Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter

Subject: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: Maryrrf
Date: 28 May 07 - 11:59 PM

So we have minidisc on Sony MZ-R35 and Audacity . How do we download from the MiniDisc onto a Laptop - HP Pavillion dv2000 please .

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: Anglo
Date: 29 May 07 - 02:12 AM

I'm not sure you can. I think you can *buy* minidisc-compatible music files and upload them with Sony's software.

That said, I don't really know 'cos I'm on a Mac. Sony's software is PC only and I'm not sure exactly what it can do.

With my Mac, in real time, I plug in a direct audio connection to the minidisc (it would be via the soundcard on a PC, the Mac's is built in), and record straight into Audacity. Then I can edit the audio file, split it up, convert it to mp3, burn a CD, or whatever.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: Deskjet
Date: 29 May 07 - 03:06 AM

Software came with my minidisc to enable transfer to computer.
If you don't have it I suggest you download the SonicStage programme from Sony. It's free on their website.
This should do the trick.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: GUEST,Black Hawk unlogged
Date: 29 May 07 - 03:37 AM

Sonicstage will not allow transfer from mini-disc to PC unless the file was transferred from PC in the first place.

If you have recorded something on the MD you cannot transfer direct to PC. (unless SONY have upgraded Sonicstage recently).

This (to me) has been MDs biggest stumbling block - my children laugh at me using MDs because they they are so outdated. Most shops no longer sell them as MP3 players have taken over. I have both but prefer MD for the convenience of choice of music without resorting to a PC.

Pity SONY dont listen to users!

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: Darowyn
Date: 29 May 07 - 03:42 AM

Some Sony Minidisks have an optical out, which allows you to transfer digital data with no loss of quality,(assuming you have an optical input to your computer) but the real pain with them is that all transfers are in real time- two hours of recording takes two hours to transfer.
We have gone over to memory card recorders where the data is transferred via USB in seconds.
Minidisk is verging on obsolete now- it's a shame because it is quite user friendly- except for the disk editing! The only people still relying on minidisk are backing track singers.
Try that in a folk club and you'll start a riot!
Cheers
Dave

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: GUEST,Keith
Date: 29 May 07 - 05:10 AM

The "Third Generation" Sony MZ-RH1 MD recorder, which has been out about a year now, does allow fast USB upload of files recorded on the MD via Sonic Stage Version 4.3, but it is the only one that does. It is a hard wiring thing, so connecting an older recorder via the current version of SonicStage doesn't solve it and you still have to use the old method for those. The older models all have to be played into the soundcard in real time as you say. You CAN upload old recordings using an MZ-RH1 though (but they cost GBP200).

Darowyn, who makes these Memory card recorders please? The SD card built into my Pure Evoke 3 is brilliant for recording from DAB, but it will only record from DAB and not FM, so I'm looking for something in case MD does disappear. MD is SO much better than cassette tape

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 29 May 07 - 05:13 AM

I wouldn't describe the minidisk recorder I bought a few years ago as "user-friendly" - in fact I missed making quite a few recordings because I was unable to master the trick of pressing several miniscule buttons in the correct sequence (whilst simultaneously standing on my head and juggling coconuts with my feet!). And there's the irritation of only being able to download recordings in realtime, mentioned above. I sold it ...

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: Darowyn
Date: 29 May 07 - 05:19 AM

Here are three options, all from Dolphin Music- with whom I have no connection except as a satisfied customer.
You may find cheaper elsewhere.
We use these for making radio programmes
These are good too, and cheaper.
Very similar, from M audio
Cheers
Dave

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: GUEST,Keith
Date: 29 May 07 - 05:38 AM

Here are three options

Thanks. I had heard people talk about "card recorders" but hadn't seen one or a spec. I know what to look for (and which manufacturers) now.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: GUEST,John Adams
Date: 29 May 07 - 05:42 AM

I bent my MD recorder on location and had to quickly buy an alternative to fulfill a job. I couldn't find a replacement MD to buy in the short time available so I bought one of the M-Audio flash card recorders (as linked to above).

After nearly a year, it has served me reasonably well but I wouldn't buy another one. Mostly it's because of the lack of external battery power. Rechargeable only isn't a good idea. Recording quality is fine. The Edirol 09 wasn't available when I bought originally but I'd consider it now. The Marantz I borrow from work and although it's good it's too big for my purposes.

I'm waiting to get my hands on an H2 from Samson.

I've considered MD again but the two things that put me off are the realtime transfer to digital and the lack of flexibity on recording quality. Also, for my purposes motor noise can occasionally be an issue and with flash recorders I forget it as a problem.

You won't find too many MDs left amongst the BBC programme makers now. Don't know what it's like anywhere else in the world.

J

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: GUEST,Leadfingers
Date: 29 May 07 - 08:23 AM

Thanks for the info ! Looks like I will have to do a transfer to something else to get the suff off the disc to Puter !

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: Effsee
Date: 29 May 07 - 08:29 AM

Send 'em to me Terry, I've got the st-up to do it, and the time, and the inclination.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 29 May 07 - 08:30 AM

I can't recommend the MZ NH1 MD enough. It's quite the best piece of kit I have met for session recordings.
I even noticed a BBC outside broadcast lady using one the other day in Kendal.
Giok

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: GUEST,Uncle Boko
Date: 29 May 07 - 02:47 PM

Well, my mother waited 9 months for me, so I'm sure that I can wait for a minidisc to play into a computer in real time. I fortunately have a Philips standalone CD recorder (10 years old)and a Sony MD deck, so I can copy the recording digitally direct to CDRW, then plonk it in my PC's CD tray and upload into Cool Edit Pro, or Adobe Audition for tracking.

Until I buy a Wav recorder, I now use my even older D7 DAT as a mic preamp to provide record level control on the fly. If I think of any other tricks I'll post them.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: GUEST
Date: 29 May 07 - 02:51 PM

I suspect a 4gb memory card is required to record a 2 hour gig in best quality, which don't come cheap for a Wav Recorder. Funnily enough the sound quality has not been improved that much over a Sony Pro Walkman Cassette, it's the hiss that has gone of course!

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: Maryrrf
Date: 29 May 07 - 02:55 PM

The thing is, I know it can be done because I did some recording four or five years ago on the minidisc, ran it into the computer and edited it with Cool Edit. That was two computers ago, and I can't seem to find the proper line input on the HP Pavillion, which is brand new, or maybe I'm not setting something right on Audacity. Oh well I'll figure it out!

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From:
Date: 30 May 07 - 08:00 PM

Guest, The EDirol R09 can use a 2G SD card which will record about 2 hours at Wave-24

Maryrrf, check for the Audio or Volume Controlfor the system. Check under the Options, Properties area to see the name of the Audio Device for Recording. The make sure the proper items are not de-selected. Then in Audacity, look in the Edit - Preferences and select the Audio I/O tab to see if it ma.tches

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 31 May 07 - 07:41 PM

The latest (last?) generation of MD recorders can use either the old-style discs (74 or 80-minute jobs) or the Hi-MD 1GB discs. Recordings made on the latter can be uploaded via USB and SonicStage software (make sure you have the latest version!) much faster than real time and can be converted easily to WAV files and burned on to CD (once you've used your usual music-editing sotware to trim it all to perfection). So, you need a recorder that says "Hi-MD" on it somewhere and that also has a red "mic plug-in power" socket to connect your mic to. They don't all have 'em! Mine's a Sony MZ-NH700 and I'm very happy with it except that it's way too easy to accidentally erase the whole disc when you don't mean to! :-(

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: Maryrrf
Date: 01 Jun 07 - 09:27 AM

Well it turns out that I don't have a "Line in" on the new computer! I'm going to have to get an external sound card or something - what a pain! I thought "Line-in" was standard but I guess nowadays that's not the preferred method for transferring music.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 01 Jun 07 - 02:24 PM

If you want to transfer in real time you could try using the mic socket on the PC - use a minijack to minijack cable to it from your earphone socket on the MD recorder. I have done this using the Audio Cleaning Lab software but I'm sure that other software would work too.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: Effsee
Date: 01 Jun 07 - 02:26 PM

Make sure the mic is enabled Mary! Try to keep Leadfingers right won't you!

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: Maryrrf
Date: 01 Jun 07 - 03:12 PM

I might be able to sort out the mic, but keeping Leadfingers right is another story. I'm not sure I'm equal to the task!

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: Ebbie
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 02:10 PM

Steve Shaw, that is the program(me) I use and I am quite happy with it. I even finally got used to the minuscule buttons- why do they do that!- and it's fairly easy to avoid erasing the entire disk. It keeps asking.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From:
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 01:31 AM

It might depend on the size of the tape collection you have and how important it is to you to preserve it and have access to it.

If these are important issues with you, the Sony RH1 is THE answer. You can't get out of the real time transfer, tape to disk, but then it's zip...disc to hard drive.

If you have created a database as you went you suddenly have instant access to thousands of tracks. Ones that you knew you had but took a couple of days searching for or perhaps you never did find them.

Best buy I ever got.

Jack

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: GUEST,BobL
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 09:04 AM

Has anyone tried, or more to the point, has anyone succeeded in copying sound from a MD player to a PC digitally via an optical link?

The main reason I want to download digitally is to keep the existing track divisions. The problem (I believe) is that on MD, sound is digitised in an entirely different format (ATRAC) from that used on CD, so conversion is needed. But unless this is done digitally, I might just as well connect the MD audio output to the PC line input.

BTW the recordings were made a few years ago, in SP mode on 74-minute discs.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: M.Ted
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 11:45 AM

My hint--for those who use card recorders, is to bypass the USB link, and simply pop the card into a card reader. It eliminates the need for link a device to your computer, and the attendent software problems.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mini Disc - 'Puter
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 02:28 PM

A minidisc does not need to have been recorded on a RH1 in order to transfer via USB to a PC using Sony Sonic Stage. I have transfered from many minidiscs in this way recorded on my old MZ-R90, and saved to Wav files.

The great thing about the RH! is that you can switch on record and alter the record level on the fly. In addition Hi SP will give you over 7 hours recording on a 1gb data disc, which can be saved to Wav and my ears cannot tell the difference between that format and PCM.