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Gear / Technical Help => Post-Processing, Computer / Streaming / Internet Devices & Related Activity => Topic started by: lushka on October 11, 2020, 11:58:05 AM

Title: digital transfer from legacy MD format (non-NETMD or HIMD) to PC
Post by: lushka on October 11, 2020, 11:58:05 AM
Hey Guys,

Can anyone provide advice on how to transfer old MD master recordings to PC digitally?

Thanks
Title: Re: digital transfer from legacy MD format (non-NETMD or HIMD) to PC
Post by: nassau73 on October 11, 2020, 12:49:13 PM
It's been years since I worked with mini disc recordings so I don't recall the exact steps.

I do recall having to copy the files from a sony MD recorder to the PC using the sony sonic stage software and then converting with the sony wav converter.

Both can apparently still be downloaded.
https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/articles/00027173

Title: Re: digital transfer from legacy MD format (non-NETMD or HIMD) to PC
Post by: beatkilla on October 11, 2020, 01:56:03 PM
You needed the Sony RH-1 or MZ-200 do this with sonic stage as i recall.RH-1s still go for alot on ebay.When i sold mine i got more than i originally paid for it.

I'm sure there are other methods of course.
Title: Re: digital transfer from legacy MD format (non-NETMD or HIMD) to PC
Post by: morst on October 11, 2020, 01:58:12 PM
Can anyone provide advice on how to transfer old MD master recordings to PC digitally?
Generally, the method would be to use a MD player with digital output and running that into a digital solid state recorder with digital input connection of the same type as the MD player. That is, S/Pdif coaxial or perhaps optical digital "Toslink."
Do you have a MD player with digital output?
Title: Re: digital transfer from legacy MD format (non-NETMD or HIMD) to PC
Post by: goodcooker on October 12, 2020, 01:04:16 PM
 I do this using a full size Sony MD player (model MDS302) with optical output > optical to coaxial converter > coax input on an Sound Devices USBPre > usb to Wavelab6 to record in real time.

You could accomplish the same thing using a recorder with digital input if you don't want to tie up your computer then transfer the recorded files to your computer for editing later.

Digital out is best to avoid unnecessary A/D or D/A steps but there's nothing wrong with an analog transfer if its what you got to work with. Line out of playback deck to line in of recorder or interface/computer.

Coaxial digital output seems sorta rare on MD decks. There's several Sony models and a couple of Denon and Tascam models that both have it but I don't see them up for sale very often. Easier IMO to get a deck with optical SPDIF out and use a converter to the more common coaxial input found on recording decks and interfaces.
Title: Re: digital transfer from legacy MD format (non-NETMD or HIMD) to PC
Post by: hoserama on October 13, 2020, 10:46:01 AM
You needed the Sony RH-1 or MZ-200 do this with sonic stage as i recall.RH-1s still go for alot on ebay.When i sold mine i got more than i originally paid for it.

I'm sure there are other methods of course.

RH1 is likely still the best option. Full quick transfer via USB, and then converts the ATRAC to WAV on the computer. I've always wondered if the conversion from ATRAC to PCM audio was better via sonic stage or the hardware conversion on some of the MD decks with digital outs.

Still hung onto my RH1 just in case I ever needed to do transfers again. No idea if sonic stage works on more recent windows OS though.
Title: Re: digital transfer from legacy MD format (non-NETMD or HIMD) to PC
Post by: taper420 on October 16, 2020, 02:13:52 AM
RH1 is definitely the preferred method. You can get the original unconverted floating point ATRAC file that way and even play it in VLC, or choose from a number of conversion options with ffmpeg. Pretty sure sonicstage is no longer working on Windows 10, but there's a group of coders that put something together called QHImdTransfer, I believe it runs across windows, mac, and linux systems, and the latest version will copy old ATRAC files using the RH1. Using the digital out method is very time consuming and you are locking yourself to a fixed bit format rather than having the original file that can convert to any format of choosing at a later time (some of the machines with digital outs let you choose 16, 20, or 24 bit output, so there is data there beyond 16 bit fixed PCM, which is what sonicstage converts to, and what you get from a digi out).

If it's only a few discs I can do them for you no problem, if it's more than a few, let's talk.
Title: Re: digital transfer from legacy MD format (non-NETMD or HIMD) to PC
Post by: hoserama on October 16, 2020, 12:47:21 PM
Nice find on QHImdTransfer! I wasn't aware of that. Maybe I'll dig up my RH1 and get it up and running.
Title: Re: digital transfer from legacy MD format (non-NETMD or HIMD) to PC
Post by: lushka on November 02, 2020, 11:20:45 AM
Thank you, Guys, for your input.
Title: Re: digital transfer from legacy MD format (non-NETMD or HIMD) to PC
Post by: pillowman on November 04, 2020, 11:31:26 AM
because the RH-1 is still way to expensive I went on this route:

MD SP Master > Sony MDS-JB940 > optical cable > Philips CDR570 > EAC > WAV > HD  [pillowman]

just use rewritable CD-Rs to save some cash
the MASTER MD's are also 74' and 80' min. long so going with 80' min. rewritable CD-R's always works  :yahoo:
probably a bit timeconsuming but at the end it work ... at least for me ...

pillowman
Title: Re: digital transfer from legacy MD format (non-NETMD or HIMD) to PC
Post by: sunjan on February 04, 2021, 07:53:44 AM
Nice find on QHImdTransfer! I wasn't aware of that. Maybe I'll dig up my RH1 and get it up and running.

Did anyone try Platinum-MD by Gavin Benda? Supposedly better support for RH1 on Windows.
It's still a beta, but lots of interesting discussion going on here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/minidiscgroup
Title: Re: digital transfer from legacy MD format (non-NETMD or HIMD) to PC
Post by: taper420 on February 09, 2021, 05:45:25 PM
Nice find on QHImdTransfer! I wasn't aware of that. Maybe I'll dig up my RH1 and get it up and running.

Did anyone try Platinum-MD by Gavin Benda? Supposedly better support for RH1 on Windows.
It's still a beta, but lots of interesting discussion going on here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/minidiscgroup

Thanks for the heads up on this... not just for Windows, versions for Mac and Linux, too. Based on the same core as QHImdTransfer but less clunky and slicker GUI. Unfortunately my RH1 is going to take more than a few minutes to locate, so haven't tested it yet. It appears that it is targeted to NetMD devices for transferring to the unit from a computer, as that was an active area of development that fell short when the linux md project crept to a crawl, years ago. HiMD compatibility is a very recent addition to Platinum-MD, with warnings that it could corrupt your disc. There isn't much testing on HiMD devices because, as they put it, "you have to be an oil baron to own one these days." So I would probably stick with QHImd for anything other than testing, for HiMD transfers. But I don't really transfer HiMD anymore... I think most if not all of my PCM HiMD discs have already been transferred, tracked, and transmitted. Yet nearly 15 years after acquiring the RH1, I still have troves of ATRAC SP discs left from me and my buddy taping in the early aughts. ATRAC compression aside, with the inexperience and entry-level gear we were using back then, most probably aren't worth the effort.