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Since the "Ultimate" 4.3 version seems to have gained quite a popularity, and appears to be less glitchy than any previous one, I decided to build a second release. This is purely a cosmetic update. What's changed from the first release: 1. Updated Registry Information Setup is used now. This doesn't affect minidisc functionality in any way, but may add support for some newer ATRAC phones (you still need to provide the respective drivers). 2. The link to Minidisc Community Forums in the Help menu is replaced with a link to Sony Insider Forums. 3. Installation package extraction path is no longer saved to registry. 4. Windows Installer 2.0 distribution package is not included. The complete list of changes from the official VAIO version (including changes introduced in the first release): 1. System prerequisites from Microsoft (Windows Installer 2.0, DirectX 9.0c, Windows Media Format 9, Windows Media Format 9.5, Data Access Components 2.5) are not included. 2. OpenMG Secure Module version 5.0 with the respective Registry Information is used instead of the original patched version 4.7. 3. Sony CONNECT Store support is no longer installed. 4. SonicStage Security Update is installed automatically. 5. Latest Personal Audio Drivers for SONY devices are installed automatically. 6. The VAIO support link in the Help menu is replaced with a link to Sony Insider Forums. NOTE: If you have applied the experimental SonicStage patch 4.3.02 for Vista/Windows 7, you'll need to re-apply it after installation. Download links: SonicStage 4.3 "Ultimate" Release 2 for Windows 2000/XP/Vista (you must register at Sony Insider forums to download) Mini-mode skins Recommended PxEngine update

As promised in one of my previous posts, here is the trailer for 'The Field Recordist' which features some of the mini disc recorders, together with recorded tracks: UPDATED - HERE IS THE COMPLETE FILM: Best heard with headphones.

Hi all! So I've started a little project for myself. Minidisc never really caught on too well in canada so I won't be stmbling on any racks at the thrift shop anytime soon. I've been looking for storage solutions, haven't been a big fan of the wine box idea, generally I haven't seen anything that really caught my eye. For some reason it never dawned on me in the last year to 3D print some racks... I'm not sure why, I've been 3D printing everything else for years.... So I designed these up yesterday with some spare time. They're very rough still and very utilitarian. The larger one holds 10 discs and is meant to stack vertically (and has holes for nesting feet, and holes for screws). The smaller one to the right I haven't tested yet but I am thinking of a wall unit that makes the discs look like they are floating out of the wall. Edit wise I'm going to shrink the width by 2mm and perhaps put the discs at a slight downard angle rather than 90 degree so that if they were on an uneven surface, they'd still stay in the rack. What do you guys think? Feel free to toss any ideas my way! (also, for curiosity sake, the larger one took 8 hours to print! 3d printing is pretty cool but it's still a very slow process.) (The render) and printed

Finally, my homebrew laser power meter is put together. It cost $3 worth of surface mount components, a used disc sacrificed for the shell, a piece of pcb, and some other stuff I found in the back of my drawer. Initially I tested it with my digital multimeter hooked on those test terminals, but then I found this neat little five-digit Volt-meter I bought some time ago on ebay, I think it was five bucks or so with free shipping from China. Without much fine tuning, I popped this little probe into all the decks I had at hand, and measured the laser power. From the mV readings and the nominal laser power values I calculated the mV-to-mW multipliers, and I took the average of a unit I trusted the most, a 940. Using this sole multiplier as the "calibration", I recalculated the measured mW figures and compared to the factory recommended range. Most of the other units were nicely within specification, but this 530 in question, that immediately popped out, being near 40% below the necessary values, i.e., 0,55 mW and 4,32 mW versus 0,9 mW and 7,0 mW respectively. Now, it might be that easy, but before changing anything, I want to check the IOP, to see, whether that meets the specs, and set the measured value for further adjustments. For this I will need that rig connecting to the drive, currently waiting for the special connector to arrive. So much for now, I will update the thread as I progress. Some photos attached below, just for fun.

In case anyone is interested... I´ve written a review of the Sony MZ-R 50. http://marlene-d.blogspot.de/2013/07/the-legendary-sony-mz-r-50-review.html

I just wanted to say that it is nice to have some new members who are clearly MD lovers around to join in on the discussion and add new thoughts, ideas and opinions. Welcome all. :-)

Buy LIP-4 battery. First open all the cover of LIP-4. then you can small PCB. just remove the PCB using soldering iron or else. Do the same things with LIP-3 batteries. take the small PCB from LIP-3 and put to LIP-4 battery cell use soldering iron. Then cover you new battery, make sure it won't have electronics shortcuts. You'll have a new long lasting battery. It works on my MZ-N10.

I have a Sony MDS-JE780 for sale. It is silver and in mint condition as it has been hardly used. It is based in Wolverhampton so can be collected, or can be posted at additional cost. (I estimate about £7 with recorded delivery) £80 ono. Spec taken from the Sony website: Hybrid Pulse D/A Converter ATRAC DSP Type-S Long Time Recording and Playback (LP2, LP4) Pitch Control Scale Factor Edit NetMD Control A1 Keyboard Terminal 1 x Optical & 1 x Coaxial Input & 1 x Optical Output Available inblack and silverSee the link for more info.... http://www.sony.co.u...=TechnicalSpecs

MiniDisc is not useless; it's obsolete. There is a key difference. Nothing as multifaceted as a MiniDisc recorder can be said to be useless. That said, I think that even if Sony had marketed MiniDisc successfully, it would be obsolescent today because its competitors are more feature-rich. I have difficulty following some of the logic in this thread. MiniDisc and MP3 players both have shuffle functions. It's up to the user whether or not to use them, and absolutely nothing about an MP3 player compels one to do so. It SHOULD go without saying that either is just as capable of playing entire albums chronologically. You're arguing against your perceptions of MP3 users' supposed preferences, which are likely exaggerated and unfounded. The issue was the native functionality of the devices and which better suited the questioner. I still have my MiniDisc players, though I almost exclusively use my MP3 player (and never on shuffle). I may be returning to reporting soon and thus would use my MiniDisc to record, even though my MP3 player has a voice recorder. I also take out MiniDisc sometimes just for nostalgia. Whereas many of you are exalting album listening, I actually got into MiniDisc because it facilitated playlists, but now MP3 players do this better because the track need not be re-uploaded to form the playlist. Album listening has its advantages and purposes, but playlists demonstrate the user's creativity and make for great time travel. In my moments of nostalgia, I can call up playlists of the songs that defined eras I miss. It's a beautiful thing. One of you said you found MP3 players useless because they could not do all the things a MiniDisc player could. That depends on the MP3 player. (Further, it's a bogus statement because any mass storage device that plays music clearly has a twofold desirable purpose.) I actually can edit titles and move files on the go, but let's be honest: It is rare that such an act is of such pressing import that it can't wait until one gets home. My MP3 player is an Archos 5, which, like many MP3 players, has great sound quality, radio, a 250-gigabyte hard drive, a voice recorder, Wi-FI, Web radio and TV, DVR, picture display, and video. Useless because it's an MP3 player? Oh, brother. Much of this stems from your zeal to vindicate the MiniDisc, which I love. Another example is the citation of an intangible such as "cool factor," which lies in the eye of the beholder. Consider that being in the in-crowd like an Apple user can be said to be cool. Also, cool as in different just means anything opposed to the leading product, and that doesn't necessarily mean a MiniDisc. A lesser-known MP3 player can turn heads, but turning heads is not where the joy in product use lies. It is also flawed logic to assert that one likes MiniDisc because one prefers to carry around just a few albums. One can choose to listen to just a few on an MP3 player, first of all. The mere presence of all the other tracks you have neatly stored on the hard drive will not weigh heavily on the mind. Second, both MP3 players and MiniDiscs are mass storage devices. That's like one compulsive overeater defaming another because the other is even worse. That does not make you the icon of restraint; rather, you prefer a lesser example of excess. I do believe there still are real advantages to MiniDisc that relate to its native functionality. It's durable, sounds great, and records. It edges out MP3 in battery life, line-in recording, and usually voice recording. Actually, recording is where its greatest strength is now. Another strength is that different models are tailored to different uses; some have radio, some record and others have a digital amplifier, for instance. I love that my MP3 player works with Windows Media Player, which keeps track of the tracks you have and have not added to the device. Syncing automatically adds the new tracks. If I went back to MinDisc, I'd have to guess where I left off as I tried to upload all the music I have purchased since then to MiniDiscs. Also, I don't have to be bothered with SonicStage or ATRAC anymore, and I am glad. I don't have a second-generation Hi-MD player, so I can't put MP3s on them.

I have an N510 and a DN430. Both sound really good. I also have some S1's which, I know, are type R. They both sound excellent to me. I figured I'd take the (possible) slight noise quality hit and lack of remote for bombproof (especially in Orygun) performance of the S1. I can say those DN430's sound just fine. I think you can find that model with a radio too

Damned good ! Thank you Hmmm Music Lover.

Good news. It works, it does!!!. It wouldn't be possible without your help. Thank you very much!!!.

What exactly is the problem with the display? Is it completely dark? Several things can happen. The quickest checks, that don't need much testing gear: - check if all those flat cables are seated properly - check for any electronic components that look burnt , also, for dark brown or black spots/stains on the PCBs - check if those tiny cathode filaments inside the VFD are not broken. Two photos below are from different models, but give you the idea The left one shows intact filaments, the one on the right shows the topmost filament broken: .

Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible for whatever damage or loss, physical or mental, related to attempting to repeat something described in this post. It is provided for educational purposes only. Never disassemble electronic devices, especially batteries and battery packs, especially lithium ones, unless you have necessary proficiency and qualification in electronics. Recently I’ve acquired a Sony MZ-R30 Minidisc player. It’s a kinda fun format, but the fact that I had to use a 2AA case in order to enjoy my music was quite disappointing. After fiddling around with the dead LIP-12H that came with it, I came to a conclusion that it’s definitely a somehow packaged 18650 cell. Carefully prying it apart with a hard plastic spudger and an X-acto knife, here’s what I saw inside. Note: better pry in a direction outside the pack, as not to damage or short out anything And once you get the top case off... Sure thing, it’s a 18650 with a small protection/driver module. The battery turned out to be a Sony Energytec US18650S STG ICR Li-Ion cell. The voltage measured around 0.86V, so it’s definitely going to be discharged and then handed in at a battery recycling point, along with some others undercharged ones. To remove the battery, I cut the long positive zinc terminal behind the cell by bending it a bit outward, and carefully cutting the zinc stripe in half. Then I pulled hard on the cell and it detached from the bottom negative cell tab which was soldered directly on the protection circuit. Afterwards, pulling the remaining positive tab got it free. Don’t throw them away just yet, instead make them nice and flat (and cut off the “tail” of the positive one”). For easier working, I also cut the remainder of the positive tab’s tail that was still attached to the protection board so that it would just form a soldering pad on the board itself, instead of completely desoldering it. Now I had to find a replacement cell. I’ve done a big old laptop battery teardown this summer, and even though 2 of the salvaged ones were already undervolted, and 4 more were rendered useless by lending a 18650 powerbank to a classmate who let them down to 2.05, I couldn’t get myself to buying new cells, and that’s why I kept the tabs. It would be great if I had a Li-Ion cell welding machine, but so far, I just went on and soldered a piece of wire from an ATA (IDE) cable onto the remaining square pad, and the other end onto the remaining zinc tail on the positive input of the protection circuit. Then I picked a replacement cell, my choice was a Panasonic CGR18650C, because they seemed to be somewhat good looking and are what I had at hand (I have plenty of other Sony ones, but just 2 of these after the other 4 ones died, which doesn’t even make them a viable powerbank set :P). Finding datasheets for both original and replacement cells was a hard time, but, from what I could tell, the Panasonic ones can easily survive 1428mA charging current, and the original Sony one had a 1C rating, thus, a 1350mA maximum charging current. So, since 1428mA is less than 1350mA, we should be safe Afterwards I used some electrical tape to secure the pads to the cell, because as you should know by now, one should never ever solder directly to a Li-Ion cell, and I don’t have a cell welding tool. I made sure it’s as tight as possible so that the playback would not interrupt, and then secure the cell to the original casing. The top cover, however, decided not to fit onto such a strange construction, so… you might try and do better Yeah, that’s not something you would be fine with taking out at an airport or something Sliding it in also became a bit harder than it was originally, because of the changed size, plus one has to observe the wire so that it won’t get stuck in the way somewhere along the slide and short out onto the case (should’ve used more electrical tape, yeah). The player is now back to fully working order! Now I can enjoy my music without stretching my pockets due to the overweight external AA battery compartment size. Charging the battery inside the player right now with a Sony PSP 1.5A charger and the battery doesn’t seem to even get any hot, even though the battery gauge shows weird things, so I’d call it a success. Not the best way it could be done, but clearly a success. Let me know if it's helpful - Ak.

The 333ES is so good, that its LP2 sounds good even without Type S. I got one when they were more reasonably priced, but it's now deceased and departed. The JE780 is well-spoken-of and while not exactly common, does turn up here and there for much less than the 333ES. I'm not sure the S500 was ever common, even in Japan. Don't know where you're looking, but besides eBay, you can always check out Buyee (http://buyee.jp/?lang=en). Lots of folks record optically from their PCs! (I sometimes do so from an iMac...my PC has coax out...that works, too.) I have a JA22ES, which seems to have a GUI that enables one to do titling and such from a PC, although I do not use that functionality. Anyway, good luck, be nice to know what you wind up with.

It is, indeed. And the reason I reply to a fairly old thread, is a similar experience, but with a little addition - a little hint (but a long story, apologies). It might work in some cases. Li-ion batteries are delicate on one hand, but on the other hand, due to the built in electronics, they can survive better, than the NiMH batteries for example. (I understand in some places of the world it is advised to use disclaimers - without repeating his words here, please refer to the OP's disclaimer at the top of this thread.) Few days ago I bought a small bunch of junk minidisc walkmans (for peanuts really), just out of curiosity, to see how they look like inside. I can tear them down without any fear, and I maybe able to learn new things. One of these was a Sony MD-R30, little beaten, but it turned out being fully operational, and just run nicely plugged on my MZ-R3's power adapter (even it was only 5V, while the R30 would have needed 6V, according to the sign next to the inlet). Then I noticed, that there is a battery in the unit. It looked completely dead, no voltage on the terminals, and it did not take any charge either. I decided to check it inside - I did not have any replacement battery, but I had an experience, that suggested I should try it again. Few years ago, I once accidentally left a battery of my tiny Sony camera (DSC-T7) in the watch pocket (coin pocket) of my jeans. My wife did not notice it, and put them into the washing machine. It took me some time to realize where I left the battery, but by then the washing program was almost complete. Needless to say, the battery was completely drawn, worse than that, even the external charger indicated it was faulty. I had nothing to loose, opened the miniature case, and disconnected the internal controller board from the battery. It showed only a few hundred mV, but it was a sign, that it is not yet completely dead. Then I connected the battery to a CC PSU (constant current power supply). At about 5 Volts, I began charging the battery with ~100mA current (* more about the value below), and monitored the voltage. It soon jumped up to ~3V, then I gave a couple of 5-10s impulses of 200...300mA, with equal length of "breaks" with 100mA in between. After this treatment I reassembled the battery, glued the case, and I have been using that battery since then, just like a normal one. Based on this story, I gave a chance to this LIP-12 pack too. I assumed the unit has not been in use for many years, and it depleted the battery. An alkali or a NiMH battery would have certainly died, but the Li-ion is protected from completely discharged, by the internal controller board. When I desoldered the 18650 cell from the controller board, it showed (what a coincidence) a similar 8...900mV. Then I performed the procedure above. I chose 200mA charging current, and 500mA for the impulses. The 200mA is about the 1/6th of the nominal capacity of the pack in mAh - the rule of thumb is 1/10, but while that is appropriate for regular charging a healthy battery, here I wanted to get some quick results. After a few minutes the voltage went up to 3V, then I repeated the impulses, finally, left the battery on ~150 mA for about ten minutes. At this time, it showed ~3,7V - that is good, as the nominal voltage of the pack is 3,6V. I resoldered the cell on the board, reassembled the pack, a few little drops of superglue on the edges of the case, and it looks as before. When I slipped the pack back into the compartment, the unit immediately showed ~50% remaining charge (that instant value was a bit "fake", but definitely a good sign), and after plugging the wall adapter in, it began charging. Playback did not stop when I unplugged the power adapter, so the battery was back in life. I will experience a bit around the real capacity of the "revitalized" cell, but so far so good. . . . .

I was wondering if there are regulars here? I bought my first MD when they first came out. I had about 15 pre-recorded discs, and my ex-wife threw them away because She was jealous of them. She said that with the small player she thought I was trying to block her out without her knowing. I guess she was right. I actually took the garbage bag to the dump without knowing that my beloved discs were in there. At hey we're absolutely pristine, as I a) really believed that they would be rare someday, and I always talked immaculate care of my CD's. Every time that I buy a CD, if there's a "hype" sticker on the plastic wrap, I try to carefully peel them off and stick them inside the jewel case under the CD. I probably have 700+ CD's, and they're all perfect. As soon as I brought them home, I would handle the sticker part, and burn it to mini disc immediately. I only, have about 30 Mini disc blanks, and about half of them are recorded CD's. They were all recorded, but recently I was listening to them, and somehow they just erased due to my hitting a wrong button. I don't know how. Just today I bought a D to A convertor, a new 1/8 into red and white RCA connector line, and a Toslink digital cable with mini plug converters, so I'm all set to record my favorite CD's right from my brand new Panasonic SL-SW415 CD player that my wife bought me for my 59th birthday this Thursday. I am thrilled to get my old SHOCKWAVE back. The last one that Ibought was a '95 SL-SW405, and it lasted over 20 years without so much as a hiccup until my wife's cat knocked the basket that it was in off of the top of the refrigerator. My new one is all set for a fun day of recording tomorrow, I can't wait to see if they sound any better when burned through Optical cable one to one with my CD player. I previously did all of my MD burning using NetMD software, so until I figure out the new hardware, I'll be burning them from CD. It will take more time, but hopefully the sonic difference will be worth it. So, is there anybody out there? Wally

I have a JB980 too. Use it like a DAC too. Sorry footmobile, SP recordings (R30) cannot be "topped" by type S. Type S enhance LP recordings during listening. But, you can re-record your old albums (I know this is one of Hercule's Jobs) with a type R unit like your JB980 (Type S include type R).

@punkrockaddict What I wanted to say is that newer stuff is not always better or more convenient than older stuff, the sellers try to get you think it will be better to buy new equipment but sometimes you will be disappointed to experience your old one was better. With "are all gone" I mean they didn't work any longer, regarding my mz-rh1 at first the batterylid broke off, the display got unreadable, the jog-button didn't work any longer the whole displaypart was getting loose and at last I could only display music and not record. So I throw my mz-rh1 in a box full of equipment that was out of order. Regarding my mz-rh10 I was always disappointed with that one because at first I could only read the display in a dark environment and later on the display was unreadable at all and when recording became impossible with that device also the mz-rh10 ended in that box. The mz-rh710 got a number of cracks in the plastic body, the rotary knob did not function and at last also this device could not record anything and ended in the box with defected devices. It looks like I handle my units careless but I don't think so, my oldest (all metal) units have not any sign of use. I didn't try to repair the devices because I had a number of (hi)md devices and I had more than once the idea of stopping with minidiscs and remove sonicstage from my computer and only use my mp3-players, I don't use minidisc for field-recordings or recording concerts, only to listen to music and to download the music to minidisc via sonicstage. But unit now I ended everytime still using my minidiscs as well as my nwz-a15 to listen to music. About a year ago I was spring-cleaning my house and I threw away a lot of things and also the box with defected devices, I regret that now because I could give them away as spareparts but what is done is done. Now my intention is to never buy again a new player and use all my old stuff, minidiscs and mp3-players, untill they are all gone, I am now 67 years old so I think I can use them until the end.

I tried the HQRP gumstick batteries and I never had any luck with them. They all had high self discharge characteristics and developed high internal resistance pretty quickly. The only NH-14WM replacement I've used that wasn't high self discharge is the Sofirn 3000mah battery from China. Don't let the name fool you , it's no where near 3000mah. Its like 1200mah but will hold a charge. The Sofirn battery is all white in color and its still going after a year now. It's not as good as the original Sony pr Sharp gumsticks were but way better than any HQRP I've ever tried.

I mostly agree with PhilippeC except that I do like the MDLP machines just because I can put more audio on them if I want to. My ears can't tell the difference between SP and LP2 anyway. I do have a couple of Hi-MD units but one is used to record a radio program every week and the other is a backup and my MZ-M200 is used to upload to my computer. I have about 300 or so blanks so I should be alright there (although sometimes that doesn't seem like it will be enough). I also agree with the AA battery because I don't think those will be going anywhere anytime soon.

New photos in picasa, some in rare brands, scouter, finally tdk Md Xg reverse shutter, completed some Maxell series, added some Denon, Victor ecc... A nice day to all Sergio

Do you have the discs prepared already, or will you take thoughts on which disc design to pair the labels with? These 5 will all be rotated 90 degrees to the left, I assume. To get the ball rolling, I say put the first on a yellow victor fruity colour ... if you have one. Or a maxell iro maybe?

The site is currently down, but I believe that Kohn has backups of everything and we can bring it back at some point if there is someone who can help us with migrating off vbulletin to some other platform that would be more suitable for our purposes. I looked into SMF for a short while, but I don't have the time at the moment into delving too heavily into the task. If you're interested in helping, please reach out to me via PM here or on the Facebook group. My name is Ben Chacko. Thanks for your interest. I too love the old Audio TBoard and miss it.

I´ll try: he didn´t buy the most expensive MDs. What that means I have no idea. Maybe he wasn´t interested that much in haptic quality. Or he simply didn´t care. He´s an orderly person, titling his MDs. The music he likes... well, he does have taste. Blur, Ella Fitzgerald, Daft Punk and Faithless. Clubmusic, jazz, alternative rock. On occasion he experiments with different styles like Dido or Elvis Costello... or Boyzone (!). There´s also an MD especially made for cooking. Either for a girlfriend or for himself... Some MDs are not titled by him but by another person, judging from differing styles of writing on several MDs. Which could mean that he convinced someone else to invest into MD or that he was convinced. I cannot see very much I´m afraid, except stating the obvious.

iam not sure wether we will or won´t be surprised by the result- I could guess a small advantage by the Deck. Anybody else thinks so ? But if the were on the same performance line.. wouldn´t that be fantastic too.? I send the Test recording out so in a couple of days I`ll probably know more ;-)

"Said the (bad)actress to the bishop" It is heartening to see I am not the only crazy person to still be listening to digital audio files via MD. We "crazies" have gotta stick together.

This is a common fault on that model - do not buy it. In most cases it is caused by the soldered connections on the audio amplifier chip, which break regularly. it can be repaired quite easily, but there is no point buying a recorder that needs repair if a good working unit is available elsewhere. it is not a repair you can do yourself. In which country do you live? Jim

Did you ever find these? I have a whole box of a bunch of MD stuff getting rid of and recall seeing various cases in there. Good chance I have what you are looking for.

I am looking for a source for the replacement, don't care if it's OEM like this one http://www.smallbattery.company.org.uk/sbc_lip3wmb.htm Just need one for under the $38.40 + S&H that Sony Quoted me today by phone and email! Surely someone here has a source for them here in the united States? Thanks, Tom lifesystems@cox.net me

Hello. read all of my posts There's a problem with big lists, because u need to use search function that is available only in folder mode. Also NAC-HD1E hasn't enough memory to operate if the artist/album list is very big, many records in database that also freezes. Now I'm working to solve this problem by changing upgrading modifying and reprogramming all system.

Excellent news! I have loads of *.oma recordings which can't be opened at the moment and I really wish to get them back..

This is my photographic How-To guide to adding S/PDIF digital audio outputs to my Sony MXD-D5C, which was equipped from the factory with only analog outputs. No soldering to the deck is required This guide is intended to be the companion thread to my earlier discussion: ...which in turn was inspired by: ...as well as: Adding a Digital out to MDS-JE330 Adding Digital Optical Output to a Sony MDS-JE440 Minidisc Deck Digital Optical Output Mod for Sony MDS-JE470 Minidisc Deck ...which I found here: Construction projects: Adding Digital I/Os LET'S BEGIN! Sony MXD-D5C, North America model: Goal: to build four working S/PDIF digital audio outputs, featuring a relatively clean-looking installation: ***DISCLAIMER*** WARNING: Do Not Attempt. Working with electronic equipment can be hazardous. There is a great risk of electric shock. You do not want to get The Shock. Furthermore, static discharge from simply handling your components can render your equipment useless. I cannot be responsible for damage or destruction to your equipment, reversible or otherwise. I cannot be responsible for Death, Injury, or Insult yourself or others may sustain while attempting to modify your own gear or that of others. The methods described here worked for me, but your equipment and experience may differ. This will void your warranty. ****** Background: I've had this Sony MXD-D5C 5-CD Changer / Minidisc deck for over ten years, and even though I love this unit, I have always been frustrated by the lack of digital audio output on this deck. Although I don't listen to a lot of MD's anymore, this deck is my primary CD Player in my aging home audio rack (I love the 5-CD changer). This guide will depict my successful attempt to add S/PDIF TOSlink optical and coaxial digital audio output myself. Having read the "hacking" pages of Minidisc.org many years ago, I know there are still (as of this writing) How-To articles online for adding TOSLINK outputs to certain Minidisc decks which were not equipped with S/PDIF digital outputs from the factory (see links above). However, none of these articles described the MXD-D5C specifically. I thought the internal components might be similar enough that those earlier guides would be virtually identical to what I would carry out myself, but alas, this did not turn out to be the case. However, after studying the Sony MXD-D5C service manual schematics for a few days and having extended and extremely helpful online discussions with sonyinsider.com forum administrator and fellow MXD deck owner Stephen sfbp, I was finally able to discover that getting the digital outputs would ultimately be quite easy. I am no electrical engineer, but am merely a tinkerer who likes to "hack upward" the things in my life which I feel can be upgraded with a bit of ingenuity. The "figuring out" part of the project was probably the most challenging aspect for myself, a non-EE hobbyist... followed closely by the rear-panel modifications in which I attempted to make the deck appear factory-equipped with digital outputs in the end. I had also initially hoped that I would be able to simply use one digital output for both MD and CD digital audio streams. However, not only was there no single connectable point where both CD and MD SPDIF digital audio signals would be autoswitched according to the transport in use, it was also impossible to mix the two circuits into one output cable (I did test this). With this knowledge, I decided to go all-out and make optical and coaxial connections for both MD and CD transports for maximum connective flexibility, bringing the total number of digital audio outputs to four. Some of the materials I was able to easily find at my local Radio Shack retail store. Some parts I already had lying around, but the TOSlink transmitters TOTX177AL had to come from a specific online source (http://www.digikey.com/). More on these parts soon. Here is a fairly comprehensive parts list for this mod: 1x Sony MXD-D5C Minidisc Recorder / 5-CD Changer Deck: 1x Sony MXD-D5C Service Manual 2x Toshiba TOTX177AL(F,T) TOSlink Transmitting Modules with integrated dust flap and screw-mount hole (order a couple extra - you will be soldering directly onto these inexpensive but delicate components. 10+ Qty. discount): Digi-Key Corporation (TOTX177AL Data Sheet) 1x 4-pack RCA Phono Panel-mount Jacks (only 2 jacks used): Radio Shack 1x 4-Position Dual-Row Barrier Strip: Radio Shack 2x 2-pack 0.1µF Ceramic Disc Capacitor (4 capacitors total needed) (cap code "104"): Radio Shack 1x 5-Pack 1/8-Watt 330 Ohm Carbon Film Resistors (2 resistors needed) (color code "orange-orange-brown / gold"): Radio Shack 1x 5 Pack 1/8-Watt 150 Ohm Carbon-Film Resistors (2 resistors needed) (color code "brown-green-brown / gold"): Radio Shack 2x 22-18 AWG 1/4" Female Disconnects: Radio Shack (size needs confirmed) 2x 22-18 AWG #6 Stud Size Insulated Ring Terminal: Radio Shack (size needs confirmed - it fits around the threaded base of the coax jack, and the inner diameter is 1/4" or about 7mm. Marked "2 - 6" on the part I used) 1x 16-Pack #6 Insulated Spade Terminal: Radio Shack (size needs confirmed - small, narrow spade connector, inner distance between prongs is slightly less than 4mm. Marked "1.25 - 3.5L" on the part I used) Heat-shrink tubing suitable for ~26 Gauge wire: Radio Shack 24" (60cm) x4 Colors (Red, Black, Yellow, White, etc.) 26AWG Multistrand wire (I used several 12V Power Extension Wires with Mini Pin and Socket connectors at either end, similar to these PC Fan Extension Cables at Newegg.com or even better, these Y-cables). 2x Size 8 0.5" (Very small) Steel Sequin Pins: Joann Fabric and Crafts. (Maybe there is a better true electronics component for this, but pins similar to these worked for me. Be sure you don't use a type with a plastic head, as you will be soldering directly to these very small pins). 1x 10-pack 6-32 x 1/2" Round Head Machine Screws and Nuts 1x 10-pack 6-32 x 1/2" Flat Head Machine Screws and Nuts 2x Small-diameter Round Head Sheet Metal Screws (sized appropriately for mounting the TOSlink transmitters) 1x Piece approx. 6"x2" x 1/16" or 1/32" thick Sheet Steel or Aluminum (I used a scrap pop-out drive bay cover to an old ATX PC case) Here are some tools and consumables I used for this project: Clean working space with plenty of good light Grounding Strap: Radio Shack Electronics and Hobby Miniature Soldering Iron Kit: Radio Shack 1oz. .015 diameter "High-Tech" Silver-Bearing Solder" Radio Shack 2 oz. Canister Non-Spill Rosin Soldering Paste Flux: Radio Shack Butane Micro-torch: Radio Shack Mini Diagonal Wire Cutters: Radio Shack Mini Needle-nose Pliers: Radio Shack Wire Stripper/Connector Crimping Tool: Radio Shack Dremel Rotary Tool with a stack of cut-off discs and an assortment of grinding wheels: Amazon.com 3M Scotch 23 0.75"x30' Pliable Rubber Splicing Tape: Amazon.com or Mouser.com Drill or Drill Press with an assortment of sharp metal-drilling bits Mini bench vise Scissors Tweezers Magnifying Glass Phillips and Flathead Screwdrivers etc. ****** Unplug your deck from power and audio connections and carefully bring it to your flat, clean and dry work area. Use a Phillips head screwdriver to unscrew the 6 black painted screws which affix the top cover to the deck. There are two black screws on the rear panel along the upper edge, two screws on the left panel of the deck, and two screws on the right panel as well. Set them aside in a safe place where they will not get lost: Carefully lift the top cover panel off of the deck and set it aside in a safe place where it will not get scratched or bent. Use caution when removing the top panel so as not to have the front edge bind up against the fragile front panel. The top panel is metal and has very sharp edges - handle it very carefully such that you do not cut yourself. The deck itself also has plenty of sharp edges as well. This is the first view of the inside of the MXD-D5C: We can clearly see the large CD-changer mechanism dominating the left side of the deck, while the right side houses the truly "mini" Minidisc transport mechanism, power transformer, Main Circuit Board, and the smaller Audio Board slightly above the Main Board at the rear. The smaller audio board is connected to the rear panel of the deck by three screws near each connector jack. Remove them and set them aside with the screws removed earlier. Unplug the white keyboard connector from the audio board by carefully lifting straight up so as not to bend or break the pins: Close-up view of the Audio Board's ribbon wire Connector CN305, which we will soon be tapping for digital audio signals: Very very carefully remove the audio board by gently squeezing the tips of the 2 plastic support prongs with mini-needlenose pliers and lifting the Audio Board up. Use extreme caution. You may wish to also carefully remove the ribbon cable from Connector CN305 such that the audio board may be set aside without flopping over in the way on it's own (the ribbon cable is delicate yet springy). Remember to always wear your anti-static strap and carefully handle this board only by its edges, never touching the electronic components which are soldered to it. Here is a close-up of the audio board after it has been removed from it's supports:

1) from the moment the MD is not any more wrapped, it is consider are a used one. To distingued such MDs never recorded or just deleted there is no way except perhaps the aspect of the MD itself. Maybe the service mode will give you more information about the disk but it is risky to enter inside service mode. 2) that depend on what you want to record. For example for a completely new recording, it is better to format using All Erase. For a re-recording of the same tracks, maybe you would like to keep the titles of the disc and name of groups, then edit your MD and delete only tracks.

You can tell we like MD in the UK!

I have a grey MZ-RH1 bought in Vietnam but coming from japanese market. The menu are in english and I did not even notice a langage menu before. Sadly I cannot give you more help as it have joggel problems that do not allowed me to navigate easily in the menu again. That could be an answer to you though, english menu is included in asiatic MZ-RH1. I rode somewhere that the 3 lines remote have japanes characters capabilities, that does not mean the MZ-RH1 has japanese or chinese capabilities itself . Never bought anything from eBay Hong Kong myself. I am searching for a MZ-RH1 myself, but one with lens or inside mechanic problem so I can make a GOOD MZ-RH1 with 2 units.

Hi, for the people interested, there is a tool which allows you to recover your old SonicStage music library after a Windows re-installation or computer crash. It requires that you have a backup of the files in the directory "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Sony Shared\OpenMG". If you still have these from your old Windows installation and you have a collection of .oma files which you cannot access anymore due to a corrupt SonicStage installation and the fact that files are encrypted, then this tool will allow you to decrypt these files again. It comes with a readme file. http://rapidshare.com/files/444508273/openmg_20110125.zip This tool was not written by me but I compiled it and provided a readme. I simply provide the link to allow people to restore their encrypted SonicStage music library with .oma files (PCM and ATRAC3/3+). For all people who do not have a backup of the files in the aforementiond OpenMG directory anymore, you might be happy to hear that VLC is going to be able to playback such encrypted files in near future. Coming in late summer 2011, VLC will feature an ATRAC3+ decoder plus a decryptor for the .oma files. Adrian

the best thing i like about minidiscs is that theyre small ENOUGH - no need for smaller stuff, i like to feel things in my pocket - and last forever. otherwise the format is lovely but dead. to my thinking if you cut a blue ray disc to the size of a minidisc youd be able to fit about i dunno - around 4 gbs of data on it? mass production in china should lower the cost of the laser head so why still use the freaking huge cds dvds and etc? all the cds ive written lasted me about a day-2. all my old cds are scratched useless and are not pocketable.i always loose stuff - imagine how it will be when theyll start selling micro sd albums all over for cheaper - people will lose data on the floor i hate it. i also hate sony for ruining aiwa. i actually bought a yamaha md8 8 track mixer couple days ago and realised that there would be no way for me to export the split tracks cause it uses md data discs for recording 8 tracks at once and nothing else really reads them so the only way is to rip them separately realtime which sucks cause im not only messy as hell im also lazy. the 2 md data the seller gave me may be the last on earth so i wont be opening the one in wrapping i guess. it can only record 2 tracks at once on a regular minidisc so talking about dead formats md data is one and so is the original minisisc cause it wont really transfer the data when it can and shoud like the hi-md lets you, right? love the machine tho! and i love md - just b/itching since its dead anyhow. so i think sony shouldve just kept increasing the minidis's storage space - not too hard a task for a giant. and the best things about the format in general is the casing and the latter direct wav rec support. i dunno how atrac really differs from flac mp3 vbr cbr ape whatever. i only want the best one to win. if i count all the money ive spent on scratched round plastic im pretty sure id be better off with the minidisc cause it is obviously much more rewritable than cdrw dvdrw plus minus - awful stuff to keep in mind, these subtypes of things. i grew up on cassettes and im used to carrying portative stuff with buttons and mechanisms cause you feel it better than carrying tons of music you cant remember where you downloaded from and why. btw i think the rh1 and hi md was a sweet start for the new era of md. and opening the codes is a must do for a corp that no longer makes money of the product it released and created the buzz then shut it down. i used to love sony portable stuff but the last thing i liked was the hd5 and it was too quiet for me even with the volume unlocked. anyone actually ever used the avls button on anything? )) whata long open letter. ))

In the past, i've used MDLP to rrecord old talk radio, (Art Bell, Phil Hendrie, etc), and found that LP4 was absolutely fine for that. LOL back in those days, compared to cassette, LP4 was a Godsend for talk radio junkies - 320 mins on 1 disc? You could recored the whole 4 hour show on 1 disc... that was astonishing at the time, and to some degree still is, considering it's such a small device...

I have a few portables and a few decks, with a still growing large pile of discs, I find that altough I have other newer equipment, mp3 players etc, I just really like the MD and continue to like it. The sound is good, it's good at recording and the little discs have a certain attraction of their own that I don't see in flash drives, CD's etc. I don't see myself as belonging to a cult, though when I meet someone who I discover also has a MD deck/portable, you often pick up a certain vibe and it's all good.

At this point I might start to do a few things with a single non-behaving MP3. a. does it play (and does it play without getting modified) in normal players other than SS? b. can you install another SS on another PC and import that one file there? I realise that's a problem for many people. c. Have you checked that the library is stored on a medium where there is lots of WRITEABLE storage before doing the import? The fact you have several "optimized files" folders suggests to me that you have stored the db under a single user (and maybe for several users). Consequently it will be inaccessible to other users through Windows AC lists. I would consider carefully the benefits of having only a single place for SS database, NOT under your My Documents tree. Did you upgrade to SP3? Rumour has it that some of the Vista UAL stuff got snuck in there in the interests of "security". Sony has always insisted you have to be more than a plain-joe user when running SS. Perhaps you got away with it but now restrictions on access are being enforced. Yup, time to start looking at ACL's. Sorry. oh yes, one more thing. Time to talk to the resident genius Avrin. The db is a real Microsoft Access db. Somehow maybe the permissions got munged?

Yes, this is it. Touching the MD. Labelling the MD. There is no alternative to physical contact with the medium.

I've no idea about the Sony receivers as I don't own one. But I recently bought an Onkyo receiver (not MD, just AV receiver with lots of inputs and outputs). It does exactly the same trick. If there's digital on the same input, the digital wins (and the analog cuts out).

Agree about the NH600, but only up to a point. Outside the UK (where you can easily get an NH700) the NH600 has much better availability. If you look at the service manuals for NH600,NH700(incl. NHF800) and NH900 you will see they all share a common mechanism, so, features aside, you're getting basically the same product. The big trick when buying an NH600x machine is to ask the vendor how many sockets/connectors it has. I have seen (and/or seen pictures of) many variations. My own 600D purchased here in N.America has no line in, and NO 3V POWER CONNECTOR (the yellow hole that takes the yellow-tipped jack from Sony and other suitable adaptors). This might be a big deal for you, or it might not. The rationale is that the device doesn't really need power at all as long as it can draw some from USB, during downloading. The NH600, on the other hand, has a nice power input, and a WHITE socket for line-in (analogue/optical) as well as the usual USB socket and remote-connector. Don't let weird pictures put you off, my strong belief is that they ALL have the right socket for the "standard" Sony remote control. Note one big difference of the NH600 from the higher numbered (in this case bigger number = better) models - it cannnot recharge the NiMH battery when you press the stop button. Even if there's a yellow connector. However this shouldn't stop you as Energizer NiHM chargers and AA batteries are so cheap that there is no reason for anyone to buy anything expensive from Sony. It seems that many of the NH600's were made for outside the USA. Mine came from Oz, and of course any model from down under, or Europe will (if supplied at all) have a charger that needs 230V. Again not a big deal but don't be surprised if you get some funny shaped plug you can't do anything with. The jog dial is not as solid as it might be, and a little smaller for big fingers, but don't let that put you off. The 3-line screen is an excellent feature that older models never had. This is a nice machine, and perfectly adequate as backup to a microphone-capable RH910.

I like how they wrap up the discs so well, it almost makes it delicious enough to eat. And then with the fancy writing and pictures and all that colour makes you just want to buy some more discs. What would be cooler is if they had made discs with the shell made out of brushed aluminum, it would look beautiful and classy. I would buy a pack of 10 regardless of price.

The players produce a subsonic hum with a subliminal addictive message.