1kyle

Actually this is the best system I rip my music to FLAC -- all of it. Now when I want to transfer to MD I create a NERO image audio CD xxx.nrg Needs the Mega plugin pack to handle FLAC but freely available overthe Internet I then in a Windows XP virtual machine mount the audio CD I've created with ALCOHOL 52% - the FREE version as a "virtual CD". Simple burner picks it up immediately and I can transfer to MD straight away. If i've created a copy of an original CD simple burner will get the track info from Gracenote CDDB just like burning from a "Real" CD. Cheers -K

Hi all There used to be a nice MD labelling program for STANDARD MD's on the Forum -0- any links please. Thanks -k

Hi all Seems getting Blanks - especially of HI-MD's is getting harder and harder to source. These people in the UK still have plenty IN STOCK and reasonable price. For EXPORT OUTSIDE the EU don't forget to claim the 17.5% VAT back -- in the UK (unlike the US) prices are nearly always shown INCLUSIVE of VAT / TAX. http://www.tapecity.co.uk/acatalog/Tape_City_Mini_Discs_6.html?gclid=CIKT497siqACFc9i4wodE2dNdA Cheers -K

Thanks I've just uninstalled the whole kybosh on my XP machine -- and re-installed only the drivers, OMG and Simple Burner. Works fine --thanks for the tip. Cheers -K

Hi there Good Idea -- I'll echo that -- I've had several people wanting to know how to use Minidisc (both HI-MD and Net MD) with Windows 7 and not have to use Sonic Stage as a Library. -- You DO need to have it installed however. Windows 7 Does NOT mean that your MD's don't work any more -- just takes a bit of a "Work around". Cheers -K

Hi there How to do it --- instructions 1) ensure your HOST system has FILE SHARING enabled and if it's Windows 7 TURN ON NETWORK DISCOVERY and allow firewall to share files 2) Ensure the XP Virtual machine in the Virtual machine settings has NAT or BRIDGED networking enabled 3) In the VIRTUAL machine mount NETWORK DRIVE with windows explorer - mount the drive or folder containing your CD images 4) now with Alcohol 52% in the VIRTUAL machine right mouse click against the Virtual drive and select Mount image 5) select your image file. MD simple burner should immediuately recognize it and connect to gracenote to get track etc info -- and you can start burning 7) when finished UNMOUNT the image and mount the next one. Note this is better than using the actual CD drive in the Windows XP guest as the Mount / Eject stuff doesn't always work with Simple burner on a Virtual machine -- and in any case it's really FAST burning when using a mounted image Incidentally don't use the Mount image from the VM settings as this also can cause problems with EJECT / RELOAD and simple burner. The Alcohol 52% software has its own iSCSI adapter which works 100% EVERY time in the XP virtual machine. Enc 2 pics of the setup Cheers -K

Hi there I use mine with the RH1 -- works fine with that unit too. You could try here -- although it's 99 USD -- you'll just have to google I'm afraid http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000MC678U?tag=Sony.RM-MC40ELK-20&linkCode=sb1&camp=212353&creative=380553 Cheers -K

Hi there I'll try and reply in "Chunks" 1) use vmware server or vmware player for your virtual machine software -- these are both free and IMO whilst VBOX is good vmware hasn't any problems running XP virtual machines. 2) Install Sonic Stage (4.3) and MD simple burner on your XP Virtual machine - Sonic stage needs to be installed to get Simple Burner to run - http://www.gooduse.com/netmd.html use V2 for simple burner and use the Net MD drivers if you want to burn to LP2 using something like an older but brilliant deck MDS JB980 for example -- an RH1 will probably not need any extra drivers. Sonic stage software load from here (the Sony site) http://support.sony-europe.com/hub/hub.html 3) Install Alcohol 52% Free edition on your Virtual Machine 4) simply copy a CD to an image -- use something like Nero to copy the audio cd to an image - do this on your HOST. 5) connect your MD to the VM 6 now MOUNT the image on the VM with the alcohol 52% software -- you'll see the MD simple burner connect to Gracenote to get the CD info and you can now burn - the MD -- LP2 etc if it's an MD or HI-SP 256, HI-LP, PCM etc if you are in HI-MD mode. Unmount the image again and mount the next one for continuing to burn to MD. -- Simple I have already ripped my CD's to FLAC with winamp - nero with the mega plugin allows me to re-create an audio CD from the FLAC files - if you don't need this step then just copy the audio CD to an image with NERO and mount it on the vm with alcohol 52% http://www.free-downloads.net/programs/Alcohol_52__Free_Edition Cheers -K

Hi all I have 3 Black one's -- two (tested once) are in "backup" as I keep intending to use the format for a LONG LONG time. Even though I'm now using Windows 7 I can still copy music to the device using Simple burner via a Windows XP virtual Machine -- I don't use Sonic Stage any more for Library management - I don't need to. Even though I now use a Squeezebox system to stream music I still use the RH1 a lot -- I create on Audio "Virtual" or Image CD using NERO and my FLAC libraries -- just takes a few seconds to create an "Image" CD. I then mount this with Alcohol 52% Free edition in an XP Virtual machine and use SIMPLE BURNER to burn to MD either in LP2 mode or usually HI-SP. NERO will allow FLAC files to be used directly to create audio CD's and the Alcohol 52% software (Free edition) will allow nero NRG IMAGE files to be mounted successfully too as audio CD's. Cheers -K

Hi everybody The easiest way to get this to work on Windows 7 is to use an XP Virtual Machine. The following software is FREE - vmware server or player (the newest version allows you to CREATE VM's as well), Virtual Box and Ms'es Virtual PC 2007. I'd go for vmware as I KNOW it works. So do the following 1) Create and install your XP guest VM 2) install Sonic stage and Simple burner on the GUEST XP VM ONLY. 3) Now plug in your MD device - ensure its connected to the VM and not the HOST OS. 4) Install Alcohol 52% Free edition on your VM - this allows you to DYNAMICALLY mount ISO and Nero nrg image files as DVD's / CD's AND AUDIO CDs too. 5) Now when burning CD's directly to MD -- you don't need to use Sonic stage - just use Simple burner directly. My music library is all CD's ripped to FLAC. I'm using the squeezebox system to stream audio as this plays FLAC directly. I still like to use MD's on the move so this is what I do to get FLAC to MD without needing SS or having to fiddle with my libraries in any way. 1) ensure you have NERO's mega plugin pack installed. 2) create an Audio CD from your FLAC files with Nero and use "Image Recorder" to create the NRG image file. 3) Mount this file on to your Virtual CD device with ALCOHOL 52% on your GUEST XP VM machine 4) MD simple burner will even access gracenote to tag the tracks if your compliation was ripped from a CD - otherwise tag the tracks yourself. 5) Now burn to MD just as you did under XP. Works a treat - and no need for SS either. Works for NetMD and Hi_MD devices -- I've just been using the lovely old silver MZ-N10 device -- brings back great memories and I've actually had some jealous looks from "Ipod users" who've never seen such a "Sexy looking" device. Works too with the RH1 HI-MD and other HI-MD devices. So you can keep using MD's AND run Windows 7 X-64. Firing up a Virtual machine is really simple and doesn't use a host of resources either. MD STILL LIVES on my W7 X-64 system. pic enc Cheers -K

Hi all Long time since I've visited but still very much in the Minidisc camp. I'm running W7 X-64 enterprise Sonic Stage works -- no prob However my advice is to use Windows XP in a Virtual Machine -- works absolutely fine, including Simple Burner Now what I do these days is 1) Have all my Music ripped to FLAC (Winamp) 2) Compile an Audio CD with the NERO mega plugin of tracs I want to transfer to MD and use a "Virtual CD" device to burn my compilation -- works fine on the "Virtual XP machine" 3) Use Simple Burner to burn to MD. I think if you need Net ND drivers however you will need to run them in W7 X-86 in XP Compatability mode It's easier to use an XP virtual machine -- VBOX or VMWARE player (V3 -- you can now CREATE VM's with this) are both FREE. Cheers -K

I HATE touch screens whether on a phone / computer etc etc. Worst of all they are hideously un-hygenic and the best way on this planet of transmitting germs -- on the public touch screens such as ticket machines at Railway stations etc -- you can't gurantee that the person in front of you whose used the machine hasn't come out of a public Restroom / WC and not washed their hands. That aside the MD still IMO has the best sound quality of any practicable portable listening device these days - and you don't even need a computer to get / create good recordings -- I'm still using a CD / MD combo with 4X transfer to rip CD ==> MD a lot of times. (OK I edit the tracks later using SS but only for EDITING and titling tracks but even then I can manage without). If you DO use a computer you can rip a CD to say FLAC, create your own compilation, then create a Virtual CD with something like Ultra ISO or NERO and then use Simple Burner in an XP virtual machine to burn to MD (including HI-MD). Cheers -K

Hi all Just a note that if you are a Windows user the Linux transfer can be made to work easiliy. I'm using Windows 7 (RC). Download Virtual Box (Free) and install your Linux distro as a Virtual Machine under Windows. http://www.virtualbox.org/ Works a treat. (Other Virtual machine software such as VMWARE workstation / Server etc can also be used). Cheers -K

Hi guy -- congrats One thing which seems to be RARELY mentioned is the RECORDING ability of the MD. Most (if not all IPODS) don't do this -- out in the field journalists like to have the ability to RECORD stuff to say nothing of musicians sending out Demo's etc etc. Those people advocating the Solid state recorders miss also two points. 1) If you are in a place with no Internet etc etc you can always "Post" your MD to wherever it needs to go. The disk can also be archived separately from Hard disks -- anybody doing ANYTHING with computers realizes that you need to backup / archive data (includes multimedia) and have at least 2 copies on SEPARATE media. 2) Those newer devices that have those small XD or other solid state cards -- have you ever been out in the field say in a War Zone or on a Windy beach and tried to change one of these tiny cards -- it'll fly out of your hands before you can blink an eye. It's always easy to change an MD. Whilst for "Consumers" MD might be harder to find and is out of the mainstream -- it's still very much a RUNNER in professional scenarios. Some older TASCAM MD PRO recorders are still going strong -- pity they never made Hi-MD versions however. BTW the next time you see someone listening to an IPOD just watch them -- you'll find they are probably spending most of the time fiddling with it or just scrolling the dial all the time. With the larger capacity and hideously compressed music there's just TOO MUCH stuff to handle sensibly. With an MD just pop a 74 / 80 Min disc in Hi-MD mode and enjoy around 2 CD's worth of music at very high quality or a Hi-MD which gives around 7-8 CD's worth at the same high quality. More than enough for a typical day. Also if you break an IPOD there's the whole hassle of tranferring music to a new device - especially with all the DRM crud etc etc. With a MD device just pop the ND into another one -- no computer needed etc. There's still plenty of life in MD yet -- RH1 etc are STILL selling excellently. Cheers -K

Hi all The Windows "XP" compatability mode includes an XP virtual machine so no need of a separate license. Download from here -- you need both the virtual PC and the XP VM image. USB etc support -- no problem now and it's FREE unlike VMWARE and you also don't need another XP license. Your CPU needs to be VT enabled to run this -- the good thing about comapatability mode is you don't need to build a separate Virtual Machine, configure it and install the Guest OS. This is all done automatically in the "XP compatability mode". http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx enjoy cheers -K