Topic: Very new here, but I have a question...

[dafatkid27]

I'm brand new here, so hopefully I'm not breaking any rules or posting in the wrong subforum, but I need some help.  I made an audience recording back in March of a Ben Folds show.  I think it sounds extremely good, especially for my first recording, but I have a couple questions.  First of all, I recorded it with a MiniDisc player and transfered it to my computer (Line Out from the MD Player into the Mic port of my desktop), and recorded it from there to Lossless WAV using Nero Wave Editor.  There were some skips on the recording so I removed them best I could, then I cut up the 2 big WAV files into smaller mp3s and listened.  My first question is, is there a tool that I can give it one big WAV file, set the points where I want it split the WAV to different tracks, and process them out as Lossless FLACs?

I hope you can help me with one other thing, too.  I notice what I think are called "dropouts" in the recording.  Whenever there was a sudden burst in volume, usually by the loud piano or drums, the audio almost, well, dropped out.    I've uploaded one of the tracks so that you can hear it, and hopefully someone can help me try to fix it or give me some suggestions.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/42l1ap
Name: 207 - Late.mp3
Size: 6MB

I uploaded that track because for some reason it's especially evident because of the drums.  You should be able to notice the dropouts whenever the drums come in.

Hopefully someone can help me, as I'd really like to "remaster" my recording so it sounds great and I can distribute it at places like dimeadozen to other Ben Folds fans.

[Brian Skalinder]

First of all, I recorded it with a MiniDisc player and transfered it to my computer (Line Out from the MD Player into the Mic port of my desktop), and recorded it from there to Lossless WAV using Nero Wave Editor.

Your best bet for transferring from MD > PC is digitally.  But if line-out > PC is all you can do, that'll work.

There were some skips on the recording so I removed them best I could

I notice what I think are called "dropouts" in the recording.  Whenever there was a sudden burst in volume, usually by the loud piano or drums, the audio almost, well, dropped out.

Are the skips and/or dropouts on the original recording, as played back from the MD?  Did you use the automatic gain control (AGC) on the MD, or did you set your recording levels manually?  Wondering if the problems are a result of the original recording, or the transfer process.

then I cut up the 2 big WAV files into smaller mp3s and listened.  My first question is, is there a tool that I can give it one big WAV file, set the points where I want it split the WAV to different tracks, and process them out as Lossless FLACs?

Shareware:  CD-Wave.  Freeware Audacity will do it, too, and a lot more, but it's user interface is not as easy as CD-Wave.

Aside from the dropouts / skips, the recording sounds nice, I think. 

[dafatkid27]

Your best bet for transferring from MD > PC is digitally.  But if line-out > PC is all you can do, that'll work.

I used my firend's MiniDisc player, and I had asked him before if there was a digital way to transfer, and he said that he thought no.  But I'll try to find someone who's willing to lend me their MD Player if digital tranfer is possible.

Are the skips and/or dropouts on the original recording, as played back from the MD?  Did you use the automatic gain control (AGC) on the MD, or did you set your recording levels manually?  Wondering if the problems are a result of the original recording, or the transfer process.

I'm positive there are skips on the original recording, I'm not too worried about them, as they aren't much of a problem.  About the dropouts, I can't be sure, as I don't have an MD Player handy to check, but I'm pretty positive it was on the recording and not just part of the transfer.  And as for AGC, there is a very good chance that it was being used.  I only had the night before teh concert to test out the hardware, so I wasn't totally familiar with it, so if it's on by default, it was probably used.  Also, I just looked through the PDF manual for the MD Player that I used (Sony MZR90 or 91, I forget which but they share the same manual), and it does mention AGC, so that makes it even more likely it was on.

Is there any program I could use to try to get rid of or lessen the dropouts?

Shareware:  CD-Wave.  Freeware Audacity will do it, too, and a lot more, but it's user interface is not as easy as CD-Wave.

Thanks, I'll look into that CD-Wave one, although I do have Audition and Audacity as well.

Aside from the dropouts / skips, the recording sounds nice, I think. 

Thanks, and thanks in advance for the help (again).   

[taper420]

I used my firend's MiniDisc player, and I had asked him before if there was a digital way to transfer, and he said that he thought no.  But I'll try to find someone who's willing to lend me their MD Player if digital tranfer is possible.

Transfering digitally has long been a concern in the minidisc community. The first minidisc unit ever had an optical out on it. That was the only portable unit ever made with one. Next came the bookshelf units. A select few came with some form of digital out, be it optical or coaxial. Some even had adjustable bit rates. I have a unit, the JA20ES with spidif coaxial and optical out and an adjustable bit rate up to 24. (wanna buy it?) With all these units, transfers can be made digitally, but in realtime. Until.....a few months ago the RH1 was released... this unit will allow realtime upload of minidiscs to a PC at faster than realtime speeds through USB2.0. The RH1 is currently the only consumer unit on the market that will allow uploads to a computer (of legacy MD's, which is what your talking about, HiMD is a whole different ballpark).

[beathydrolysis]

This topic may be dead now but I thought I'd quickly add that with MD the dropouts you experienced were assuredly from feeding the MD player too hot of a feed.  I've done a lot of taping with MD and have had my share of clipping because I set the Manual level too hot trying maximize the quality of my analog feed and ended up peaking off the db chart.  Once  you go above the meter, you will definitely get the dropouts.  Also the automatic gain control on MD is a terrible thing to use.  It attempts a constant normalization of the show and I wouldn't be surprised if you got dropouts simply because the AGC wasn't able to respond quickly to a huge increase in volume and the levels peaked before normalization could occur.  Either way your not alone in your experiences.  There's not much you can do about it after the show but you get better and subsequently you get a better pull next time.