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Minidisc Help

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NowThen

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Hi,

I'm new to all of this so my apologies if this topics is accidently placed in the wrong section of the forum...I have a mini-disc player and want to be able to hear playback through my computer's speakers, how do I go about hooking this up and do I need hardware/software to do this? I appreciate your advice. I look forward to this minidisc community.

Thanks.

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What model MD do you have?

If it is a Hi-MD (MZ-NH*** or MZ-RH***) then you can connect it via USB, play back through your computer speakers and control playback with SonicStage.

If it is not a Hi-MD then you have to get a cord (stereo miniplug to stereo miniplug, like what's on the end of your headphones) to connect the headphone-out jack to a line-in jack on your soundcard, then enable your soundcard to play what's coming through Line-In. (Click on the little speaker icon in the taskbar.) NetMD units (Sony MZ-N**) have a USB connector, and you can control playback on the unit through SonicStage, but you're playing back analog instead of digital.

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What model MD do you have?

If it is a Hi-MD (MZ-NH*** or MZ-RH***) then you can connect it via USB, play back through your computer speakers and control playback with SonicStage.

If it is not a Hi-MD then you have to get a cord (stereo miniplug to stereo miniplug, like what's on the end of your headphones) to  connect the headphone-out jack to a line-in jack on your soundcard, then enable your soundcard to play what's coming through Line-In. (Click on the little speaker icon in the taskbar.) NetMD units (Sony MZ-N**) have a USB connector, and you can control playback on the unit through SonicStage, but you're playing back analog instead of digital.

Hi A440

The model I have is a Panasonic SJ-MR220. From your answer it seems I'll need a cord to plug into my Minidisc and to the line-in jack of my computer. What is Sonic Stage?

Thanks.

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Playing digitally via USB works for HiMD units with HiMD-formatted discs.

Legacy MDs [MDLP or SP discs] can only be played via the analogue route, i.e. by running a cable from the headphone or line output [if there is one] and routing that through a preamp, your computer, or speakers.

As A440 said, you can control any netMD or HiMD from SonicStage, but playback other than with HiMD-formatted discs is via analogue only.

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The model I have is a Panasonic SJ-MR220.

Wow, a vintage model. SonicStage is not for you because you don't have a USB connector on your MD, so don't worry about it.

OK, headphone out--->Line In on your soundcard, and the only way to control playback is with the MD unit. I hope you have a line-in. If your computer only has mic-in, then try playing through that (headphone out-->mic-in) at low volume on your computer. Again, use the Volume Control/speaker icon to select mic-in as your audio input.

But it may sound all staticky and distorted, like it does on my computer via mic-in. If you are eager to do this and your computer has a USB port, you can get the Griffin iMic, which is a line-in jack that connects through USB. It's about $40.

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