Transfering mini disc to cd

Subject: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: Diva
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 01:42 AM

Hi all, those of you who know me know of my 'love' of technology and as part of a project I have to transfer a load of md's to cd and from there onto computer does anyone have an 'eejits' guide?
Thanks

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 03:14 AM

There might be a better way. here is the idiots view of how I would have to do it
Install something like adobe audition.(cheap on ebay)
Play and record the mini disc in it entirety onto your hard disc.
Then set about the job of editing it into songs.
Every song you'd 'save as' it s title, then throw the rest of your big recording away.
Alternatively (worth trying first)
If you can connect you md to the computer with through the USB channel - maybe your computer will be able to read the files on the mini disc like its just memory drive - in the same way it reads mp3's and cds

Then you can save as, and re- format them as you save them using windows explorer.

Anyway, that's my view.

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 05:44 AM

Mine connects to my PC, and I can transfer either way. Once it's on my PC, I can edit, play, transfer, re-record, whatever.
G

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: GUEST,george Henderson
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 06:11 AM

John 'Giok' MacKenzie.
A number of years back and in order to safeguard my extensive cassette tape collection I transferred all of the tapes onto Mini disc. This was up to date technology at the time and took an extensive period of time to do. I now want to transfer this collection to computer but I can only do it in real time. Is there any way of speeding this up? I am interested in how you are doing it, John

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 06:45 AM

I use one of these. It downloads fairly quickly, i.e from CD to MD via the Sonic Stage application that came with it. Uploading is at normal speed though, as far as I can remember, I haven't used it for some time.
Giok

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: Bill D
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 10:47 AM

My wife put some workshops she recorded on MD onto the computer, but as I remember, it did have to be done in realtime. (as in..'go to bed and let it run') They are currently the largest files on the PC.

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: Diva
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 01:22 PM

Yep the realtime thing is a drag. But it would appear that its fairly straight forward

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: GutBucketeer
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 01:26 PM

It depends on the MD player. The older ones did not have the ability to transfer recordings from MD player to PC other than by playing them and recording the output (analog). The newer High Density MD Players added the ability to transfer files via the USB connection. I have an older model, and no longer use it because of this.

I wish there was a hack that allowed it, but don't know of one for the Sony MD player/recorders.

JAB

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: Tim Leaning
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 01:32 PM

I use mini disc a lot for song writing purposes.
I find that I have to upload in real time to the hard drive using Adobe audition or a similar program.
Then edit as mentioned in previous post.
I do know however that there were some MD recorders made that in an attempt to match the MP3 players for speed were able to do this at higher speeds.
So if you have one of those your time would be saved if the quality didnt deteriorate too much.
I know these existed because I had just bought my own MD recorder,which I wouldnt be without,and the very next week saw one of these gadgets in Curries.
I had to buy a tiny little powered mic for mine too.£50 at the time.
Bloody good little clip mic am dreading losing it or snapping the wire though.
Cheers
Tim

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: Brendy
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 01:35 PM

The Sony USB MDs will not transfer 'live' recordings in anything else but 'real-time'. If the recordings are of CDs, with track numbers, etc, then the USB function is perfect for quick transfer.

As Giok says, you can transfer these type of recordings through Sonic Stage (which you can also download from Sony's website) or... through Real Player, as long as you install the Sony MD plugin (although you also have to have Sonic Stage installed).

The large WAV files that are generated can be cut up manually using Sound Forge or the like, and edited accordingly.

Time consuming, yes, but if it is mostly CDs you are talking about transferring, then the Sony USB (Net)MDs are where it's at.

.... ish

B.

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: Amos
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 01:46 PM

I would recommend--for future--getting one of those battery operated, field-portable recording studios. They are slightly bigger than the minidisc recorder, but much mopre flexible and friendly for recording music.    And, they support file transfer over a USB connection, so you don't have to run all the bytes across serially.


A

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From:
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 03:07 PM

Still a lot of misinformation out there about the MiniDisc.

It's a great machine. The last model of the line, the RH1, can upload to the hard drive in short order. Full 80 minute disc (recorded in mdlp x 4)takes about 15 minutes (That's saved as WAV or MP3) Another few minutes sees it burned as a WAV or MP3 disc.

Jack

p.s. It uploads every possible type of recording

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: Brendy
Date: 29 Jan 08 - 04:22 PM

Well, it was bound to happen, I suppose... My MD is an N510, and is a fossil now, and I haven't looked through the latest models in quite a while.

I am going to need something like that this year, I recorded the gigs of our 3 day festival last summer thru the desk onto the N510 at LP4, and excellent quality notwithstanding, I had to run it in while I 'slept' and chop it up thereafter.

... I think the Festival's expense account could probably manage one.... ;-)

Thanks for that, Jack.

B.

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 01:03 PM

there are numerous previous threads on the topic, too...

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: GUEST,George Henderson
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 07:43 AM

Thanks for your help. i will investigate the RH1 model and consider that the investment would be more than compensated in the time saving.

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: GUEST,Black Hawk
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 07:48 AM

I used to use a MD for recording sessions & song learning.
I bought a Zoom H2 digital recorder which is so far in advance of the MD it is out of sight.
Price (2008)was less than I paid for the MD (2002) also.

No contest. (but doesn't help you with present problem)

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: GUEST,BobL
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 09:02 AM

I was faced with this very problem, as I have a number of "archive" recordings, mainly of Shape Note singings, that I wanted to put on CD. I was thinking about getting a Trust sound card with Toslink (optical) input, but then my one MD player with an optical output packed up, with no prospect of repair or replacement. So I had to go the pricey route and get a Sony MZ-RH1. Hope it's long-term reliable, I can't see this medium being supported much longer...

I'm still getting the hang of it. Like so many gadgets, it is excellent at what it does, and intensely frustrating in what it doesn't. Uploading audio files to the computer is quick and easy: Sonic Stage (the supplied software) saves them in their ATRAC-compressed form, with the option of converting to .wav format. You can then play, or burn CDs from, either type. But - if you want .wav files, you have to choose this option at upload time, you can't come back and decompress them later. So select this option every time! I'd also recommend you to title all your tracks before uploading them, it makes identifying them that much easier.

Sonic Stage has no facilities for editing the compressed files, which ought to have been easy considering how good Sony's MD decks are at it. I guess they were pretty paranoid at the start about illicit copying, only when MP3 began to corner the market did they realise their mistake, and provide a few add-ons to the existing software. These of course are no substitute for original designed-in facilities. No doubt Audacity will allow me to edit the .wav files, but I'm at the bottom of that particular learning curve.

One more point about the compressed files: they are encrypted, with a key specific to your machine. This is to stop you copying or e-mailing them to other people, although you can download them to another MD without restriction (another add-on?). This means they will be no use for archiving as they won't outlive your computer.

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 02:20 PM

You can be rid if the restriction by uploading to Adobe Audition.

Subject: RE: Transfering mini disc to cd
From: Diva
Date: 01 Feb 08 - 09:13 AM

Some intersting replies thank you all. I'll be transfering them using Nero and it was really a way of cutting down the transfer in real time.
I quite fancy one of the newer sony models, i'll have to give up my tape sometime!!!!