Homemade CD Player or Stand Alone CD-ROM Drive

Intro: Homemade CD Player or Stand Alone CD-ROM Drive

CD-ROM Drive plays music without computer! Can you belive it? How to build CD-player using old CD-Rom drive and PC power supply. Do It Yourself!

Comments

[farna]

Hmmm... I like the idea, but the PC power supply is a bit large. What about using a 12V DC wall-wart and a small 5V regulator? That would make a compact power supply. Since we're salvaging parts, look at wall-warts for old telephones, especially those with built-in answering machines (even digital). I have found a couple that were 12V DC. Maybe a printer or laptop PS... Might be bale to find a similar PS with 12V and 5V DC doming out of it, that would be ideal, but I can't think of anything that has a PS like that (I'm thinking the brick with cords type). Like these:

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11296

http://www.coolerstars.com/actodcpoad.html

You know, a couple wall-warts (+12V DC and +5V DC) on a cheap extension cord would probably be the lowest cost (best?) way out. Plenty salvageable wall-warts out there -- more 5V DC than 12V DC. Would still be compact compared to a PC PS, and could be mounted outside a case for the CD-ROM -- plug both directly in the wall even!

[lalberti1]

i saw this kind of stuff around 2005, i think. some of my neighbors are using it this way. the thing is, i wanna know how to connect this stuff to an amplifier for a better sound.

[spin498]

It ain't pretty but it would go fine in a basement workshop, where nothing is pretty.

[gosugenji]

If you spend a little $$$ you can get a pico psu like this one to power the thing instead of a bulky psu. http://www.mini-box.com/picoPSU-80-60W-power-kit The link is for reference not spam.

[fjr_scoot]

great instructable - just what I was looking for - I wanted to use a cd-rom drive to make a CD-player for a blind aunt for books on tape. The easy-load feature of a computer CD-rom drive is perfect. Thanks!

[1111111]

Instructables is for the world community. Not just for the rich and middle classes. It reaches into the ghettos and helps people to build things they need as well as providing ideas for hobbyists.
there's broken down computers all over the world which are an ideal resource. even if I lived next door to a high tech gadget shop I would still rather build this sort of thing.
People who think it's a waste of time are missing the point of instructables.
This is a great idea. Thanks for posting it

[izaic3]

Anyone else get this to work? I've tried multiple cd players, and they all power up, but no sound comes out. I don't think it's reading the disc.

[maneth]

me tooo i have the same problem, i put the disc in, i put on the speaker, the disc turns for 5 secs and it stops......................

please if u have found the solution email me @ [e-mail]

[pnky_14]

You don't have to have one with the skip/play button but it makes it alot easier.  There are several instructables on how to add the button on  manually.  Mine worked fine...so I know that this works.  Also instead of having to use the 3.5 jack, I took the cd rom apart and soldered wires coming off of the jack and just hooked speakers up to it.  Works fine but the sound isn't very loud.  I'm going to try hooking an aftermarket cd player to the computer PSU and I'm certain the sound quality will be alot better.  Good Luck! 

[zack247]

im having the same problem! if it makes a spinning or whirring noise, its reading the disc. but im not sure why it isn't playing it? maybe you need one with the play/pause/skip buttons on the front

[jotism]

I noticed that they (atleast my one) does not work with MP3 CD's and only "genuin" CDs (legit ones I mean)

[legless]

Most CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drives have the codec for reading (Red book) audio CDs built in so they can usually play any audio CD. MP3 CDs are not audio discs but data discs with MP3 files on them. Some kind of decoder is needed to play them.

Red Book Audio Specifications

The basic specifications state that

1. Maximum playing time is 79.8 minutes
2. Minimum duration for a track is 4 seconds (including 2-second pause)
3. Maximum number of tracks is 99
4. Maximum number of index points (subdivisions of a track) is 99 with no maximum time limit
5. The International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) should be included

[zack247]

in my case, i had to open the cd drive, and solder two wires to the spots where the leads for the play/skip button would be. now it works just fine. too bad you can't get any sound from the sound output on the back, then headphones aren't needed

[Prajith]

hey guys how will we control the play/stop option when we connect cd drive externally to play music.....pls help.....

[cfc106]

after I cut the green and black wire what do I connect them to I don't have a switch

[mspearin]

that would be helpful if you had a cd drive with a play button.

[zack247]

its easy to add one. crak open the cd drive, and look at the front portion of it. find where the spots for the play/skip button are, and solder two wires (long enough to reach out the back) to them. voila! you can now play or skip using the cd drive! if not, then you might want to make sure you got the right connections

[xgream]

what shall i do next if i found and soldered both the spots, shall it be the two spots to soledered together, or separately at the back as you mentioned; and where should it be connected to the back??

[zack247]

solder two wires to the two spots, not connecting them, and feed them out the back of the drive. then you connect the two wires from the back to a pushbutton switch of some sort, and you are ready to go.

[mspearin]

Thank you for the tip!!