Problems with Sonic Stage-What should I use instead?

[sknight]

Just got mymz-nhf800 yesterday and I like it until I have to use the Sonicstage. Lots of problems. THis is a tedious program to use.

First, I keep getting the upgrade window because I have 2.0 and there's a 2.2. The download doesn't work. It keeps saying I already have it, but that's besides the point.

1. The system keeps asking me to check my drive, which keeps failing. Won't allow MD Simple Burner to be used.

2. The system is not user friendly and constantly needs to be tended to. A long term of downloads will usually fail at some point, at which point I need to start it again.

3. Copying CD's to my hard drive through WinMedia and then importing them to Sonicstage is a pain because I have to import track by track and not album by album. During the importing, the Sonicstage consistantly alters the order of track, by putting the last track of each CD first.

4. I don't like the download restriction and possible tracking of my behavior through the software.

Is there something out there that's better to use that this? I'm new, so I'm trying to learn everything as well as I possibly can.

To avoid any other questions, my computer is decently new, virus and ad/spyware free. So crashing is going to be inherent to the program.

Edit: just got it to successfully check the cd drive by inserting a cd without an enhanced section. It seems all the unsuccessful attempts were with enhanced cd's.

[mutant1345]

1. (answered in the edit)

2. yes this problem is something that cant be fixed but problem solving by others in the forum might have a way to help

3. try importing the cd via sonicstage so it stays in order and cddb can name the tracks for you instantly.(just a suggestion)

4. download restriction via connect? and what spacificly do you mean by tracking of your behavior?

and last but not least the only thing to use other than sonic stae is the units recording abilities on its own no other program has been granted the "honor" by sony to allow them to make such recordings.....

>>>realplayer can do netmd recordings but not very well.......<<<<

[dex Otaku]

Download the SS 2.2 installer directly from http://www.connect.com

DRM is inherent to HiMD. SS is the only software that will download/upload music in Sony's formats. It's easiest to use SS itself to do your ripping/encoding. Importing tracks as wave files means you have no track number properties [and SS doesn't allow changing track numbers for some reason].

Basically: take it or leave it.

SS rarely crashes on my system, but then, I'm meticulous about what I leave running [including shutting down unnecessary system services]. I still run with the same mentality I've had since I was running OS/2 2.1 on a 486 with 8MB of memory: conserve memory at all costs. Ditch everything that isn't absolutely necessary. Turn off the stupid desktop enhancements that take up CPU and RAM. The list goes on.

SS is not rock-solid, but in the 2 months I've been running it I've had it crash fewer than 10 times, and I've transferred maybe 100 discs worth of music out, and every recording I've made in.

If it's that unreliable on your system, I'd look at what else you're running. Going by others' accounts, it sounds like I pretty much have the most reliable running copy of SS that I know of. [Funny thing being that, despite that fact, I hate its interface and how much of it functions.]

[Embio]

if u mean the limits on download to MD, all u need to do is run the MP3 through an MP3>WAV converter then do WAV>MP3 - works, but its a pain