In the mature, competitive CD- and DVD-writing software marketplace, it takes only one or two critical flaws to bounce a program from the ranks of the top contenders. So is the case with VOB's InstantCD/DVD 6, which is easy to use and affordable but ultimately overshadowed by Easy CD Creator and Nero Burning ROM 5.5 Platinum.

The program starts with a screen showing six CD types; this spawns very thorough, project-specific wizards. Unfortunately, the wizards don't display the amount of data you're accumulating, making it very easy to exceed the capacity of your disc. Neither do the wizards check the storage device's capacity before creating the disc image—a waste of time and, potentially, discs.

We like InstantCD/DVD's audio compilation window, which provides on-screen envelopes for controlling volume adjustments—a unique feature in this roundup. The program also offers normalization, which optimizes a track's volume level; crackle and noise removal; and effects like reverb and flange. These controls work only with WAV files, however, not MP3.

InstantCD/DVD's spartan label editor picks up track information from audio compilations, which is nice, but it has little else to offer. There are only four presets for CD labels, compared with the over 60 some competitors offer; and no themes. The video offering is also thin, lacking such basic features as the ability to create a VideoCD or SuperVideoCD menu.

High points included generally fast burns and the InstantCopy module, which is the most functional disc copy applet in this roundup. Like Nero, VOB provides copy controls, such as the ability to read and write raw data, useful when archiving hard-to-copy CDs. The program also provides copy presets for compilations like audio CDs, multisession CDs, and PlayStation games, and it can burn to multiple burners simultaneously.