DaveinJapan Posted December 14, 2004 Report Share Posted December 14, 2004 Hi all. Cool forum. Wish I'd checked it out BEFORE I bought my player today (I probably would've got the Hi-MD instead, but anyway). Bought a Sony, MZ-N920 (good price too, around 250 bucks or so). My first NET md, so I'm a newbie. Sorry if these questions are old, or dumb. First of all, I tried downloading at connect.com, and got a message that it was only for people in the U.S. Any suggestions? (maybe from U.K. or Canada people? cause I don't want to bother with a site in Japanese) Second, I assume that the only way to download through USB is by first making CD's out of my wave files. Is this the case? Is there any way that I can download one wave file at a time, without bothering with a CD? Third, I have a soundblaster soundcard BUT no optical line-in on it. However, there's an optical-in in the front of the computer. I tried plugging the player into the computer via optical-in (for digital uploading), but the player read "no signal". What am I doing wrong? Finally, there's a chance that I could pass off this player and go back and get a Hi-MD. It would cost me a couple hundred bucks more though. I'm pretty okay with uploading in real time (ESPECIALLY if I can go digital, the Hi-MD uploads only analog recordings right?), is there any other serious reason for me to go Hi-MD, or should I stick with what I bought? Is the recording quality remarkably better or something? Thanks in advance! :cool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROMBUSTERS Posted December 15, 2004 Report Share Posted December 15, 2004 First of all, I tried downloading at connect.com, and got a message that it was only for people in the U.S. Any suggestions? (maybe from U.K. or Canada people? cause I don't want to bother with a site in Japanese)There should be a version of SS for you no matter where you are. If your looking for the Japanese version then all I can suggest is to navigate their website. Second, I assume that the only way to download through USB is by first making CD's out of my wave files. Is this the case? Is there any way that I can download one wave file at a time, without bothering with a CD?wrong. as long as you have the format in either WAV,ATRAC or MP3 and in some cases WMA it'll work. But u need SonicStage to do it. open SS and it'll convert them to ATRAC for you (and your netMD) Third, I have a soundblaster soundcard BUT no optical line-in on it. However, there's an optical-in in the front of the computer. I tried plugging the player into the computer via optical-in (for digital uploading), but the player read "no signal". What am I doing wrong?not sure, ive never done optical recordings before but maybe your PC is not set up to send sound out of that channel and that would be a more soundblaster related question that an MD one. Finally, there's a chance that I could pass off this player and go back and get a Hi-MD. It would cost me a couple hundred bucks more though. I'm pretty okay with uploading in real time (ESPECIALLY if I can go digital, the Hi-MD uploads only analog recordings right?), is there any other serious reason for me to go Hi-MD, or should I stick with what I bought? Is the recording quality remarkably better or something?Personally it depends on how much storage you want on one disc. For example using your netMD i think you can get something like 5 hours LP4 on one disc. well using the same disc reformatted in HiMD mode you can get many many more hours same file same quality. Atrac3+ is a mixed bag though. HiMD can also do digital recordings via optical in or again downloading through USB. Its all up to personal choice wether you take it back or not but i remember my MZ-N505 (oldie) netMD and it got something like 56hours of playback for one battery versus the HiMDs 20-something in best case senarios Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveinJapan Posted December 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2004 Very cool info, RB, thanks so much!! I'm glad you pointed out that info about battery life, that's a big factor for me (and even with my old MD player, I was impressed with how long I could use it between charges as I often take long trips and use the MD player constantly). In fact, that might just have made up my mind in favor of the player I have now. :cool: Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
campekenobi Posted December 15, 2004 Report Share Posted December 15, 2004 I still can't believe you paid $250 for non-hi-MD. I got the NH900 for like $230, and there's even the entry-level hi-MD for like $160. But hey, if you're happy, you're happy. What is "net MD" anyway? Is that an upgrade from old MD players that had no computer connection at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bland10000 Posted December 15, 2004 Report Share Posted December 15, 2004 hey Dave Like you I'm in Japan, also so we can both chuckle at I still can't believe you paid $250 for non-hi-MD. I got the NH900 for like $230, and there's even the entry-level hi-MD for like $160. But hey, if you're happy, you're happy. You gotta live here to understand the prices. 300 yen for a cup of coffee...s*&t... Your issue regarded as "first" is because you are connected to the internet via Japan's Yahoo BB or Dion (which still uses Yahoo BB) and the Sony connect sight can read that via your ip address. Send 'em an e-mail because they do have a way for us to download over here. I did it last year, just didn't need to so I stopped using it and have forgotten how. Your issue regarding "second" With your unit came a copy of sonicstage 2.0. It probably has Japanese language prompts but it will load on computers that aren't Japanese. To do this, always hit the "y" or "tsugi" when prompted. If you hit the wrong button the player will quick installing, but don't worry...start over and remember to hit the other button. After the program is installed, open it. Assuming that the program asks you in English, the first pop-up will be a window asking if you want to convert your wav. / wma / mp3 files to .omg. Let it convert the files for you then you are ready to download to the computer. Also, if the s.s. interface is in Japanese, you can avoid that hassle by downloading Sony realplayer in English from real.com. When you use r.p. , sonicstage is still the manager but you never have to open the s.s. interface. Your issue called "third" Your computer may have an optical in but your md player doesn't have an optical out. There is no uploading to your computer with this player, to upload you need a hi-md unit. You can control the unit via the computer such as "play" and "stop" but the music will not play through your computer; only on the md unit. If you are a musician wanting to record yourself and make cd's then a hi-md unit would be good for you. If you want to use the player primarily as a player, occasionally using it to record a nihongo lecture / conversation or music gig to listen to later, stick with the 920. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atrain Posted December 16, 2004 Report Share Posted December 16, 2004 also for the english versions of sonicstage without the connect store try here http://www.planetmg.com/NewProd/sony-asia/...e2.3/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveinJapan Posted December 16, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2004 Thanks for that, atrain. bland, great info. thanks a lot! looks like you have the same player, cool! ***Your computer may have an optical in but your md player doesn't have an optical out*** Actually, believe it or not, my friend DOES have a player with an optical out. It was one of the first MD players on the market (before all the rules). Cool huh? Heavy as hell though. Anyway, the Hi-MD's DO have an optical out? I thought you could only upload analog, or something like that. Nice town you live in, by the way. I like hangin out in Yokohama (pretty far from where I live though, I'm in Urayasu). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bananatree Posted December 16, 2004 Report Share Posted December 16, 2004 HiMDs have uploading through USB enabled, so if you really need to, you can upload the track, then convert it to WAV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bland10000 Posted December 16, 2004 Report Share Posted December 16, 2004 aye Dave Everybody knows Urayasu...it's the home of the Disney resort. Hopefully one of the moderators will read this thread and give a more informed answer. I don't know if your friends player with the optical out will be able to read a disc you have recorded on the 920 and convert it to an optical signal. So far, Sony has made the md to be backward compatible but not forward compatible. Hence, your recording in DSP type S may be an alien language to the optical reader/converter of your friends md unit with optical out. If you can get an optical upload, I'd like to know so I can start searchin' the 2nd hand shops to find me one of those optical out units. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted December 16, 2004 Report Share Posted December 16, 2004 The revision of ATRAC on the MZ-1, the aforementioned unit, is sonically inferior to the equipment we use today [as it employs the first version of ATRAC]. I can't vouch for how good it would sound or even if it would be compatible with today's encoding [as bland eludes to], and I'm not sure if it'd be a worthwhile endeavor. Test and see, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atrain Posted December 16, 2004 Report Share Posted December 16, 2004 & remember not to record in any of the Long Play formats ... SP only Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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