kgallen

Weird. If you haven't, might be worth a mains power cycle - as in unplug for an hour or so and then replug. Sounds like the uC getting it's knicker's in a twist. On your first point about track names - audio and track data are allocated separate space on the disc, so full audio shouldn't impact adding titles. There is a limit on title space, but it's relatively large. I've only ever filled track space up once and this was on an audio test disc (sine waves and the like) with about 100 tracks and some pretty long titles on many of them.

It wasn't my intention to spam and detract from this thread but I've clearly messed it up. Sorry to @Trumie35. Only this, no excitement required!

Anyone got any tricksy idea how to read personal messages on the phone version of the site? When I’ve a new message I can get straight there. If I want to revisit messages I can’t find a button anywhere. I must be blind. I can’t even see a mechanism via my profile page.

A.CUE+MENU is a version report. VARISPEED+MENU is a relay check and FF and VARI buttons seem to toggle the p-out and e-out (from the schematics these seem to be "pause out" and "end out").

More fun with the CDP-D12 hunting for test modes. PLAY+DISPLAY gets you into a parallel port test mode. The input pin conditions are shown on the display, the output pin states can be controlled by rotating the AMS encoder:

Yes, I've got a CDP-XE530 (yup only a few months ago...) that I found to "go" with the MDS-JE530 :-) Which has (a) CD-Text, (b) Optical and Coax outputs (c) Control-A1(II). With that I know I can do a first-generation digital copy from CD to MD (SP) XE530-JE530. It should do the same with the 770. Getting the 770 was more about can I do MD-MD clones between the JE530 and JE770. Initial trials failed due to either SCMS or Title Protect. What I need to do is get a CD recorded onto MD using the E12 (with SCMS disabled) with titles and then try and dub that 530-770.

Found another for the CDP-D12. VARISPEED+DISPLAY (power on) is fluo display test. DISPLAY toggle all pixels on and off. Interestingly this display looks very similar to the one used in the E12, although it's not exactly the same. For example, it includes TOC EDIT, LP2/LP4, REC and also interestingly a bargraph VU meter - I've never seen it operate on this CD machine, yet it's supported on the display. This certainly calls for more investigations...! A similar key sequence (key position or key name) doesn't make the E12 go into a display test mode, however my interest is tweaked... Check it out: Also: A.CUE+DISPLAY (power on) is some kind of RS232 receiver check. This is too much fun! Again, can't get the E12 to do the same, but I just bet it's in there somewhere :-)

Regards the CDP-D12, if anyone has any info on the service mode I'd be interested to hear. I have the Service Manual (Issue 1). This doesn't describe any service mode (or the key sequence to enter one). It does describe a Factory Reset, which is STOP+MENU then power on the deck. Further by playing with buttons, I've found that STOP+DISPLAY (then power on) gets you into a key-test mode for testing all front panel buttons and the AMS encoder. However I've not found a way into any more comprehensive test mode like we find on the MD machines. Regards the CDP-D12 I would like to find if there are any odo counters to see how many hours of use the laser has. Nothing is documented in the service manual, but as this machine is of the same era as the E12 I find it hard to believe Sony didn't add any service or check modes - even though I realise the CD machine will have fewer service parameters than an MD machine.

Well as you know I like my I/O on a machine 😄 In terms of interconnecting the two it's a little disappointing. The CDP-D12 from what I can find, is about Sony's last "pro" CD player and as you can see is pretty much of the style of the MDS-E12 MD both front and rear. The E12 is made in Japan, the D12 in Korea. The CDP-D12 is from around 2003, the MDS-E12 first appeared around 2001. Even so the CD machine is not CD-Text, which is a little surprising and a little disappointing [*]. The best I can do so far is hook the pair up with coax SPDIF. The CD player at least has both optical TOSLINK and coax outputs, because the E12 only has coax digital I/O (the MDS-E10 has both optical and coax but lacks all of the other control and non-standard I/O found on the E12). They both have the Ctrl-S input port, which as far as I can see, is only of use to cable to the remote control instead of using IR. I'm quite bemused why Sony stopped adding the Control-A1(II) ports to machines, the Ctrl-S in comparison seems pretty limited (I realise other MD decks migrated to USB). Ctrl-S is input only so you can't connect machines together with it. The CD player has balanced (XLR) outputs to match the E12, and it's those I'll be using to hook up to my X32 Compact digital mixer when these machines are employed "in anger". The CDP again like the E12 has the remote control ports on DB9 - parallel and RS232. I intend to use the parallel controls - on the E12 at least. I've been playing around with this today (hence the mess on the dining room table!). My intention is to design a DMX-to-E12-remote interface to go between my Zero88 FLX lighting console and my other pair of racked E12s. In this way I'll be able to use lighting cues to trigger concurrent sound effect or music cues playing from the E12s. (This will probably be based on an Arduino with an added DMX interface, control port to two E12s, a small LCD and some buttons to configure settings. See here). If I wanted to make a dubbing pair I could probably make up a DB9 lead to connect the two parallel ports, so when the CD starts to play the MD starts to record. However as the CD has no CD-Text support and the MD no Control-A1 port, there is no way to copy titles. What this means is, even with all of the machines I have, I still don't have fully satisfactory means of dubbing CD to MD and even less for dubbing MD to MD. For CD to MD I have my Tascam MD-CD1 machine - which is mostly ok but has an annoying quirk of putting a short gap between adjacent tracks, although at least it does copy titles. Annoyingly even though they are "pro" machines there is no way to defeat SCMS. Which leads me to my outstanding MD-MD cloning requirement which is still not satisfied. I have the MDS-JE530 and recently now the MDS-JE770, which I can hook up with optical TOSLINK and Control-A1(II), but with that setup I'm stumped with either SCMS for the audio or "Titles Protected" even on MD's I've made myself. This means I have to bring either the E12 or E10 machines into the mix, which can control SCMS, but neither of those have Control-A1(II) ports for titles copy. It's all very frustrating... [*] And even more bizarre and annoying since the CD chip used in the machine appears to have a CD-Text decoder built into it:

I've a new recruit. OK not an MD this time (sorry), but "one of the family" to partner my third :-) MDS-E12. It's a Sony CDP-D12 CD player. I've been looking for a 1U rack-mount CD player for a while. When I need MD and CD I've been lugging around a 4U flight case with a Tascam MD-350 and Tascam CD-450 in it. Both nice decks, but a fairly big outfit. So now I've a 2U rack with an MDS-E12 and a CDP-D12 in it :-) (I'll do some better photos at another time - it's raining heavily so I had to take these indoors with the problem of poor interior lighting and shadows.) More commentary later (the wife has just shouted up for me to clear the table of my soldering gear for dinner!)

On the main PCB, there is either a solder bridge or a "handbag link" something like this: It is usually in the reset line to the uC. If you look on my 530 picture here, you can see it just above the battery (thin purple, bottom centre), CN451. In the case of the 530, it disconnects the battery: On the Pro E12 they didn't go to the "expense" of a jumper, it's a solder bridge across two pads: Whenever I've tried this, it's made no difference (sorry).

There’s not that much info on minidisc.org so if you have other info or other photos (close-ups, rear panel detail) then that would be good. Also if you happen to take the lid off (in a year!) then we’ve recently been adding to our library of data on This Thread.

I think what freaks me is the slot has a wide margin to it’s left but then it’s hard up against the display to its right, like they squeezed it in. Are there other components that use this same overall layout so they’ve maintained what would be a vertical alignment? Can’t quite see how a CD player would work in that schema though! I’ve got a new addition to my ‘family’, I’ll post later. Keep it coming! Kevin

We're all listening and we're all interested. Keep talking! Big display. Unusual front panel layout. Interesting!

I don’t know the machine. If it’s a desktop the CPU is almost certainly socketed. If a laptop probably not. Soldering will never be an option. You will have to find all the specs on the CPU to see if there is a compatible higher spec part wrt voltages and bus frequencies. It’s worth googling to see what other machines were in the same range as they may well share the same motherboard. Sorry just generic advice, possibly you already know.

Whilst the ATRAC1 v4.5 and Type R are revered, I think in practice ATRAC1 v3.5 and up are likely to be more than adequate for us common souls. It seems ATRAC1 v3.5 was considered "near CD quality", so anything beyond is bonus. I can understand you are more than happy with your ATRAC1 v4 Sony and as the Kenwood uses the same DSP, on the digital side you're bang-for-bang. So it will come down to how well Kenwood implemented their power supply, analogue circuitry - and for practical purposes how well their user interface is designed and how their machine looks. Unless the seller has a known track record I'd take the refurbishing claims with a pinch of salt. Personally I'd avoid any machine that claims to have had a new laser fitted because you have no clue if the seller knew truly what they were doing and if the machine is now calibrated correctly to get sensible performance and usage before the laser goes pop - or wipes your treasured MO recordings. Good luck and let us know how you get on and how you feel yourself about the Kenwood!

:-D the simple solutions are the best! Great news!

Chiming. Sounds like a control thing. With the machine off I would give the AMS knob a spin and give the buttons a bit of pressing. By default you probably get to that menu item with two presses of Yes or the AMS button so I’d work those a little to make sure they aren’t stuck. Also crazy as it sounds make sure there is not a Sony remote close by. One of the weirdest problems I ever had was my two racked E12s kept going into play. Turned out the IR remote (which was above/behind the decks) had the play button pressed!

Hi Steven, Honestly I don't know! I've never done it and the instructions generally relate to decks. Your machine seems to date after several of the decks listed but the DSP that is quoted on minidisc.org is the 2652 which is the version before the 2654. The 2654 is used in the MDS-JE520 which is a popular deck (in general) and one of the first to allow you to do this TOC cloning thing. Admittedly the cloning cheat is more likely to relate to firmware features on the microcontroller rather than the DSP, it's just the DSP chip number tends to be a pointer to features appearing in the evolution of the products. You might be looking for a friend with a suitable deck or visiting your favourite auction site for a suitable machine (caution - this is path fraught with danger - just look at many of us on here who once upon a time had one MD machine and now have *cough* "more than one" shall we say). I'm assuming you're in the US? (In which case I can't offer to help as I'm in the UK). Sorry I can't help more at this stage: so the answer to your question is "possibly, but this is not documented territory". Regards, Kevin

Hi Steven, This link might help. https://www.minidisc.org/cloning_procedure.html Assuming you haven't already, I'd download the remaining intact tracks first just so you don't lose the lot! Kevin

When you say ‘Start’ button do you mean Play? I would try: Hold the Stop button pressed for 15 seconds then try to eject any disc. This is ‘Super Undo’ and makes the machine forget any TOC changes that it thinks it wants to write to disk.

You only really need to solder the bridge if you’re disconnecting the laser from the circuit - like when you’re replacing it. Otherwise unless you’re scrubbing your nylon socks on the carpet and poking your finger at the laser ribbon cable bare ends you should be fine.

I think you know what you're doing - but it looks to me like you will need to drill the PCB very precisely to take these pins. That is assuming there are no other PCB traces in the way and that the copper fill planes on top and bottom are the same signal (GND hopefully) otherwise you will create a dead short, possibly across a power supply (say +3V3 is on the top and 0V on the bottom). Risky. Do lots of physical and electrical checks and good luck...!

This weekend I had to do exactly the same (again) with my 530. It started failing to read discs. Give the two ribbons a clean and also voila, normal service resumes! Result!

Tascam MD-CD1 (Mk1) UK Model (no LA-MC1 balanced I/O kit fitted) DSP=CXD2662AR (ATRAC1 Type-R/ATRAC3 MDLP)