What’s the difference between CD-Text and Gracenote?

Posted on February 3, 2020 by duplication.ca

Let your fans know who they’re listening to with CD-Text and Gracenote

Our CD pressing quote pages are filled with tons of packaging and printing options to make your CD stand out from the pack. A couple of add-ons that may have caught your eye are CD-Text and Gracenote. Both display album information to your fans when listening, so you may ask yourself, ‘What’s the difference between the two?’ Allow us to break it down for you!

CD-Text

CD-Text is embedded in the master of your album, meaning that it must be added to your album information before duplication or replication. Most commonly found in car CD players, CD-Text is used by CD players with an LED display. These CD players will read the information directly from the disc, displaying the artist name, song title, and album title. CD-Text can be added for both CD duplication and replication services, we’ll even send you a PDF with the CD-Text info before pressing to give you final approval.

Gracenote

Gracenote (formerly known as CDDB) is an internet database which sends CD metadata to iTunes. In other words, we upload information related to your CD, such as artist and track info, and when another fan pops their CD into their computer iTunes will automatically display the album information from Gracenote. Gracenote allows for more detailed information, such as year of release, composer information, and the choice from hundreds of genres (great news for all Two-Tone Ska Revival bands!) Duplication.ca has special access with Gracenote which allows us to lock the album metadata for editing, so nobody can change your album metadata without your approval.

CD-Text and Gracenote cater to two different pieces of technology, but you don’t have to pick one or another, both options are available for you to please your full fan base. If you need a DDP for a CD replication order, check out our new DDP Creation service through the online shop. You can use this DDP folder at any pressing plant, including the CD-Text and Gracenote options!

The Memory Empire by Atsuko Chiba, pressed by Duplication.ca

The Duplication.ca Guide to Cassette Box Sets and Double Cassettes

Posted on July 4, 2019 by duplication.ca

Do you have an album so big that one cassette alone could not possibly handle it? Double cassette releases are always exciting, but how do you go about packaging them? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back.

Multi-Cassette Box

This sleek design works like a Norelco case with the two cassettes sitting side-by-side. Its longer length makes it size comparable to that of a CD case, making it easy to store and easy on the eyes. An extra large double-sided J-card allows you to go nuts with the artwork, pack in as much detail and information as possible!

View the double cassette boxes on the online store

Our triple cassette boxes are even longer in length but keep the same width. Unlike the double cassette boxes they do not have posts.

Click here for triple cassette boxes

Cassette Albums

If you’re a fan of the classic audio book packaging style, look no further than our cassette albums. These packages contain a transparent wraparound film for you to slip in a larger trapsheet in lieu of a J-card. We even have albums that hold up to EIGHT CASSETTES, if you can believe it.

View our wide selection of cassette albums here

Double Norelcos

Double Norelcos are exactly as they sound– two Norelcos joined at the hip! They open on both sides “butterfly style,” meaning it facilitates two J-cards. This is perfect for releasing two separate albums that require different artwork in one package.

Click here to order Double Norelcos

If you’re planning a run of 100 units or more, take advantage of our special offer. 100pcs for $60 CAD / $45.50 USD!

Printed Slipcases

Last, but certainly not least, we have our cardboard slipcases. These 15pt boxes can hold up to four cassettes with Norelco cases, which make them ideal for career retrospectives. They’re printed and assembled in-house, so not only do they go under our rigorous quality control, but we pass the manufacturer-direct savings on to you.

Take a look at our Printed Slipcases options

At Duplication.ca, no cassette release is too big or too small for us to handle! Don’t forget that in addition to great packaging and printing solutions, we offer high-quality cassette duplication services so your cassettes sound amazing on any stereo. Free shipping to the United States and Canada!

DUPLICATION.CA HAS A QUICK 4-WEEK TURNAROUND TIME FOR CASSETTES!

Posted on July 2, 2019 by duplication.ca

Sometimes the hardest part of recording and designing your latest cassette release is the waiting! It’s tough standing by the door, watching the mail carrier walk by your apartment with no packages in hand. At Duplication.ca we do everything we can to get your cassettes shipped as quickly as possible while not compromising the quality of our recording, printing, and packaging. We’re proud to be able to lower our standard turnaround time to an estimated 4 weeks before shipping! The standard shipping cost remains the same: FREE to the United States and Canada!

If you’re about to leave on tour or you’re just too excited to wait, we have a variety of rush options which guarantee that your cassettes will be out the door or ready for pick-up in a matter of days. Choose from 15 business days all the way to our ultra quick 5 business day turnaround.

Hot tip: if you want to ensure your cassettes will be put into production immediately, double check your audio and artwork files and upload them when you place your order! We only begin production once all the files have arrived and are ready for processing.

C lick here to p lace your cassette order and receive your tapes in a matter of weeks!

Straight Outta Duplication.ca: Beat Tapes for your Boombox

Posted on June 12, 2019 by duplication.ca

From 80s NYC rappers to the modern day Ableton beat makers, cassette culture and hip hop will forever be fused. There are few things in the world that bring us more joy than popping a tape in our Nakamichi decks and listening to the chill snare hits and loop-digging samples of a hip hop beat tape. With our real-time duplication services and high-bias chrome tape the bass hits live loud and proud on cassette tape, allowing for a range of 20Hz to 20kHz.

Here are a few of our favourite hip hop and beat tapes that we’ve been blasting through the office!

Astro Mega - The Ends duplicated at Duplication.ca

Astro Mega – “The Ends” c26

Loop digging lofi hiphop beats duplicated to high-bias chrome cassette. Zone out and listen to the record pops and crackles dancing deep in the mix. Astro Mega is a Toronto local so this makes for great Game 6 half-time music during the inevitable Raptors win.
Available at the Dupe Shop

Recognize Ali - Islam duplicated at Duplication.ca

Recognize Ali – “I Self Lord And Master” c50

If you want an alternative to the Soundcloud mumble rappers look no further than Recognize Ali. When he says “that this that soulful boom bap sound” on ‘Liftin Me Higher’, he’s not lying. Limited edition cassette comes with obi-strip.

Cyrus Tha Great - CCC Vol.1: Beats Inspired by the film - Straight Outta Compton duplicated at Duplication.ca

Cyrus Tha Great – CCC Vol.1: Beats Inspired by the film “Straight Outta Compton” c11

Exactly as described, this cassette is overflowing with instrumentals and scratchwork in tribute to the legendary gangster rap crew. Has an awesome Roy Ayers sample on Side A. Truly dig the Akira style artwork and hand-numbered obi-strip.

Various Artists - Home Grown duplicated at Duplication.ca

V arious Artists – “Home Grown”

Inner Ocean Records has an impressive and prolific back catalogue of beat tapes and instrumentals, and this compilation of record digging beats is a stand-out among stand-outs. Deep bass and killer vibes, each track differentiates itself from the last.
Available at the Dupe Shop

Pout - Nylon Tears duplicated at Duplication.ca

p o u t – “Nylon Tears” c26

Blending R&B, pop, and trap beats, this 2017 cassette still gets regular play at our Dupe Shop store in Toronto. Some tracks are filled to the brim with rapid snare hits and reverb-heavy saxophone, while others feel skeletal and atmospheric.
Available at the Dupe Shop

Do you have an album you’re aching to release on cassette? Take a look at our cassette duplication calculator to see all of our awesome shell colours and printing options. Our obi-strip and cassette etching options make for great limited edition releases.

C heck out our cassette duplication calculator for an instant quote and FREE SHIPPING to the United States and Canada!

Introducing Voice-Grade Blank Cassettes

Posted on June 4, 2019 by duplication.ca

Blank tapes / Blank cassettes from Duplication.ca

Our blank cassette services need no introduction. We load the blank tapes to your custom length and offer a variety of awesome coloured shells, from completely transparent to a shimmering gold. Our Super Ferro normal-bias tape allows for a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz, and if you need an extra boost in bass and noise floor, we have a high-bias chrome option fulfill your audiophile needs. With that said, variety is a key component of Duplication.ca, so we’re proud to offer a budgetary option for those looking to release their audio on cassette.

Introducing our Voice-Grade custom loaded blank cassettes! This economical tape is best used for spoken word recordings, as its volume output is 4 to 5db quieter than normal-bias, but is also useable with music. Like our other blank tape options, we will load the cassette to your exact desired audio length, and you have a wide variety of funky shell colours to choose from.

Ideal for comedy releases, spoken word, poetry, podcast Patreon gifts, art installations, lofi music, folk, ambient, and anything else with a quiet recording range!

Click here to receive an instant quote on blank Voice-Grade cassettes!

Make sure to poke around the online store for everything else you need for a cassette release. Cassette cases, sticker labels, printed J-cards— we’ve got it all!

C heck out our online store!

Cassette Round-Up: May 2019

Posted on June 4, 2019 by duplication.ca

Every day when we walk into the Duplication.ca offices we’re greeted with a pile of awesome cassette releases waiting to be mastered and duplicated. This May we still found ourselves in a transitional stage between a never-ending gloomy winter and burgeoning hot summer. In other words, a great month for zoning out to broad range of music blasting out of our cassette decks. Here are a few of our favourites:

Various Artists – “The Mondrians” c42 + c46

A double cassette release featuring an incredible line-up of ambient-electronic composers (Ian William Craig, Norm Chambers, Connect_icut, Alexandra Spence, to name a few) interpreting the works of de stijl artist Piet Mondrian. Packaged in our awesome side-by-side double cassette boxes.

Kool G Rap & 38 Spesh – “Son of G Rap” c56

38 Spesh and Kool G are looking to bridge generations of New York rap bringing out certified OGs from N.O.R.E. to Dipset-affiliate Vado. NYC hip hop is alive and well on this album. Limited edition tapes came with gold horizontal obi-strip.

Benjamin Hinz – “DEEP” c22

If you like your psychedelic rock brooding and slow, like it’s struggling breathe under the pressure of the ocean’s weight, then check out this 22 minute ripper. Housed in our customizable printed Maltese Cross cassette boxes.

C. Reider – “…a trustable cloud” c54

Composed entirely out of free sound banks, instruments, and effects processing available in web browsers. It’s an outsider electronic trip, with the J-card artwork suggesting that this is the soundtrack to a Google Deep Dream.

Surachai – “Come, Deathless” c62

Mixing elements of industrial, power electronics, and even acid house, “Come, Deathless” is richly textured and may scare you half to death. Sounds like Autechre woke up in a miserable mood.

Do you have an album you’re aching to release on cassette? Take a look at our cassette duplication calculator to see all of our awesome shell colours and printing options. We’ll provide with you an instant quote, and free shipping to the United States and Canada!

Place your cassette order today

50% off Digital Download Cards at Duplication.ca

Posted on May 30, 2019 by duplication.ca

Why choose between a physical album and a digital release? Have both with our Digital Download Cards!

We’ve slashed the cost of our digital download cards by 50% until the end of June! Take this opportunity to package digital download cards and hosting services with your next physical release, that way no fan is left without a way to listen to and purchase your music. You can even sell the download cards individually from your merch table without the need of a physical release!

Our cards come in two sizes: 4″ x 2″, or 3.5″ x 2″ (standard business card size) printed on thick and durable 14pt cardstock. All you have to do is upload your audio in a compressed folder (ZIP or RAR) with a maximum file size of 500MB. For only $10 you can add custom artwork. Just upload your image using our templates and we’ll add the codes!

Click here to order Digital Download Cards and save 50% until July 1st, 2019!

Summer daze

Posted on September 7, 2018 by duplication.ca

If you’re back in school this September you may find yourself sitting in class reflecting on the summer that just ended. Concerts, parties, unbearably hot weather, and everything in between. Looking back at the past few months at Duplication.ca, I gotta say, this was a hell of a summer.

The big news is that we’ve massively expanded our CD and printing department. After 30 years of business we’ve acquired a new production space in Scarborough, Ontario, allowing us to increase our CD replication and duplication production. And it’s not just the sheer volume of jobs that’s improved, but the overall quality of the products and printing as well. We’ve got one of the best silkscreen technicians in the world meticulously working on your CD orders to make sure the colours are perfect. Our new offset printer is out of this world, allowing us to create new packaging solutions to your album releases at the highest quality.

Our CD silkscreen machine churning away.

Of course, we’re not limited to just CD-related production. We’re printing books, magazines, catalogues, and even large vinyl banners. Check out this behemoth:

Time-lapse of our banner printer, also churning away.

One thing we’re particularly psyched about is our new cardboard sleeves. We love ’em because they’re high quality at a very affordable cost. These sleeves are thicker and sturdier than ever before, with higher resolution print than what we previously offered. And depending on how big you want to go, we have 2-panel, 4-panel, and 6-panel options.

2-panel cardboard sleeve

Inside of the 4-panel cardboard sleeves

So, yeah, a pretty good summer. We want to share our excitement so we’re throwing a little sale. We’re offering free standard shipping to North America on every CD replication order with 2-panel cardboard sleeve packaging! This offer expires September 14th, so you better hurry.

Click here to check out our CD replication calculator for an instant quote.