How To Back Up Minidsc

[racket]

Couldn't find the best topic area to post this.

Using SONY MDSJE480

For backing tracks for performance.

Want to make a copy of the disc for safety backup in case current disc is lost or damaged.

How to go about this please?

Best way would be to commit whole disc to memory then insert new one and copy to there. This is just a dream right? I am confusing this with using a PC or such?

help is appreciated.

racket

[dex Otaku]

Your JE480 lacks an optical output or any other type of digital connection.

The only way you can back up your discs with this unit is to copy them via analogue means to something else, most likely a computer, and back up the resulting WAV files to CDR. Track marks will be lost in the process.

It might be more practical to either go by analogue using a netMD and computer [in which case you can use win nmd, see http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=435], to see if anyoe you know has a deck that has an optical out that you could use to copy to something with an optical in.

[racket]

Your JE480 lacks an optical output or any other type of digital connection.

I am surprised a machine of this calibre does not have this.

Could the disc be put into a player that does have a digital output and backed up onto a new disc in the JE480 via the optical input?

Edited February 10, 2005 by racket

[dex Otaku]

The JE480 is considered an entry-level model [according the the minidisc.org equipment browser].

It does have an optical input, so yes, if you had another deck with optical out, you could back it up this way. This is assuming that the original recordings came from an analogue source.

The problem with this is that your backup will incur a generation loss by going from ATRAC to PCM, then back to ATRAC on the copy.

I would suggest using a computer with optical input and a deck with optical output to backup to CDR to avoid this generation loss.

Otherwise, using a computer with a decent sound card and the deck your already have, making a copy via analogue connections would still incur less of a loss than copying MD to MD, and permit backing up to CDR [which is more reliable than audio CD as a backup medium].

[racket]

You are one helpful dude. And awake at the same time as me as well. (20 past midnight here in Oz).

As the goal is to end up with another minidisc with the same material on it, can you give any more detail as to how i would get the material back onto a disc. And with this as my intention, would I not go from md to hard drive rather than CDR and then back to (my backup)md?

Lastly, is this a straighforward thing to fit up the PC with an optical input?

[racket]

BTW THE SOURCE IS MIDITRACKS RECORDED TO CD SO i SUPPOSE IT IS ANALOGUE

[racket]

sorry, i guess you can see I wish to end up with the same marterial, order, gaps etc( I guess an "image") anything to avoid real time recording of each song all over again

[dex Otaku]

As the goal is to end up with another minidisc with the same material on it, can you give any more detail as to how i would get the material back onto a disc. And with this as my intention, would I not go from md to hard drive rather than CDR and then back to (my backup)md? 

Here's what I would do, with just my HiMD portable:

* copy the MD to my computer [yes, the hard disc] .. I'd do this via analogue means, since I have no deck with digital out

* back the whole recording up on a CDR or DVDR

* copy this to another MD, again via analogue, since I have no optical out

* correct the trackmarks on the MD if necessary

..

Now.. if I had a deck with optical I/O and a computer with optical I/O, I'd do this:

* copy the MD to the computer via optical

* back the whole thing up on CD or DVDR

* split the recording if necessary; whatever it takes to make each track its own file

* copy via optical to another MD

Depending on how compliant the optical interface is, and what software I'd be using, trackmarks may or may not show up correctly. It might still be necessary to fix trackmarks, in other words.

Lastly, is this a straighforward thing to fit up the PC with an optical input?

Yes. Here's one example of a USB device that has optical in -and- out: M-Audio Transit

There are also PCI digital I/O cards that do the same thing. I'd go for the USB device, myself - you could use it anywhere, with any computer, and it has analogue 24/96 I/O as well.

In any case, the process involving MD will be realtime.

[racket]

Thanks again for spending the time.

Now.. if I had a deck with optical I/O and a computer with optical I/O, I'd do this:

* copy the MD to the computer via optical

* back the whole thing up on CD or DVDR

* split the recording if necessary; whatever it takes to make each track its own file

* copy via optical to another MD

Then...

In any case, the process involving MD will be realtime.

Does the last point in the first quote relate to the second quote. Not sure what you mean by the second quote. Do you mean when the "saved' content on the Hard drive gets put onto the new MD that it goes on real time....?

[racket]

Hmm,

I THINK you mean that when you say COPY from minidisc to whereever that you actually mean play the tracks real time. Gawd.. If right this is quite a job. And does it have to "record" (real time) to the new mindisc for the final copy...?

[dex Otaku]

Hmm,

I THINK you mean that when you say COPY from minidisc to whereever that you actually mean play the tracks real time. Gawd.. If right this is quite a job. And does it have to "record" (real time) to the new mindisc for the final copy...?

←

Any copying to/from the MD is done in realtime, yes. Optical digital I/O is realtime only. Analogue I/O is realtime only.