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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.

Hello! Just thought I'll report it here, if you're trying to create an account without a connection with an already existing account like Google or alike, it's simply impossible to do so, because of incorrectly loaded reCaptcha. To make this account I had to rewrite the part of the site responsible for the captcha. If anyone else is experiencing the same difficulties, here are the steps I used to create my account: Go to https://forums.sonyinsider.com/register/ In devtools, open the `head` tag and remove all the scripts that mention recaptcha Add a new script, with `src="https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js"` Execute the following JavaScript code: const captcha = document.querySelector("[data-ipscaptcha]"); const parent = captcha.parentElement; captcha.remove(); const newCaptcha = document.createElement("div"); parent.appendChild(newCaptcha); grecaptcha.ready(() => grecaptcha.render(newCaptcha, {sitekey: "6LdgERMTAAAAAC4kTmm7BH1laShX3teATAV_6FIY"})); After that, you should be able to click on the captcha and create your account by executing the following JS code (the submit button is broken): document.querySelector("form").submit();

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.

I received a similar, albeit slightly smaller, mix of boxed and unboxed discs today too 🙂

Which sort of cases are you after? You used to be able to buy the basic hinged jewel cases from Amazon but I've not seen them on there for a few years now: If you're UK based Retro Style Media sell them: https://www.retrostylemedia.co.uk/product/clear-minidisc-case Price per case varies depending on how many you buy. Note that the quoted price is ex VAT so you'll need to factor that in as well. They also sell the larger cases that pre-recorded discs used to come in back in the 90s: They come in a variety of colours but are a lot more expensive. You can find them here: https://www.retrostylemedia.co.uk/shop/minidisc-cases That website also has templates to download for the inserts etc. There's a bit more info (and a video) here:

Don't worry about it - I got myself a Sony LAM for testing and ended up falling in love with the whole LAM series of devices. I have 3 now, so I use that functionality regularly 😆

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 homage to my Sony MZ-R90 which I got, unexpectedly, as a birthday present in 2000. It transformed portable audio for me, but unfortunately, six short months later, my MZ-R90 was stolen by an opportunistic thief. Not long after that, I moved on from MD to MP3 players, but just recently I've 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

I just searched for any help for my just bought MDS-JE480, it was described as "dead not working" and stumbled upon this page, so I would like to add this information for future reference: I had these symptoms on a MDS-JE480 - no standby light, one or two clicks from the power supply relay when I plugged it in. Checked all voltage regulator transistors, they all showed all the correct voltages. So I swapped the transport with a known good one from a working deck, the unit powers up and works just fine. Put the transport from the (apparently not) dead deck into the good deck: again, the good deck shows no standby lamp and is dead. Ok, I thought I will change the infamous loading belt: again no change, still dead. (By the way, it is between 1-1.2 mm square profile, 17mm diameter or 30mm folded length) So something's amiss on the board under the transport: Someone had re-inserted the flat cable in the wrong place, between the circuit board and the plug itself! Put the flat cable back in the plug's slot, problem solved.

🤣 I believe you, @kgallen. Honestly... I've been making a conscious effort not to look at decks on eBay recently but the BIN prices do seem to be the wrong side of £200 these days (not that I'm sort of looking either 😉). Not sure what they're actually selling for, and eBay is a tad misleading in this regard as it seems to show the original advertised price against its sold listings, rather than any lower offer the seller may have accepted. Glad to hear you've rescued another defunct 940 @M1JWR 👍 I suppose one positive of the increase in value of these decks is that people are possibly more likely to try to sell non-functioning ones, rather than just take them to the tip.

I have used them both ways, CD > MD & MD > CD, the latter to enable ripping the result into iTunes. This was a project that took about two years. I even have a folder in iTunes devoted to that effort: "MD/CD Heaven." The editing abilities of minidisc completely surpass those of CD, where there isn't much you can do post-recording.

Nice looking machine. In which dimension is it 2 inches bigger than normal hi-fi?

You're a bad, bad influence @kgallen 🤦‍♂️

OK, thanks. That clarifies. I give up then for now - maybe new facts come after the remaining tests.

Hi Stefano, Your work is really admired. and I am not professional in these software but the user who is enjoying your talent works. this is an idea came up after I successfully tried the NetMD. These sony old network walkman is actually very similar to MD players, use Atrac format. anyway, if you get time and interests, maybe can check, I have to say, these very legacy network walkman are quite good-from design perspective, such as NW-MS90D, piece of art. Yours Henry

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.

Techmoan's just uploaded a new MiniDisc video, this time about an MZ-E620 he picked up for £10. Great tip about the Brasso...

Not strange, normal, there is a MDM-2 inside this unit guys. So laser power is manually adjusted with a potentiometer (RV) on the BD board, no chance to adjust it with the service menu. If the lens is already cleaned (first basic thing to do), simply make this test : Power off/on the unit. Put your JA3ES on the side. Insert a well-working recorded MD and play it. If the readability is clearly better (quick track access, no OPU bizarre noises, no dropouts on music), great you win a worn-out KMS-210A OPU classic symptom. Search the web. That will not tell you if the disc a well played in back-end. Go into service mode and do a CPLAY mode test (IN, MID and OUT) with a full well-working recorded MD, it will give you live C1 error value between 0 and 7350. Observe values for 10 seconds in the 3 zones/areas (INSIDE, MIDDLE and OUTSIDE) and made an average. Now power off/on the unit and do the same thing with your JA3ES on the side. Same, observe values for 10 seconds and made an average. With the comparison, deduce.

Thank you.

I haven't visited this forum in years, but driving home today I felt a sense of yearning for years gone by. I got home, popped in a frozen pizza and dug out my Sony MZ-NF610. I dug through an electronics drawer and found the RM-MC37LT remote that came with it, popped in Pink Floyd Animals and MARVELED....ABSOLUTELY MARVELED at the experience. What sound quality, I didn't even have to look at the buttons on the remote, they were intuitive like shifting a 5 speed. I swapped through headphones, first the efficient Koss and Grado RS-2, then the Senn 650's. Not quite enough power from the Sony to run the Senn's so I dug out another relic...a CMOY Penguin Amp made by Robert Gehrke in Germany. What a great experience tonight! I would not sell my gear for anything! A night to cherish really.

I haven't been active here in awhile but there are still 4 or 5 threads in the Feedback forum attesting to my good character. I have this Sony branded carry case for sale. I bought it new and it rarely left the house. $15 shipped.

MDS-JE520 Yesterday night I played with a faulty deck, and here is what I found. I bought this MDS-JE520 on ebay for parts originally, it was fairly cheap, so I did not mind stripping it down. But as usual, first I wanted to understand, what is the cause for the fault. The deck would not accept any discs, after loading one, it would try to read it, but then it would eject with C13. I had already some idea, that there can be multiple reasons for a deck rejecting a disc, however, here came another one I would have never thought of. Before jumping on it, here is a little puzzle: can you spot any differences? Left one is the drive of the 520 exhibiting a C13 error, right one is another 520, that works OK. . Yes, one part is missing, a spring! Here is the "difference": I had no clue, where actually the spring was, because it was not inside the deck when I opened it. More than that, how could that spring jump off? It takes an effort and a tool to take it out of its place. OK, but then what's the problem? It looks that the drive loads the disc halfway only, and cannot lower it into its nest, because this spring is responsible for holding the loading tray in the required position. Once the disc is not fully loaded, it would certainly not spin, and the laser would not read anything - disc error, eject. On the left the disc is stuck halfway, on the right it is properly loaded (well, I did it manually, for the sake of the photo): . For a quick test I lent the same spring from the other 520, and presto, the C13 error disappeared! Now, how can I destroy this unit for parts, when it is in full working order :-) ?

I'd definitely get a tabbed battery but I wanted to use something I already had at hand since getting decent batteries (not usual TrustFire, UltraFire, whats the next brand... HouseFire? crap) is mostly only possible by either getting old laptop batteries and pulling still living cells (but that's gonna be without tabs), otherwise that gets really expensive :c

Unfortunately most charity shops these days (or certainly the major ones) have somebody knowledgeable picking through stuff like vinyl records, CD's etc. Anything that appears to be worth a bit then gets listed on Ebay. You might find something in a small, local, independent charity shop or occasionally stuff turns up at car boots. There's a lot of luck involved. I believe there was a thread some time ago discussing pre-recorded MD's and which Atrac version was used. I've got a pre-recorded copy of Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell album and I must admit the sound quality is nowhere near that of the CD. I haven't actually tried this but I reckon if I copied the CD onto a blank MD using my deck (in SP mode) the copy would sound better than the pre-recorded one.

I like the MDS-JB930 as the most bang for your buck. It has a current-pulse DAC, among other features. Be aware that it is not enabled with LP. You should, sooner or later, be able to find one of these in your stated price range. If you must have LP, then the MDS-JB940 can also be found, sometimes at a higher price than the 930. The 940 has a hybrid-pulse DAC. (IMO, the 930 sounds better on playback.) The 333/555ES units are generally harder to find and often more expensive than the JB series, esp. the 555. I currently own, in addition to a 930 and 940, an MDS-JA20ES. Fine unit and probably fewer $$ than the 333/555, but also lacking LP. Good luck. Please post here about what you wind up with!

1. How old were you when you first 'bought into' the format? That would be my current age, only looked into it this summer thanks to a guy who had a nice collection of J-pop on a bunch of minidiscs, and he had a player to go with it.. When it was more common, the gear for it was well out of my price range (i.e. I didn't have a job). 2. Do you still regularly use your very first player? That would be the MZ-RH1 and I'm using it right now. 3. Do you regularly 'use' your items, or are some purely of interest as a 'collector'? Both, if I collect gear, I want it to actually work. 4. Do you listen to 'new' music on your discs, or prefer to keep the format for music 'of the era'? Again, that japanese guy and his mix MDs are as much of 'the era' as I have now, mainly stuff from the late 90s. What I add to it is a bit of old and current stuff. 5. Do you own more items than you can 'practically use'? Maybe so, but only because a lot of these were in lots that were pretty damn cheap, haha. 6. Did you 'go away' from MiniDisc', only to return to it at a later date? See my answer to Question 1. 7. Do you associate use of your player with 'fond memories', or is it a purely 'practical' consideration? Since I never owned one back in the day, I can't really say it's for fond memories. Most of my music is either MP3 or CD. As much as I like using Mp3s on my smartphone or MP3 player, I am sick of having to go through constant players with irreplaceable batteries or with the worry that the music I have can be lost if the cloud goes down. I missed touching the music I own, but I've been so busy with the job I have MP3s saved time. But last night, I made a mix MD for the very first time. It was a painstaking process titling every song (made somewhat easier by the jogwheel on the MZ R50 I also own), but yet I enjoyed every minute. Hearing the finished product was pretty great too. I used to make mix tapes all the time before I got busy with other things, so it felt great to try it on Minidisc for the first time. Hope my answers are helpful to you..

Danny (Slugbahr) & I have quite a few sealed discs for sale. Either fully sealed or new discs from multipacks that have been removed from their packets. Lots of Sony Neige, Prism & a few Bianca's. Maxell Twinkle 5-packs or Axia Slim packs. TDK MJ's, Axia 'Select Your Style' 5-packs, Axia J'z etc. Also got some sealed Prime Discs as well. I've listed some Axia 'Lego' discs on this forum but no-one was interested. So in the end I listed them on eBay. Something I'd rather not do as I hate paying eBay 10% of the sale and then the PayPal fee on top, but it seems the only way to sell things these days. We're based in Australia and maybe people get put off with paying $13 (USA) - $17(Europe) for postage for a 500g package, yet that's about the same price I'd have to pay to get a similar package sent out of the US or UK these days. If you're after less generic discs then they are harder to come by these days. The sellers of rare discs on eBay seems to have dried up. Even in the last few years the amount of rare discs around are less. Some discs you may never see for sale (e.g. Benetton, Kenwood etc). Maybe you can find some old collectors who can sell you some spares...

Good to see people coming to (or back to) the MD scene. There's life in the old format yet! Still using mine on a regular basis.

You can tell we like MD in the UK!

MarZuRH1pilami Houba ! I have an extra fur (green) in case

This is primarily for users who download low-bitrate recordings such as radio recordings, some [mp3] podcasts, or audiobooks. If you have MP3s with a sampling rate other than 44.1kHz, converting the MP3 directly to atrac3 or atrac3plus formats may either not work at all or may introduce audible artefacts - on my system, SS's resampling mechanism causes sever aliasing distortion. Also, users with Gen2 HiMD units will discover that their native MP3 support will not play non-compliant files. Another possible reason to use FFDshow in this way is if you want to pre-EQ tracks before putting them on any player that lacks a built-in EQ. Users with older NetMD models that lack EQ may find this useful [or not]. I personally have used this method to convert downloaded CBC radio programmes that are sampled at 11kHz. Direct conversion with SonicStage is not possible, and direct playback isn't either. One [probably the most commonly used, or at least discussed] way around this is to convert the MP3 to WAV, open it in an editor, and resample it to 44.1kHz [followed by saving or re-encoding it]. This involves dealing with large WAV files, losing tag information during conversion, and having to sit through stages of processing and re-encoding afterwards. Using this method, you can transcode your non-compliant MP3 inside of SonicStage in a single step without WAV files or external editors. This can be done both by converting files manually in your SS library or simply downloading them to your player with SS set to download at a specified bitrate. As an example, your 32kbps / 11kHz MP3 can be made into a 48kbps atrac3plus track in one step, inside SS. This way is not the only method that exists which lets you avoid WAV files. It's also possible to use conversion software such as dBPowerAmp to do this directly [and even re-encode to MP3] in a single step as well. On with the show.. As the sourceforge page reads [spelling/grammatical errors and all], ffdshow is DirectShow and VFW codec for decoding/encoding many video and audio formats, including DivX and XviD movies using libavcodec, xvid and other opensourced libraries with a rich set of postprocessing filters. Sadly, the maintainers of said official sourceforge page do not keep it updated. Most notably, the stable binary version of FFDshow on sourceforge is from 2002 and is known to cause conflicts with other codecs and software, so don't even touch that version. FFDshow's main official site is mostly up to date [as an open source project the changelogs there are the most complete]. The best place to actually get FFDshow from is free-codecs.com which carries up to date builds and I consider a fairly reputable source. Before you actually do that, though - FFDshow is a tweaker's delight, and as such can be a plug&play user's nightmare. If you disable its support for codecs for which you already have functioning codecs you want to keep using, then nothing bad should come of having it installed. It's large number of options and filters [for both audio and video] can be enticing however, and those who don't know what they're getting into can quickly end up breaking video or audio playback on their PC by changing things they don't understand [and which nearly all other codecs don't provide any access to]. For the example here, I've recommended installing FFDshow as ONLY your MP3 audio decoder, leaving literally everything else on your system working as is. One of the graces of FFDshow, as an OSS package from people who actually care about users having control over their own system, is that the installer actually gives you options rather than simply railroading its way in [like RealPlayer]. I am updating from 2005-12-21 to 2006-02-03 [the versions are dated rather than numbered which I think it a sensible move] so I will screencap some things during the install to try and make this as clear as possible. Note thet the screencaps are based on this specific version [2006-02-03] and subsequent versions of the installer may not look the same. If you spot any errors in this, or if any of my language is horribly unclear, please point it out and this will be edited. As a final note to this intro, maintaining your system is your responsibility, not mine. If this doesn't work for you, it's not my problem. If you install FFDshow and things don't work out for you, it's uninstaller does work and should return your system to the settings it had before you installed. In other words, proceed at your own risk. Step 1 - Installing <blockquote>The free-codecs.com file is a .zip archive with a .exe installer in it. Unzip the archive and double-click the .exe installer. Personal notes on installers: Yes, there may be a lot of info on those screens, but it's there for a reason. I tend to skip reading the length of the GPL 2 agreement, but the rest I do pay attention to. Simply clicking "Next" or "Yes" is the way, with any software installation, to cause problems on your system. Use some common sense, people. Read the notices in all installers. You will save yourself a great deal of hassle by doing so. If you want to play with it and its myriad options, go ahead, but don't come griping at me if you cause yourself problems playing with things you don't understand. Don't take that as an assumption that everyone reading this is stupid, either. I'm just being bluntly honest. If you don't know what it does, don't mess with it. The first thing it asks is for installation language. Simple enough. Next comes an intro screen for the installer, followed by a GPL v2 licence agreement, also simple enough. The next screen is "Choose Components":<blockquote><img src="http://dexotaku.ath.cx/linked/md.org/2006-02-09/004235.png"> For our purposes, "Directshow Filter" [which is always selected and can't be changed, I know] and "VFW interface" should be checked. Documentation might be useful for ubergeeks, but it's up to you whether you want it or not. Incidentally, the VFW bit will enable the opening of any video format both supported by FFDshow and enabled in its config in any Video For Windows-capable application, including editors such as Sony Vegas which don't come with built-in support for XviD [as an example]. The rest of the options, "AVISynth scripts serving" and "Application Plugins" should only be installed if you use the related programs. If you don't know what the are, disable them for the install. They shouldn't do any harm, but may cause strange message in the installer if you try to apply, say, the AVISynth plugin when you don't have AVISynth on your system.</blockquote> Hit "Next" The next screen is "Video Decoder" and presents codec options for video:<blockquote><img src="http://dexotaku.ath.cx/linked/md.org/2006-02-09/005051.png"> For the purposes of this exercise [using FFDshow for audio DSP], you can leave everything here unchecked. If you wish to play with its video support, my advice is: [and read this carefully, even if there are a lot of words] * any format that you're unfamiliar with, leave UNCHECKED. You can always enable it later or install another codec for it if you need to. * any format that you ARE familiar with, and know you can already play on your system, and are satisfied with the current playback of, leave UNCHECKED. [si fractum non sit, noli id reficere / If it ain't broke, don't fix it] * otherwise if you want to try out its codecs, go ahead; I've honestly never had problems with them, except of course for with other codecs [PowerDVD ones for instance] that hijack video decoding by not respecting codec priorities. Note: the checkbox at bottom for "Set for all users" might or might not be a good idea depending on how your system is set up. If you're going to install with everything disabled, check this box to eliminate any possibility of codec conflicts when logged into other local user accounts.</blockquote> When you've made your choices, hit "Next" The next screen is "Audio Decoder":<blockquote><img src="http://dexotaku.ath.cx/linked/md.org/2006-02-09/010134.png"> I tend to select everything here, but for the purpose of this exercise, uncheck all boxes but "MP3". If you wish to play with its audio support, follow the same suggestions as I made above. Use common sense. Same note applies for the "Set for all users" checkbox.</blockquote> Hit "Next" The next screen is "Video Filters":<blockquote><img src="http://dexotaku.ath.cx/linked/md.org/2006-02-09/010710.png"> For our purposes here, leave all boxes unchecked. If you had a previous version of FFDshow installed, it might show different options here than what is listed in the screencap.</blockquote> Hit "Next" The next screen is "Audio Filters":<blockquote><img src="http://dexotaku.ath.cx/linked/md.org/2006-02-09/010845.png"> For our purposes here, leave all boxes unchecked. If you had a previous version of FFDshow installed, it might show different options here than what is listed in the screencap. </blockquote> Hit "Next" If you haven't selected to install plugins, it should proceed directly to "Choose Install Location":<blockquote><img src="http://dexotaku.ath.cx/linked/md.org/2006-02-09/011004.png"> As usual, use common sense. There's nothing wrong with the default, but if you like to keep things organised your own way, feel free to change it. If you "lose" where you've installed it to at some point, please feel free to slap yourself on the forehead for not paying attention.</blockquote> Hit "Next" Next is "Choose Start Menu Folder":<blockquote><img src="http://dexotaku.ath.cx/linked/md.org/2006-02-09/011146.png"> Yet again, use common sense. Put it somewhere you know you can find it later. As changing options for the audio codec is part of our goal, pay attention to where you're making the icons, as the config utilities will be in that folder, and you will need them.</blockquote> Click "Install" and when it's finished complete the installation normally [i.e. hit "Next" then "Finish"].</blockquote> You have now installed FFDshow, and if you took the advice regarding "our purposes" from above, it should be enabled to do MP3 decoding only. Step 2 - Check that it's actually working<blockquote>Open SS and try to play any MP3 in your library. When you do so, a tray icon [down by the clock on the Windows taskbar] should appear that looks like this:<blockquote><img src="http://dexotaku.ath.cx/linked/md.org/2006-02-09/FFDshow-audio-tray-icon.png"></blockquote> Note that when the codec isn't in use, the tray icon goes away. This is not Realplayer, Quicktime, or anything that installs background programs permanently [i.e. tray icons]. If you enabled any of its video codecs, another [grey] icon should also appear. While either is active, you can double-click it to get to the configuration utility for either audio or video. This lets you change settings on the fly. If you put your mouse pointer over it while something's playing or paused, it should show you its decoding settings:<blockquote><img src="http://dexotaku.ath.cx/linked/md.org/2006-02-09/FFDshow-audio-mouseover.png"></blockquote> If you don't see the tray icon, and still hear audio while playing an MP3 in SS, then we're finished here and it's simply not working. I am not going to even attempt to guess what other codec you have installed that is overriding it, or whether it respects codec priorities or not. If someone wants to write an FAQ or HOWTO about how to make sure a specific stream type goes to a specific codec, even with misbehaving codecs installed, then I wish them well. I'm not doing that here, though, as there are too many possible reasons for this to happen for me to address in a HOWTO about something else completely.</blockquote> Assuming that it's running though, let's move on. Step 3 - Using FFDshow's audio filters<blockquote>Find the start-menu folder that the installer created, and copy the link for "Audio decoder configuration" to your desktop [or somewhere else easy for you to access]. "Run" the link to open the config utility:<blockquote><img src="http://dexotaku.ath.cx/linked/md.org/2006-02-09/012213.png"> I honestly don't know what page will open first [it opens to the last one I had displayed], so I'm assuming the first page will open [Codecs]. I also know that because I've been using FFDshow for so long, my shown filters [pictured in the list on the left of the windowcap] is shorter than the default. At this point NONE of the filters should be checked in that list.</blockquote> Click on "Output" in the list on the left:<blockquote><img src="http://dexotaku.ath.cx/linked/md.org/2006-02-09/012541.png"> For compatibility with SonicStage, make sure only "16 bit integer" is checked, as pictured here. Side-note: you can check the other boxes as well and it should still work, but I'm being paranoid and assuming that forcing its behaviour is the easiest way to avoid potential problems. Having "16 bit integer" unchecked is the only permutation that should cause a problem, so don't do that.</blockquote> Click on "Processing" in the list on the left:<blockquote><img src="http://dexotaku.ath.cx/linked/md.org/2006-02-09/013021.png"> Under "Allowed sample formats..." I'd suggest leaving the two 32-bit options checked, and "16 bit integer" unchecked, as I have here. [Why would anyone do DSP at a precision of only 16 bits?] Under "Floating point to integer conversion" you can choose to enable dither and noise shaping. I tend to leave it on because even just using EQ means at least 1 bit-depth conversion plus the DSP itself. If you don't understand dither, look it up for an idea of why it's used. Having dither enabled and using higher bit-depths for processing will mean that more CPU gets used in the process. This shouldn't be anything to worry about unless your computer is older than a 1GHz intel or AMD model [i.e. slow enough to notice the increased processing].</blockquote> TO USE THE EQUALIZER, effectively pre-emphasising anything going through FFDshow, CHECK THE BOX BESIDE "EQUALIZER". This can be useful for EQing music before transcoding to atrac3 for older NetMD units that have no built-in EQ, as an example. Click on the word EQUALIZER itself to see its settings:<blockquote><img src="http://dexotaku.ath.cx/linked/md.org/2006-02-09/013659.png"> Here we see my speaker/room-correction curve. You can set the EQ however you wish to here in order to tailor the sound to your tastes or make up for "coloured" headphones. I'm not going to suggest any particular settings, but I would suggest listening to your MP3s with SS and your portable 'phones, having this config open, and setting the EQ for the 'phones. Note that you will likely have to experiment a bit with the EQ as different ambient environments outside of wherever your computer is are likely to make you want different EQ. It's not a perfect way of doing things, but it's better than having no control over it at all. Side-note: I haven't read the documentation to find out what "SuperEQ" means, but I'd guess that it uses higher bit-depth processing by default, or possibly a lower Q [width] for each filter. I leave it on because with my room EQ compensation is seems to do a slightly better job than without.</blockquote> TO USE THE RESAMPLER, CHECK THE BOX BESIDE "RESAMPLE". This can be useful if you're try to transcode MP3s that have a sampling rate other than 44.1kHz to any other format with SS. In particular, radio recordings, some podcasts [in MP3 format], and audiobooks may use sampling rates such as 11 or 22kHz. Chunks of audio picked out of DVD soundtracks may also be sampled at 48kHz. None of these rates will play natively on any netMD or HiMD, so resampling is required to get that audio onto your player and have it work. Click on the word RESAMPLE itself to see its settings:<blockquote><img src="http://dexotaku.ath.cx/linked/md.org/2006-02-09/020147.png"> Set it to resample any audio decoded by FFDshow to MD, NetMD, and HiMD's standard rate of 44.1kHz as seen here. You can experiment with the MODE setting if you like, but the default works and sounds fine for voice recordings.</blockquote> Note that you can add other filters and play with them as well, such as reverb</blockquote> Step 4 - Transcode your audio with SS<blockquote>This is obvious enough: go to your SS library, right-click on any MP3 that you want to transcode to atrac3/plus, and select "Convert Format" from the context menu. Select the a3/+ bitrate you want, and proceed. Transferring as-is to any a3/+ player after this should download a usable file in whatever format you've chosen. Alternately, you can just try transferring the track to your player. Depending on how you've set up SS, it will either ask what rate to use, convert automatically to the default rate or the one you've chosen, or [in the case of 2nd-gen players] it might just try to download the track as-is, which can lead to the "this MP3 might not play on your unit" message if the sampling rate isn't 44.1kHz. If everything is working correctly, you should see that tray icon appear while SS does its transcoding, and the resulting a3/+ tracks should play without any difficulty. Please note that the processing done by FFDshow does take time, and if your system is slow you might notice a speed difference when transcoding MP3s with processing enabled. I don't notice any speed difference on my Athlon XP 2500+.</blockquote> Step 5 - Enjoy the spoils<blockquote>You should now be able, depending on how you've set it up and what you need it for, to use FFDshow to transcode non-compliant MP3s in a single step without resorting to WAV files or external editors.</blockquote> Closing Step - Turn off all processing when it's not needed<blockquote>This may not seem obvious to many, but EQ and resampling, along with bit-depth conversions and dither, all use CPU time [not to mention having an effect on sound quality]. When you're not using the EQ or resampling to transcode with SS, turn them off by going back to the Audio Decoder Configuration used above and unchecking the boxes beside the relevant filters. Leaving them on will mean either wasting CPU on unnecessary resampling, or applying EQ that's supposed to be for your headphones to your speakers, et al. Depending on how your system is set up, FFDshow will be the codec used for MP3 playback from DirectShow programs including Windows Media Player. Some codecs will override it in some programs [Media Player Classic has its own as does VLC Player], and other will just ignore it [PowerDVD and WinDVD usually do]. Where it will and won't be the codec used I have no way to predict. Also, installing codec packs [which you simply shouldn't] and other software with MP3 system-codec support after FFDshow may override the settings you just established by installing FFDshow.</blockquote> Mods: if someone would please copy the images and change them to attachments [i can't] it would be appreciated. Please also erase this line of text if you do so. "If you disable its support for codecs for which you already have functioning codecs you want to keep using," .. oh my doG, where did I come up with that? Call the grammar police!

Look, it's 2005. Ipod will be discontinued in a few years as well... it's all relative. We're talking about disposable electronics in a day & age where your computer is obsolete a week after you buy it. Get over it. I have 4 hiMD machines, and love them - and they suit me TODAY perfectly.