Abstract: A method and apparatus that compensates for power variations occurring in a beam (11) of reflected light from a laser (10) within optical disc recording devices. Signal multiplication techniques are applied to signals indicative of light reflected from the optical disc. The signal multiplication conditions signal indicative of the reflected light by selecting a gain factor from one of a plurality of possible constants. The constant selected by the gain factor is dependent on the determined state of the device. Factors used in determining the gain factor include of the position of the light spot from the laser is currently passing over written track or passing over unwritten tracks, and whether the laser is currently in a read mode or a write mode. These constants as determined create a gain factor corrected signal that is independent of the state of the optical pick-up.