, go 4X-8X for audio. Don't be bummed out that your media is only 16X. Faster is not better. When you're talking bandwith to the drive, that's essential. Making the drive write/burn pits real quickly, the accuracy doesn't last.

You'll see. Being in Japan, most media is the best you can buy like Tayio Yuiden (sp).

[Grant]

I now burn music strictly at 4x and 8x. The only thing I do any faster is data at 12x or 16x.

[rontokyo]

Well, OK, so I write at 8X. All the better. Then speed limitations using CDRW in an external enclosure with FireWire connection no longer become an issue. I guess.

[GoldenBoy]

Originally posted by rontokyo
Well, OK, so I write at 8X. All the better. Then speed limitations using CDRW in an external enclosure with FireWire connection no longer become an issue. I guess.

No, it is not much of an issue anyway I don't think. The FireWire or FireWire 800 is so fast that the real bottleneck becomes the CD-R/W drive itself, really. I don't think there are any optical drives that can push it to the limit. Now, when you start talking about audio/video or MIDI applications, that's where you might start pushing the limits, especially if you're talking real-time.