Trailblazing with CRW-F1 and DiscT@2! — THG.RU

The article first appeared in Tom’s Hard News Email Newsletter

Introduction

Since the CRW 3200, Yamaha had been sitting on the sidelines of the speed race with no offer of a 32 or 40X recorder, as opposed to the rest of the providers in the market, though they were by no means resting on their laurels. They were actually developing what was to become their last CD-RW recorder before going on to the DVD+RW. And it’s some recorder, too, since the CRW-F1 encompasses all of Yamaha’s technological know-how, plus a whole host of new features to give the recordings more depth and sureness. Just take a look at this list of specifications, and you’ll see what we’re talking about:

• CAV 44X max CD-R recording
• CAV* Ultra Speed 24X max CD-RW recording
• CAV 44X CD reading
• 44X max digital audio extraction
• IDE interface
• 8MB buffer memory
• Safe Burn technology
• Optimum Write Speed Control technology
• New YDC132-V controller
• Supports overburn
• Supports blank CDs of 80, 90 and 99 minutes
• Supports the DAO RAW mode
• Mount Rainier-compatible
• Advanced Audio Master Quality Recording technology
• DiscT@2 technology
• CD-RW Audio Track Edit
• Ahead Nero Burning Rom 5.5 and InCD software

New features of note are the adaptation of the CAV mode for burning CD-Rs, the introduction of Ultra Speed 24X for burning CD-RWs, and the highly innovative DiscT@2. Safe Burn to prevent buffer underrun errors is boosted by 8MB of buffer memory, no less. The Optimum Write Speed Control technology, Mount Rainier compatibility and DAO Raw management are all still there. Note, too, that there’s a CD-RW Audio Track Edit function which lets you modify a CD audio track burned on a CD-RW. You can now change the order of tracks, delete one or edit it, without having to save it on hard disk first.

DiscT@2: The Burning Issue

In the first place, burning place means recording data onto a CD-R or CD-RW. Not content with being leaders in this field, Yamaha has endowed the CRW-F1 with the ability to write text and even graphics onto the recording surface of CDs. This is the function of DiscT@2, which goes a step beyond conventional burning and was originally designed as a piece of technological prowess more than anything else. But, apart from the style and fun it provides, it also has many real advantages. To start with, companies can customize their CDs by printing their logo on them. Music buffs can label their audio CDs with information such as the title of the album and performer on the edge of the CD, and digital photographers can do likewise on photo CDs, adding items such as the date and time. You can also include a safety function in the form of a single key imprinted on the CD itself.

To grasp how DiscT@2 works, you have to understand how data is burned onto a blank CD-R. Recorders use a process called EFM (Eight to Fourteen Modulation) to burn data on a CD-R. This data shows up on the areas that the laser burns or leaves blank, known as pits and lands. It is the pits which make the recorded parts of a CD look darker than the parts which stay blank. So that the CRW-F1 can create very fine zones (0.1 micrometer minimum) in different shades, Yamaha has bypassed the EFM process which restricts zone size to between 3T (0.83 micrometers at 1.2 m/s) and 11T (3.05 micrometers at 1.2 m/s). The DiscT@2 system enables the laser to burn pits of varying length and breadth, so different shades can be burned onto the CD. On a tattooed CD-R, there will be a zone with data encoded by the EFM process and another corresponding to the blank data-free spaces, where graphics and text will be visible. Remember that once a CD is tattooed, it cannot be rewritten, because tattooing always has to come after the TOC (Table Of Contents), thus making it impossible to add a session.

DiscT@2: A Dedicated Module in Nero Burning Rom 5.5

If the DiscT@2 function is to be used, it has to be easy to access and handle. And this is actually the case, since the Ahead Nero Burning Rom 5.5.8.13 version delivered with the CRW-F1 includes a dedicated module. This is accessed via the Nero Burning Rom 5.5 Recorder tab and via the «Misc» tab when you create a new CD.

The module has a central window giving the space available on the CD in the drive. You can then write text, curve it to fit around the edge of the CD, or even import a graphic. It recognizes almost any file type and rewrites it instantly on the CD. You can modify the size and position of the graphics as you like to get the right look. You can apply a number of filters, like «Emboss» or «Invert,» and a variety of geometrical modifications. Graphics can be applied to the entire surface of the CD (provided it is completely or almost blank), though the center circle must be taken into account.

Once the graphics and/ or text are entered, you can do a preview to get an idea of the result before burning. If the preview looks correct, the next step is to click on «Burn DiscT@2,» and then just wait for it to run through the process. Before it starts, the DiscT@2 module will ask for confirmation since the CD cannot be modified afterwards. The process lasts longer than an ordinary burning session, so allow six to twelve minutes for a tattooed CD.

Full CAV mode

Before there were recorders with a write speed of more than 16X, there was no question about CD-R write systems. You simply used CLV (Constant Linear Velocity), where the burn speed is the same from start to end. This method has its inconveniences, as in CD drives. In CLV mode, the burner motor has to run very fast right from the start, so with a high rate of revs per minute. Now when a motor runs fast, it makes more noise and the recording loses stability and reliability. What’s more, a track which starts writing at 24X is a source of trouble when copying from CD to CD. Hence the need to invent a more reliable and flexible system to reach high speeds without losing recording ease and quality. Yamaha’s answer to this in the CRW-F1 is to use the same system as for CD drives, i.e. Full CAV (Constant Angular Velocity). An interesting detail: Yamaha calls it «Full» to distinguish this «new» strategy from the Partial CAV it used to use on its recorders.

With CAV, the CRW-F1 starts burning at 19.5X and gradually changes to reach 44X at the end. The average noted on a 700MB CD-R is 33X. This progression not only means that CDs can be copied at the optimal speed, since the drives follow the same curve, but it also limits the vibrations caused by high rotation speeds, which the CRW-F1 drastically reduces by a mechanism called the Dynamic Damper. We noted that when the CRW-F1 burns at 44X, it is somewhat noisy, but not unduly so.

The overall burning system and the Full CAV mode are managed by the new YDC132-V chipset. This controls rotation speed, laser calibration, acceleration and features like Audio Master Quality Recording.

New Generation Audio Master Quality

The CRW-F1 uses Advanced Audio Master Quality Recording technology. As the name implies, this is a more advanced version of the Audio Master Quality Recording on the earlier CRW 3200s and CRW70. It differs from the previous version mainly in that it supports AMQ burning in 8X rather than 4X. This is a genuine improvement because it brings recording time down to about ten minutes.

To understand the way Audio Master Quality Recording works, we first need to talk about jitter. On a CD, the 0s and 1s of the digital sound are represented by what are known as pits and lands, pits being the zones burned by the laser. Next to these data is information for error correction. In theory, the data representing the 0s and 1s should not contain any errors. But every electronic appliance produces interference and random events, which sadly complicate matters. In a burning operation, errors called C1 and C2 occur, and this is what is known as jitter.

Yamaha claims that Audio Master Recording can reduce jitter by 30% compared to a standard recording, and can improve the quality of sound restitution. They have done this by modifying the laser speed in their new model, which burns a CD-R at 1.4 meters per second instead of 1.2 m/s, since the length of each pit depends largely on the speed at which it is burned. So if the speed is increased from 1.2 m/s to 1.4 m/s, the length of the pits increases by about 15%. This results in pits and lands which are slightly longer than usual, though still within the compatibility standards specified in the Red Book. A CD Audio, though burned at high speed, is more «legible» for audio drives and players. The downside is a substantial loss of space: 63 minutes for 650MB (instead of 74); 68 for 700MB (instead of 80); and 79 minutes for 790MB (instead of 99).

Test Setup and Methods

The CRW-F1 was tested by the most complete and exact methods possible. The tests we ran were as follows:

• Time taken to burn for 700MB. The operation was effected from hard disk to three 80-minute Fujitsu CD-Rs. The software used was Nero Burning Rom 5.5.8.13.
• Time taken for a CD-to-CD copy on two identical CD-Rs.
• DAO-RAW copy test with Clone CD software.
• Analysis of a CD-R burned at maximum speed using CD-R Diagnostics.
• Burning of CD-Rs of different makes to test compatibility.
• Assessment of performance in reading and digital audio extraction using DAE Speed 99 and CD Speed 99 software.
• Estimate of speed in CD-RW mode.
• Overburn test.

Burn Time and Compatibility

The burn time test was combined with the compatibility test. The system consisted of burning CD-Rs of different models and makes certified with a range of 40 to 24X. Each model was burned twice: once with Optimum Write Speed Control enabled, and once with it disabled. Optimum Write Speed Control is a technology specific to Yamaha recorders which automatically reduces burn speed according to the quality of the blank CD used, even while burning is in progress.

The chart shows that the CRW-F1 burns all 40X-certified CD-Rs at maximum speed with no trouble, whether OWSC is used or not. The minimum speed was 2 minutes 59 seconds, which is really outstanding for a full 700MB CD-R. The only real problem we found was with ADM 74-minute, 24X-certified CD-Rs. When Optimum Write Speed Control is enabled, the recorder slows down to 24X and the operation takes place quite normally. But if pushed to 44X by disabling, there will be a write error. This is due to a weakness of the CD, rather than the recorder. Direct CD-to-CD copy test results were similar, give or take a few seconds.

The chart above shows the time taken to burn a 650MB CD-RW in 24X and 12X. It shows that the Ultra Speed mode saves a significant amount of time with 3 minutes 36 seconds to terminate a recording.

The CRW-F1 supports the DAO-RAW mode, so it can be used optimally with Clone CD software to copy CDs as faithfully as possible. We made copies of CDs protected by SafeDisc 2.60.0.52 and 2.60.0.20. In the first case, the operation was impeccable, but in the second, the CD only worked if played from the CRW-F1, showing that the copy was not 100% perfect.

To test the capacities of the CRW-F1 with Clone CD, we ran a test of it as a player. The operation involved making an exact image of a protected CD on hard disk, something which is often impossible or very longwinded with a lambda burner or CD which contains unreadable tracks. The recorder performed beautifully, creating an image in about 30 minutes 30 seconds. The CRW-F1 is therefore a must for Clone CD users, both for burning and playing.

Read Performance

The CRW-F1 keeps its promises with regard to transfer rates, since it starts at 19.5X and ends at 43.05X, barely less than the 44X claimed. The access time of 114 ms is more than respectable, and quite adequate for most uses.

Finally, the digital audio extraction tests showed the CRW-F1 also excels in this area. The NeroCDSpeed Advanced DAE Test factored it at 100, and that is the maximum. The tests were run on two different CD Audios. Results were pretty similar and showed a maximum speed of 37.5X on CD1.

Conclusion

The CRW-F1 sailed through all the tests, and proves how good Yamaha really is at making CD recorders. It performs very well as a burner, even though it doesn’t reach the maximum speed of 48X offered by its Plextor and Liteon rivals. Anyway, this is not very relevant, because at this speed, the extra 4X only gains you a few seconds in a 700MB recording. The Ultra Speed mode for CD-RWs is a definite advantage which cannot fail to encourage people to use this kind of CD, especially since formatting times are much shorter and Mt. Rainier compatibility makes it all so fast and easy in Windows XP.

The DiscT@2 function is obviously a gimmick or a technological showpiece, but the results that it delivers are nonetheless impressive. In any case, those who are interested won’t have any choice, as it is exclusive to this CRW-F1 series. The results of the compatibility tests were very good, and showed how useful Optimum Write Speed Control is as a system for adjusting speed to the quality of the CD used.

Audio Master Quality has had its fans ever since the CRW3200 came out, and it is still a definite bonus for sound lovers. CD copying with software like Clone CD is rich in possibilities (though a tad imperfect), and that is another bonus. Of course, the CRW-F1 is more expensive than other recorders (approx. $145, or 180 euros). But don’t forget that this Yamaha recorder offers uncontestable quality and a wealth of features.