Any Ways To Replace Sonicstage?

[goodie]

Hi everybody,

I just opened my MZ-N10 and started using it. I like it a lot, but I hate the SonicState software... I find it quite slow, full of features and animations I could not care less about, as well as some problems when playing with the files without doing so through teh application (eg moving files to another folder etc...). And that interface is so not intuitive... anyways, i'm just weird maybe but i just don't get used to it...

I also have seen that it is all managed by 2 Access Databases that I find are not that great so well, though I like the product, I can't say the software to interact with it has been proven good to me yet.

So.... my question is whether there is some sort of SDK or way to basically write my own version of Sonicstage with the features I want. I'm not trying to hack or do anything illegal here, I just want to be able to use my MD the way I want to without relying on the need to manually update a Database when I do something without using Sonicstage (had to do that twice already...). I did not find any COM/COM+ interface used by the software but will look more into it.

If anybody has any idea what I'm trying to achieve and understands my frustration, please let me know ).

Thank you,

Goodie

[Syrius]

Unless it's Realplayer, no. Try SS 3.0 or 3.1. It has never given me any problems.

[MAVickers]

I just opened my MZ-N10 and started using it. I like it a lot, but I hate the SonicState software... I find it quite slow, full of features and animations I could not care less about, as well as some problems when playing with the files without doing so through teh application (eg moving files to another folder etc...). And that interface is so not intuitive... anyways, i'm just weird maybe but i just don't get used to it...

←

You can turn the animations off (I do) in the settings (I'm in the middle of a Sonic Stage 30 GB library backup so I can't find the setting right this second... sorry).

Once you get your music into Sonic Stage you probably want to forget about moving them around. I find not having control of file locations pretty aggravating, but having gone this way for awhile I'm used to it.

I also have seen that it is all managed by 2 Access Databases that I find are not that great so well, though I like the product, I can't say the software to interact with it has been proven good to me yet.

That IS a mystery as to why they used Access as the DB is easily hackable, but I guess they decided to spend more time developing that wonderful user interface than build a proprietary DB.

So.... my question is whether there is some sort of SDK or way to basically write my own version of Sonicstage with the features I want.

Negative on that. I'm sure we would have seen a MusicMatch or WinAmp plugin by now if that were the case.

[hobgoblin]

if the content of the database cant be understood then the security of the database is not important...

[MAVickers]

if the content of the database cant be understood then the security of the database is not important...

←

It's quite easy to understand the contents of the SS database, actually. I just don't think there is anything worth securing in it.

[zerodB]

The access databases mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. They are just acting a references. The real DRM encryption goes on in the OpenMG Secure Module.

There do exist NetMD and HiMD APIs - the NetMD API was the basis of the "WinNMD" program, so in theory, once someone has worked out how to utilize these currently undocumented interfaces, some clever programmer could write an alternative program to transfer OpenMG content to disc. However, that's about as far as you could possibly go using these protocols - they're simply there to help the OpenMG module interface with the devices.

You'd still need an OpenMG compliant program such as SonicStage to create the OpenMG content to begin with - so that's where you're stuck. You'd need to then hack & decompile SonicStage to work out how the app interfaces with OpenMG - that would be against Sony EULA and illegal.

That having been said, at the end of the day, you'd still be restricted to using the OpenMG module and all the software/hardware restrictions it entails.

Since there is no SDK or any other documentation available, it would probably be best to just use the workarounds currently in place.

Here's a list of what we DO know:

* There ARE directshow filters for OpenMG - meaning you can playback OpenMG content in Windows Media Player - but it will not playback files gaplessly, nor will it read the tag information from the file. In addition you will get an error message from WMP complaining of an unrecognised format each time you open an *.oma/*.omg file, but it will still play nonetheless. Perhaps someone could write a plugin for WMP to counter these issues?

* On that point, the tag information for OpenMG content is stored at the very end of your *.omg/*.oma files in an XML structure. I'm not 100% sure on this, but from what I remember, if you try and edit the tags manually, the file will no longer be playable by the OpenMG subsytem - it must be security/DRM issues.

* MarcNet has created a wonderful program which will convert OpenMG to WAV - resorting to back-hand techniques and the Directshow filters to bypass the OpenMG encryption. It does a great job, I am told.

* RealPlayer has a plugin which allows transfer of RealMedia and MP3 content to NetMD devices. The thing is - RealMedia incorporates the ATRAC3 encoding algorithm. Again, I am not 100% sure, but I suspect that RealAudio @ 133kbps is the same thing as OpenMG Audio @ 133kbps (LP2).

When transferring music to your NetMD device, RealPlayer will convert the RealAudio or MP3 file into an OpenMG file stored elsewhere on your hard disk - and THAT data is transfered via the OpenMG secure module to your MD device. With earlier versions of the OpenMG module, the 3-checkout limit still applies, contrary to what everyone else says. What the program ACTUALLY does is just re-convert the original MP3 or RealAudio file after the check-out limit has been reached - thus giving the apperance of an un-limited number of checkouts. However, the new versions of the OpenMG secure module allow unlimted transfers of an OpenMG file to a device, so this should not be a problem presently.

FYI, Programs that WILL interface with the OpenMG secure module include:

- SonicStage

- BeatJam (Alterantive to SonicStage supplied with Sharp NetMDs - for more info check out the bablefish translation of the justsystem.co.jp website - http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/t...m%2Findex.html)

- NetMD Simpleburner / MD Simpleburner

- SonicStage Simpleburner (program for ATRAC CD Walkmans before the advent of SonicStage 2+ with ATRAC CD creation features)

- RealPlayer (with NetMD plugin)

- MAGIQLIP2 (I don't know anything about this program other than the fact that it exists. It's mentioned on the mora.co.jp website and is freely downloadble - checkout the bablefish translation again - http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/t...player%2fMQ2%2f

It's in japanese only from what I can see - perhaps you could ask someone like Ishiyoshi to check it out for you.)

Ok, I hope all that info helps. I would suggest to just to a bit of research and digging yourself. You might come up with something!

Cheers, zero.

[goodie]

Hi everybody,

First of all, thanks for all the help and comments. I've decided to try and figure some stuff out with the undocumented interfaces available when you install SonicStage. So far it has not been proven successful but I think it's definitely possible to get something good custom made

I will post here any findings I make.

'till then, thanks everbody

Goodie