For DAE only - does SCSI still have advantage?

[Yoda]

Hello everyone,

first post goes here... Please bear with me, I usually end up with pretty long introductions...

I´m in process of building a new computer from the scratch. The first job I would like to start with the new machine is to store all my 1000+ CDs in lossless format, in order to be able to store the original CDs in somewhere safe and to make browsing through the catalog a bit easier.

Processing that kind of number of CDs will take time, of course, but quality is the most important factor. While extracting the audio, it would be nice to be able to use the computer for other tasks, without affecting the quality of the DAE. Bit-perfect is the only acceptable result, but gaming while DAEing would be nice...

I think I still should categorise myself as a die-hard SCSI-fan, largely because my previous encounters with ATAPI-devices have been somewhat disapointing (although the experiences date back a couple of years.) Especially, I used to hate the way the computer stalls while inserting a new CD, and the CPU-meter would indicate that ATAPI really wasn't usable for true, stable multitasking.

Therefore, I had already decided that I would purchase a Plextor PleXWriter 40/12/40S -drive and some good Ultra-SCSI adapter. Then I read the following review and got worried (the URL points to the most important benchmark, DAE):

http://www.tbreak.com/reviews/article.p ... genumber=3

The review compares the SCSI- and ATAPI-version of the Plextor drive, and I was stunned to read that the CPU-usage of the SCSI-version is considerably higher and interface burst rate lower than those of the ATAPI-version.

Referring to the review, I have a couple of questions:

1) Could the worse CPU-usage of the SCSI-drive be explained by for example by the SCSI-adapter used (Tekram DC-390U3W) or have ATAPI-interfaces really improved so much that SCSI takes more CPU-cycles?
2) Regardless of CPU-usage, what is your experience of SCSI vs. ATAPI in practical terms, is working with SCSI still more fluent? Especially, do modern computer still get "paralyzed" when inserting CDs etc?
3) My sole use for this particular CD-RW-drive will be DAE, also from scratched CDs (I really haven´t stored them they way they deserve) Writing speed or quality is not important, therefore. Also, I think I can bear the cost related to the drive or adapter, even if it´s SCSI (divided by 1000+ CDs the cost per archived CD is relatively small, don´t you think... ) So, would you recommend Plextor PleXWriter 40/12/40S or is some other (SCSI- or non-SCSI) CD-RW superior (like for example Plextor Premium?)
4) If I will purchase the SCSI-drive, can you recommend some good SCSI-adapter? Again, price is not so relevant, usage of system resources is...
5) If I´ll end up with a SCSI-drive, do you think it would be better to move the extracted data to a SCSI-harddrive (CPU-usage-wise) than a PATA- or SATA -based drive? I´m planning building the system on a motherboard with Sil 3114 SATA-RAID-controller, would transferring the extracted data to that drive negate the advantages of the SCSI-drive (by using system resources)?
6) Do Plextor SCSI-drives still have the annoying little fan at the backside?

Sorry for so many questions , I thank you for your help in advance...

With best regards,

Tatu

[dodecahedron]

first of all, why don't you check Ian's review:
http://www.cdrlabs.com/reviews/index.php?reviewid=176
it doesn't have a little fan at the back.



at least for me, the computer does stall for a short period (3 seconds?) when inserting a new disc. i don't think all people have this phenomenon, but anyway i do (with a 40x ATAPI Plextor drive).

i think some other ATAPI drives can do DAE faster and just as accurately as the SCSI Plex.

[Yoda]

Dodecahedron,

thanks for the link, good reading. The story seems to be the same, ATAPI has gained a lot during a few years.

Still, I´m sorry to hear that the computers still seem to stall during some ATAPI-operations...

This has probably been answered in some thread already, but would anyone happen to know does using a PATA-2-SATA-adapter with a classic ATAPI-interfaced DR-RW work and would it possible do away with the computer stalling while inserting CDs etc.?

- Tatu

[dodecahedron]

welcome.

This has probably been answered in some thread already, but would anyone happen to know does using a PATA-2-SATA-adapter with a classic ATAPI-interfaced DR-RW work and would it possible do away with the computer stalling while inserting CDs etc.?

honestly, i don't remember anyone posting info on such a setup.
it would be interesting indeed if this solved the delay problem.

i guess we can already start anticipating the day optical drives will come with SATA interface.

[PaulAlex7000]

I had a SCSI Plextor UltraWide 40MAX attached to an Adaptec 2940UW, and this thing was amazingly fast when it came to ripping music CDs.

The IDE Plextor 24x10x24 (I think that's what it was) wasn't bad for audio ripping, but not as fast as the 40MAX.

I don't have benchmarks or anything like that, my definition of "fast" is based on user observation.

At the risk of hijacking this thread (but then again, it's 2 years old), are today's Plextor CD-RW drives still considered tops for audio ripping?

I ordered a SCSI Plextor from Ebay, but in case that deal falls through, what's the best current CD-RW I can buy for DAE?

I no longer have the 2 drives listed above. I have a Sony CRX230AE CD-RW and a Pioneer DVR-A09 burner. The Sony isn't too bad, but the Pioneer is dog slow, when it comes to DAE functions.

Some review site said the Pioneer was really decent for audio ripping. I find that hard to believe, or there's something whacked in my setup (but that wouldn't explain why the Sony works 4 times as faster).

[Dartman]

I had a plex 40 wide, the thing would do 23x DAE tops. They didn't fix that till the later revision of the 40 max. I also still have one of those and it would do 40 give or take nicely. Quite a few people got messed over when they decided to keep developing the regular 40 and stopped with the wide drive.
I don't have any SCSI drives in here now as the new board hates my advansys wide card and my IDE dvd 166 litey is just as fast for the most part, plus my other burners are no slouches either.
I do have some of those IDE to SATA adapters in here on my HD's and they work great so far, probably faster then the drives were on the IDE bus. If you have a good adapter they are sposed to work with opticals as well though I haven't tried mine that way yet, I'm outa adapters, not SATA ports