Philips CDR775 CD Recorder

Philips' CDR 775 audio CD recorder brings high-speed recording and hard-wired convenience to a new level of affordability. The deck works equally well as a recorder and as a player, thanks to its abundant hook-up options. It doesn't muster the stellar quality from its analogue outputs that you'll find in pricier CD recorders and players, though the digital outputs sound fine.

The CDR 775 is equally happy receiving data from either of the two established means of digital audio transmission (optical or coaxial), and its analogue inputs let you feed the recorder from external devices such as cassette decks or a turntables--though a turntable must first be routed through a phono preamplifier.

Topping the list of cool playback features is the CDR 775 DJ mode, which lets the two trays function independently. This means, that you can make yourself the life of a party by routing the deck's respective outputs into a DJ's mixer and letting fly with a new track just as the track from the other tray is fading out. Alternatively, you can route the outputs to separate amplifiers or receivers and enjoy simultaneous playback of different music in different rooms.

Another benefit is the ability to record at either normal or double speed from the player deck to the recorder deck. Double-speed recording can only take place during internal digital dubbing, though copies from analogue originals must be made at single speed. All recording falls into one of five categories. In any category, the process is the same: first select the type of recording you'll be making, then hit Record--it's pretty much as simple as that.

"Make CD" will digitally record the CD in the playback tray at high speed and automatically finalise the disc upon completion, coming as close as can be to one-touch recording. "Record Fast" is similar, but will not finalise the disc, letting you add additional tracks before completing the CD. "Record Listen" makes a digital recording at single speed. "Record Extra Disc" will commence recording upon the CDR775's sensing of a digital signal from an external digital source. "Record Extra Manual", lets you tell the recorder when to begin recording from an external source.

One thing this recorder does that may be unique to Philips recorders is to cancel a recorded track altogether if you hit stop within three seconds of initiating a recording. The headphone jack is a huge convenience, but for some reason Philips neglected to supply a volume control for it, so you're stuck with a single very loud output. Other drawbacks include less than perfect sound from the standard analogue stereo outputs and the absence of a fade-in/out button.

Nevertheless, given everything the CDR 775 does--and the price at which it does it--this CD recorder makes an exciting production tool for the inner DJ in us all. --Michael Mikesell

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