Lora Swenson is the Sales Manager at MAM-A, Inc., the only producer of quality recordable discs in North America. The document provides guidelines for selecting, labeling, handling, and storing CD-R discs to best preserve audio and photo recordings for a long period of time. It recommends using discs with phthalocyanine dye, 24k gold reflective layer, burning at low speeds, and proper storage and handling to help prevent degradation and ensure recordings can be accessed far into the future. Duplicates should also be made and stored separately for protection from disasters.

1. By Lora Swenson
Creating & Archiving
Your Audio Recordings
Lora Swenson is the Sales Manager at MAM-A, Inc. located in
Colorado Springs, CO. This is currently the only production facility
of its kind producing quality recordable discs in North America.
For more information, visit www.mam-a.com.
86 AMP NETWORK • WEEKLY BULLETIN • WEBSITE • DIGITAL EDITION • MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2008
AllCD-R discs have a photosensitive dye layer where your data is stored — it’s what gets “burned” when you write to the
blank disc. This dye layer is where your music, photos and data are stored in the form of “pits,” which are oblong areas
that are discolored by the writer’s laser. These pits are read by the player and ultimately transformed into the “1s” and “0s”
that make up your digital information (music and data look the same to the reader). The accuracy and clarity of the stored
information is directly affected by how this dye performs. That’s why the type of dye in a CD-R is so important.
After you’ve recorded your Master Audio tracks, now what about storing your masterpieces and making sure it stays archived
for a long, long time? Eventual migration to another form of media is inevitable someday because technology continues to
evolve into the next new thing. But transferring audio and data to another format is expensive and time-consuming, so follow
these guidelines for preserving your audio and photographs as long as possible.
How to SELECT the best quality CD-R disc:
1 Look at the color on the bottom recording side of the CD-R.
Transparent slightly green tinted Phthalocyanine dye discs have the highest
permanence because the molecules are UV and heat resistant. Blue dyes
can fade when gradually exposed to normal sunlight, and when the dye
fades, your audio and photographs have also faded away.
2 Choose either 24K gold or silver CD-R discs.
Every CD contains a reflective layer that allows a laser to bounce off of the
disc and be “read” by the pickup sensor in your CD player. Disc failures
are often caused by degradation of this metal layer. For pre-pressed CD-
ROMs, aluminum is the commonly used metal. For recordable discs, most
discs use silver or silver alloy for cost purposes. The very best recordable
discs use pure 24K gold metal, because gold never oxidizes. And 24K gold
discs are always made with the best quality recording dye too. Don’t be
fooled by brands that put inks on the top of the disc or use colored plastics
to make it appear gold colored. If it doesn’t say 24K on the package, then
“buyer beware.”
3 Burn at low speeds.
Professional recording studios often burn discs at low speeds such as
1X (real time) or 2X, for more precise clarity of digital sound. But most
retail brand CD-Rs are designed for faster burns (24X to 48X), even if the
label says “all speeds.” Use professional quality audio CD-Rs, specifically
formulated for recording speeds 1X to 12X.
4 Don’t scrimp.
You generally get what you pay for when it comes to recordable discs,
because of the cost of quality raw materials like plastics, dyes, and metals
that are used. You’re not saving much if you lose your audio or photos on
the lowest priced discs!
How to Properly LABEL Discs:
1 Avoid adhesive labels or stickers.
The glue on some labels has been known to damage discs. Labels also
become loose with age and can peel off disc layers, causing permanent
damage. Adhesive labels can also imbalance discs, causing tracking errors
or noisy spin-ups.
2 No sharp objects.
Never use a ballpoint pen or any other sharp writing instrument on discs.
It can scratch through the top of the disc into the recording dye layer,
destroying the content.
3 Use only CD marker pens.
Use a water-based (non-solvent) black ink CD marking pen. Colored inks
and some chemicals in the pen can actually permeate through the disc
surface and cause damage to the metal or the dye layers.
4 Write in the center hub.
The absolute safest area to label discs for archiving is in the clear or metal
center hub near the hole because there are no tracks there.
Recordable Disc HANDLING Guidelines:
1 Keep the blank CD-R disc in the package until you record.
2 Handle the disc only by the outer edge or the center hole to prevent
fingerprints to the surfaces.
3 Check both sides of the disc before recording.
4 Never bend or flex a recordable disc –– the layers can become
separated.
5 Store recorded discs upright (book style) in rigid plastic cases
specified for CDs and DVDs. Gravity will cause horizontally stored discs
to warp over time, and may not spin evenly in drives, making them
unreadable.
6 Store discs in a cool, dry environment (39 degrees to 68 degrees F,
and 50 percent relative humidity). Protect discs from light.
7 Don’t use tissue or paper towels to clean discs. If you need to remove
fingerprints from the recording side of the disc, use a disc or lens cleaning
cloth. The best way to remove dust is with canned air.
8 Do not wipe in a circular motion around the disc, since this may
scratch the discs along the track if any dust is on the cloth. Scratches
across a disc are less damaging than ones that follow in the track.
9 Use commercially available CD cleaning liquid, ethyl or isopropyl
alcohol, clear or soapy water.
10 Do not use gasoline, kerosene, benzene, acetone, lacquer thinner,
anti-static agents or LP record cleaners as they may damage the recording
surface.
AND JUST IN CASE: Make a duplicate copy and store it in another
location in case of disasters!
86 Nov '08 TIP JAR.indd 86 10/20/08 3:00:15 PM