Avrin

You may use the latest SoundForge to convert to ATRAC3[plus], but you'll still need SS to transfer. And I'm not sure how SS will like files converted via SoundForge.

And dont't forget that ripping directly to ATRAC3 gives gapless playback, while ripping to MP3 and subsequently converting to ATRAC3 does not.

And remove any previous versions before installing 4.2. Backup your library (if any) before doing this. Then clean any traces of SonicStage, as described elsewhere in this forum, clean your TEMP folders, and restart your computer. Then try installing 4.2 again. SS42 installer does not remove previous versions completely. Some conponents still remain (like the OpenMG add-on).

This problem is most probably the result of automatic registry cleaning. SonicStage creates a "fake" CLSID in the registry to store your key. A registry cleaning program removes this CLSID, since it does not reference a real library. I had this problem a few times after running TuneUp Utilities. The solution to this is to put the CLSID into the exclusion list, if the program has one. The way I did it: 1. Cleaned the registry completely with TuneUp. 2. Started SonicStage immediately after this, and let the Wizard do its job. 3. Started TuneUp Utilities again immediately after this, and analyzed the registry once again (without cleaning). Put all newly-found problems to the exclusion list. No problems ever since. If you reinstall SonicStage completely, it creates a different CLSID, and you will have to put it into the exclusion list again (you may remove the old CLSID from the list, since it is not used anymore).

It is completely useless on NetMD, unless you already have files encoded at this bitrate. If you have a CD, you'd better rip the tracks to ATRAC3@132, and put those on NetMD - you'll use the same disc space, but will get better quality. But if you want to use ATRAC3@105 with HiMD, it is a different story. Rip the CD at this bitrate (use the registry hack described here http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=15928 to enable ripping to ATRAC3@105 again - it works with SS42 also), and transfer the tracks to the disc - you'll get adequate quality using less space.

bobt, you are exactly right. I mostly use ATRAC3plus@192 (and sometimes ATRAC3plus@256 for really complicated and fast music) for the music I listen at home through my Hi-Fi stereo system. Sounds excellent, has almost no artifacts (and I know what good quality is), and adequate disc capacity. But for the music to listen in a noisy street, or on the subway, ATRAC3@105 really shines. Yes, it was useless for MDs with its padding up to the size of ATRAC3@132, but since there is no padding on HiMD, it is excellent with its 20+ hours on a HiMD blank and 6+ hours on an MD one. A single MD dics full of ATRAC3@105 is more than enough for a day's travel, while 3 hours of ATRAC3plus@192 is frequently not. And the way ATRAC3@105 sounds reminds me of the good old days of cassette players.

Tested it (on Depeche Mode's "The Best of Vol.1"). Sounds like a good Type I (Normal) Compact Cassette (there was that standard in 1970's) recorded by a good cassette deck. An old friend of mine (an iRiver fan) was shaken by the sheer sound quality of the album played at this bitrate by my good old RH10. I really like the sound of ATRAC3@105. It has finally found its way on HiMD!!! No more 41 kbit/s padding!!! And I'm a DVD-Audio fan. And I am a vinyl collector.

I would advice using Adobe Audition to prepare your MP3 files first. Use the "Open Append" function, which is unique to Adobe Audition. It opens MP3s in 32-bit format on a single timeline, which is very useful for full albums. You will then be able to remove gaps between tracks, if any. 32-bit format allows to do this without adding much distortion. Then convert the timeline to 16-bit (by pressing F11 - keep all default options, as they are really good), and export the files to WAV format (via Alt+8). After that import the WAVs into SonicStage, and try using CDDB on them. With a great probability, it will find the names of ALL tracks. Or you will have to correct the data for just a few of them. Then convert the files to ATRAC3@132kbps (since you only have a NetMD unit now), delete the WAVs from SonicStage, and transfer the music to your unit. I would advice buying a HiMD unit, and using ATRAC3plus@192kbps for transferring MP3s. And yes, a HiMD will accept existing LP2 files. They will even occupy less space in HiMD mode, since bit padding is not used. And old MD blanks can be reformatted to HiMD giving the ability to store about 3 hours of ATRAC3plus@192kbps or almost 5 hours of LP2 (the discs will no longer be compatible with non-HiMD units, although it is possible to reformat them back to "classic" MD (you will have to transfer tracks back to your computer before that)). One more thing. Only MZ-RH1 is currently able to transfer tracks FROM legacy MDs.

It does. It really does. The technology is somewhat similar to Panasonic's "DOUBLE REMASTER" or "MULTI REMASTER" on their modern DVD-players, but DSEE really works a naturally softer, SONYer way. On PC only (yet?)... And it is most probably able to add some more "naturality" at high bitrates, despite what I said above. ADDED: The technology has nothing in common with MP3pro, HE-ACC, or WMA. It is about restoration, not acoustical deception.

DSEE is for computer playback only. It really adds higher frequencies above the cutoff frequency of a file (not quite linearly, though). Easy to hear or discover using spectrum analysis at low bitrates. But it can hardly do anything at 256 kbps and above, since there is nothing to add (the full frequency spectrum is already present). ADDED: ATRAC CD burning seems to be fixed in 4.2.

Great post, spiff!!!

Looks like nobody cares about an offline installer, or the ability to download all separate SonicStage installation components for the version you like (3.4 - 4.2, any region, any available language). The problem is that I know all links. All of these are online. Sorry, SONY, SonicStage is not Internet Explorer (which saves installation files). We have to trace where it downloads itself from. And I've successfully done this. And I promise not to disclose the technique to use the CONNECT US Online Radio to download (and save) the music to anyone's liking. This technique is really simple, and any SS user can discover it.

Well, the driver for the RH1 is the same in both versions, but 4.2 seems a bit more faster-loading and stable. If you are satisfied with 3.4, just continue using it.

Gapless recording and playback of ATRAC files is available from the very beginning of the MD format. The only prerequisite is that you have a gapless source (like a CD). Separate MP3 and other format files converted into ATRAC will not be gapless, unless you remove gaps using an application like Adobe Audition BEFORE encoding them to ATRAC.

Well, I can make a standalone installer in a couple of days (already have all necessary files), but will the administrators allow me to post it here?

Reposting from atraclife.com: DSEE actually does add some higher frequencies above the cutoff frequency of a file, but ONLY when played on the computer. No way to use this function on the unit. Try playing an ATRAC3plus 48 kbps file through good headphones with and without DSEE - you will hear the difference. Frequency analysis in Adobe Audition also demonstrates that, but it also shows that frequencies are added in a “not quite linear” way.

Man, stop shouting, and either: 1. Go and buy an iPod. 2. Stop putting MP3s onto your Hi-MD.

raintheory writes: "4.2 seems to start up quicker, and seems a bit more responsive..." It is unbelievably streamlined (err.. for SONY). This brings up real hopes!!! Sparky191 writes: "I wonder is Lossless fixed?" No, the drivers are the same (one year old at least). Those that came in the 3.4.02 package with the RH1.

ATRAC CD burning seems to be fixed. I don't own an ATRAC CD player, but still tried burning to a CD-RW. Everything went OK (no 69% glitch anymore), and all files on the CD are perfectly readable, at least by my computer. Not playable by the computer, of course.

Seems that SONY has finally brought the OpenMG Secure Module to order. No more "Limited Patches" or "Add-ons", just the "OpenMG Secure Module 4.6.01" in "Add/Remove Programs". BTW, the old "OpenMG AAC Add-on" is not uninstalled when you upgrade to SS42, despite the fact that it is no longer needed (it is now integrated with the main module). I would recommend backing up your Library, completely uninstalling the previous version, cleaning up the registry, installing the new version "from scratch", and then restoring your Library from the backup. In this way you will get a clean installation without any "atavisms".

Well, LP2 (ATRAC3 132kbps) really rocks when recorded to a Hi-MD. At least its trackmark shift error is almost insignificant (as compared to any ATRAC3plus bitrate). And it is not padded on a Hi-MD. And almost everyone is going to survive its sincere 17.5 kHz cutoff, which allows it to encode the lower (hearable) frequencies with really good quality.

Taping the spokes is not the best solution. The problem is that the same spokes are used to distinguish between MD and Hi-MD blanks, and taping them may cause the unit to use wrong burning modes (these are absolutely different for Hi-MD blanks and Hi-MD formatted MD blanks). Also, taping the spokes themselves causes the unit to treat all discs as write-enabled, regardless of the tab position. I guess it is better to tape the respective holes on discs than the spokes in the unit. Also you may try accurately pushing the spokes a few times with a match. This may cause them to operate correctly again, at least for some time.

Looks like the write-protection sensor in your unit is out of order. Actually, there are two of them - one for old MD discs (no matter in which format), and another for 1GB Hi-MD discs. But they do not sense the position of the tab itself - they use two small round holes on the underside of the disc. When a hole is closed, this means that the disc is write-enabled. The hole closer to the front edge of the disc indicates the state of an MD disc (the other one is always open on it), and the next [oval on 1 GB Hi-MDs] hole is used for HiMD (the first one is always open in this case). So, try another format disc (an MD blank formatted as Hi-MD, if you used Hi-MD blanks previously), and see if it records properly. And be very careful when experimenting with adhesive tape. Never cover both holes. Also, take care so that the tape does not peel off and stay inside the unit, as it may cause really serious damage.

The "äçðöø" actually looks promising. Try tweaking further. I still get "äçðöø"-like stuff sometimes, but mostly Russian names transfer OK. At least the "?????" is no longer... SONY!!! Do you have any conscience? You've again made a standard, which is better than you could've ever imagined. Is it going the way your previous excellent stadards went?

Unfortunately, I don't know Greek, and don't have Greek support on my PC. But I know for sure, that even 15 year-old Japanese word-processors (like CASIOWORD HW-6000V - just checked its manual) have support for both Greek and Russian (and Greek comes before Russian in the character set table). This was years before Unicode. So the Hi-MD must also support Greek. Try tweaking your Regional Settings further. As for a Russian sample - I have no idea where to get a Russian song in MP3 legally, AND with Russian tags. You may try renaming any track using Cyrillic character set (use the Character Map, if you don't have a Russian keyboard). Then just check that the titles are the same on the PC, and on the Hi-MD. Don't forget to enable support for Russian in your Regional settings.