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Windows 10 installation (Net MD): 1) Download the files in description 2) Double click on "SS43_Ultimate.exe" and install the "SonicStage" program. 3) Go to Program Files (x86) -> Sony -> Personal Audio Drivers -> Sort by type -> Highlight all the ".inf" files, right click on one of them and hit install. 4) Unzip the second attached file "sony-net-md-drivers-win764.zip" and open up the folder "Sony Net MD Drivers". 5) Right click "NETMD760.inf" and hit install. 6) Go to Program Files (x86) -> Sony -> SonicStage-> Right click on "Omgjbox.exe -> Click on Compatibility -> Under the Compatibility tab, click the box and select "Windows XP (Service Pack 3)" Launch SonicStage, plug in your Walkman and a "NET MD" tab should show up in Sonic Stage. If the "NET MD" tab does not show up for you, then you need to find the correct driver for the individual Microdisc player You may receive an error when starting it, just click "next" and agree" and open it up a 2nd time without problems. Learning how to use SonicStage is very easy. SS43_ULTIMATE.exe sony-net-md-drivers-win764.zip

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

Hello everyone! I'm new to this forum, and let me say that I love to see the love and conversation about MiniDisc keep going on I'm popping in just to let you know that I've recently released an app for NetMD devices. I wrote the app mainly for myself, but I thought it might be useful for some of you too! So, and here's the link to use it -> https://stefano.brilli.me/webminidisc/ And here's a short demo of how app works Any feedback is welcome! Stefano

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.

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.

Over the past couple of months, I've been bitten by the MD bug again. I hadn't visited this forum in a VERY long time. I've used one of my MZ-NH900s at my work desk on almost a daily basis for 10+ years. It sits it's original cradle, powered from the AC adapter because the battery long since gave up the ghost. I have about 20 disc's (a mix of Hi-MD and standard MD My other NH900 has been broken for years after it fell out of my pocket and a disc got jammed. Was able to get the disc out by disassembling the recorder but when I all went back together the buttons were no longer responsive... So I put it in a storage box with my other MD stuff that wasn't used anymore. FF 1month ago, I was digging thru some things and came across my box MD recorders. Pulled out the NH900 and took it apart again. Long story short, it's had been returned to service! While looking for info on repair, I came across this site and an intro to Reddit MD. My interest stoked again, burned some new disc's, reorganized some of my favorites, and am trying my hand at labeling. I've also managed to buy a couple of new Hi-MD blanks and some used standard MDs. It's always fun to go thru used disc's from someone else to see what's on them 🙂 My MD arsenal consists of: MZ-R500, MZ-N707 (eprom nodded), MZ-N920, IM-DR420, MZ-NH600D, 2-MZ-NH900s, 2-MZ-RH10s (both with bad displays), and a MZ-RH910. 150ish standard MDs and 15 Hi-MDs. Most of my standard disc's are Hi-MD formated and most of the music is burned in ATRAC3plus @256k. I simply LOVE this format!

Nice to see SIF back up. Why was it down? It was quite a long time. I think many people have given up on it. That http://www.minidisc.wiki has turned out pretty nice btw. Still has a ways to go, but it has data on some devices not found anywhere else in English.

I don't have a question, just wanted to post a brief "ode" to my Sony MZ-R90 which I got, unexpectedly, as a birthday present in 2000. It transformed portable audio for me, but six short months later, my MZ-R90 was stolen by an opportunistic thief. Not long after that, I moved on to MP3 players, but just recently I have been reminiscing wistfully about that beautiful little piece of music technology. I had the black version, and I think the industrial design is really magnificent.

Back in 1997, long before MP3 was anything more than a concept, I was serving in the Air Force and frequently deployed overseas. Some guys on the squadron introduced me to a strange format for making music portable. MiniDisc. I soon got to learn that those tough little discs survived the rough-and-tumble of life in a kit-bag. We each bought portable players, and would ‘pool’ our discs together to make little music libraries, would trade discs with one another, and would copy CD’s for one another back home. No matter where we were in the world, AA batteries were easy to obtain, and just a handful of batteries would literally last weeks. It was a pocket-sized bit of luxury that we could carry with us, and I loved it. ......then, along came MP3 players and the ubiquitous ‘iPod’. Suddenly we could carry all of our music in a small space, and it seemed that the MiniDisc was dead. Within about 3 years everyone I knew had ditched the format and were literally giving away their discs and players, as were oil-rig workers, fishermen, and other locals who worked away from home for extended periods. I too, confined my MiniDisc collection to a box in the loft, and bought an iPod Classic. Fast-forward to 2005, and I deployed for a 4-month tour to Iraq. My iPod came with me, and I had the small luxury of my music collection to fall back on, OR SO I THOUGHT. By the second week I had the sickening ‘Sync Reset’ display (which of course was impossible without my PC) and in one fell swoop I lost my music. Other guys had problems with the portable power-generators cooking their wall-plug chargers, and soon quite a few of us had lost the use of our players, just when we would have appreciated them the most! Back home, and I was quickly falling out of love with my iPod. It seemed that whenever I updated my collection there would be issues with mixed/missing title-tracks and artwork. Any albums entitled ‘Greatest Hits’ would become an amalgamated mess, and whilst the battery-life seemed to get ever shorter, the demands for a ‘sync reset’ increased. The love was fading. I noticed something else, too. My listening habits were changing. My seemingly endless access to music made me a lazy listener, and I would frequently jump from album to album, track to track, and would often skip mid-way through a track. My days of listening to an album the way that the artist intended, had gone. This wasn’t music enjoyment. ....and so, by 2008 I was back to my MiniDisc, and what I revival it was! Equipment that had previously been prohibitively expensive was now dirt-cheap, and I was living the hobby like a millionaire! I soon had units for every occasion with Sony JA20ES and JA50ES decks for hifi use, numerous portable players, and a Pioneer MEH P9000 head-unit for the car. I could afford to be extravagant with discs, and my well used dozen or so swelled up to over 1,000. That was 10 years ago, and nothing much since then has changed. I still indulge in the childhood enjoyment of putting a ‘mixtape’ together in real-time, copying music from my CD’s and vinyl to Type-R SP to listen to in the car, or out walking the dog. Because space is at a premium my playlists are more carefully considered, and I listen to each track in full. My listening-habits are back to where they should be. In 20 years I can count on one hand the number of corrupted discs I’ve suffered, only ever having to re-copy one album. I keep discs and a spare player at work, in the summerhouse and in the car, and I have a physical, tangible connection with my music collection again. MiniDisc as a commercial format is dead, and I’m OK with that. It continues to live on in my household, and probably will do for years to come, maybe even for another decade or more. I continue to love the ‘forgotten format’, and those robust little discs give me everything I need.

Hi Folks, Long time no post, busy with child rearing. :-) I do stop by to read up on new posts and topics. I ran across this video on YouTube yesterday, sorry to post if everyone has already seen it but it was good to see and I wanted to share with all. Cheers!

It is currently admitted that the MZ-RH1 has the best DAC, ergo the best sound. I prefer however the sound of QS and ES Sony decks.

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

I got the drivers installed on my computer. I recommend watching this youtube video thats how i did it.

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

After half year I have some new ideas about upgrading and extending functionality of SONY NAC-HD1. I started two projects. The first one, upgrading NAC-HD1 software, kernel, kernel modules, system libraries to the newest one, taken from NAS-S55HDE GigaJuke (software is one of the latest for Juke's and includes additional features and bugfixes) and kernel.org. Some modules are rebuilt. Personally thanks to Joe from Germany for exchanging hard drive image taken from NAS-S55HDE. Project outlines: Status What actually works: *Linter database *Analog In *FM/AM tuner *Spectrum analyzer *Wireless Network connectivity *Wired Network connectivity *Cd ripping to Linear PCM *Cd ripping to mp3 *Gracenote DB *Artist / Album / Track / Genre / Folder library *Can quickly search Artist during playback (disadvantage for NAC-HD1E original software) *Import audio through networl / external usb storage *System boots *Plays mp3 / atrac3 / atrac3 Plus / Linear PCM (OMG AUDIO FORMAT) *DLNA client *DLNA server *Party mode client *Party mode server *Timer *Screen saver *USB mounting *X-Dj mode including analysis (new features added after upgrade). *All front panel buttons. Things that actually doesn't work: *Cd Ripping to Atrac3 / Atrac3 Plus (NAS-S55HDE doesn't have support for ATRAC as Sony starting year 2008 closed it's OMGAUDIO / ATRAC musc store www.connect.com), I started implementation to get it working. It can take some time. *Digital in (Coax and Optical) (NAS-S55HDE doesn't have support to Digital Coax and Optical, now Sony uses DMPort), this one I'll also get to work on. I'll also want to implemnt DMPort. *Cannot turn on device if in "quick power off" mode by pressing powe on button both on device and remote control. Can turn only pressing apropriate functional button (HDD,CD,FM,Home media, etc.). Principialy this is just a bug, no problems to resolve it. The second one consists of upgrading system RAM, resoldering (reballing) two BGA 90 ball (pin) SDRAM chipsets. Actualy chips are ordered and it seems that till January I get them. Then do soldering operation with high precision equipment. As described previous post , NAC-HD1 has a small amount of RAM memory, it's based on SH4 Renesas embedded cpu architecture. Uses only 64MB (megabytes) of RAM. RAM is organized by two 256Mbit chips in sum 512Mbits that equals to 64MB of memory. As the system turns / boots on Linux, the kernel takes amount of memory at startup to load all necessary drivers to control Jukebox and dedicated memory for this kernel is too small and not enough, but if we take from shared memory, then application left a small piece of memory (especially after software upgrade) to load Linter database, DLNA Server, main Tiger application, Sj3 server, system logging, ssh daemon, network stack (ipv4 connectivity), etc. Upgrading RAM to 128MB is MAX possible for this device, cause of architecture limitations. As I got full set of original SONY circuits for this device, studied tgrough, I decided to upgrade RAM. Originally 64MB is quite enough till you have 20 000 of music, then all system freezes and the make people nervous Outlines Name / Status Functional analysis - Completed Chips for replacement - Completed Ordering chips - Completed Getting chipsets - ????? Chipset approval - ????? Preparing for soldering - ???? Resoldering - ????? Memory testing - ???? System testing - ???? Benefits after system upgrade: DLNA Audio server (DLNA as is, DLNA for Wireless Audio systems such as NAS-C5E where can use x-Dj function, no need to speacilly install DLNA server for audio sharring on home computer) Party mode (can simultaniously play audio from library on 5 devices through network) Faster system (not so frequent memory swapping with hard drive during operation, that makes freeze and delay) Comfortable audio searching, better to search music with remote, don't need to enter Folder mode, that previously offered searching option. Support for newer wireless network cards X-Dj additional mood channels and more accurate audio analysis.

I've encountered this. Sorry for the bump thread, mods, I'm not sure if it's a forum faux pas, as I've not posted for well over a decade. The MZ-N10 I bought new (about 2002 maybe), had this problem a few months after purchase. I sent it back under warranty to have it fixed, it came back, then after over a year of use the same thing happened, this time out of warranty. If I remember correctly MD recorder was sent back with the repair notes which stated the mainboard had been changed. A few months ago I decided to dig out my MD recorders after frequenting r/minidisc on Reddit, and see if they worked. By some miracle the battery on the N10 still worked (as did the battery on my mint MZ-NH1), despite neither being used since 2006, so I have been playing around with them ever since. I am able to transfer music to my NH1 in NetMD mode, but can't with the same PC, driver, cabling to the N10, it briefly flashes PC--MD on the screen when unplugging cable, but that's all, that applies connecting directly to the unit or through the dock. So it's possible the chip that governs USB connectivity in my N10 is faulty; that's my take on it.

You obviously need to buy some more decks then Per

Don't know if this helps - found a copy in my archives.....

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

Sounds a bit long. It is not a problem from resistance point of view, however, long cables can pick up electromagnetic noise, like an aerial. What you can do though is to fold the cable in Z or Omega shape, making sure the folded parts cover each other precisely - in other words, wires won't get over a neighbouring one, to avoid interference. And no need for very sharp edges, to avoid cracks. In your case keeping the 125 mm distance beetween the two ends you first make a fold at ~100mm, then at ~75mm from the first one, making the Z. In the middle you will have triple layers, consuming about 225mm of the length, plus ~25-25mm-s at the ends Once this is done, you may want to tie it together with a piece of adhesive tape.

I've just received some of the brand new Sony blank MiniDiscs through the post and the packaging bears a striking resemblence to the very first blanks from back in 1992. This makes me wonder if they are finishing in the same fashion as they started and that this is the last new blank we will see from Sony. I certainly hope not but I have included a few photos of the 1992 and 2015 discs together for comparison. http://www.sony.jp/rec-media/products/MDW80T/

The 14650 was higher capacity - but this causes no problems - a side benefit is longer playtime. - Also battery was quoted as having protection built in - however, I didn't bypass the existing circuit in the empty case - just inserted the new battery.

Battery - Lip-8 contains a very standard 14650 (and readily available) battery - easy to fit in the empty case - I just worked a blade around the seam, separated the case and pulled off the spot welded terminals with care (snipe nosed pliers did the trick for me). inserted new 14650 and reassembled the case around it (a snug fit, the lack of solder tabs didn't pose a problem). - Usual disclaimer about safety - Please note that I am only describing what I did, not how to do it yourself - Lithium batteries need special care.

Well, this is all a bit embarrassing. Yesterday our youngest son logged on to the windows 7 lap top remotely. One of the first things he tried was to run the unpacked set-up file in ss/English as administrator. Sonicstage installed OK. Did the same thing on the Vista desktop and that worked OK. Am sure that this was tried a good while ago. Will now stop fiddling. However, all's well that ends well. Many thanks to inquisitor and kalkie for the many suggestions.

Dear. Forum's family. So long time no see. Don't you forget me. I'm one of the minidisc user Living in Korea. (^^*) Recently, I didn't have something special to write down the post. And this post's work is done long times ago; almost 5~6months ago. I have many e10 (over 30) and I worry about the their inner battery's life. However, I found the Lip-4wm is the same size as the Lip-3wm, So I have converted 4 to 3. They only has the 30mA difference of their capacity. (4-370mA , 3-340mA) First. You take off the 4 and 3's cover. Second. Cut the circuit parts of them. Third. Put the 3's circuit parts to 4. It's Finish. It's really easy..(^^*) and great working in my mz-e10. Lip-4Wm is still selling the some market. If you need change the battery of your mz-n10 or e10. You will take this method. Thank you for reading my post.

Here's an article I came across featuring Derek Morris and his use of Minidisc. http://www.boat-mag.com/2012/12/28/dj-derek/

I'm just curious, when doing CD -> MD optical recordings, which will produce better MD recordings: portable MD Type-R recorder or MD home deck Type-R recorder? I've heard the using MD decks can produce better recordings because of the available power for computing/encoding/compressing. If a bit is a bit (0 or 1), wouldn't the sound quality be the same no mattery which Type-R recorder you use? Thanks.

Stephen, why the http://forums.sonyinsider.com/files/category/1-programs/ link is broken ?

That went fast! Glad you were able to sell it so quickly. I do appreciate when folks offer their items up here before turning to eBay, it;s nice to have first shot at some cool equipment.

Sorry to dig up an old topic, but I thought I should update it! Not long after posting this thread, I talked myself into buying a NetMD. I picked up a Sony MZ-N710 on ebay for around £30 - the exact same model I had years ago... The battery doesn't charge any more - as can be expected from such an old piece of kit - but it still has all the original accessories, including the external AA battery adaptor. Damned glad I did: the sound quality, even on LP2, far surpasses anything I've ever heard out of my phone or any of my iPods... I don't mind the fuss involved with real time recording, either; it forces me to think about what I actually want to listen to, rather than just dumping a pile of music onto an SD card and hoping that there's something there that I'll listen to. Sadly not, I remember throwing it out some years ago; I knew I should have kept it, but was under the influence of one of my girlfriends cleaning sprees!

I have been DJing for many years using vinyl and my trusty Technics SL-1210s but I am also obviously a huge fan of MiniDisc so these types of decks that are orientated towards DJ use have always been of interest to me. Sadly I've never had the opportunity to try out either the DRE1 or one of Denon's DJ setups such as the DN-M2300R. I think that as the Sony decks are individual I would favour these over the combined Denon units and I would assume both are similar to cd decks as far as DJing is concerned. Having used cd decks such as the Pioneer CDJ-1000 on several occasions with great success, I still find myself sticking to vinyl as it is a much more physical, hands on affair and I feel like I'm putting on much more of a performance. Saying that though, I would still one day like to acquire a pair of MDS-DRE1s as I think it would be fun and very unusual to be able to play a set from MiniDiscs for a change rather than recording my live sets onto them.

320mp3 does not sound better converted to sp. its the unit you play back the sp on that sounds better. sp does sound better straight from cd...

- one MZ-R55 from Holland - one MZ-N710 from France - one MZ-NH700 from UK - two deck remotes - maybe my JA555ES repaired this time Perhaps more !

I love Tascam gear, I have a few SD based portable recorders of theirs, but don't much like recording and playback with SD cards. If only they could have 'upgraded' the MD deck to Hi-MD....

As promised I am back to tell the end of the history. My MZ-N707 returned from England perfectly fixed and working fine. The guy (Jim) has done a good work and a perfect feedback on what he did and why and how he did it. I highly recommend him to anyone with a broken down MD recorder. Ask him before sending a Hi-MD recorder. You'll find the list of the models he can fix on eBay. Nothing more to say. Just that you can trust him

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.

I am not economically forced to stay with MD, I just like it. Yes, I sometimes do have to make "excuses," although people either don't ask or those who know me have just given up trying to understand. If I had to start all over again today? I likely would not even look at MD, but no matter, I'm there. I love it, and what's done is done. Had I the ability to do so, there are far more important things in my life (looking back) that I would change. But I can't change those, either! 16:9 CRT TV, 32" (1/2 depth LG, bought just before tube TVs pretty much went the way of....MD?) ;-) I like the flat screen, though. I don't know what the UK car refs mean; however, I'm still driving a manny trans 5-speed (4-cyl Ford Escape, 2006) and I hope to never give up doing my own gear shifting. Give me minidisc, a stick shift and a Hi-def CRT and there's nothin' I can't do! ;-)

Summary: your database is messed up. As long as these are MP3 files (or WAV) ie not copy-protected ATRAC, you haven't done anything wrong. Note that PLAYING some MP3 files in some players will modify the file (I seem to recall Real Player might do this), so any file that got changed will no longer be recognised by SS. If they were ATRAC files to begin with, you're screwed unless you can go back (via System Restore) to an earlier point in time. This means you lose any uploads since that point, forever. Don't try any of this (trying to get ATRAC files back) unless you need to. Next, find where Sonic Stage puts your optimized files (my guess is some directory called "Optimized Files" somewhere near where SS keeps your imported files). Delete all the files there. Also there's a couple of things in the "Options" section of SS - delete the temporary files (probably the same as what you just did), and optimize the database (nothing to do with optimized files!). Stop SS, reboot Windows (just for the heck of it), and try again. I'm assuming NONE of this helped. If it did, then Hallelujah. Now you have a tedious job. You have to delete all the songs that won't transfer (finding out is tedious too!) FROM SonicStage (make sure you never check the box telling you to delete the music file from the computer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Now re-import them (the file menu) and all will (I hope) be well. That's the tedious part, re-sorting them. You might do well to keep one song in each album (say the first or the last) and do it after you have imported all the others. That way you don't lose the folder and artist information. Sometimes SS also gets confused if you had ATRAC and converted to MP3 and both files are showing in the SS display. But what typically leads to the above scenario is that an ATRAC file is generated (in Optimized Files) from your MP3 (or WAV) and then it gets deleted or goes out of date (see the comment about realplayer above, though it's not exactly applicable, I speak in generalities) and now the database says "the right file ain't there". I hope this helps. And yes, as long as you don't have any files terminally protected with Sony digital paranoia, SS4.3 (especially Avrin's nice updated version "Ultimate") is much better. I believe there might be some weird data rates that I have never used in the earlier versions but unless you know you need them, fuhgeddaboutit If you do have ATRAC files after all this that are protected, you should remove the copy protection. I suspect in 3.4 this means converting them to 4.3 (SOMEONE PLEASE CONFIRM THIS, I DON'T WANT TO MESS THIS POOR CHAP UP). In 4.3 it's a simple matter of running the File Conversion Tool and unchecking the Copy Protect dialog checkbox. You should always do that with your precious recordings anyway. Good luck Stephen

Welcome to the forums! An offline installer is here: http://forums.sonyinsider.com/index.php?showtopic=24405

http://www.i-dat.de/doc/idat_451_soluipaintmachine_e.htm Very usefull sofware.

Oh ! no, don't say that I wish, I could ask you to come here and do DJ work in one my parties .Keep it up !

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.

Line out is not supposed to sound nice, it is supposed to be used for transferring sound between machines. There is no equalisation or any type of effect for that matter. The idea is that the machine which your line out is connected to will be able to do exactly that, and if you send it a signal which has been run through a weird EQ setting, then there is no way it will be able to play the original flat sound. Just a question though - why do you have both Bass and Treble turned all the way up? If I remember rightly from one of my older Sony Walkmen, then that would have exactly the same effect as turning up the volume. Why not just turn the volume up and use the EQ for something a bit more useful (like making it sound better )