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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 was responding to @kgallen's post from last August 😉

Thought I'd resurrect this thread as it is the only thing that shows up on Google for Denon Minidisc "Mech Err 1" - I have the same drive in my Denon DMD-F100. After several rebuilds I finally found the problem with mine was that the clutch gear was seized solid. Even though the limit switches on the load/eject mechanism were working fine, it seems like the player still relies on a certain amount of clutch slip at the ends of its travel. With no slip the torque from the worm gears tries to push the drive apart and jams it solid. I dismantled the clutch to free up the plates and now it is loading and ejecting perfectly.

Last time we brain sync'd on anything I ended up buying far too many MDW80Ts from Amazon Japan 😲 🤣

My daughter would love that 😀. Although I think she'd be somewhat baffled by the discs you have to put in it to get any sound 🤣 "Why won't this Alexa do what I tell it?" Impressed they went as far as moulding the Hello Kitty lid, rather than just using a graphic.

Confirmation that the BCA-NWHD3 adapter also works with the NH1. It also works for power/charging when a 6V adapter is connected.

Before I get into the main purpose of the topic, here's some preamble, because I know people find it interesting to hear about each other's experiences. I've gotten back into recording Minidiscs again after a very long time and wanted to document the process of making it less of a pain in the ass. With that out of the way, let's talk about the MDS-B5 and why I'm so happy to record on it despite it not having the new Type R DSP that my MZ-N707 has (it does have dual ATRAC chips though - does anyone know if the MDS-B5 actually uses those in tandem to improve encoding quality or if it's just for other functions?). I don't have too much complaints about the recording quality though, and the robustness and interface make it a much more enjoyable process. Along with the issue of titling, one of the most frustrating things about recording to MD from a PC (when you want full quality SP recordings) is the lack of track marks. Normally if you record from a CD player using the optical output, the track marks are preserved. You just get a continuous output from a PC. I'm aware of hacks to trigger the appropriate button on a remote input on some portables for example, but no such hack is required for the MDS-B5, as it has RS232 control! This is the route I decided to go down, and it turned out in the end to be quite easy to do once I'd found the right pieces of the puzzle. I've always been a Winamp fan, it used to be foobar2000 vs Winamp back in the day. I never used foobar2000 much before now. It turned out that foobar2000 was the winner for this project though, so here's how I chose to solve the problem under Windows. I'm aware of different methods to write to serial ports, and I'm also aware of different approches I could have taken with regard to OS and software choice. This is just one way. Prerequisits I'm using a generic Prolific PL2303 USB to Serial adapter for this. Open the Windows device manager and check what COM port it is using (example COM3). Download links are at the bottom of this post. If you're reading this years into the future, you may have to do some digging if the original links are broken. Download and install foobar2000. Install the foo_scheduler plugin. Install the foo_channel_mixer plugin. (Optional) Install the foo_out_asio componenmt (more on that later). Download and install NirCmd to a suitable folder (e.g. C:\bin\). Download SerialSend.exe and place into a suitable folder (e.g. C:\bin\). foobar2000 DSP Configuration It was my personal preference to disable any Replay Gain. The Channel Mixer DSP is required to delay the output signal to compensate for the delay of issuing commands via RS232, without doing this, the track starting points are very slightly too late. Under Preferences: DSP Manager, move Channel Mixer into the Active DSPs list. Press the '...' to enter the Channel Mixer configuration. Under General, Channels Selection, set Output channels to 2. Under Delays, tick Use delay and set the Delay (ms) for Front Left and Front Right to 100.000. foobar2000 Scheduler configuration This is where the magic happens. We are going to configure the foobar2000 scheduler to execute commands when certain events happen, namely playback start, new track and playback stop. Enter the Scheduler preferences (can be accessed via the File menu as well as by entering Preferences). Press the Add button next to the top Event list. Select Add player event... Select On playback start. Press Add again Select Add player event... then On new track. Press Add a third time Select Add player event... then On playback stop. Tick End-of-file signal. Under Action lists, press Add. Name the action something like MD Play Right click the new action and select Add action -> Launch application. Enter the following (modify the file paths to match where you installed them and modify the '3' after 'devnum' to match your serial port number (COM3 in this case)): C:\bin\nircmd.exe exec hide C:\bin\serialsend.exe /baudrate 9600 /devnum 3 /hex "\r\n211\r\n" Press OK. Repeat the process again, adding a new action list called MD Track Mark or similar Enter the following, being sure to modify it as detailed before C:\bin\nircmd.exe exec hide C:\bin\serialsend.exe /baudrate 9600 /devnum 3 /hex "\r\n41302\r\n" Press OK Repeat the process one final time, this time calling it MD Stop. Enter the following C:\bin\nircmd.exe cmdwait 100 exec hide C:\bin\serialsend.exe /baudrate 9600 /devnum 3 /hex "\r\n210\r\n" Press OK. In the event list, right click the 'On playback start' event, select Assign Action List -> MD Play. Assign the 'On new track' event to the 'MD Track Mark' Action list. Assign the 'On playback stop / end-of-file signal' to the 'MD Stop' action list. Make sure Scheduler enabled is ticked at the bottom of the window. Sony MDS-B5 Configuration I'm going to assume that the few people that own this deck will have an idea of how to operate it but basically just make sure the serial settings are correct. Hold down Stop and press EDIT / NO. Scroll through the options using the AMS control to reach F13. Press ENTER / YES and set it to 9600 baud. Set F14 to Parity Off. Set F15 to Stop Bit 1. Recording a Minidisc Put the tracks into the foobar2000 playlist. Make sure the audio output and volume settings etc are correct. See my notes about ASIO below. Press the REC button on the deck to put it into recording standby. Press the play button in foobar2000. The track should begin to play in foobar2000 and at the same time the deck should have unpaused and begun recording When the track advances in foobar2000, the track should also advance (track mark) on the deck. When the final track in the playlist ends, the deck should stop recording. Notes on ASIO I choose to use ASIO on my Focusrite Scarlett audio interface, set specifically to use the S/PDIF output, to avoid certain things, mainly: Windows audio mixer adjusting levels (for example it's limited to -0.1dB) Sound from other applications spoiling the audio I won't go into the detail of how to set up foobar2000 to use ASIO in great detail but basically configure the sample rate to 44.1kHz and set the Custom channel mapping to send audio out of the S/PDIF output. Notes on titling Sadly you can't enter titles via the RS232 interface. However, I've settled on using a PS/2 keyboard plugged into the deck and just manually typing the titles (it's fast on a proper keyboard) while doing the first playback after recording to check it recorded successfully. I'm aware I could use WinNmd with my Net MD portable to enter titles but I don't want to install SonicStage and swap discs into the other unit just for that. Download links at the time of writing foobar2000: https://www.foobar2000.org/download NirCmd: https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/nircmd.html SerialSend: https://batchloaf.wordpress.com/serialsend/ foo_channel_mixer: https://skipyrich.com/w/index.php/Foobar2000:Channel_Mixer foo_scheduler: https://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_scheduler foo_out_asio: https://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_out_asio I've spammed out this post in one go, if anyone notices any errors, let me know.

I would like to propose an alternative, based on my own experience. I own two Sony MZ-RH1's, as well as two HHB MDP500's. I definitely prefer the HHB for field recording, for the following reasons: 1. Robustness: the MDP500 is designed for professional field use ; the MZ-RH1 is very fragile. 2. Connectors: the MDP500 has XLR (line and mic) inputs ; the MZ-RH1 has a mini-jack. 3. Ergonomy: the MDP500 has large keys and display ; the MZ-RH1 has tiny buttons and display. 4. Connectivity: the MDP500 uploads via plain USB Audio ; the MZ-RH1 requires specific Sony Software. 5. Autonomy: the MDP500 uses standard batteries ; the MZ-RH1 uses specific Sony gumstick batteries. 6. Resilience: the MDP500 uses MD's that can be recovered after a crash ; Hi-MD's cannot be restored. 7. Price: a second-hand MDP500 can be bought for less than 200 euros (typically on on www.ebay.co.uk). In short, I would recommend the MDP500, connected to the output of your console via balanced XLR's, to record your own performances on stage. And yes, you will have to accept one ATRAC 4.5 compression (during recording), followed by one ATRAC 4.5 decompression (during the real-time upload to the PC).

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.

I used to be an addict looking for bargain Sony 940 decks in particular. I now think some time oh I should get rid of some but then I think once gone not likely to be ever replaced and I 'll regret it - interests come and go and ... come back & they are such nice machines? Now mini disc addiction is quite low in the scheme of things - Now consider Record Nuts, I mean the LP type. Some real lunatics have rooms of the things, the floor boards creaking under the weight and god nows what would happen if there was a fire......So take comfort and if you are nagged by a partner tell them that it could be worse, far far worse.....

Here's what I've found. Keep in mind that for at-home use, I listen to MD almost exclusively through an MD deck attached to an amplifier via the deck's analog outputs. Everyone means well, I know, as far as how to get the best sound out of MD, but the configuration I just described is what I have and will stay as it is for the foreseeable future. One of my two main listening systems has, for an amp, the Cambridge Audio Azur 540R V3. This is a "modern" amp (that is, it has an optical in), although a few years old. At the moment, I'm using my JB930 as MD input to the amp, via analog, but for a couple of years prior, my JB940 was the MD source. The JB940 sounded pretty much the same no matter if connected to the amp via its analog out or via its digital out. I don't know what kind of DAC the 540R amp uses, but given the general high quality of Cambridge Audio gear, I would suspect it's pretty good. Perhaps if I tried using my MXD-D400 as input to the amp, I'd notice more of a difference in sound via the D400's optical out as compared to its analog out. (The D400, like its predecessor MXD-D40, is really rather woefully deficient as a playback unit via analog out.) Should my NAD C372 amp (the amp for my other - and primary - main system) ever fail, or should I ever find myself with a surplus of funds, then I'd consider replacing it with a similar unit that does have optical in. That could give me more options for MD sourcing. Anyway, I just wanted to note that people on this board use MD in different ways and that there's no one-size-fits-all solution for improvement of MD sound. The important thing is that we all do use MD, in whatever way is available or best for each of us. BTW, shortly after my acquisition of the JB930, I also got a non-Sony deck - a Kenwood MD-2070. I found this on eBay as a never-used item. It certainly looks that way. First audio impression was that it's not up to the JB930's lofty standards, but still pretty good, especially considering that it is ATRAC 4.5. Not sure just yet how I am going to use it. Have a good day, all, and keep enjoying MD. Bruce (or Bluecrab, take your pick)

The three with larger cases (were those the 1st edition?) are sold. The rest are still available.

I want to add to something about the tangible point. I don't like the invisible - I like to interact with my music - which is why I don't really have any music stored as mp3s - rather just CDs and vinyl. But ironically for me it doesn't just mean physical - as peculiar a concept I think of duration and the time spent in the moment as a tangible concept as well. You hear a lot these days about the lost art of the mix tape. I had a discussion about it with my significant other last night, as I heard yesterday Billy Joe Armstrong (Green Day) recently bought a cassette recorder to return to the format. I suggested that making a mix tape meant more because it took 90 mins to make. That it wasn't just about the song choice, but those 3.5 mins it takes to record each song. During those moments, you're both thinking about the next song, but also imagining how the recipient will feel when listening to it - there's so much more time to get wrapped up in all the emotions that go with a mix tape. Obviously the words tape and minidisc are interchangeable here - if they're both being made in real-time. She argued, rightly so, that you can replicate that experience with playlists - e.g. on Spotify or in iTunes - and that it doesn't just have to be a silent experience of dragging song titles into a playlist without listening. Whilst it's inarguable, I just never find myself doing that. It's funny, when i had my R30, I was the only person I knew who had one. I made mix tapes for people, but I'd actually "master" them on the R30 - much easier to reorganise after the fact before committing to tape. Tape does get a bad rap though. Obviously not up to the standard of MD, but a good deck with a good tape could reach pretty great heights.

Yes I do. It's still for sale.

Not expensive for a pro MD blank but why paying that much for a MD blank if it is not a beauty like a TDK Bitclub or Wa disc ? Hi-MD blank discs : eBay is the best way to find them.

I love it that we have such a great community here to discuss and share all things MiniDisc! I also love that we have a nearly constant stream of new members who can contribute and get in on the fun! kona702 and 777.300 are prime examples, the work you have done to prove that the Vista 64 bit driver can be used on W8 is fantastic and will no doubt show up in many, many Google searches made by frustrated MD users trying to upgrade their operating systems. And having veteran experts like Stephen to facilitate things makes it all come together rather nicely.

Woooow.... If those were sold on eBay, they would all be gone soon for more than 8,59€

I recently picked up this copy of Q Magazine from February 1993 on ebay for £2. It caught my eye because it still had the free MiniDisc mounted on the cover. I remember buying this issue when it first came out as I was working in the audio and tv department at Harrods in London at the time and was fascinated by these little discs that had just come onto the market but couldn't afford to buy one with the price of an MZ-1 being around £500 at the time. I remember keenly removing the disc from the cover and finding a shiny new MD machine in the department to play it on to see if I had won. Sadly I hadn't but at least they stuck a few tunes on there so that I could listen jealously to the sound quality of these tiny new machines. At least they seemed tiny at the time. Sadly I didn't get a MiniDisc recorder for another five years after that. If only I'd had one of the winning discs my passion would have started sooner. Maybe I have a winning disc now, although I fear it may be slightly too late to claim my prize. I've scanned the cover with the disc plus several MD adverts that are in the mag. The one that is in several pieces is within the front cover and folds out three times. The magazine also contains adverts for DCC and LaserDisc.

Hi all; I have decided to test some md for their LP2 (MDLP) playing ability. LP2 is a widely accepted format and plays on all units made after about year 2000. It has a comparable bit rate to many digital broadcast sources that advertise as “near CD quality”. So there is interest in listening to different portable units’ ability to sound good playing this format. I have a large collection, of which this is a (hopefully) representative selection. The list is (ordered as in the picture): First row: Sony mz-n505 year 2002 Sony mz-e10 year 2002 Sony mz rh710 year 2005 Sony mz-rh10 year 2005 Second row: Sony mz-n910 year 2003 Panasonic sj-mr230 year 2002 Sharp md-ds70 year 2003 Sharp im-dr80 year 2003 Not pictured: Sony mz-rh1 year 2006 I recorded a MD TDK “ M” 80 min with rh1 in LP2 mode. So we do not depend on the recording ability of different units. Some tracks of classical music are sent to me already encoded as LP2 by sfbp, mostly by direct recording of digital sources through optical input to a Sony full-size MDLP deck: Those tracks were then uploaded, emailed, and downloaded. This means that the bit pattern (once recording is made) is transferred to the disk exactly. Berlioz – Roman Carnival Overture Mozart – Piano Sonata in C. K.545 Bach – Christmas Oratorio Part 1 Stanford – Magnificat in C Bach – Wachet Auf Organ Prelude BWV.645 Scriabin – Piano Conc No.1 in F# 1st movement Some are recorded by my CD collection, using Sony’s Simple Burner: Rimsky-Korsakov – Scheherazade Oregon – Beyond Words – Chesky Records Brad Mehldau – Songs – Warner Bros Arne Domnerus – Antiphone Blues – Propius Richard Galliano – New York Tango – Dreyfus Steve Grossmann – Michel Petrucciani – Dreyfus Autunmn in Seattle – Tsuyoshi Yamamoto - FIM Ella Fitgerald and Louis Armstrong - Verve Some tracks of Mina My choice of kind of music isn’t accidental. It is not about judgement, to say one genre is better than another. However in Classical and Jazz music, you can easily hear a solo musical instrument – this is a good test for our comparison purpose. I have also included some wonderful singing. In my philosophy: 1. the sound of a machine must be well-sounding with no equalization applied to the output circuits by the user.2. The sound must not be fatiguing to the ears. Fulfilling these conditions means that the design of these circuits has been excellent. Corrections of various types can allow a sound improvement under certain conditions. I seek to control the tone, the sound image, overall the sense of good sound. But not for today! The less electronic items are interposed in the signal path, the cleaner the sound. So I tested these portable MD units without remote, connected directly to a AKG K340 headphones. This also means we eliminated any variations in the remote, although sfbp assures me that the signal path for these remotes to the ‘phones is a pass-through. The Sony MZ-E10 needs to be connected by remote, we have no choice there. As reference for the quality of the recordings I used my sound system: CD Player Naim CDX 2 <a href="http://www.naimaudio.com/hifi-product-type/563">http://www.naimaudio.com/hifi-product-type/563 Pre-amp Klimo Merlino http://www.klimo.com...ent/merlino.htm Audiophile tube amp Klimo Kent http://www.klimo.com/content/kent.htm Loudspeaker Tannoy Turnberry SE I cannot compare directly the portable mds with a hifi amplifier with cost 100 times more and have a weight 1000 times more; this is from a different planet; but hearing the CD samples on my HiFi reminds me what the full sound of a given piece is supposed to be. Unfortunately I cannot reproduce the samples from sfbp through this amp reliably, as I do not have an MDLP deck with optical out – nor do I have an optical input to my amplifier. He says they’re good. Results: My overall impressions are coloured by my expectations, of course. I was unable to do a blind test where I did not know which portable was being played. I expected there to be an improvement in sound as this technology evolved over several years; and to me it is clearly audible. I also expected the more expensive units to perform better; they did. PART 1 - Classical First I listened to classical music SONY (by order of year of manufacture) MZ-N505 The sound is flat, muddy, slightly acidic. Hard to differentiate orchestral colours, especially in full orchestra. Acute piano, violin too acute. Entry-level machine aimed, in my opinion, to people with few financial resources and few requests. Significantly better with MegaBass 1, but for this test we are ignoring that. This is the only Sony unit we tried that is Type-R, all others (below) are Type-S. MZ-N910 The sound set is good but not very precise. Solos are beautiful, piano, violin and also vocal. Good stereo separation. This unit uses the same optical head as the later HiMD units. MZ-E10 (using the unit’s remote!) Sound very crisp, good tonal balance. Full orchestra well balanced. Piano very "alive"; violin solos beautiful. However the sound is very airy and neutral with a feeling of "coldness". The remainder of the Sony units were HiMD. However it has been commented that the HiMD units reproduce MDLP better than MDLP units (since the technology continued to evolve) – hence their inclusion. All HiMD units include Type-S. MZ-RH10 Clear sound with accurate tonal range. Voice well reproduced. Full orchestral balance is excellent. Good piano, very nice violin. Powerful bass without thumping. Stereo image very good. This is a second-generation HiMD unit. I did not test the first generation (NH7/8/900) yet. MZ-RH710 Good overall, no problem with the full orchestra. Clear and well balanced. Excellent vocals, piano and violin both beautiful. The tonal range seems better than the RH10. Overall the sound is interesting and most engaging. Addictive, the ear desires more. This unit has not been sold in North America. A pity. MZ-RH 1 (same as MZ-M200) I cannot define the RH1 on the same level as the other devices. Suddenly I lose any feeling that I am listening to a "compressed" sound. This is IT. This technology has evolved so well. Where is Sony continuing its evolution? . SHARP MD-DS70** Well balanced sound, full orchestra is a little short on bass register. Instruments well differentiated. Piano, well defined, but a little opaque. Violin good. Vocals beautiful. IM-DR80** Overall the sound is identical to the DS 70. Some evolution – I noticed more spatial separation and better reproduction of the violin. As well, using the headphones 4-pole Sharp, sound is considerably better, near the best tested. So there is a problem eliminating other influences for purposes of these comparisons. PANASONIC SJ-MR230 Sound muddy, narrow tonal range down. Piano opaque little violin and voice. Has trouble with balance of full orchestra. Not a particularly desirable experience. (comment from sfbp, who is editing this: even the N505 sounds better than most Ipods. How much of that is the ATRAC codec vs MP3 is unclear, although recent Sony MP3-capable units such as PCM-M10 are very good. Earlier MP3-capable units such as RH10 are less good, but we are not trying to test MP3 today). Part 2: Jazz Music SONY MZ-N505 Slight improvement on classical music The sound still sound muddy. Lack of spatiality. Piano weak. Accordion acid Organ clear Saxophone clear MZ-N910 Full sound, even if the "cold" Instruments are not perfectly reproduced. Fair playback treble and bass. Good dynamic. Good sound stage. Accordion slightly annoying. Organ clear Saxophone clear. MZ-E10 * Excellent sound overall. Slight lack of definition of the instruments. Good dynamic. Excellent sound stage. Accordion excellent Organ clear Saxophone good. * Note: Sony mz-e10 must be connected by remote MZ-RH710 Beautiful sound. Very good definition of instruments. Slight lack of bass. Great feeling of space. Good dynamic. Sound stage "alive". Accordion excellent Organ good. Saxophone good. MZ-RH10 Good overall sound setting; looks beautiful Very good definition of instruments. Great feeling of space and dynamics Sound stage well defined. Accordion excellent Organ good. Saxophone good. MZ-RH 1 We can define a reference point. The only problem: I have the European version and the volume is too low. SHARP MD-DS 70** Good general approach of the sound, nice, better than classical music on this unit. Good definition of instruments. Great feeling of space and dynamics Sound stage slightly muffled. Accordion well. Organ acceptable. Saxophone good. IM-DR 80** Good general approach of the sound, comparable to the DS 70 Good definition of instruments. Great feeling of space and dynamics Good sound stage. Accordion well. Organ good. Saxophone good. ** Note: A clarification, using the headphones 4-pole Sharp (special design), sound is considerably better, near the best tested. PANASONIC SJ-MR230 Sound mixed, smooth, with little dynamics and low bass response. Sound stage not focused. Accordion poor. Organ unclear. Saxophone acceptable. GENERAL COMMENTS Voice Voice reproduction levels any difference between devices. In the N505 during the duets the voice appears mixed. In the MR230, the vocals seem "flat" without character. In the N910 voices are not perfectly clear. In E10 voice is somewhat "incomplete". RH 10, RH 710, DS70, DR80 the voice is good, listenable, with no obvious deficiencies. The RH1 is still “IT”. Conclusions To end the test I listened my wife's iPod touch. I hear sounds, not music. It is flat, soulless. The two channels are different, but as if I hear two different songs. Having to give a score to various devices: 4.0 Ipod 6.0 MZ-N505 6.5 SJ-MR230 6.5 MZ-N910 8.5 MZ-E10 MD-DS70 IM-DR80 9.5 MZ-RH10 10.0 MZ-RH710 MZ-RH1 As expected, you can follow an improvement in sound over the passing years as the technology improves. Obviously the original selling price may affect the characteristics, as high end models will tend to have better components. Using headphones, 4-pole Sharp, the vote of rises 1 / 2 - 1 point by placing them among the best. RH1 is wonderful, recommended for those who want a sound "monitor"; always impeccable. RH710 is not as clean but "feel" sound in my opinion the best, most engaging. RH10 has a sound very similar to RH1, although not so well calibrated. The two models of SHARP have a sound "sparkling, cheerful" that does not tire of hearing, certainly there are fans of this sound. Sergio (with some help from Stephen)

it's pinned here in the downloads section. You can copy it to CD and then install from there, methinks. The fact sonic stage won't recognize a file but WMP will play it means it's safe to "delete" from SS (don't "delete the music file from the computer") and reimport the oma file. DO NOT System Restore or reformat etc until you are quite sure that you have decrypted the files. Only way to test that... copy some and try to play on another machine that has SS.

ok these drivers are from the new x-app application it works for me running netmd on windows 7 x64 hope it helps u http://www.mediafire.com/?xy48g0qwp05u59d

Msteein, I have both the AT 822 and just picked up the AT 8022 this week to compare. They are both excellent stereo condenser mikes. I have gotten many great sounding recordings from my 822 both in my studio and in field settings like jazz clubs or in one instance on a subway platform. Audio Technia is no longer making the 822 but, it can still be found pretty easily with a Google search. That said, the 8022 is considered the alternative to the 822. Both mikes come with two sets of cords, one set with left and right quarter inch plugs for use with a mixer or other professional level equipment and another cord that terminates to an eighth inch stereo plug for going directly into the mike input of a minidisc recorder or such. I am finding that for the same price as the 822, at B&H anyway, the 8022 is in fact an even better sounding mike. wider dynamic range, less flat sounding...brighter and wider sounding. I would actually like to sell one of my 822s (I have two) and get a second 8022. In another topic on the forum called Live Recording I posted a link to some A/B comparison recordings between the 822 and a Sony mike called an ECM-MS957, a very expensive and awful sounding mike. The thread is called Live Recording Using MD and Transferring To CD by Samantha D. I'm pretty sure my links are still active. I'll try to upload and post a link for an A/B comparison between the AT822 and the AT8022 and that mike that comes with the M200, that DS70P. The difference will amaze you. I sympathize about the cost of a high quality microphone but, having a high quality digital recorder for mike recording is pointless unless you have a really good mike. That is the first link in creating the signal that will be recorded. And remember that all live recordings start as an analog signal. If your mike is low quality, the results on you high tech recorder will be disappointing. The DS70P is really best suited for recording speaking, not music. I'll try to get that link set up soon for you. Best, -J

As for MiniDisc being "dead", on behalf of myself, GuitarFxr, bobt and many others from the old MDCF who still use it, all I can do is say this..... BULL. As for Sony and ATRAC, Sony mis-marketed (at first) the MD as the successor to CD, in which it is not. But, it is the perfect replacement for the ever-flawed cassette tape, and when I got into MD back in 1998, I pretty much did away with using cassette tape as a recording medium. How ever you are right that the market wanted to carry more than just a few MD's worth of music, that is why, even with Sony trying to counter with Hi-MD, that the format failed, but, only on the portable playback unit basis. Even I gave in by getting a few NW-HD5 units, many for parts or accessories that came with them, and 2 others that were N.O.S. (new in U.S. blister package!!!) at that!!! I still use MD on a regular basis for all home, car, and studio recording purposes, including for upload (through my MZ-RH1, in which I own 3 of) onto SonicStage CP 4.2 to my NW-HD5 HDD Walkman, so the ATRAC family of formats is still alive and well here at BIGHMW.com Headquarters. I also use it to record most of my vinyl and cassette collection to preserve the original tapes (many of them over 20 years old from my days in high school and having gone to school with Cindy Margolis for a year at that in 1983-84!!!), and we all know what happens when you run a tape over and over... it wrecks it that much more, so MD can still be quite handy when needed. "I'm Ray Jackson and I approved this message."

Why I can`t download drivers for my SHARP IM-DR410 from "downloads"?

Allow me to tag a "little bit" on to this thread. Bear in mind that to charge a 3 volt battery, you would need to put more that 3 volts across it. Basically, best way to remove doubt is to measure what the official Sony PSU is putting into the player when under the load of charging. Yes, reasonably new units should be pretty well protected, though I can understand a reluctance to shove unknown quantities into expensive gear. The newer Sony PSUs, as with most around now, appear to be switch-mode. That makes 'em smaller and cheaper than their transformer-based counterparts. Another advantage of that is that they are multi-region (I bought my NW-HD3 in the UK, and can use the same charger here in Canada. Provided I use an adapter to allow the UK plug to fit in the Canadian socket, of course). If you look on one of these PSUs, it even states "input: AC 100-240V~". Switch-mode has certain other implications to take into account. Transformer-based PSUs rely on stepping down voltage according to a ratio of independent primary and secondary windings on an iron or ferrite core. For example, a transformer with 1000 primary turns and 200 secondary turns will produce an output at 200 divided by 1000, 20%. 100 volts in yields 20 volts out. Transformers drop power as the load increases because the windings themselves are not perfect conductors, and will be subject to Ohm's law, V=I*R. The current being pulled through the transformer, multiplied by the resistance of the windings, equals the voltage that will lost to that effect, which will be dissipated as heat. Okay, so it's a little more complicated than that, inductive loads, AC and so forth, but that's the jist of it. I shall ignore the bit of electronics responsible for AC-DC conversion for now, though it of course has an effect too (as someone here previously pointed out, a silicon diode, as used in rectification, has a 0.6V difference between anode and cathode). The idea behind switch mode supplies is that the desired output is created electronically by taking the input voltage and switching it on and off really quickly through a whole bunch of coils, capacitors and other assorted crap. The controlling electronics monitor the output and vary the switching rate when required. If the load increases and the output voltage starts to dip, the 'tronics will pump more juice in, until the required voltage is once again restored. This is why they can generally handle multi region. They just switch the input at a different rate. The switching happens very quickly, which is why switch-mode supplies, like laptop charges, make a kinda squeaky, squealy noise, whereas transformers make that 50-60Hz buzzing sound. So, where am I going with all this switch-mode talk, and how is it relevant to this, and what the hell am I talking about? Well essentially, switch-mode power supplies, by nature of how they work, are regulated. Not necessarily super-clean, but reasonably consistent under load (at least until the switching process is pushed to the point where it breaks down, or where the current limiter kicks in). The output voltage is rated at 6V on my NW-HD3 charger, and 6V is what ya get, whatever the load. As for transformers, when they are rated at for example 12V @ 500mA, that means the voltage out of it is around 12V when under load, ie when you are drawing half an amp from it. When not under load at all, the output is more likely to be around 14-15V. If a transformer-based Sony charger is rated at 5V @ 300mA, that means when under a 300mA load (ie charging the battery), the voltage from the supply should be at 5V (...not that Sony would ever deviate from an established rating convention like that, no sireee...). As far as this case is concerned, PCs use switch-mode supplies, and the motherboard voltage regulators are also switch-mode, on account of better efficiency and lower heat when compared to linear regulators. If the minidisc is rated at 5 volts, in theory it should be absolutely fine to feed it 5 volts from the USB, provided the USB can supply the required current. This is a somewhat crude breakdown of the theory, but hopefully may prove of some use to those exploring this avenue of alternative charging methods.