Avrin

No way, Sir. No way. Don't try to ask me how I made my Windows 2000 treat one of my RH1's as a burner, but even in this case (bit-to-bit copying from one disc to another) - NO WAY. Ask me why? The answer is OpenMG. No way, Sir. No way. I' ve tried to [heh...] make a NetMD unit recognized as an external drive by hacking the respective drivers. NO WAY. Ask me why? The answer is OpenMG. Never tried this (don't have an ATRAC CD player). But am sure that there's NO WAY. Ask me why? The answer is OpenMG.

Why would you want to create a blank virtual CD? Simply burn your FLAC or whatever files in CD-Audio mode as an album to an image using Nero Burning ROM, and mount the image as a virtual drive using Nero ImageDrive (perfectly compatible with SS and SB). The codec pack for Nero, which allows it to work with almost any audio format, may be downloaded here: http://www.cole2k.net/?display=NPI. And don't forget to remove those annoying 2 second breaks that Nero inserts between tracks, before burning the image!

Selecting any menu item and pressing the PLAY button to confirm it brings you back to the normal display. This is by design. To go to a different menu/item, you have to repeat the whole sequence.

Still it doesn't look to me like SonicStage transfers 132 kbit/s if you have a 105 kbit/s file available. I've just ripped a track to WAV, and then converted it to 105 kbit/s without adding copy protection. Then transferred it to NetMD using RH1 without deleting the original WAV. The file was converted to the same bitrate with copy protection and transferred to the unit. The unit padded it and says "LP2 Stereo". There were three files on my computer - the WAV, and two 105 kbit/s files, one with, and the other without copy protection. Then I deleted everything except the WAV file, and converted it again, adding copy protection this time. Then transferred it. No conversion took place this time (since the file was already copy protected), it transferred, and also shows as "LP2 Stereo". And there are two files on my computer - the WAV and the copy protected 105 kbit/s. SonicStage 4.2, Windows 2000 Professional SP4.

A 105 kbit/s ATRAC3 file is actually not converted to 132 kbit/s when transferring in NetMD mode. It is added copy protection (if it doesn't have it yet), and then padded to 146 kbit/s, without any transcoding. The padding is the same as for 132 kbit/s, that's why a unit is unable to distingush it, and says "LP2 stereo" in file properties. What you actually have on the disc is a 105 kbit/s file occupying the same space as a 132 kbit/s one. 105 kbit/s in Hi-MD mode is a different story. More details on 66 and 105 kbit/s may be found here: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=15928. I've just corrected padding and re-encoding information there.

I don't promise anything, but you may try using an older English version of SonicStage (4.2 or 4.3) with new drivers from 4.4, which are separately available here: http://dl1.aii.co.jp/contents/connect/_dat...r/pa_driver.zip.

I can only tell you that those are stored in "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Sony Corporation\SonicStage\Packages\MtData.mdb". The file is actually a Microsoft Access database with a really crazy and stupid structure.

Sir, if I offended you in any way, please accept my sincere apologies. And please don't replace your photo - it is really great!

sfbp, from what I know about the "intestines" of SonicStage, I can only answer as follows: 1. Maybe. 2. Maybe. 3. Maybe. 4. Noone knows. BTW, has anyone ever told you that your smile makes Chevy Chase look like the most boring person ever born?

Don't forget that there's no way to transfer SP from a computer to a minidisc!

Simply heating the recording layer to its Curie point is not enough to change its magnetic properties - it will retain the magnetic direction it had before heating.

The MZ-RH910 is an absolutely great unit! With the most convenient controls and a big 5-line non-burning-out liquid crystal display. I was lucky enough to get one in perfect condition and with a complete set of standard accessories for just $170 last summer. $260 is a great price for the unit with the addition of headphones and two mics. As for the program - MD Simple Burner transfers faster than SonicStage, but provides less available bitrates - only 48 kbit/s, 64 kbit/s (Hi-LP), and 256 kbit/s (Hi-SP) and PCM for Hi-MD, and 66 kbit/s (LP4) and 132 kbit/s (LP2) for MD. On the other hand, SonicStage also provides 66 kbit/s, 105 kbit/s, 132 kbit/s, 192 kbit/s and 352 kbit/s for Hi-MD.

If the ribbon cable is broken, there is absolutely no way to modify the disc. This even prevents the unit from uploading already recorded discs, since it has to write some DRM atavisms to them. On the other hand, if the ribbon cable is not broken completely, but is just beginning to break, it may still be possible to erase the disc (since not much information is being written in the process), but not possible to record anything properly.

Ratings are stored in the SonicStage database, and, as such, can only be saved using the Backup Tool. But it needs an authentication server, so it will be impossible to use it after the end of 2008.

Don't worry! As long as your ATRAC files are nor DRM-ed (and you may use the SonicStage File Conversion Tool with the "Add copy protection" box unchecked to make them non-protected), you may copy them from the "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\SonicStage\Packages" folder using Windows Explorer, and then re-import them to SonicStage on another computer. As to where to get a SonicStage to keep w/o the need to authenticate it - here's the link + some info (sorry for my crazy cross-linking): http://www.atraclife.com/forums/index.php?...ost&p=31747

In 4.0 they actually removed the capability to rip CDs directly to 66 or 105 kbit/s. Here's the way to get it back: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=15928 (works with 4.0 and later versions).

If the recording has track marks, then it will always be uploaded as separate tracks. Removing track marks on the unit is REALLY boring. The way to combine tracks on the computer after uploading: 1. Run SonicStage File Conversion Tool, and convert your library with the "Add copy protection" box unchecked. This removes any DRM SonicStage adds to your recording while uploading. AND your files will be safe in case anything stupid happens to SonicStage protection keys. Do this every time you upload anything, no matter whether you need to combine the files. 2. Start SonicStage and select all uploaded tracks (make sure they are in the correct order). 3. Select Edit->Combine... from the menu. The process may take some time. I would also advise to set SonicStage so that it uploads legacy (SP) recordings as PCM, and not as ATRAC3plus 256 kbit/s (which is the default). No one needs an additional lossy-to-lossy conversion. LP2 or LP4 is always uploaded "as is".

To fully answer the original question. The build of SonicStage 3.4 that comes with the RH1 (3.4.03.15140) is actually unique, since it includes a dedicated driver for the RH1 (NETMD052.sys), and the functionality required to upload legacy recordings (including the "Import settings" page). The original build of SonicStage 3.4 that was available for download (3.4.01.13062) did not have the driver or the legacy functionality for the RH1 (although it can be used for Hi-MD transfers to/from the unit). I have never seen the "RH1" build of 3.4 officially available anywhere on the Internet. But currently the best version to work with the RH1 is 4.2, unless you are using Vista, in which case 4.3 is the only option. --- And to address the last few questions to some extent. 1. SonicStage 4.2 will allow you download/upload music in Hi-MD format without any restriction (if you do not turn Copy Protection on). But filenames will be changed during upload (to something like 001-Track Name.oma), and the Release Year information for the album will be lost during the process (it will still be stored in files, but SonicStage is unable to read it for some reason). 2. If you have recorded anything using a NetMD portable from an external source (analog or optical), or from a computer using the MD Simple Burner program, then these recordings are uploadable by the RH1. If, however, you have transferred tracks to a NetMD unit (or to a Hi-MD unit in NetMD mode) using SonicStage, then these tracks will not be uploadable. 3. If you record on the RH1 and upload to a PC using SonicStage 3.4 or later, tracks will still be editable on the unit. But any tracks downloaded from a PC to the unit (whether previously self-recorded or ripped from CDs) are not editable on the unit. Of course, tracks downloaded in Hi-MD mode can be uploaded to a PC again, and edited there. 4. Now for some bad news. The original minidisc format, now called SP (Standard Play), which is used on all pre-recorded (pressed, non-rewritable) minidiscs, cannot exist on a computer. Why? Ask Dolby Laboratories. There is no computer codec for this format, so you can only upload it as PCM or ATRAC3plus@256 kbit/s. And you can only download it via an intermediate downconversion to ATRAC3@132 kbit/b, which results in a serious decrease of quality. In other words, you can upload an SP disc to a PC, and burn the music to an Audio CD without any loss of quality, but you absolutely can not make a perfect copy of an SP disc on a minidisc again.

This sounds like the ribbon cable going to the magnetic overwrite head is broken (this is the weakest part of any [Hi]MD recorder/downloader). A service center will hardly be able to fix it, since they are only capable of replacing parts these days, and the OWH part for the NH1 is out of production for quite a few years. Although some people have actually fixed this problem by soldering very thin wires in place of the broken cable. Try to find one of those people. Here's a great description of the process: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=4712

The first of my RH1s behaved this way for the first few days, Then the problem disappeared. Leave the unit off and disconnected for an hour (with the battery inside), then connect the USB/power cord, and then plug the adapter into the wall socket. This may help.

Not quite so, since only the lossy part is downloaded to the unit.

All required drivers (updated versions) for NetMD are already included with SonicStage 4.3/4.2. But if you want to make full-quality SP discs, you'll need to record them via optical-in or on a CD to MD unit, since SonicStage can not download full-quality SP.

You can download full installers for SonicStage 4.2 and 4.3 for VAIO and the respective drivers using links provided in this message: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?s=&am...st&p=117697 and then store them in a safe place. BTW, these installers don't need an Internet connection or an authentication server to work. As long as you don't have any DRM'ed content and your installation key is not damaged for some reason (this may happen sometimes), SonicStage will work fine. If the key is damaged, and the authentication server is no longer available, simply remove and reinstall SonicStage, and then reimport files from your old library.

Very briefly (more detailed recommendations may be found in this forum): 1. Go to Start>Settings>Control Panel>Add/Remove Programs and remove any instances of SonicStage, OpenMG Secure Module and OpenMG Limited Patch (if any). 2. Delete the following folders (you'll lose all of your SonicStage library after that, so you'll need to re-import music again): C:\Program Files\Sony\SonicStage C:\Program Files\Sony\OpenMG Jukebox C:\Program Files\Sony\Personal Audio Driver C:\Program Files\Common Files\Sony Shared\AVLib C:\Program Files\Common Files\Sony Shared\OpenMG C:\Program Files\Common Files\Sony Shared\StopMusicServer C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\SonicStage 3. It doesn't look like you are experienced enough to try cleaning the registry. So, leave it alone. Or run an automatic registry-cleaning program such as TuneUp, a 30-day fully-functional trial of which is officially available from http://www.tune-up.com/download - it will clean most of SonicStage remnants (but not all). 4. Reinstall SonicStage 4.2. I recommend using a full installer from the alternate link in this message: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?s=&am...st&p=117697 and the driver installer from the same message.

I think a solution may be to contact a SONY-authorized service center. But the price may be really high. If in Moscow, you may try these guys: http://www.irp.ru (although I have no experience ordering from them). Just checked the service manual. In order to replace the display, you'll need to order the LCD module (basically, the display, a small board and a connector). Its Part Number is 1-805-493-11.