Anybody have any idea why it would do this? This is the third time it's done it to me since I got it back in December.

Once you rule out buffer under runs and flaws in the operating software,(which shouldn't apply to you) the next likely canidate are flaws in the blank media. Since a stand alone unit probably has no way of displaying diagnostic data or error messages it most likely response to a flaw in the media would be to simply stop.

Like MWRuger said, one possibility is a buffer underrun. But I doubt that a standalone recorder can have this kind of problems. Maybe it's really a media problem. For a long time, I was very satisfied with the rather cheap CDR's I used to buy. I bought them for at least a half year, and never had any problems. Suddenly, my burner got lots of calibration errors, which mostly are a hardware problem. I checked the burner on a different computer, and still the same problems. So in the end, I bought a new one (8x speed, hehehe). Again, it ruined every CDR. Then I tried a different brand. No problems ever since, I sold the old burner (which still works perfectly well) to a friend.

PeterK

is that the Giulini recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra made around 1977?

Don't believe me? Consider this:

The most vulnerable spot is not where the data is recorded, but the top side where you would write the title of the CD. This is one of the places where bad media comes from. If the top side layer is very thin, if will produce errors. Since every company does there own top side label, there can be very distinct differences between brands.

Add to that the differences in the two types of heat sensitive dyes and adjustments to those formula’s that companies can and the differences mount. So even if there are only three manufacturers’ of CD-R’s there are differences between the actual media.

Your right however, when you say it is generally a software problem. All of the following can cause the dreaded Buffer Underrun:

Low Drive space (Generally due to too many internet temp files or having too small a drive)

Badly fragmented drive. (Scandisk & Defrag)

Corrupted DLL's ( A Re-install will generally fix this)

TSR conflicts (Terminate Stay Resident programs running in the background still use valuable computer resources and can conflict with programs running in the foreground)

Mult-Tasking (A real no-no when burning. No other software should be running. Be sure to disable screen savers or set to activate after an hour or more if inactivity)

Copy Protection (Not yet a problem on audio CDs. Software upgrades can fix this)

And while not a software problem, a dirty original can cause buffer underuns as well.

But dantoris has a stand-alone recorder, so software is not the issue.

As for a Lens Cleaner, Marian is right to warn caution.

It is possible to damage the lens and in the last seven years that I have been using optical media, I have never cleaned the lens of a CD-Rom. Most of the time the dirt is on the CD, not the player.

The only time cleaning might be required would be if you operate your equipment in a dusty environment. In that case, I recommend that you invest in Canned Air and blow excess dust from this system. If you find that it is still too dirty, take it to a professional PC/MAC repair person and let him run the risk of cleaning the lens. In addition to scratching the lens, when you disassemble a CD-Rom drive and begin tinkering, you run the risk of damaging the calibration arm/motor so extreme caution should be taken when in engaging in this procedure.

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Originally posted by Audacity:
There are only two or three different companies that manufacture the actual media, then companies like Sony, Memorex, TDK...etc, just put their name on them.

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I think I've heard that there are about 10 different companies. If you have a PC burner, you can view the "ATIP information" of the media, which also tells you who manufactured it. And I am sure that I've had CDR's from more than 3 companies.

Some companies distribute their own CDR's, and the rest buys them from other manufacturers. The problem is: If the distributor is NOT the manufacturer, it can happen that you never had problems with their media, then the next time you buy them the company has changed the manufacturer. That's probably what I had to deal with. I now buy Fuji CDR's, which never made me any problems so far and are also manufactured by Fuji.

Don't know the situation with audio CDR's, though. At least in Germany and Europe, these media are significantly more expensive, as they need to have a special code so the standalone recorders accept them. Technically, they're the same, so there is no need to buy them if you're using a computer burner. But standalone players will not record on the "normal" PC CDR's.

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Originally posted by JJH:
is that the Giulini recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra made around 1977?

If so, I have that, and it is an amazing performance of that Mahler symphony.

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PeterK