[Ross]

I have a Sony JA20ES MD deck, which makes superb recordings. I also note that it can be used effectively as an analog to digital converter by connecting an analog input and connecting the digital output to the s/pdif input on my PC soundcard.

My question is: does the digital output of the MD deck represent the compressed ATRAC data, or is it a normal, uncompressed PCM output? To put it another way, does ATRAC compression only affect what is recorded on a minidisc, or is it done to all inputs such that the outputs will be the post-ATRAC version?

 

[HiWire]

This is a wild guess, but if ATRAC data is strictly file based, the recorder might not encode unless the unit were recording to its disc... so hopefully the data is, as you say, passed only through a DAC. I don't think your sound card would be aple to interpret (decode) an ATRAC file coming through S/PDIF.

 

[lan]

SPDIF should be PCM data. ATRAC only goes in/out the disc.

 

[qwerty870]

Yup the output will be 44.1/16 PCM on the ES decks, it should not involve Atrac compression.

Those ES decks sure were nice. They were really easy to mod too. If sony were to make another ES deck with that new compression that allows for 1 gig of wav per minidisc (Hi-MD I think its called) I would buy one in an instant.

 

[kugino]

even though the digital output is PCM, it's relaying the info on the minidisc, which is compressed ATRAC. so, the digital stream out the MD would not be the same digital stream as the uncompressed CD from which the MD was copied, right? i don't see how the outgoing digital info from the MD would be uncompressed if the info on the MD is compressed...

 

[lan]

Quote:

Originally posted by kugino i don't see how the outgoing digital info from the MD would be uncompressed if the info on the MD is compressed...

It gets decompressed and changed back to PCM.

Yes the digital stream from an MD is different than the original CD.

 

[fredpb]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ross I have a Sony JA20ES MD deck, which makes superb recordings. I also note that it can be used effectively as an analog to digital converter by connecting an analog input and connecting the digital output to the s/pdif input on my PC soundcard. My question is: does the digital output of the MD deck represent the compressed ATRAC data, or is it a normal, uncompressed PCM output? To put it another way, does ATRAC compression only affect what is recorded on a minidisc, or is it done to all inputs such that the outputs will be the post-ATRAC version?

The output is the same as a CD player, so would be uncompressed PCM output. The ATRAC does not come out of the digital outputs.