Avrin

As I've already said, if there is no output lowpass filter, higher frequencies on any CD will be played as square waves, and not as sine waves.

This stuff is really simple - if there is no input lowpass filter before the ADC, the digitized signal will not accurately represent the original analogue one. And if there is no output lowpass filter after the DAC, the output analogue signal will not represent the original analogue one, even if that was digitized perfectly. Whether you'll hear the actual difference, is another question. Both filters are required by the mathematics the digital recording technology is based upon. Otherwise the end result (what you hear) will not be correct. In other words, the digitization/restoration process has its mathematical limitations. Thus the input filter is required to make the signal suitable for digitizing at a particular sampling frequency. And the output filter is required to fully restore the unique original signal.

Any analogue output of any digital device should have a lowpass filter preceding it. As for the DVD player that doesn't allow recording form its optical out, check whether any sound processing or upsampling is enabled in it. E.g., Panasonic's Double Remaster and Multi Remaster modes are known to increase the sampling frequency to the point no MD unit understands it. But some commercial DVD releases really don't allow making digital copies. However, conventional CDs should pose no problem when creating a first-generation MD copy.

Many modern devices (especially the ones designed for several sampling frequencies, e.g., DVD players) don't have proper output filters. However, this doesn't affect direct digital transfers to MDs.

If you are only using analogue equipment (no CD or MD players), then there is no DAC, and no filters are needed.

Any digital player, including MD and CD, has a DAC. The exact configuration depends on the architecture. If the unit has an analog amp, it contains a 1-bit delta-sigma DAC, and then the amplifier (and hopefully a lowpass filter between them), and if the unit has a digital amp, the DAC (also 1-bit delta-sigma) is the amp itself.

An analog output lowpass 20 kHz filter is absolutely required. Otherwise the output signal won't even come close to the original. Even if you have everything above 20 kHz removed digitally, you'll get tons of higher frequencies in the analog signal after the DAC, and the filter is needed to remove them. A simple example is a pure 20 kHz sinewave. After digitizing it, the signal will contain only two values per period. So, after the DAC you won't get a sinewave. You'll get a square wave. But if you put that square wave through a 20 kHz lowpass filter, you'll get the original sinewave back. That's the way digital audio must work to satisfy all mathematical requirements it is based upon: analog source->analog lowpass->ADC->media->DAC->analog lowpass->amplifier.

1. Remove everything related to SS/SB you have installed, including drivers. 2. Download http://sonicstage.update.sony.net/v4400/JP/download/installer/openmgsetup.zip , unzip it, then open the OmgCore.ini file using Notepad, and change it to look like this: [ReadWrite] Entry1 = 0x250001 Entry2 = 0x270001 Entry3 = 0x200100 [A2WConvert] Entry1=0x011D [Hi-MD PD Plug-in] AreaCode=2 [Atrac Audio Device PD Plug-in] CheckoutModel=1 AreaCode=2 [M.S.PRO PD Plug-in] CheckoutModel=1[/code] save the file, then run setup.exe to install OpenMG 5.0. 3. Download http://sonicstage.update.sony.net/v4400/JP/download/installer/pa_driver.zip , unzip it and run setup.exe to install the latest drivers. 4. Install SimpleBurner. 5. Download https://doors.gracenote.com/developer/update/Gracenote_CDDB_Update_Patch.exe and install it. 6. Restart your computer.

I am not sure about decks, since I never had one. But the problem with installing a lowpass filter on an analog input (be it a portable or a deck) is that its performance will seriously depend on the output parameters of the equipment feeding the signal. Thus it is impossible to create a "universal" filter suitable for everything. On the other hand, the Nyquist theorem requires that the maximum frequency present in the signal be less than half the sampling frequency. Otherwise it will not be possible to digitize and then restore the signal unambiguously. And a similar filter is actually needed after the DAC in the playback device. Only then the restored signal will be a copy the original analog one (to the extent the digital resolution allows). But if one or both filters are absent, horrible things happen. Applying a digital lowpass filter after the signal is digitized does not improve things, since the signal is already incorrect.

The "vinyl sound" is just a myth. What actually makes LPs sound better than their CD counterparts is proper mastering. And there actually were properly mastered CDs, that sounded as good, if not better, than LPs. Excellent examples are the Toshiba "Black Triangle" issues of "Abbey Road" and "Dark Side Of The Moon". With pre-emphasis and all other technologies properly used. Trouble is, at the beginning of the CD era, engineers were afraid to do flat transfers to CDs (and probably lacked proper equipment), and then loudness wars started, so the CD never had a chance to contain quality records it is designed to contain. All this means that you can make really good sounding digital copies of LPs provided that you have quality equipment and apply a 20 kHz analog lowpass filter before digitizing (most, if not all, MD equipment doesn't have it, but it is required for a proper analog-to-digital conversion). And even a lossy copy of an LP may sound better than the respective CD.

Updated SS43_ULTIMATE.exe by removing the obsolete Microsoft Windows Installer 2.0 distribution package (everyone now has a later version). This allowed to reduce the size by further 1,2 Mb. No other changes are introduced.

SonicStage doesn't support Unicode, so, if you have non-English symbols in folder/file names, this may cause it non to find files.

I still don't understand the problems you are having with ripping to PCM. All my PCM CD rips done in SonicStage are bit-perfect (with the exception of read offset compensation, which is only done by AccurateRip-aware programs, like EAC). Make sure the Microsoft PCM Converter is not disabled in your system.

If the rips are made on the same computer, and are playable (the keys are not damaged), the tool will unprotect them.

There's no line out circuitry in the RH10. The best you can achieve is the headphone out set to 29 (but not to 30, since this level leads to a serious increase of distortion and noise, IIRC). Other units may or may not have line out circuitry. E.g., you can enable the LINE OUT menu in the NH600 via service mode, but it only plays as silence, because of the lack of proper hardware implementation. Despite the fact that its TOSHIBA amp is made to support line out. But the switching pin is permanently connected to the ground, instead of being managed by the DSP.

This is still SonicStage with OpenMG. The distribution package contains a file called "SonicStage V.msi", but the file SSVVersion.txt says it's version 6.0.00.10021. And OpenMG is now renamed "Sony Media Library Earth".

Here's an excellent explanation by Barock1: http://forums.sonyinsider.com/index.php?showtopic=24406&view=findpost&p=168752 To get out of service mode, simply remove all power from the unit (battery and/or adaptor).

I've already posted a topic about installing SimpleBurner w/o SonicStage, but that was quite some time ago. What you need to install for SB to work without SonicStage (in that order): 1. OpenMG Secure Module. 2. Personal Audio drivers. 3. SimpleBurner itself. 4. CDDB Security Patch.

So, the other unit supported by the DR80 driver is the DR400E (the driver has two device IDs in its INF file - VID_04DD&PID_9013 and VID_04DD&PID_9014). Nice to know.

Well, I should have expected something of the kind. Modern firewalls take over the system, and not only control Internet access, but check a lot of system and application components, and so may prevent correct interaction between them. I once encountered a situation when simply having Outpost Pro 4.0 on the system prevented the CDRDAO engine (used by EAC for CD burning) from working. Even if everything was permitted to EAC and CDRDAO in firewall settings, the engine just crashed (even though it has nothing to do with Internet, and never tries to access it). Rolling back to Outpost Pro 3.51 solved the problem. Still, I recommend updating to SonicStage 4.3 "Ultimate", because of its really stable OpenMG 5.0. This may prevent a lot of other possible problems from appearing.

When the disc is stopped at the beginning of the first track, selecting the All Remain item from the Display menu displays this information, at least on the RH10.

Just checked both files and found nothing unusual. ASPI components and legacy SONY drivers are missing, but this is perfectly normal on a modern system. But your system also contains some Windows Media Format 11 components. So you should make sure that those are completely and correctly installed. Their distribution package is not available separately, but you may download the distribution package for Windows Media Player 11 (without installing it), and use WinRar to extract the wmfdist11.exe file from it. Then run this file to install WMF11 components separately. It also looks like you are using an official version of SonicStage 4.3, with the horrible patched OpenMG 4.7, which is known to create problems out of thin air. I advise you to update to the "Ultimate" 4.3 version, available from the Software Updates section of these forums.

Most versions of OpenMG Secure Module include a tool for checking the installation environment (version 5.0 included with SonicStage 4.3 "Ultimate" certainly does). The tool is located in the "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Sony Shared\OpenMG\InstallChecker" folder, and is called InstallCheckTool.exe. Check whether you have this tool, and if you do - run it, wait for it to finish (this may take a minute or so), and then go to your Windows Desktop and check the newly created OpenMG_Install_Status_log folder there. This folder should contain several files, post OmgInfo.csv here. You may also check the file yourself, to see what's missing.

To me it still looks like SonicStage is unable to find some pre-requisite components. Besides WMF runtime, these include: Microsoft Data Access Components 2.5: http://sonicstage.update.sony.net/v4400/JP/download/installer/mdac.zip DirectX 9.0c. This one has since been updated several times by Microsoft, so it is better to download the newest available version: Web-installer: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2da43d38-db71-4c1b-bc6a-9b6652cd92a3 Full installer: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=04ac064b-00d1-474e-b7b1-442d8712d553 And make sure that you have the latest driver for your sound card. The log above shows that you have a good-old Realtek AC'97, so you may download the latest driver here: http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsCheck.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=14&PFid=23&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false