Topic: Minidisc Transfer To PC

[jamroom]

Hi all

Looking to buy a late model MD with USB out so I can transfer an archive of MDs for a friend. Boxes-worth of discs to transfer, though at the moment, I have no idea of the disc format(s) - i.e. wav / atrac / sp / lp. Anything I should be doing / not doing? I have Sony SonicStage already, as I have a Sony HD Walkman.

Any help or advice will be much appreciated.

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

Having just completed a MD project for a friend, I can give some insight...

I used a stand-alone MD player with a TOSLINK output and connected that, via an ODL-276, to my Tascam's SPDIF input.  All the MDs transferred over at 16/44.  I don't know what the MD player does to the various formats of MD, but it output them all at 16/44.  The MD player w/ TOSLINK made it really easy to do, just like transferring DATs.  I just had to borrow an ODL (thanks ella!)

Ask around or search your local Craigslist...  You might be able to find a decent MD player with TOSLINK...   or, check to see if your MD player doesn't have one already...

I have no experience with Sony SonicStage, but I've heard it can be a PITA.

Good luck!

Terry

[jamroom]

Thanks for the reply Terry.

As I don't have any gear with optical in (Edirol R09 and Roland R05), I was going for either USB transfer, which is hopefully the easiest (and quickest, given how many discs I will have to transfer), or perhaps get a hi-fi player with digital coax out, as I have an M-Audio 24/96 card with digital coax input.

[page]

Yeah, what Terry describes really is the path of least resistance as using a USB-capable drive reduces. I used a a cheap Sony unit off of ebay to do mine, the MD500 I think. If you're bent on using usb then you'll need a Net-MD unit and the most recent version of SonicStage and a healthy dose of luck (as that process works best with recordings that were made on the Net-MD units).

[jamroom]

I was going to buy a net-md unit (the MZ-NH700 is the cheapest USB verison), but if there could be problems with non net-md discs, then I would be better buying a hi-fi player with digi coax out for my soundcard. I can at least punt the player on ebay once the project is over.

[page]

I'd do extensive research on how compatible they are with older discs. I only know that there have been occasional issues. I think those are with really old ATRAC version discs and LP2/LP4 modes, but if you're interested, I suggest hunting around. I only know of one other person here who used one and I'm not sure they are active anymore here. I'd have to hunt around for their account name. Based out of Ohio I think.

[pontiacb]

I did mine a few years ago using a second hand standalone md deck off of eBay (£20) which had an optical out and went straight into a second hand iriver h120 (£40) which has an optical input.  It was real time transfer, but dead easy to do.  Then just processed the wavs on the PC. 

Edit BTW, providing the md deck still works (been in the loft for a few years) I'd happily help transfer them as above if it gets too much or you get stuck, I'm in the midlands, but wouldn't cost much to post a few mds and I could Dropbox wavs and post mds back.  Plenty of spare time and I quite enjoy doing stuff like this!

[jamroom]

I did mine a few years ago using a second hand standalone md deck off of eBay (£20) which had an optical out and went straight into a second hand iriver h120 (£40) which has an optical input.  It was real time transfer, but dead easy to do.  Then just processed the wavs on the PC. 

Edit BTW, providing the md deck still works (been in the loft for a few years) I'd happily help transfer them as above if it gets too much or you get stuck, I'm in the midlands, but wouldn't cost much to post a few mds and I could Dropbox wavs and post mds back.  Plenty of spare time and I quite enjoy doing stuff like this!

Thanks for the offer. I'll see what's on the discs and let you know, if you want to help out. I'll still need to get a player, there are boxes of them...

[TommyAudio]

When I started recording I used 3 different MD recorders and a Sony ECM-MS907 stereo mic, then upgraded (wow) to an AT Pro24 stereo mic. I still have all of the gear too. I also bought a Sony MXD-D3, which I still also have. It's a rare piece of gear, and has digital out and more. I used it to make compilations on MD's as well as edit my MD's.  Here's the manual link.

http://www.minidisc.org/sony_mxdd3_manual.pdf

I'd be more than happy to help you out if need be. Just let me know and I'll fire up the gear to make sure it still works. It should, but it's been a while. It sounds like a very good project.

[jamroom]

Thanks for the offer, but I'm guessing that you are on the "wrong" side of the pond.

Last question before I buy a player.

I realise I could save a lot of cash by buying a cheap md recorder and toslink to coax converter in order to connect to my pc. Anyone have any comment on putting one of these in the chain?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Optical-TOS-SPDIF-TOSlink-to-Coax-Coaxial-Converter-/141195903784?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Audio_Cables_Adapters&hash=item20dfee8328
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cable-Mountain-Optical-TOSlink-Converter/dp/B001U7ERU6

[TSNéa]

(...) It's a rare piece of gear, and has digital out and more. I used it to make compilations on MD's as well as edit my MD's.  Here's the manual link.

http://www.minidisc.org/sony_mxdd3_manual.pdf

It looks like it has a digital optical IN, if I read correctly page 38... 

[runonce]

Thanks for the offer, but I'm guessing that you are on the "wrong" side of the pond.

Last question before I buy a player.

I realise I could save a lot of cash by buying a cheap md recorder and toslink to coax converter in order to connect to my pc. Anyone have any comment on putting one of these in the chain?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Optical-TOS-SPDIF-TOSlink-to-Coax-Coaxial-Converter-/141195903784?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Audio_Cables_Adapters&hash=item20dfee8328
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cable-Mountain-Optical-TOSlink-Converter/dp/B001U7ERU6

The accepted converter devices around here have been the HOSA 276 and the Midiman/M-Audio CO2...these were very common 10 years ago in taper circles...not so much now...should be some spares.

[runonce]

(...) It's a rare piece of gear, and has digital out and more. I used it to make compilations on MD's as well as edit my MD's.  Here's the manual link.

http://www.minidisc.org/sony_mxdd3_manual.pdf

It looks like it has a digital optical IN, if I read correctly page 38... 

Looks that way...the rare bird.

Most, if not all, of the standalone Sony Digital products have both RCA and TOSlink I/O....

[jamroom]

Most of the portable Sony recorders with digital out, have optical out only. My soundcard is coax in. Unless I buy a full size MD unit, I'll need a converter for any cheap portable Sony recorders, but unless the cheap converter option I linked to is good to go, then a full size player it will need to be. This is for one project only and it's not worth paying the prices for the HOSA 276 and the Midiman/M-Audio CO2 units.

OK, after a bit more research, only a couple of early portable recorders / players have optical out, unless modded. Looks like a full size unit then!

The only Sony MD players available in the UK with digital coax out are the MDS-JB920/930/940 series, a couple of MDS-JE700 series units, and some of the high-end units, as far as I can tell with research.


Thanks for all the advice so far.

[hoserama]

What you *really* need is the very last Sony MD model released, the Sony RH1. It will do a direct transfer to the computer via USB, transfer the raw ATRAC data, and then you can convert it to PCM audio. Full support of LP2/LP4 mode. Super easy to do.

I was able to get through several hundred minidiscs over course of a few weeks just doing it in spare time at a desk job. Set and forget.

Check out the link
http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_MZ-RH1.html