CD32 - Disk reading issues!

Havie · 30 December 2021, 14:10

Lovely wife bought me a CD32 for Christmas. Don't think it has been recapped so this is first thing to get done. it seems to work (mainly) but when playing Liberation (have no idea what to do - should probably read the manual), the music gets stuck sometimes (streamed from CD) and when playing Time Gal - loading goes funny when I hit the future parts of the game - doesn't break but obviously is having trouble reading the disk.

Also, when using a music CD - seems to struggle to play tracks in the 20s range.

Liberation is an original and obviously Time Gal is on a CD-R.

So - does this need a laser adjustment? Will a recap help here? Or is the laser just dying?

Help!

Jpor · 30 December 2021, 17:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Havie

Lovely wife bought me a CD32 for Christmas. Don't think it has been recapped so this is first thing to get done. it seems to work (mainly) but when playing Liberation (have no idea what to do - should probably read the manual), the music gets stuck sometimes (streamed from CD) and when playing Time Gal - loading goes funny when I hit the future parts of the game - doesn't break but obviously is having trouble reading the disk.

Also, when using a music CD - seems to struggle to play tracks in the 20s range.

Liberation is an original and obviously Time Gal is on a CD-R.

So - does this need a laser adjustment? Will a recap help here? Or is the laser just dying?

Help!

A little from column A and B.

My guess laser. They can fail. Plenty for sale on EBay. If you feel you can’t do it yourself then find someone who can replace it for you and have the recap done at the same time.

I also take it the discs are original and Not burnt copies?

Havie · 30 December 2021, 17:26

Thanks - sort of what I thought!

Time Gal is CDR as no original exists.

Recap will definitely happen - will send it away. Laser, I could change myself but probably sensible just to get it changed when recapped.

I was debating whether to have a twiddle of the laser pot?

Jpor · 30 December 2021, 19:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Havie

Thanks - sort of what I thought!

Time Gal is CDR as no original exists.

Recap will definitely happen - will send it away. Laser, I could change myself but probably sensible just to get it changed when recapped.

I was debating whether to have a twiddle of the laser pot?

Nothing to lose, but you have to be accurate with the laser adjustment. I.e very small increments.

Make sure you use a good re-capper/repair specialist who will do more than they say. Can recommend Ian @ Mutant Catterpillar. At least you know he will do more than the work being done and not just for the Monies and lack of after care support

jotd · 30 December 2021, 20:32

changing laser is really easy.

For CD-Rs, I strongly recommend Sony. Each image I've burned on Sony recently worked, as opposed to each image I've burned on Verbatim (not a crap quality either!) failed.

Havie · 30 December 2021, 23:38

Thanks all. My soldering skills are not up to surface mounted capacitors. Have previously used Bebek[Amibay) to recap my 1200 and 600 so have contacted him. If not, was thinking of using Retropaasion.

Might have a go at laser as can generally do these things. Fitted sd card in Dreamcast and stripped down my Saturn when I first got it.

Jpor · 30 December 2021, 23:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Havie

was thinking of using Retropaasion.

Id reconsider if I was you. The RP fan club would probably disagree though

Jpor · 31 December 2021, 01:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by jotd

changing laser is really easy.

For CD-Rs, I strongly recommend Sony. Each image I've burned on Sony recently worked, as opposed to each image I've burned on Verbatim (not a crap quality either!) failed.

At what speed are you burning the images at?

Havie · 31 December 2021, 12:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jpor

At what speed are you burning the images at?

2x speed.

I will do a little more investigation on recapping then - thanks for the heads up. Mutant Caterpillar was also suggested but £100 seems quite a lot for a CD32 and power supply?

Hopefully I'll hear from Bebek soon!

Havie · 31 December 2021, 12:55

Any advice on laser pot - is it just a tiny turn clockwise to strengthen laser? I know there is a video on on this but 4 hours seems a tad excessive to wade through...

Rochabian · 31 December 2021, 13:14

For me, the method that works well :
With an original audio cd, turn the pot a little bit and check if the CD reads normally after each modification.
At a certain point, the cd will spin backward on start, that tells you are too far
So turn the pot a little back when the CD spins normally.
Then try a burned CD, it should work

Tested successfully on 3 different CD32

Havie · 31 December 2021, 14:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rochabian

For me, the method that works well :
With an original audio cd, turn the pot a little bit and check if the CD reads normally after each modification.
At a certain point, the cd will spin backward on start, that tells you are too far
So turn the pot a little back when the CD spins normally.
Then try a burned CD, it should work

Tested successfully on 3 different CD32

Thanks - that's my afternoon task then. Will report how it goes...

jotd · 31 December 2021, 14:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jpor

At what speed are you burning the images at?

well, Toni and a lot of other people said that it didn't matter. That said, I have a shitload of Verbatim CDs to try at a lower speed, good idea!

Jpor · 31 December 2021, 20:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Havie

2x speed.

I will do a little more investigation on recapping then - thanks for the heads up. Mutant Caterpillar was also suggested but £100 seems quite a lot for a CD32 and power supply?

Hopefully I'll hear from Bebek soon!

Will need to find a CD Recorder that will burn as low as that. Have read in certain places that 2 speed is the best for the CD32 drive.

Havie · 01 January 2022, 12:54

So had a bit of a fiddle. Liberation music a bit better but also the disk is quite scratched so difficult to tell if it's the CD32 or the disk!

Time Gal was no better so trying a different make of disk.

Music is absolutely fine - realised that there is a very weird way to select the track you want - you don't click on it but rather chose all the tracks you don't want.

Other games are fine - Disposable Hero, Pinball Fantasies, Earok's Gloom disk (Gloom works surprising well on the CD32). Played Defender of the Crown 2 and it was fine until I lost a battle, then it crashed. After pot adjustment, losing a battle didn't crash so may have another long play on this.

Also have an original Oscars/Wing Commander disk somewhere so will try and dig it out.

Havie · 01 January 2022, 13:22

Burnt a new copy of Time Gal at 1x speed on to a Memorex Cd and it works fine!

I know there is debate over quality of CD and burning speed; Cammy said that shinier CDs are better so will stick to 1x and Memorex (shiny) for now.

So looks like drive is working for now and just need the recap. Will probably buy a spare drive for later if it is needed...

Jpor · 01 January 2022, 19:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Havie

Burnt a new copy of Time Gal at 1x speed on to a Memorex Cd and it works fine!

I know there is debate over quality of CD and burning speed; Cammy said that shinier CDs are better so will stick to 1x and Memorex (shiny) for now.

So looks like drive is working for now and just need the recap. Will probably buy a spare drive for later if it is needed...

I know back in the day, older CD Drives that ran at slower speeds can be problematic at discs and burn speeds. Obviously technology has moved on.

TEG · 01 January 2022, 21:13

With my CD32, I confirm that I have to burn CD on 2x (or 1x ?) speed if I want it to work. I have an old external burner I keep only for this purpose. However I did not have the opportunity to try to burn one CD32 disk at high speed with my recent burner.

jotd · 01 January 2022, 22:15

annoying that you have to keep old obsolete burners to create CDs. Nowadays burners are cheap shit.

dodke · 10 January 2022, 17:40

I recently got myself a CD32 too... I'm not aware if the laser has been replaced or anything but I did have one single old CD-R audio disc around which did not work so it definitely doesn't read ALL discs.

Here's what seems to work great for me:

I didn't own any optical drives before and I use a Mac. I bought a used Apple Superdrive (USB) off ebay for £24 or so since I was thinking those might be better quality than the really cheap drives.

I bought this cake box of 'ACU-DISC' white top, silver bottom CD-Rs off Amazon, the discs seem to be unbranded:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07VGZ17ZQ/

Edit: Any speed 10-24x with the Apple drive seems to work fine. The old CD-R which didn't work was clear top, gold bottom.

30 December 2021, 14:10	#1
Havie Registered User Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: UK Posts: 1,895	CD32 - Disk reading issues! Lovely wife bought me a CD32 for Christmas. Don't think it has been recapped so this is first thing to get done. it seems to work (mainly) but when playing Liberation (have no idea what to do - should probably read the manual), the music gets stuck sometimes (streamed from CD) and when playing Time Gal - loading goes funny when I hit the future parts of the game - doesn't break but obviously is having trouble reading the disk. Also, when using a music CD - seems to struggle to play tracks in the 20s range. Liberation is an original and obviously Time Gal is on a CD-R. So - does this need a laser adjustment? Will a recap help here? Or is the laser just dying? Help!

01 January 2022, 12:54	#15
Havie Registered User Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: UK Posts: 1,895	So had a bit of a fiddle. Liberation music a bit better but also the disk is quite scratched so difficult to tell if it's the CD32 or the disk! Time Gal was no better so trying a different make of disk. Music is absolutely fine - realised that there is a very weird way to select the track you want - you don't click on it but rather chose all the tracks you don't want. Other games are fine - Disposable Hero, Pinball Fantasies, Earok's Gloom disk (Gloom works surprising well on the CD32). Played Defender of the Crown 2 and it was fine until I lost a battle, then it crashed. After pot adjustment, losing a battle didn't crash so may have another long play on this. Also have an original Oscars/Wing Commander disk somewhere so will try and dig it out. Last edited by Havie; 01 January 2022 at 13:19.

01 January 2022, 21:13	#18
TEG Registered User Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: France Posts: 586	With my CD32, I confirm that I have to burn CD on 2x (or 1x ?) speed if I want it to work. I have an old external burner I keep only for this purpose. However I did not have the opportunity to try to burn one CD32 disk at high speed with my recent burner. Last edited by TEG; 01 January 2022 at 21:18.

10 January 2022, 17:40	#20
dodke Registered User Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: London / UK Posts: 112	I recently got myself a CD32 too... I'm not aware if the laser has been replaced or anything but I did have one single old CD-R audio disc around which did not work so it definitely doesn't read ALL discs. Here's what seems to work great for me: I didn't own any optical drives before and I use a Mac. I bought a used Apple Superdrive (USB) off ebay for £24 or so since I was thinking those might be better quality than the really cheap drives. I bought this cake box of 'ACU-DISC' white top, silver bottom CD-Rs off Amazon, the discs seem to be unbranded: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07VGZ17ZQ/ Edit: Any speed 10-24x with the Apple drive seems to work fine. The old CD-R which didn't work was clear top, gold bottom. Last edited by dodke; 11 January 2022 at 16:26.

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30 December 2021, 17:26	#3
Havie Registered User Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: UK Posts: 1,895	Thanks - sort of what I thought! Time Gal is CDR as no original exists. Recap will definitely happen - will send it away. Laser, I could change myself but probably sensible just to get it changed when recapped. I was debating whether to have a twiddle of the laser pot?

30 December 2021, 20:32	#5
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,241	changing laser is really easy. For CD-Rs, I strongly recommend Sony. Each image I've burned on Sony recently worked, as opposed to each image I've burned on Verbatim (not a crap quality either!) failed.

30 December 2021, 23:38	#6
Havie Registered User Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: UK Posts: 1,895	Thanks all. My soldering skills are not up to surface mounted capacitors. Have previously used Bebek[Amibay) to recap my 1200 and 600 so have contacted him. If not, was thinking of using Retropaasion. Might have a go at laser as can generally do these things. Fitted sd card in Dreamcast and stripped down my Saturn when I first got it.

31 December 2021, 12:55	#10
Havie Registered User Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: UK Posts: 1,895	Any advice on laser pot - is it just a tiny turn clockwise to strengthen laser? I know there is a video on on this but 4 hours seems a tad excessive to wade through...

31 December 2021, 13:14	#11
Rochabian The Big White Cat Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: France Age: 44 Posts: 828	For me, the method that works well : With an original audio cd, turn the pot a little bit and check if the CD reads normally after each modification. At a certain point, the cd will spin backward on start, that tells you are too far So turn the pot a little back when the CD spins normally. Then try a burned CD, it should work Tested successfully on 3 different CD32

01 January 2022, 13:22	#16
Havie Registered User Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: UK Posts: 1,895	Burnt a new copy of Time Gal at 1x speed on to a Memorex Cd and it works fine! I know there is debate over quality of CD and burning speed; Cammy said that shinier CDs are better so will stick to 1x and Memorex (shiny) for now. So looks like drive is working for now and just need the recap. Will probably buy a spare drive for later if it is needed...

01 January 2022, 22:15	#19
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,241	annoying that you have to keep old obsolete burners to create CDs. Nowadays burners are cheap shit.

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