PhilippeC

I will try...

I have notice it is NOT possible to convert a WAV 24bit-96kHz (convert from Flac) file with Sonic Stage to an ATRAC Lossless file (due to a copyright protection or a technical problem...no 24bit-96kHz files before 2004?). But it is possible to get Atrac 3 and Atrac 3+ files, converted in 16bit-44,1kHz. So the only way is a REAL TIME analog or optical recording (If the audio card support 24bit-96kHz audio files). Sure that if you have something like a M2tech Hiface plus a DAC NAIM audio, you will get the nirvana of MD recording.

You need a close & real MD technician specialist ! But maybe our own MD technicians here will be of some DIY help.

And if you want also the real SP quality, don't use SS but real time recording.

I am french also and I live in Vietnam. You can have advise here in french : http://laserdiscplaza.fr/forumld/viewforum.php?f=63&sid=3daae3a7b8a7b7b70dcedd649f9cc18d If you cannot repair your MD player (Jim Hoggarth can help you on this forum), you have just to buy a new one with the help of www.leboncoin.fr or eBay. Depending of what kind of deck you are searching for (SP only, MDLP, MDLP type R, MDLP S... see minidisc.org for details), price will be between 0 to 150€, higher for high-end decks. This is the simplest solution of your problem. Real time recording using any line-out from your portable unit or getting a MZ-RH1 and upload all your tracks will need time and/or money (a second hand RH1 is really expensive as punkrockaddict said).

If this is your own band AND if you recorded previously with the help of an analog or a digital audio workstation, why not. Doing all yourself will save greatly your money. Here you will get some tricks to get a "professionnal" design for your MDs :

Everything depend on the rate of compression you have recorded. Your problem is just to upload to WAV files at the same original quality. There are many topics about this in the forum. After that, the only way to enhance your recording will be to use an audio editor or, if you have time and (not necessary always) money, even a digital audio workstation (DAW). I have Samplitude Pro X Suite on my computer with a complete set of restoration plugins.

I suppose that you print on a transparent sticker paper

Using the X-Fi crystallizer AND the DFX audio enhancer at he same time is a good source of distorsion, I agree with that, Specially with lossless files. But il is also a question of original recording level (that is why I always use now the Replaygain plugin). On my desktop (before it recently failed) I used only the X-Fi crystallizer plus optical out / foobar2000 / Ks or Wasapi audio outputs / Replaygain. DFX audio enhancer - fixed once for all at 5.0.0.2.2 - is still usefull (and most of the time with no distortion...) with my laptop on board audio card (no X-Fi...). I promise to forget it completely when I will get one day for example an M2tech interface and a DAC Naim audio . But as I have started to use (slowly) the "DAW" Samplitude pro, I hope to make some progress one day in my recording quality using some of his features , banishing forever DFX !

I have used the Hi-MD modes (minimum 192 kbps) when my NH900 still operated and it was also the time I used a 2.1 Logitech loudspeakers set with my laptop. After the buttons of my NH900 started to fail, it was the time I got an opportunity for my first RH1 and some standard MD and Net-MD units, pushing me to choose a more common mode for my recordings. I bought my decks,a MBS-B5 (pro, only SP unit) and a JB980, both connected at my separates audiophile system (Cyrus IIi ampli+ since one month my Rega Ela loudspeakers again, imported from France). No Hi-MD modes for my recordings since, above all because I listen music 95% of my time at home using my MD980 deck. As I really love touching OFTEN my MD blanks as I did with LP and K7, no too-long time recording for me, LP2 is my choice only when it is a double CD album. No physical contact, my good reason to hate MP3, more than the audio quality itself. I store also all the (good) albums I have downloaded (I remind you that I live in Asia) on CD-Rom and most of my lossless albums (never more MP3) are recorded finally on MDs in real time. I have plenty of MD blanks, thank to Sergio.

agree with the MZ-R50 NH900 sound good too

I got my first RH1 from a guy who gave it a hard life. Quite impossible to change settings with the switch. Jim Hoggarth finally repaired everything this summer.; Replace display block flexible connector (cracked) Reformed bent hinge pin on upper slot metalwork Remove label residue from upper slot metalwork Glue lid lock strike plate back into position Replace battery compartment (cracked into two pieces) Strip and clean all control switch contacts Replace several missing screws plus my NH900 and acreplacementcremote ; Labour: £35.00 + Parts: £22.00

Try DFX audio enhancer... http://www.fxsound.com/dfx/ , not too much with lossless files.

What ? Still many people who listen to CD, specially those who like high quality sound.

I have 2 RM-D10E for spare in Vietnam. It is really easy to find remotes there, except for products that are not anymore on the market. So now I am secure.

1001 posts ! REMINDER How To Create Your Own Custom Minidisc Labels http://www.swharden.com/blog/how-to-create-your-own-custom-minidisc-labels/ Press it, Audio MiniDisc Labels (60, A4) http://www.medea.co.uk/buy/audio-minidisc-labels-60-a4-p-1025.html http://www.pressit.com/pressit_download.htm http://www.pressit.com/free-cd-dvd-bluray-labels-covers-design-templates-gallery.html Missing Inspiration ? http://gadinsetboutsdeficelles.blogspot.com/2008/02/playlist-par-charles-berbrian-soif-de.html http://www.tylerrabbit.com/misc/minidisc_labels.html http://www.audiotstation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33127 Still missing Inspiration ? iPaint-Machine ! http://www.i-dat.de/doc/idat_451_soluipaintmachine_e.htm

Hi, How do you do that actually ? Extract the disc from the MD and printing it with a CD printer ?? I don't have any pre-recorded MD so I cannot imagine how to do the same.

Anyway for me and the others to understand, I add the pictures of the cable and the AA battery side car

How much would have you charged for such a tremendous work ?

I have a MDS-B5 that I use to read MD in SP mode only. Recording is faulty due to a dead DA chip ( spare part cost more than 50€). The sound is very good but I have never though to use it as a DAC (even before discovering that the DA chip was dead) because I got after a Sony MDS-JB980 deck (24bit-44,1kHz, type R/S) which has been used also as a DAC. Anyway nowadays you can find very cheap 24bit-96kHz (and small) DACs on the web, so why bothering ?.

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

Why not recording from your computer in real time if you have a good sound car and an optical out ? Make first Wav or Flac files from your Cds. Then just use Sonic Stage or much better a player like Winamp (+ plugins Wincue for adding silence between tracks/ Asio4all or Kernel Steaming for audio output) or Foobar2000 (+ plugins Post-track silence / Asio4all or Kernel Steaming). You can use Replay Gain to normalize the sound level. Note that if you download 24bit-96kHz albums, it is the only way to record real 24bit-44,1kHz MDs !

Same thing happened to me twice in the last year in Vietnam :after two or three visits, I was ready to pay for an amplifier + CD deck and an external DAC, the two sellers found goods reasons finally not to sold to me after we have agreed with the price. .

Yes I got also some times joined tracks. Just record again. Or split the track with a T-mark while listening.