6.6 - What is PCM-1630? What is PMCD?
Description
This article is from the Audio Professional FAQ, by with numerous contributions by Gabe M. Wiener others.
6.6 - What is PCM-1630? What is PMCD?
PCM-1630 is a modulation format designed to be recorded to 3/4"
videotape. It was, for many years, the only way one could deliver a
digital program and the ancillary PQ information to the factory for
pressing. The PCM-1630 format is still widely used for CD production.
But PCM-1630 is now certainly an obsolete system, as there are many
new formats that are superior to it in every way. One of the most
popular formats for pressing now is PMCD (Pre-Master Compact Disc).
This format, developed by Sonic Solutions, allows for CD pressing
masters to be written out to CD-Rs that can be sent to the factory
directly. These CD-Rs contain a PQ burst written into the leadout
of the discs.
Some plants have gone a step further and now accept regular CD-Rs,
Exabyte tapes, or even DATs for pressing. The danger here is that
some users may think that they can prepare their own masters without
the slightest understanding of what the technical specifications are.
For instance, users preparing their own CD-Rs must do so in one
complete pass. It is not permitted, for instance, to stop the CD-R
deck between songs, as this creates unreadable frames that will cause
the disc to be rejected at the plant. [Gabe]
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