princeton disc CDXpress Plus - introduction to the CDXpress Plus disk drive - Statistical Data Included

Emedia Professional, August, 1999 by Peter Schworm

Inspired by the MP3-fueled free-music high, I realized that the unit could convert any imported sound, so I set my stereo to tuner, and recorded a few of the latest hits directly from the radio onto the unit's hard drive. It occurred to me that although MP3 pilfering seems a victimless crime--particularly when the copied material is not available for sale in record stores--the potential to tape talk radio in a VCR-like manner may require some form of legislative intervention. Speaking of practices better legislated against, a "CD G" feature lets you copy and play karaoke discs, for those so inclined. This dubious activity requires a VGA monitor be attached to the rear panel, which also includes an AC power connector, an optional digital sound card, an analog sound card, with three outlets for input, output, and a microphone, and a SCSI terminator connector.

CDXpress in its own write

CDXpress Plus comes bundled with an AC power cable, a XLR/ Analog cable (for use with a digital sound card, as well as high-resolution analog dubbing) and audio cables to connect the unit with a stereo. A diagnostic disc is also included, although a SCSI connector is not. The illustrated, 51-page user's manual capably navigates the installation process with detailed precision. The process for digital recording, both automatic and manual, is well documented, and a thorough troubleshooting section is included.

The documentation notes that the quality of finished CDs will depend on the audio equipment and sound source attached to the unit, but--audiophiles take heart--CDXpress Plus produced quality CDs even with middle-of-the-road Technics equipment.

Nonetheless, a few caveats apply. As the unit reads a number of tracks, it keeps a running tally of the number of files on the hard drive and the time of the image. If the time exceeds 74 minutes, the last track will be deleted, but previous tracks will be saved. While this is helpful, it does not allow the extraction of additional tracks for future customization--74 minutes is the limit for reading and writing. I experienced difficulties with the reset button, which the unit recognized only after several seconds. You can advance to the next CD track but can't return to previous ones, although you can skim ahead in an individual song.

And overall, the sequential barrage of yes-no questions that comprises the CDXpress' user interface feels a little dated in this post-linear day and age. It's easy to feel a tad lost in the unit's hard drive, as well, since the LCD provides little visual mapping of what's stored at any given time. And there are definitely what-you-get-for-what-you-pay issues with the CDXpress. Direct CD-to-CD copying is a vital consideration when buying a duplicator; it's probably the single most frequently used function of any of these systems. Granted, the CDXpress effectively approximates the performance of disc-to-disc dupe, but without the read-only drive, it's neither formally or functionally the same. And using the Plextor recorder's 20X reader as the primary source drive is a two-fold handicap: first of all, it suffers in comparison to hard drive-equipped CD-to-CD duplicators like MicroBoards' 8X A2D, which uses a 32X reader for incrementally faster extraction; and second, by requiring the recorder to function as an all-purpose read drive, it invites dust and detritus-related errors by exposing pristine CD-R blanks to the baggage of well-traveled CDs.