minidisc to CD help

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 21 Jul 2006 7:36 am

last weekend at the first Arrowhead Pedal Steel Showcase I recorded both days of music on my Sony minidisc recorder. the stereo mike worked well.
so I have four mini discs, a mini disc recorder with a USB port for input only (thanks alot SONY) and a minidisc player with Line out hookups via stereo amp receiver etc.
is there a way to upload my minidisc to computer in order to put this music onto CD.
help.[This message was edited by Randy Reeves on 21 July 2006 at 10:14 AM.]

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 21 Jul 2006 7:47 am

Randy
You'll need to take the line out from the MD to the line in on your computer soundcard. you may need a stereo mini plug-to-stereo mini plug (not rca jacks like for a stereo amp) to accomplish this- Radio Shack time...

Using an audio program like Audacity (freeware program) you then record IN REAL TIME the audio from the MD into the computer. This will take as long as originally it took to record it.you are basically playing the MD and rerecording it into the computer (it's Not a Data transfer- they couldn't have made it easy on us

)
You can then use the .wav files created by the audio program and burn a CD (if you have a CD Burner in your computer)
Hope this points you the right direction
I won't be near a computer for a while or I'd say e-mail me for help....[This message was edited by Dave Van Allen on 21 July 2006 at 08:47 AM.]

Peter · Post by **Peter** » 21 Jul 2006 8:15 am

Check this out.
http://www.minidisc.org/charman/mdtomp3.html

------------------
Peter den Hartogh
1978 Emmons S10 P/P; 1977 Sho-Bud D10 ProIII Custom;
1975 Fender Artist S10; Remington U12; 1947 Gibson BR4;

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 21 Jul 2006 8:32 am

I record mine into a DAW (I use Tracktion or Cool Edit Pro2), then save as a wave and burn to cd. Interface betwen computer and mini disc is a toneportUX2. I go from mini disc mini-plug out to the back of the toneport whcih has two 1/4 inch line ins. Dave's solution would work for someone without all the hardware and software I mentioned, not to mention being easier. It is real time recording tho as he said. I put on the disc to record and then go practice on this infernal egg slicer or mow the lawn or something.

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 21 Jul 2006 9:21 am

gentlemen. thanks for the replies.
since I use the computer at work and have none at home I will contact a friend who built a mastering studio. I bet he can take this info and apply it.

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 21 Jul 2006 9:40 am

Can anyone reccomend a stand alone CD machine?
One that requieres no computer, has inputs for all typical audio, just put a CD in it and hit record, then hit play on your MD, Cassette player, put the needle on the record, whatever, and have it copy to CD?
Thx,
Pete B.

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 21 Jul 2006 1:02 pm

there is. Tascam, Fostex, Digitech, and others make recorders that burn CDs.
what I have seen is that thyall are either four track or track recorders.
so it isnt specific to your needs.
I have seen 'field recorders that are digital. but then you need to have a CD recorder or burner separately.
I went to the Tascam web site (google) and found plenty of toys that sorta fits what you want.
Id google Fostex, etal. things are changing fast in the portable recording world.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 21 Jul 2006 1:41 pm

This is indeed the one maddening thing about the MD recorders: no digital line out to transfer the digital file into the computer for burning. What's the point of recording digitally if you then have to re-record it in analog format on the computer, so you can then convert it BACK into digital, so you can burn it to a disc!? Idiotic, frustrating design...

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 21 Jul 2006 2:22 pm

There is NOW a USB-able transfer with newer "HiFi MD" Minidiscs. Works well.

The later Sonic Stage 3.1 software allows import and coversion from the USB.

I run Win98SE and had no problem at all.

Easy deal. Directions are within the Sonic Stage Help.

HiFI MDs only.

I've been using "the band's" until now and when I get time I'll get one myself. You can fit a LOT of music on a HDMD.

EJL

[This message was edited by Eric West on 21 July 2006 at 03:26 PM.]

Gary Schuldt · Post by **Gary Schuldt** » 21 Jul 2006 6:52 pm

Hi Randy,
You can go to most any computer store,ask for the device and program called INPORT.It is a smal box.You run a line from your line out on your mini-disc to the Inport box which has RCA jacks on one end,then from the other end of the Inport box which uses a standard USB cable to your computer.Let your mini-disc run in real time,it will go onto your hard drive as a wave file.Then you click on convert to audio file and it will convert it automatically.Now you can burn it to a CD.
I'm not real sharp like some of the guys on the forum that really know what they are doing when it comes to doing this sort of thing on the computer.But i bought the INPORT box a year ago.It is fairly user friendly.I paid around $70.00 for it and i'm happy with the results i get.It you are interested feel free to drop me an e-mail.I'll give you my number,i can explain it better over the phone.I hope this might help you Randy.The people on the forum are great.There might be an easier way they can tell you about.
Gary

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 24 Jul 2006 5:01 am

thanks Gary. I like simple.

I may, when the MD recorder dies, end up with a portable CD recorder. with diligent searching there might be the ideal toy out there.

it's time for me to update my home computer. I'll get online, and purchase the needed equipment for a small home studio.
the digital world is changing so fast.

thanks all for the informative replies.

Joe Alterio · Post by **Joe Alterio** » 24 Jul 2006 5:12 am

This is indeed the one maddening thing about the MD recorders: no digital line out to transfer the digital file into the computer for burning. What's the point of recording digitally if you then have to re-record it in analog format on the computer, so you can then convert it BACK into digital, so you can burn it to a disc!? Idiotic, frustrating design...

And, sadly, the very reason this format failed in the U.S. I still use MD for recording my performances, but I don't do it very often as it takes much too long to convert it to MP3 for convenient playback.

Sony really, REALLY, missed the ball on this format. It was their "Betamax" of the '90s.[This message was edited by Joe Alterio on 24 July 2006 at 06:12 AM.]

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 24 Jul 2006 9:41 am

I agree.
Sony did blow it, but I wonder if there is a reason behind it.
since they intentionally made them to only download from microphone or computer I am led to believe that they had pressure from record companies; piracy concerns.

little did they know that musicians can be honest. they fail to realize the need to record one's own music and share it.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 24 Jul 2006 9:51 am

I agree that its stupid for them to not have a digital out, these things were design to replace the cd walkmen so no one really thought they'd be outputing much except to peoples home stereos maybe, but I think the real reason they failed to catch on was that Sony tried to retain sole rights to the production of pre-recorded mini-discs (which lets face it is what you need to sell to make a format viable...reel to reel anyone?). So you could only get Sony artists on mini-disc. I remember the selection was something like Mariah carey, Michael Jackson, and maybe a dozen or so other artists and this was at the SONY showroom in NYC. So IMHO Sony shot their own technology i the foot by limiting access to it.

Randy, when you get your new computer set up you will be amazed. I just converted my bedroom recording set-up from 8 track stand alone hard disc to software (Tracktion) and its like going from carving words in stone, to using microsoft word with a laser printer. [This message was edited by Ben Jones on 24 July 2006 at 10:56 AM.]

Joe Alterio · Post by **Joe Alterio** » 24 Jul 2006 10:19 am

Sony actually did have a pretty good selection of pre-recorded MiniDiscs...so much so that the Best Buy stores all had racks devoted to pre-recorded MD.

Best Buy really did try to push the format. They had video kiosks in the stores for YEARS talking about the advantages of MD (especially before recordable CDs became so common...and affordable). Being able to slice & dice tracks, move 'em around, merge 'em together.....especially for people looking to archive their vinyl and tape collections to a digital medium for preservation AND the ability to easily listen to the tracks you wanted to...it was great!

Heck....the at-home devices even allowed for you to record your vinyl and you could set it to detect when a new song started....so you didn't have to dice the tracks up yourself!

Just on that alone, I never understood why it didn't catch on in a big way. But, then recordable CD decks became cheap, the CD-R media became cheap and every computer started shipping with CD-R drives.....the rest is history.

Plus....Sony's own machines had tons of problems. The infamous JE-510 machine that many people had would just turn on by itself...and then stop working. There were HUNDREDS of people with this problem, but Sony denied it existed (despite a massive website devoted to the problem, with people writing in and providing their serial numbers and description of thier problem).

Then, the portables Sony made were somewhat noisy during recording. Sharp and other manufacturers made their own recorders, and the format began to really flourish in Europe and (especially) Japan. I still have my European-only Sharp portable, and it is still working perfectly!

[This message was edited by Joe Alterio on 24 July 2006 at 11:22 AM.]

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 24 Jul 2006 10:46 am

Well whatever the reason it croaked with the genral public, Its still the best for "live" recording on a shoestring, rehearsals, gigs, lessons, etc. A cd recorder would be nice but it would be larger and I like the way this little guy fits in my pocket. I can discretely record a show. To be able to edit out all the BS from a rehearsal and get to the music is priceless to me.

Gerald Menke · Post by **Gerald Menke** » 1 Aug 2006 11:28 am

I recently bought the MD hi-fi model, to record practices, etc. and was shocked at the quality of the recordings it makes. True you can't transfer directly to a computer if it happens to be a Mac, but I just connect it to my trusty old Tascam CDRW-5000, burn a CD and then upload the music from the cd to iTunes. The sound quality is just about as good as burning directly to the Tascam machine, but the new Mindisc recorders are barely much larger than the discs they play. The new discs can hold a gigabyte too, pretty amazing.

I would like some sorty of padded case for mine. Anybody know where you can get one?

The flagship SONY store here in NYC doesn't have anything, go figure.[This message was edited by Gerald Menke on 01 August 2006 at 12:29 PM.]

Joe Alterio · Post by **Joe Alterio** » 2 Aug 2006 5:12 pm

Gerald.....check out www.minidisco.com or www.planetminidisc.com .