[M Rael]

Hi. I just got a Sony N707 MD player and it comes with their computer software (net MD, open MG) allowing for manipulating files. Anyway it seems that you cannot move something off the MD onto the computer harddrive unless it was recorded on a computer (!) ..the track contents show up on my computer screen while using the software but it will not move them to the computer. Do any of you know a way around this??

thanks!

 

[leon]

Burn down the Sony headquarters until they remove the whole OpenMG thing altogether (should really be ClosedMG or ClosetMG, eh).

If the MD unit has an optical out, I vaguely recall seeing third-party accessories that'll let you do the job. None of today's consumer portables have it, though.

So there's probably no way around this... unless that open-source NetMD project (see minidisc.org, there's a petition for NetMD upload too) is providing anything comprehensible to the common people.

 

[OneMalt]

I haven't paid a whole lot of attention to the new MD equipment lately but can't you bypass the Open MG software by just going MDP line-out to sound card line-in (or optical to optical if your MD and sound card are so equipped) and press play? I've recorded many, many times from my various MD equipment to my hard drive as wav files. Granted, all my stuff is pre-NetMD but they haven't changed the basics that much, have they?

Try www.xitel.com for some of the 3rd party stuff leon mentioned.

 

[jpelg]

Quote:

just going MDP line-out to sound card line-in (or optical to optical if your MD and sound card are so equipped) and press play

I thought that the optical port on most all consumer MD's were/are optical-in, and not bi-directional, yes?

I think you are left only with the standard analog head/line-out to send to another source. NetMD players don't help you here.

If you find something different, please let us/me know.

 

[Mystyler]

Headphone-->Line in is the only way. Sucks huh?

Mironics (I think) have released a little gadget that automates upload from MD units, but it is still in real-time and still analog.

Get a cheap deck with optical out and a cheap sound card with optical in. I did.

 

[redshifter]

i have a sony md deck that has analog, optical, and coax outs (jbs930). if i ever got the urge i could hook it up to my soundcard's digital coax in and make digital copies. of course you need a deck that has these outs.

 

[M Rael]

I really appreciate all the replies. Very helpful.
Now I see that the system of Sony's just isnt made to make transfering recordings made on their MD players available on the computer. Weird. Going in I was actually hoping they not only let you do the transfer but optimize the files so they were smaller. I dont get it that a mini-disc recorder is not supported more.
I'm going to take this player back to BestBuy and do something else. Thanks again for the information.

 

[OneMalt]

[QUOTEI thought that the optical port on most all consumer MD's were/are optical-in, and not bi-directional, yes?[/QUOTE]
The key word there is most. Just about all portables are one-way but Mystyler hit the nail on the head when he said to get a deck. A lot of decks support optical in and out. Sony's MDS-PC series are even specifically designed to interface with a computer (and I don't mean that NetMD stuff).

 

[jpelg]

You are correct, OneMalt. My assumption was that we were talking strictly portables here.

Still, there are very few decks still available, especially from mass market stores like "Best Buy" & "CC", and not all have optical outs. Even with an optical out, there is built-in copy protection when attempting to go from MD->MD. The optical outs on decks that have them are strictly to another type of digital recording device such as a PC, as you mentioned.

 

[andrzejpw]

Stinks doesn't it? Basically, your only choice would be to get a deck with optical out.

 

[Magicthyse]

Quote:

Originally posted by leon Burn down the Sony headquarters until they remove the whole OpenMG thing altogether (should really be ClosedMG or ClosetMG, eh). If the MD unit has an optical out, I vaguely recall seeing third-party accessories that'll let you do the job. None of today's consumer portables have it, though. So there's probably no way around this... unless that open-source NetMD project (see minidisc.org, there's a petition for NetMD upload too) is providing anything comprehensible to the common people.

You'll need to burn down the RIAA and SDMI facilities too