kgallen

As I understand it, it's supposed to contain the value on the label on the laser which I presume is some measurement made at the factory to set the drive current required for the laser to emit a specified intensity of light. I then presume (!) that the IOP value is used by the controller to set the laser current used - how this is translated for reads and writes I don't know, as the two values will be quite different to achieve the low-power read and the high-power write (Curie temperature) requirements. I don't think the SM gives much background, but I'll have a read again tonight to see if it makes more sense now I'm considering "having a fiddle" with it! I've not got any pre-recorded MDs; all of mine are MO type. I quite fancy getting Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds on MD though! Thanks for the LDPWR info.

If you're still looking, there is this 930 on eBay.co.uk at the moment (not related to me at all, I just found it): https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sony-MDS-JB930-Minidisc-Recorder-QS-RANGE-Rare-MD-Amazing/132500874503?hash=item1ed9aae507:g:Qu4AAOSwy4taf1N4 The seller also has another two MD machines: an MDS-W1 (twin MD!) and rack mount MDS-E10: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sony-MDS-W1-TWIN-MINIDISC-DECK-Rare-MD-1/132500816402?hash=item1ed9aa0212:g:fD8AAOSwqfZaf0N0 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sony-MDS-E10-PROFESSIONAL-Minidisc-Recorder-Rare-MD/132500805920?hash=item1ed9a9d920:g:aAgAAOSwHYVaf0At They all look cosmetically neat, bright displays. Separately there's a Tascam MD-350 here that claims to be in mint condition: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tascam-MD350-Professionial-Mini-Disc-Record-replay/132498502894?hash=item1ed986b4ee:g:uFwAAOSwubFae3YE

Hi sfbp, According to the SM, this drive is MDM-5D. Given the laser seems to be almost new from the play/rec hours, I'm really hoping it is a simple issue. I did inspect the mechanism quite closely and it looks brand new, no signs of stress or discolouration or dirt etc and no missing or stressed teeth that I could see - certainly no noise from the mechanism either good or unsuccessful TOC read. Quite bemusing as a result! OK, that's helpful thank you. Actually other than during test procedures I don't think I've actually "recorded for real" with this deck so I can use a disk from my JE520 or one of my Tascams. When the unit is working the head is as smooth as anything. No jitter or wobble at all. When you AMS to a new track the head slides gracefully to the new point, there is a quick alignment seek then the track is running, looks perfect. I've been using a disk that is "full" and the servo and OP can track without issue to both the centre and very edge of the disk without noise or jitter so again, that looks perfect. As an aside it was interesting to see that the read buffer seems nice and large - I put the unit onto Repeat All, and played the last track. At a whopping 12secs to track end the OP moved back to track 1 ready for the repeat - I thought these units had a 6sec buffer (I think that's the minimum required by the MD spec), but this would imply 12 seconds or so :-) Do no harm first were my thoughts, so I had a good read around the subject from contributors (like on here) who appear to know genuinely what they were talking about, and then assess what I knew was ok and what could be suspect! IOP adjust a click then... Cheers, Kevin

Hi sfbp, Adjusting the laser power was something I didn't try pending more informed input on what I should do rather than "hacking" blindly. I'll pluck up the courage to try your suggestion! On MDS-JE530 I don't believe there is a belt, I think it's all gears - certainly I can trace the gear train from loading motor to the crank arm that traces a slot on the loading cradle. Looking at the three servos in the unit, I don't see any belts in this particular drive: disk servo is direct drive, sled drive looks to be all gear train to the rack too. Thanks, Kevin

Sorry for yet another thread on a C13 TOC read error... however having lurked on this Forum for a while I've signed up in the hope some of you knowledgable chaps can help me out with my MDS-JE530... I think I've tried/performed most of the usual rectification steps advised for C13 but I've still not cracked it. I'll start with a little background which is that I use MD at my amateur theatre group. I'm at the point of moving back to using more MD because I'm sick of CD unreliability and the solid-state offerings I've looked at are either cheap junk or way out of my price range. And of course you never let any sort of PC near a live performance... So, aside from other Sony and Tascam MD machines I have a MDS-JE530 sitting on the shelf with an annoying C13 issue and I've gotten it off the shelf with the aim of fixing it (I've been in a "fixing" mode recently with various pieces of kit!) and thus bringing it back into service. What I've done: cleaned the laser lens with IPA (not the beer!). Cleaned and carefully regreased the rails and gears with Molykote EM-30L synthetic grease. Scanned the Service Manual and G**gle for any other bright ideas. This machine will either read MDs (MO type) and play and record perfectly, or I get C13 when trying to read the TOC. If the TOC is read the machine will play (and when tried, record) perfectly, no subsequent C13s or any other error. I can eject and reinsert many times and I can get C13. An hour later I can try again and it will read the TOC and play perfectly many etc times. It's driving me mad because I just can't get it reliable. Just when I think I've cracked it, I'll get another C13 again. This is what I've determined: it's had little use: reading the service info from the machine, play hours 80, record hours 77 - it's virtually brand new. Software code is 530 990797. IOP read gives me "56.4 / 54.4" and the laser label is marked H0564, so IOP looks in order (other label info: KMS260B 19X91). Retry errors are clean "r00 p00" but total errors as FF. Error history is EB6 (whatever that is) plus the rest are E04 like everyone gets. When I do continuous play, then AD=00 (maybe the odd 01 as allowed). Temp Check is OK. I can CPLAY MID, IN and OUT and it's error free and there is no noise and the sled tracks smoothly at all points. The mechanism is quiet. I've inspected as much as I can and there are no broken gear or rack teeth that I can see. The machine is clean internally. It's well behaved otherwise. The disk detect and record protect tiny switches seem to be clean and moving freely, so I believe the disk insert is being detected. None of the MDs I'm using have bad label positions. The disk appears to nest correctly - trying different insertion speeds (the best I can with an autoloader) doesn't seem to throw the disk to a more reliable position. All springs appear to be in place and tensioning as required. When the TOC can't be read, the machine is spinning the disc, slowing and retrying. But the sled doesn't move - then of course I get C13 because the OP is not searching/reading the TOC. When this happens there is no mechanism noise - I can't hear any motors straining and there are no vibrations - just the OP sled doesn't move. I can eject and try again, and often the OP sled will track and TOC can be read, other times the sled is stationary. I just can't work out why sometimes it will track and read, others not. In Service Mode I did try the << and >> sled movement and usually this will work fine. I have however observed some occasions where the sled will slow and appear to struggle - in both directions. On a couple of occasions the sled, after slowing, did "stick" and wouldn't move more. Since recleaning and regreasing the rails this doesn't seem to have reoccurred but this could be coincidence. So... what's the one thing I haven't done that will solve this? I reach out to the community to help me solve this one and keep this machine alive and back into service where this great format should be! Thanks and regards, Kevin ps I don' t have a LPM or 'scope so a Fluke DVM is about my limit with test kit access. I do have the Service Manual and also own a fully-functioning MDS-JE520 if comparison is needed. pps All of my discs are Sony or TDK. Tried both, same symptoms. All recordings are SP, nothing fancy going on here!

Hi Arr, Some of the data/images on here might provide some of the info you're after: http://tascam.com/product/md-350/images/ I have no experience of the Sony units you list so I can't give an A-B comparison. Regards the MD-350, I have it mounted in a rack case as I move it around for shows. It's probably not "pretty" enough for a home hi-fi setup as it's a "pro" unit with rackmount; I'm sure the Sony's are much more aesthetically pleasing. The switches/connectors are solid enough (whatever that means) although I'm not sure the MD-350 is (was) that high up the Tascam range. But I find the Sony's pretty good too - here I'm talking about MDS-JE520/530 that I also have, although I realise the JB units you're looking at are higher end Sony units. Having had a Tascam MD-CD1 and a Sony MDS-JE530 to bits recently, their construction is pretty similar for the front panel. They are a number of PCBs mounted behind the front panel on which the display and switches etc are mounted. I wouldn't say there is much between them construction-wise from that aspect. The MD-350 is a fluorescent display much like the MDS-JE5[23]0, but the filter screen gives it an orange colour compared to the "silver" of the Sonys. Personally I prefer the look of the Sony display, and the Sony's certainly have more information available simultaneously (titles and time at the same time). The Tascam comes across as a little less thought-through in the design phase on the screen layout. I've always been impressed with the build and features of the Sony MD units - I guess they were never a "budget" item. I think the Sony's I've used have more complete features accessible from a proper front-panel accessible menu system. The MD-350 is a bit more "ad-hoc" in my view and you need a PS/2 keyboard for e.g. Auto Ready (=Sony Auto Pause) which is a function I always use, so have to make sure I have a keyboard with me. Having said that, having the proper keyboard for titling is a dream. Even with the MDS-JE520's "full" remote control, titling is a bit of a drag! Overall feature-wise there's not much between the Tascams and the Sonys, it's just the Sony's feel a bit more polished on the user interface! Having said that, I love my Sony's for some things (in the house, making masters) and the Tascam for others (on the road, titling). Horses for courses maybe? However overall, and even though it's 2018, I'm moving back to MD more and more for my theatre work. I'm just sick of CDs playing up, skipping, being temperamental, bad CD-Rs etc etc. Conversely my MDs are rock solid and have other benefits for me like titling as standard and supporting very short tracks, which is essential for back-to-back short sound effects. CD minimum track length is 6 seconds which is just unworkable for me sometime, so I've pretty much always used some MD for shows, but frankly it's going to be a lot more now. Having just saved a Tascam MD-CD1 which can do CD to MD dubbing including titles and track marks, most stuff is going to end up on MD for the shows... So... I'm not sure if I've helped at all. If there is a more specific question where I can give a more quantitative answer, then just shout and I'll see what I can do. Regards, Kevin

Of course I'm quite late to this thread but as this forum seems like a good semi-historical resource I might as well contribute! I've got a number of Sony and Tascam MD decks that I use at home and also for sound at my amateur theatre group, so can try and help out. Regarding the Tascam MD-350 I can make a couple of comments here regarding usability (rather than audio) that pertain more to my use model for theatre music and sound effects rather than home audio use. 1. On the display you can have titles or time showing, not both as I can with my Sony MDS-JE520. 2. Selecting Auto Ready (auto pause on Sony decks) requires the external PS/2 keyboard. There doesn't seem to be a front panel method to enable this. 3. Regards SCMS, my thoughts are that this deck does enforce this, although I could check if anyone is interested. Certainly my Tascam MD-CD1 (Mk1) doesn't which is handy for me making backups of my show disks. Hope that is of some use so far! Kevin