Non Proprietary(can Use Linux)minidiscs No S.stage

[gctaylor]

Hi,

Are there minidiscs or something with a similar name that doesn't use proprietary technology?

I want to record music lessons, but don't want to have to use Sonicstage to transfer the music. I want to use Linux and either transfer the .wav, .mp3, or some other widely used format directly between the MD and Linux. With the Sony Hi-MD units that I've been researching, they need Sonicstage, and that only runs on Windows. I'm sorry if this is a FAQ, I've been looking off and on for a few weeks and can't seem to find this answer.

Thanks,

Gary

[zerodB]

Nope there's nothing for non-windows PCs.

Windows PCs are largely limited to using SonicStage, however there are some other programs out there (ie BeatJam) that will do the trick.

HiMDs will only record in ATRAC3+ or Linear PCM - even so you'll need SonicStage to upload these recordings - however they can be converted to WAV - free of any DRM restrictions.

Perhaps you should try real-time recording from MD to PC - it probably wouldn't be too much slower than L-PCM transfers over USB.

[gctaylor]

I was afraid of that. I was hoping maybe some other manufacturer had made a good recorder and used something like MP3 or WAV format. Maybe that wouldn't be a true Minidisc then and is off topic for this forum?

Thanks again,

Gary

[A440]

You can try hard-drive recorders from Creative (Nomad Jukebox), Archos and iRiver, or the compact-flash card recorder from Marantz.

[zerodB]

I was hoping maybe some other manufacturer had made a good recorder and used something like MP3 or WAV format.

←

HiMDs can record in "WAV" format, it's Linear PCM. However you are still limited to using SonicStage to upload/download data.

2G HiMDs can play MP3s but not record them

[gctaylor]

You can try hard-drive recorders from Creative (Nomad Jukebox), Archos and iRiver, or the compact-flash card  recorder from Marantz.

←

Just in case anyone is following along. This might be of use to someone else. I've checked out some of the recorders mentioned above. So far it looks like the Archos would be the best for my needs. The Archos models Gmini™220 and Gmini™400 allow direct transfer via USB. One of the models is explicitly supported in Linux, but the Sales Rep indicated that either model should be able to transfer files as long as the PC could read USB devices.

Thanks for the information in all the replies.

Gary