A440

You can probably get by the with software even if it's Japanese by looking at graphics and icons. If the Mac software is anything like SonicStage, all you'll have to figure out is the Japanese for "Transfer," find the Hi-MD in the menu, highlight the tracks you want to transfer and click a red arrow. Sony is also bound to introduce an English-language version when the RH-1 gets to Europe or the US.

Don't be confused by mention of ATRAC. You CAN record directly in .wav on any Hi-MD unit (like the RH910) and play the files back on the unit. It is called PCM: same quality, sampling rate, etc. What you can't do is drag-and-drop the files from minidisc to computer (or back). But you can easily upload them to a PC through Sony's software. To transfer any recording to or from your computer you use a program called SonicStage. It uploads PCM recordings and will "convert" them to .wav, basically by renaming them. Hi-MD also has its own compressed formats that upload, Hi-SP (very good quality) and Hi-LP (best for speech, not music). You can find a zillion complaints about SonicStage online, becuase it has gone through a lot of versions and was initially awful. But SonicStage 3.4 is currently quite stable and reliable and has had most of the old versions' bugs and restrictions removed. It's not iTunes, but it works. You would make a recording on the MD unit, connect via USB, open SonicStage and transfer to your computer. You can set SonicStage to automatically "convert to .wav" when you upload, and the .wav files are ready to use in any program. You can also send .wav files back to a minidisc via SonicStage; it renames them as pcm. You probably don't need the extra expense for the RH1 unless you: 1. are using a Mac computer instead of a PC 2. have old minidisc recordings you want to upload (apparently not) 3. like the design You could also have an American or English friend look for the 2004 models, the NH700 or NHF800 (NH700 plus a radio in the remote), which can be found new for $125 on Ebay in the U.S., 70 GBP in England. They also record in PCM, upload, etc.--same quality. Just ignore the software CD and download the newer version of SonicStage from Sony.

If you know which mp3 it is, move it somewhere SonicStage can't see it and try SonicStage then. If all you know is that it was a recent mp3, move all your recent mp3s and try again. As the thread above suggests, something might have to be re-tagged.

Kurisu and Jadeclaw both born on the same day! And it's the cusp of Aries and Taurus. Aries: They are pioneers and love to lead, exhibiting independence and freedom of expression in everything they do. Taurus: Once your mind is made up you have amazing tenacity and endurance. Sound like diehard advocates of an underappreciated technology, don't they? Happy birthday....

Or get them right here: http://www.minidisc.org/part_Manuals.html

SSAAD.exe is very persistent--it will reinstall itself even after you disable it. It reinstalls itself in Startup no matter what you do. Since yours is a new unit and you have already done a lot of installing and reinstalling you should also contact Sony Support. Forget the live online chat, which is strictly elementary and will waste your time, and go directly to their customer support phone line. Keep saying "escalate" until you get someone who knows what they're talking about. Also, do you have a System Restore point before the whole problem began? Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/System Restore .

From this post, it looks like you should send the NT4 through Mic-In. http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?s=&sh...indpost&p=92515

If you want to get philosophical about this, digital is always an approximation, sampling a sound tens of thousands of times per second and then reconstructing it, akin to the way a film (at 24 frames per second) reconstructs a moving image. Analog doesn't have those infinitesimal gaps between samples, so an ideal analog recording would be a perfect analog of the original waveform rather than a digital approximation. Of course, there are physical limitations to analog recording. But a harsh high end in a digital recording is not necessarily due to better fidelity--it could be due to artifacts from the digital processing at recording or playback. Analog, not digital, could be a more exact reproduction to begin with. The advantage of digital is that when you want to copy that reproduction, you can make a perfect copy of the first digital approximation.

Try the MDAC Repair Tool from Downloads: http://forums.minidisc.org/downloads/details.php?file=8

You can erase the discs (or groups, or individual songs) in the NH600D with SonicStage or Simple Burner.

Was the mic plugged into the (red) Mic-in Jack? When you push Record the display should say Mic Recording. You should also be able to see level meters moving on the display. When nothing is plugged in or something is plugged into the (white) Line-in Jack it says Line Recording. Try it with the mic yourself. It's possible the cord is bad or the jack is bad, but more likely it just wasn't connected right.

I don't see an MDX-62 in the Equipmnent Browser at http://www.minidisc.org/equipment_browser.html . The MDX-65 http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_MDX-65.html does not play MDLP discs--only discs recorded in SP. LP2 puts twice as much on a disc--148 minutes on a 74-minute disc. LP4 puts four times as much on a disc. But they were introduced after the MDX-65 was made, and it won't play them at all.

NetMD units like the MZ-N910 do not upload. Here's your alternative. http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=7070

Why not go to the manufacturers first? They've got to offer their own replacement parts. JVC's website is pretty mediocre, but they must have a customer service phone number. The drawback to canalphones (besides bass response) is that sooner or later those little rubber tips loosen and come off inside your ear. A very slight difference in size from a different brand may mean it comes off a lot sooner. Given the high prices for Ultimate Ears, Etymotic and Shure headphones, you can probably get the right tips more cheaply from the original manufacturer too.

The problem isn't the version change. The problem is the reformatting. When you reformatted your computer you may have lost digital rights information that SonicStage is demanding. SonicStage requires that you do a backup of My Library before a major system change. It thinks you are trying to transfer the library to an entirely different computer, which makes Sony treat you as an evil music pirate. SonicStage 3.4 is somewhat more lenient about this, but apparently not for you. Are the files still named filename.mp3? Or are they named filename.oma or filename.omg? If they are named .mp3, then use dbpoweramp (from Downloads) to convert them to .wav and transfer them. If they are .oma or .omg files you may be out of luck. Can you play them back in the computer with SonicStage? As a last resort, you could record them digitally as they play, in realtime, with TotalRecorder and then transfer those files to MD. http://www.totalrecorder.com

Good to know they're removable. If you have a US correspondent to send them to you, these might work around that tapered end. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...oughType=search

They look good except for the big shiny clips, which make them less than stealthy. Maybe the clips could be painted black. Nice find, danreetz.

If you bought that album from a music service like iTunes or Napster, direct transfers of those tracks may not be allowed. It's Digital Rights Management garbage. Burn them to an audio CD and then use Simple Burner or Sonic Stage to transfer them from the CD. Or use dbpoweramp from Downloads and convert them to something else: mp3, etc.

I have no idea why this happened. First thing I'd do is listen through a different pair of stereo headphones for the distant possibility that it's something to do with the headphones. Failing that, your best hope is for post-processing: make a recording of your disc and see if you can tweak it enough to make the quiet parts audible. You need to record out of your headphone jack into your computer. Detailed instructions here: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=7070 Then, with Effect under Audacity, you can Amplify (you pick the gain) or Normalize (Audacity picks the gain) your quiet parts. Highlight the part you want to amplify (hold down the shift key as you move the cursor) and the Effects become available. Save the (amplified) selection (under Edit). The amplified sections will end up hissy but, with any luck, decipherable. To remove the hiss on the amplified selection, you could also use Noise Removal, which compares a silent bit of the recording to a part with speech and tries to clear it up. Try the whole procedure first with a short section to see if it gives you usable results.

Check your PMs.

Try www.ebay.co.uk for a new MZ-NH700 for 70 GBP. Maybe since you're in the EU you could get something shipped. And for mics and a battery box (for loud music) I'm sure you can work something out with greenmachine. If they're only 50-80€, you could always get three of them...

Your best bet is to record now with the R70 and wait a month or two for the introduction of the MZ-RH1. As with all things minidisc, it's a confusing situation. Right now, Hi-MD (NH700) is the only way to get lossless recording, using its PCM mode. It is also the only way at the moment to get recordings you can upload faster than realtime to your computer. Hi-SP, the better of the new compressed modes, also provides fairly good fidelity. If you need it now, look on eBay for the NH700. I have recently seen new ones being sold there for 70 GBP. You should be able to do better than 250€ at any rate. On the R70, you only have one recording mode: SP. It records for the designated length of the disc--74 or 80 minutes. It's compressed but good sound. On the R501, you also have LP2 (twice the designed length) and LP4 (four times as long), but the sound quality suffers. Also, can you get a recording--try recording your stereo--through the line-in jack of the R501 with the microphone powered? Or is the signal too quiet? The line-in jack needs a strong signal; a mic-in jack is preamplified by the unit. When the RH1 is introduced, it will handle all your needs: PCM recording, uploading and--its new feature--uploading of recordings made in the old MD formats of SP, LP2 and LP4. Announced list price is about $300, so save your 250€ budget for that. Oh, and the mic. The 719 isn't horrible, but its bass response only goes down to 100Hz, so you won't be capturing the lowest two octaves of bass. You'll probably want to upgrade that sooner or later. Look at the Affordable Mics thread.

What headphones are you choosing among?

Reviews of HD amps are mixed--some say they're harsh. Another question is whether Hi-MD, playing PCM through a regular digital amp or HD amp, sounds better than Sharp playing SP through the Auvi. Someone who has the units and a good pair of headphones should do that test.

Can you open the 4.7 GB track with an audio editor (like Audacity) and see what it looks like? Audacity will give you timings and a waveform. Also, I'm sure someone else knows more about player apps than I do, but possibly it has something to do with how much of the track goes into the memory buffer of the player--and maybe 4.7 GB just overwhelms it. How about putting a track mark or two in the long track now and uploading the pieces, then converting each piece? You should be able to rejoin them. If you don't like where the trackmarks are, you can remove them and upload without any problems--that bug (erased track marks used to confuse SonicStage) seems to be fixed.