kgallen

Any why not! In a stack I have a 520, 940 and 770 (plus a 530 CD player). Whilst I admit I tend to use the 940 most (and probably the 770 least) I do move around them, even if just to listen to a particular track that I'm intrigued with in respect of how ATRAC handled it! Plus, pah, my 909 no longer works! 😞 Being a non-NetMD kind of chap, my CD dubs are all done with a Sony MXD-D4 or Tascam MDCD1... and which, depends on how lazy I'm being - the menus on the Tascam are more of a faff than the button on the D4 (for switching between SP and LP modes), but the Tascam copies the disc name as well as the track names whereas the D4 never copies the disc name. Go figure!

The laser parameters are stored in the EEPROM on the BD (drive) unit. If the replacement MDM unit is correctly calibrated and is exactly the same type as the original then I would expect the new one to just work.

It was Aladdin. I got "lucky" in that I had a couple of days annual leave I needed to burn (use or lose), so that was those two days written off! I have done sound for the best part of 20 years and it's all my kit so in that respect it wasn't an issue - other than the last minute notification, needing to do all of the prep double quick and then running what was a lot of cues for one person (intense concentration for 2.5hrs is hard going at my age!). Usually I replace them when I get a new machine, but possibly I had this one before Charlie got those 0.7x17 belts made for us. The one I took off looked a bit thicker, so either I didn't replace it or I used some "A.N.Other" belts that I was using at the time. I guess my machines get it a little harder than your typical machine as they are stored (albeit in rack cases) in an outbuilding, where it gets pretty cold (and warm in the summer). I usually put a label on the back with the date when I replace a belt, but there wasn't one, so again, either I didn't replace it or it was before I got into the habit of labelling them!

It’s pantomime season in the UK and hence for me with my local drama group. For the past two productions I’ve not run sound on the performances (as well as lighting, set, …) as I’ve been bringing on the husband of another member to lessen the burden on me trying to be an octopus. A week before our show went up (a few days before our tech and dress rehearsals) he told us he couldn’t do the shows. The sound wasn’t well prepped (grrrr) so I had a mad couple of days and some long meetings working out and editing up the music and sound effects. As others here will know I use minidisc and the reasons are many including that doing lighting as well I don’t have time (or space) for fannying around with laptops and mice: I need a play button I can hit and the required sound comes out on cue and a machine that auto-stops at the end of the track. Hence I have a number of MDS-E12 ‘pro’ Sony decks. A pair, specifically, that handled the music and sound effects for the show, plus another as a backup that is racked with a Sony CDP-D12 that I used for interval music. I had a slight panic at the get-in (when we rig the show) when machine #1 wouldn’t eject, but fortunately was reading the disc reliably. I had chance to take the machine home that evening to replace the load/eject belt. After then, solid performance from the machines, which is what I need. No time for technical hitches with 100 lighting cues and over 50 music and SFX cues - plus radio mics, to juggle on my own. So that’s been my past couple of weeks. In prep now for the next production in May - when I’m not expecting to have to do the sound last minute, so it will be full on with the lighting and set, and the E12’s get a brief rest!

I think it's unlikely the spindle motor has failed, but of course it is possible. For further diagnostics, ideally you need a laser power meter and DVM to check the Iop and laser output. This is a servo system, the disc won't spin unless the CPU can see there is an inserted disc. One reason for this detection not happening is there is no reflected light from the laser.

Welcome! It might be blind. Find the Service Manual then find the Check entry for IOP and see if that reports NG (no good) or OK. https://www.minidisc.wiki/_media/equipment/sony/deck/sony_mds-ja50es_service_manual.pdf

Ah we have a new bandwidth budget! Happy New Year to all. Hope we all have some pleasant MD adventures in 2024!

I think @sfbp has pretty much nailed it above. I'll take a look at some schematics and datasheets to see what I can learn... In the E10, the AK4524 is clocked at 45.158MHz. The DFS value is set by firmware so I've no idea what sampling rate (44.1/48/96) is configured. However 45.158MHz/2^10=44.1kHz and that is supported by Table 3 in the AK4524 spec. 48kHz and 96kHz would not be achievable with that input crystal frequency. The common view seems to be that with decks (particularly those with "better spec" analogue sections) and the best source, then you aren't going to go far wrong recording via that route. Using a digital input should in theory give a "lower noise" source, but from CD you will be "limited" to 16-bit samples, not that should matter. Are there other digital sources that can give 20 bit samples on SPDIF/TOSLINK? (Those standards will support up to 24-bit). 96kHz sampling - yea, maybe that is relevant in the studio with a complex audio chain and mixing stages, but for 1:1 copying, nah, 48kHz or 44.1kHz is going to be adequate. Not that I'm any sort of reference expert in this field.

"I'll just chuck in some shots" he says, then proceeds (as always) to upload studio-grade pictures! Nice!

Sorry, my misunderstanding.. I was thinking we were talking about an IR remote for a deck unit. Seems you're referring to an inline remote for a portable - sorry, my bad! I don't do much with portables, my head is into decks.

Sony likely use the same IR codes (manufacturer code etc) across their machines, so "Play" on a remote probably works on many MD, CD, DVD machines. But features specific to a machine are going to require the correct remote control, or at least a remote with the correct legends against a button. You might find a different button on a remote for another machine performs a different function on your MPD. For example you might find "Scroll" on an MD remote might operate the backlight on your MPD (I don't know, I just picked a random MD-specific button). Even between remotes for Sony MD machines, we find a button on a remote might operate a different function. The coding information is not widely published. I guess the companies that provide "generic" remotes must get the coding from somewhere. For example I've got "generic" remotes programmed (by the supplier) to control my Tascam MD-CD1 machines - but I have to look up on their crib-sheet which button does what...

It’s the same PCB in the 780 and the 980. There will be unpopulated components on the 780 (probably). This is just like the 440 which has a 640 PCB so we can just populate the digital out components (like wot I did wiv mine). I guess they both have the NetMD/USB daughter card. 780 has the crap ‘e-line’ plastic case. 940 is different.

Erm @sfbp your video above plays back perfectly and with sound, for me at least 😀

I thought I’d uploaded a quick vid of MDS-E10 SCMS menu settings, direct from my phone, to this site in the past. Not many sites allow direct embedded uploads, so it was always good that this one did… or used to…

Nope, missed that one. I’m not very good at this it seems. Against better judgement I have eBay watchers on 920/930/940, but eBay considered not to tell me about any new listings..

That's very much over-over-stating my contribution. Mostly I've been a sympathetic but largely impotent ear. No Service Manual for the thing that I can dig through... @sfbp is probably a bit mad at me for all of the chatter above, but then I can easily look at a SM for the 940 and thus chip in repeatedly with a modicum of usable input.

No they don't. Consider the MDS-E12 and MDS-E10 as a MDS-JB940 in rack mount format. Ok the I/O is different and there is the SCMS stuff, plus some other features in the setup menu, but under the hood audio wise they are pretty much a 940. There, that's calmed your nerves a bit now hasn't it! Means you won't go looking for an E10 or E12 on eBay! 😄

Don’t start me off!!! I thence started looking at 930 and then 920. Fortunately they are all way too expensive at the moment. I must resist putting a notify search in place… Hmmm good question, not sure I do have a fully working 7a in ‘stock’. The one in the 440 has some intermittent issue. I do have a NOS 7AX2 though and I notice they are no longer available on AliExpress… Love the story on the 930 @M1JWR, fab catch! @BearBoy I’m brain synching with you to resist a purchase!

I wanna know where you see these sub-100 940's. I rarely see one sub-200 these days! However, no, no, no, I'm not looking... I'm not. No.

The primary side winding will have a higher resistance than the secondary. Maybe it’s above what your continuity meter allows - unless you have an ohmmeter as you gave numbers for the diodes. Worth having a look at the removed transformer again. You’re just looking between pins 1 and 4 (which I would presume are the outer ones if they populated all 4). The relay would only affect coming out of standby into full powered up (since it switches mains into the big transformer). But excellent news you have it working, great stuff!!!

Sounds like the primary is bu**ered then! I had that on one of my MDS-E10 that had been abused.

To clarify no continuity between primary and secondary is good and essential for safety and operation no continuity of primary or secondary windings is definitely not a good thing - no operation

A transformer should *NOT* have continuity from the primary to the secondary. That is their main attribute for isolation. If it smells funny and you have continuity from the primary to secondary then I would agree with you that the transformer has been burned by some suspect mains (UK mains applied to a US/CND/JP transformer being typical). Note it needs to really smell funny/acrid. Transformers usually smell a little bit weird so there needs to be a significant acrid smell to suggest it's damaged. On that standby transformer, the primary and secondary windings come out on opposite sides of the bobbin. So with the power OFF you should find continuity (some low resistance) between the 3 pins on the primary side (this is the side nearest the left edge of the PCB). You should also find continuity between the two pins on the secondary side (this to the "inside" of the PCB). This transformer only has a single secondary winding - one coil of wire, the two pins being each end of that winding wire. This is the schematic I'm on about. In this post, transformer T900 is what I'm referring to.

Looking more, that 4 pin IC902 regulator only kicks in with the main transformer. Also from that photo above looks like some of the small transistors have different refdes to the schematics. Those two TO220 trannies to the right of the relay (black rectangle) should be Q904 and Q901 but on the photo I’m sure I can read Q932. That one I recon is Q901 on the schematic since the other one has the 100uF cap and zener diode near it so that would be the discrete 3.3V reg. I’d have a look around those ‘green’ diodes near the main input connector. They are the standby supply bridge rectifier. With power disconnected check none are short or open circuit (should drop around 0.6V when forward biased). You can poke on their legs from above. I agree the IC400 multi-rail regulator is on for standby but since this is on the main board and you swapped the relay board and got the machine working I conclude IC400 is working ok and in the failed machine it’s just not getting any power from the faulty relay board. So initially I would focus on T900 (standby transformer), D904/5/6/7 (bridge rectifier) and C401 (10000uF smoothing cap). That’s all there is to the standby power supply on the relay board (regards power towards IC400). On IC400 you could see if there is about 7V dc on pin 7. Also check there is something on pin 2 (schematics say 2.4V, but it will be very lumpy as it’s just half wave rectified ac, not smoothed).

Hi John You said the standby led wasn’t on so I'd work through the standby power supply (the small transformer) against the schematic. You can do some buzzing out (and checking for opens and shorts) with they unit unplugged. Then you’ll need power to check voltages. I see +3.3V for the standby DC rail, so I’d check for that first. That gets used to enable the relay that puts mains into the main transformer to awaken the whole deck. I don’t think I saw a +5V rail for standby but I’ll check again (on a proper computer rather than a phone!). Of course there are 5V rails when the machine is alive but since you said standby wasn’t coming up I’d start there. Of course apologies if you already know all this, you’re hardly a first-timer! But the good thing is hopefully this is just a simple fault then another great 940 comes alive!