How does SCMS work?
[Adapted from the DAT Heads FAQ] SCMS stands for “Serial Copy Management System” and is the way copies of digital music are regulated in the consumer market. In essence, it prevents more than one generation of digital copying. It is implemented through information that is added to the stream of data that contains the music when one makes a digital copy (a “clone”). When making an analog copy only the music is transferred so there is no SCMS, and copying is totally unrestricted. Decks considered “professional” — usually more expensive and with pro features, such as balanced XLR input/output — are exempt from needing SCMS. Different manufacturers’ pro decks behave differently: some allow one to set the SCMS code how one wishes, some only if the pro i/o is used, and some ignore it completely.
