Review and free Download of Mac Hi-MD Wav Importer

[zerodB]

I believe the M-series works fine with windows - it comes supplied with SonicStage and is identical to the R- series HiMds in this respect. This is yet to be confirmed by any of our members though.

[otter]

Thanks for looking into this emeb and others. Your efforts are appreciated.

It would be nice to not have to buy another unit so soon after buying my RH10 just to get Mac upload capability. I would have waited a few months, but who woulda guessed that Sony would finally support Macs - in any way - after 13 years?! I use both Mac and Win so I'm fine, but I feel for you Mac-only folks, especially those with the RH.

[Syrius]

You know something, it wouldn't kill Sony if they allowed to upload WAVs with the other units. I can live without Hi-SP and Hi-LP on a Mac. But noooooo. Mr. Stringer, if you are reading this, tell the guys at engineering not to put the cart before the horse, please?

[Christopher]

I'm seeing some reports here that you can upload tracks recorded with one of these units via a MZ-RH10/910/etc. I hope this helps whoever is interested in how the handshaking process works.

[emeb]

I'm seeing some reports here that you can upload tracks recorded with one of these units via a MZ-RH10/910/etc. I hope this helps whoever is interested in how the handshaking process works.

←

That makes sense in light of the things I noticed when hacking the track data. The M-series recorders don't apply as much encryption to the audio data in the ATDATA??.HMA file as do the 1st and 2nd gen HiMD units. The Mac WAV Importer app doesn't care what hardware _uploads_ the data, just what encryption was applied at the time it was recorded, so you can record on an M-series, swap the disc into a 1st-gen machine, grab the track on your Mac and still get a good upload.

Encryption. DRM. Meh!

[Ernst]

Thanks for looking into this emeb and others. Your efforts are appreciated.

It would be nice to not have to buy another unit so soon after buying my RH10 just to get Mac upload capability. I would have waited a few months, but who woulda guessed that Sony would finally support Macs - in any way - after 13 years?! I use both Mac and Win so I'm fine, but I feel for you Mac-only folks, especially those with the RH.

I recently bought an MZ-RH910, and only have a Mac. I managed to install Virtual PC and Windows 2000 to run the Sonic Stage software, which works -- BUT: yesterday it took _SEVEN HOURS_ to upload about 20 minutes of PCM recording! And this is with a new 1.5 GHz G4 PowerBook. Insane!

Can anyone help? There must be a better way to get files in digitally! Buying a new, more expensive MD recorder is out of the question -- if I had $400-500 to spend (total) then I would not have settled for 16-bit recording.

thanks for your efforts,

Ernst

[Breepee2]

Apart from buying a Mac-unit there's simply no other option. And there will be very probably not one ever either.

[jonagold]

I have a box of field recordings that I made on regular old MDs (not Hi-MD), recorded without compression on either a Sony MZ-R700 or a Sharp unit. I've been waiting (and waiting) for a way to upload these discs to my Mac digitally, so that all track marks are preserved.

Thus I was excited to see that Sony is finally supporting Macs. But from what I'm reading, it appears that even if I spend the money on a new MZ-M100, I still will not be able to upload digitally the tracks on my old discs to my Mac.

Is this correct? And if so, is there any other way for me to do what I want to do?

Thanks!

[jadeclaw]

I still will not be able to upload digitally the tracks on my old discs to my Mac.

Is this correct? And if so, is there any other way for me to do what I want to do?

Thanks!

This is correct. Reason: The existence of prerecorded discs. I can't think of any other reason.

So, only analog HiMD-PCM recordings can be uploaded.

For your old recordings, you have three ways: 1) Record analog into the M100 (PCM-mode) and upload that.

2) Record analog into the Mac.

3) Buy a homedeck with Digital out ( e.g. on eBay ) and record digitally into the Mac, if yours have optical in.

After that, edit out again on the Mac, but the trackmarks will always be gone.

[sallymae_hogsby]

I'm seeing some reports here that you can upload tracks recorded with one of these units via a MZ-RH10/910/etc. I hope this helps whoever is interested in how the handshaking process works.

Can anyone confirm this from personal experience? I'd love to be able to use my MZ-RH910 as an auxillary "upload machine" to my Mac, without having to unhook an MZ-M10 that's set up elsewhere. (I'd been waiting for Sony to release an "indoor" Mac-friendly model for music production, but fear that's not likely now, so may go ahead and get an MZ-M10.)

Kurisu, if you have any hints that the (semi)pro use of MD might still be developed, please relieve my despair...

[maabaa]

Hello World,

I am considering the rh910. In addition to other things, I would like to be able to use it as an external storage device w/ my mac. Does anyone know if this is possible? Do I need the wav import software? Do I need to get the m10 or m100?

Thank you for any info,

marc

[atrain]

with a mac & the rh910 you will only be able to use it as a mass-storage-device not for any music playback functions

[taper420]

So my friend wants to get into recording but he doesn't have anything as opposed to me who has everything including my new Rh10. Unfortunatly I only have a mac and he only has a PC. Does anyone see where I'm going with this. I'm buying the new Mac unit and he's buying the mic and rh10 off me. Everything works out that way... Now if only I had a bunch of friends like him for all you guys stuck with a mac and rh unit.

[jonagold]

Since it's not looking good for me to be able to upload my old Minidiscs to my Macm without losing my track marks, I'm thinking about dusting off the old Sony VAIO that I have stored away. Isn't there some PC software that I can use to upload old Minidisc tracks with track marks intact? Net-MD or something? And if so, would I need a particular MD unit to do this?

Many thanks for any assistance that you all can provide.

Since it's not looking good for me to be able to upload my old Minidiscs to my Macm without losing my track marks, I'm thinking about dusting off the old Sony VAIO that I have stored away. Isn't there some PC software that I can use to upload old Minidisc tracks with track marks intact? Net-MD or something? And if so, would I need a particular MD unit to do this?

Many thanks for any assistance that you all can provide.

P.S. The VAIO has Windows ME on it, if that makes a difference with the software.

[jadeclaw]

@Jonagold: What type is your MD-recorder?

If it is a NetMD, then WinNMD might be the right thing:

http://winnmd.net/winnmd.htm

Recording is still done via Soundcard, but it uses the NetMD-connection to separate the recording into individual tracks.

[taper420]

All right I need something cleared up: I just read that you can use and RH model to upload recording made on a MH model. But I also read somewhere else on the forum that you can use an MH model to upload recordings made on an RH model. Did someone get mixed up or are both of these statements true?

[Christopher]

I haven't seen anything stating otherwise, so yes, those are both correct statements.

[Qwakrz]

Emeb, I dont suppose the problem with garbage could be a simple big endian little endian problem could it?

I know PC's use one and Mac's use the other so any data transfered from one to the other will be around the wrong way and look like garbage.

The M series could take this into account when transfering.

Just a thought

[emeb]

I'm aware of endian differences and this isn't an endian problem. Looking at the data in a hex editor shows it is completely scrambled - not merely swapped bytes. The audio should be 16-bit silence which is long runs of data near 0 with minor variations +/- a few LSBs, but instead I see full-scale random values.

Emeb, I dont suppose the problem with garbage could be a simple big endian little endian problem could it?

I know PC's use one and Mac's use the other so any data transfered from one to the other will be around the wrong way and look like garbage.

The M series could take this into account when transfering.

Just a thought

[gbrocks]

Please help:

I tried clicking on the link to download the Hi-MD WAV importer software. It took me to a page for microsoft. How can I download the software?

[david.halpern]

same problem here, goes to a microsoft page. what up?

[kpayson]

I have had nothing but GREAT results with the MZM100 uploading to the G4 Powerbook .

I record line in or mic in in pcm mode, plug the usb into my old usb 1 jack (TiBook)

and upload away - then just drag the wav files into itunes and listen away.

this is what i've been waiting for from sony and now if they move to flash or another

hd style method i have a few good years of himd to save the $ for the next technology.

thanks for coming through, sony

[Christopher]

Should be fine now.

same problem here, goes to a microsoft page. what up?

[dbrown]

I just got an MZ-M100 to record live music rehearsals and upload to a Mac over USB (NOT in realtime). I'm excited that it works at all, in PCM mode, but am pretty unhappy that Hi-SP and Hi-LP canNOT be uploaded digitally. Why? Because recording in the super-high quality PCM mode is overkill for most of my purposes, because the recording time is MUCH less in PCM mode, and because the resultant files are much larger.

Has any third party hack been written to allow transfer of the compressed modes? I know I can do it analogly, in realtime, but that's a terrible solution.

I obviously disagree strongly with this quote, from the first page of this topic, and taken from http://home.earthlink.net/~mac-minidisc/Mac-MD/MZ-M100.html

-----

"The only recordings that can be transferred to a Mac using Hi-MD WAV Importer are those made through the mic or line input in Linear PCM mode.

It's just as well, since Linear PCM provides pure, uncompressed audio quality -- and that's usually the best choice for gathering source material."

-----

Is is NOT just as well. Why should we the users be restricted in recordings we make ourselves? It's not surprising, in one sense, that there would be such artificial restrictions, given the restrictions made in the Windows software, like have to check files back in and such garbage, but unless there's some technical reason (which I'll never believe), NOT BEING ABLE TO DIGITALLY UPLOAD HI-SP AND HI-LP MODE RECORDING MADE VIA A MIC IS UNACCEPTABLE.

Obviously I'm happy there's SOME Mac support, but clearly I'm not happy.

[Roamer]

As it appears, the recordings on those units probably don't have encryption, so the PCM recordings are almost identical to the WAV: the uploading tool just need to locate and read the data, and apply the correct WAV header. Uploading compressed tracks would require Sony to write a Mac decoder for Atrac3+, and it seems that they didn't have the budget or motivation. At the same time, it took a long way for SonicStage to be where it is now, so it's better than nothing for a first release.

[maryadelyn]

Dear MiniDisc People,

Thank you so much for the HiMDWavImp Download and I do hope it works!!!! Otherwise, after having spent MANY hours painstakingly recording all chorus parts in "Lohengrin" for my courageous but musically slightly impaired tenors and basses, I wouldn't be able to transfer my SPLENDID SONY MZ-NH10 recording into my Mac and onto CDs and the men would be lost. Perhaps they still will be: I haven't tried it yet. Can anyone tell me WHY SONY is so stupid as to include software that is MAC-INCOMPATIBLE with their otherwise top-rate recording equipment?????

Thanks again, hope y'all have a nice evening, and I'll probably be back asking for advice if this doesn't work......anyone want a ticket to the Premiere in June?

maryadelyn

[jadeclaw]

Can anyone tell me WHY SONY is so stupid as to include software that is MAC-INCOMPATIBLE with their otherwise top-rate recording equipment?????

It was an economical decision. Macs have a marketshare around 2 to 3 percent, while MS-Windows holds more than 90% of all desktops.

It would even make more sense to do a Linux-Version, since Linux holds a bigger marketshare on the desktops than Apple.

Btw, the marketshare numbers for Linux are inherently false(way too low), as only monetary sales are counted, but many people download it or copy it from others or a single copy is used on many machines.

[Snuffy]

any good news for mac users? i have NH1 but unble to use this Hi-MD Wav Importer.

[MDfreak]

any good news for mac users? i have NH1 but unble to use this Hi-MD Wav Importer.

The WAV importer ONLY works with the MZ-M100 and MZ-M10.

The Hi-MD music Transfer for MAC will be a totally different software and that will be release during the summer and that will work with the RH1 (and probably with all Hi-MD's).

Let's put it in another way:

the WAV importer, M10 and M100 belong to Sony Professional

the Hi-MD music transfer for MAC and the RH1 and NH1 belong to Sony Consumer

[ptrubert]

I tested this feature last night, and even though the manual doesn't say so, you CAN manually adjust recording levels on the MZ-M100 while recording is in progess. (1) Place the unit in record-pause mode; (2) Change the recording-level setting to "Manual" using the MZ-M100's menu system; (3) start recording; (4) move the scroll wheel up and down to change levels (an on-screen bar graph provides relative feedback without obscuring the MZ-100's stereo input-level meters).

Thanks for the tip, A440!

Dale

Thank you so much for the tip.....working perfect with my MZ-RH910 !!!

ptrubert

[ptrubert]

I recently bought an MZ-RH910, and only have a Mac. I managed to install Virtual PC and Windows 2000 to run the Sonic Stage software, which works -- BUT: yesterday it took _SEVEN HOURS_ to upload about 20 minutes of PCM recording! And this is with a new 1.5 GHz G4 PowerBook. Insane!

Can anyone help? There must be a better way to get files in digitally! Buying a new, more expensive MD recorder is out of the question -- if I had $400-500 to spend (total) then I would not have settled for 16-bit recording.

thanks for your efforts,

Ernst

Same story with me !

abt 9 hours to transfer 30 min. pcm......

as usual with Sony, one has to be patient. It seems that Mac wave importer for RH1 will be avaiable...this summer (might work with all consumer HIMD models??) according to minidisc.nl

ptrubert

[insch]

I have been waiting for some time for a way to upload my recordings to my Mac. I have recorded them on an RH10 as Linear PCM. I have just tried Hi-MD Wav Importer and the tracks appear greyed out. Is this just down to the mini disc model I am using? Is there another way to get these files uploaded on the Mac without using Virtual PC?

Thanks in advance.

[Snuffy]

The WAV importer ONLY works with the MZ-M100 and MZ-M10.

The Hi-MD music Transfer for MAC will be a totally different software and that will be release during the summer and that will work with the RH1 (and probably with all Hi-MD's).

Let's put it in another way:

the WAV importer, M10 and M100 belong to Sony Professional

the Hi-MD music transfer for MAC and the RH1 and NH1 belong to Sony Consumer

Thanks for the tip. Hoping it works on NH1 though.

[insch]

thanks

is it definite that Sony will produce a version that works for other Hi-MD recorders?

best

[martian]

Any news on this for Net MD player..., I have a MZ N910..

about to try the SS in VPC..

Actually this is pretty poor implementation for mac.

[The Low Volta]

Sony offers no 'real' mac-support at all except for MZ10, MZ100 and RH1 -> uploading only (HiMD->mac) and the downloading (mac->HiMD) software will arrive this summer

and no mac support at all for ANY other model (including NetMD)

[insch]

when you say 'this summer' is there a date? does this info come from sony?

best

[The Low Volta]

the info comes from Sony, which doesn't make it more trustworthy though and there is no date set

[berniebeaudry]

Minidisc Community Forums is proud to present the Hi-MD *.wav importing software for Apple computers, for use with the MZ-M100 and MZ-M10 Hi-MD units ONLY. Remember, this software can ONLY facilitate PCM recorded uploads; no Hi-SP/Hi-LP uploads are permitted.

http://forums.minidisc.org/downloads/details.php?file=46

(you must be registered with the forum to download this file)

Dale Greer has generously submitted a review of a Mac to Minidisc. Further information about Apple computers and Minidisc can be found here, along with Minidisc Community Portal.

Various screenshots:

[attachmentid=720][attachmentid=721]

Thanks for the download, I somehow lost my software that came with my MZ-M100 and am glad I was able to get it here online. I see there is a 2.0 version out but I cannot use it on my Mac. The OS is too old. Got a question, why does it take so long to convert the files? I am doing a 61 minute track and it seems stuck on 11 minutes to finish for about 20 minutes now. I have about 15 discs I need to transfer and this will take forever. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Bernie

Edited April 3, 2007 by berniebeaudry

[Strungup]

Thanks for the download, I somehow lost my software that came with my MZ-M100 and am glad I was able to get it here online. I see there is a 2.0 version out but I cannot use it on my Mac. The OS is too old. Got a question, why does it take so long to convert the files? I am doing a 61 minute track and it seems stuck on 11 minutes to finish for about 20 minutes now. I have about 15 discs I need to transfer and this will take forever. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Bernie

What OS are you on? OSX any flavor should run 2.0 , version 1 .0 wont let you upload HISP,or HILP mode recordings at all ,only PCM which are huge files so they will take a while .

On USB 1.0/1.1 the MD will act like a MO drive , and basically read in Real time , so if you have a long recording , your gonna need coffee.