M-Crew Software for Sony CMT-SE9

[DavidAllan]

Hello I'm new to minidiscs and to forums so bear with me if I seem unclear. I have bought a refurbished Sony CMT SE9 hifi with Minidisc deck and DVD unit. The system is excellent and although is only MDLP is of a very high quality sound. My problem is the unit is NetMd and requires Mcrew software and a usb driver neither of which were in the box, Sonicstage wont work either because of the missing usb driver. Does anyone know where i can download the relevant driver, I managed to get Mcrew 2.5 from the Sony Japanese site but no usb driver.

Thanks

Allan

Sony CMT SE9 Home Theater with Netmd and DVD

Sony B100 minidic

[Richard]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but won't the driver on this page work? I know it says Personal audio driver, but it is supposed to work with all NetMD devices? The CMT SE9 is not that an old a system either.

[aportlock]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but won't the driver on this page work? I know it says Personal audio driver, but it is supposed to work with all NetMD devices? The CMT SE9 is not that an old a system either.

←

Thanks Rich

Have just tried it but still doesnt install it keeps looking for usb comm.

Allan

[Ishiyoshi]

@ DavidAllan and aportlock: I believe the required driver is called Sony PCLK-USB driver. Nonetheless, please download the following driver and report back if it works for you.

*attachment removed

[DavidAllan]

@ DavidAllan and aportlock: I believe the required driver is called Sony PCLK-USB driver. Nonetheless, please download the following driver and report back if it works for you.

Thanks Have tried this but still doesn't work. Sony UK have said they will try and get me the software i need so thanks to all who responded.

Allan

[Ishiyoshi]

Thanks Have tried this but still doesn't work. Sony UK have said they will try and get me the software i need so thanks to all who responded.

Allan

Please do let us know once you have resolved this issue.

[DavidAllan]

Please do let us know once you have resolved this issue.

Sony have sent me a m crew cd but when I start the install procedure it only allows me to select the Sony CMT m373NT and not the SE9. After allowing the install to complete it still doesn,t connect with the USB. Does someone out there have a SE9 and tell me what version of M Crew your cd is at. The one Sony sent me for the 373NT is 2.2E.

The Sony Japanese site says 2.5J for the SE9 but I can't find the usb driver on the site for my machine.

Thanks for any help.

Allan

[Ishiyoshi]

Where are you located? I have managed to locate the part number for CMT-SE9's Sony M-Crew bundled software. Perhaps you can contact your local Sony Parts & Accessories Center and acquire the CD-ROM accordingly.

--> please review this thread for your local Sony Parts & Accessories Center contact info.

For your reference, the CMT-SE9 Sony M-Crew CD-ROM Part # 424547601 or 424547611.

Edited August 18, 2020 by Richard
* Link fixed

[DavidAllan]

Thanks I'm in the UK near Bristol. I will try on monday and see if they have those cd's.

Allan

[DavidAllan]

Just an update the part number ending in 611 is good and the contact in the Uk can get it for me. Will let you know if if its okay when it comes.

By the way I saw a picture of a Sony CMT M3 and CMT A01MD and accoding to our local sony store they will be available in the UK in Nov 2005.

Cheers

Allan

[Ishiyoshi]

Just an update the part number ending in 611 is good and the contact in the Uk can get it for me. Will let you know if if its okay when it comes.

By the way I saw a picture of a Sony CMT M3 and CMT A01MD and accoding to our local sony store they will be available in the UK in Nov 2005.

Cheers

Allan

That's brilliant! I am glad one of the part numbers are still valid. Please do let me know how it goes.

[DavidAllan]

Cd arrived today from Sony and it now all works so thanks to all who helped.

Cheers

Allan

[Ishiyoshi]

Cd arrived today from Sony and it now all works so thanks to all who helped.

Cheers

Allan

That's brilliant! I'm glad the part number I've provided works.

[DavidAllan]

That's brilliant! I'm glad the part number I've provided works.

M crew v 2.5 for the SE9 works very well. Would I be breaking copyright if I made it available on the download section.

Cheers

Allan

[DavidAllan]

M crew v 2.5 for the SE9 works very well. Would I be breaking copyright if I made it available on the download section.

Cheers

Allan

Oops seems it is still a current product in UK at £42 for the CD so i can't go into the public domain yet.

[atrain]

send a pm to kurisu, we'd love a copy anyway, if only for backup purposes.

[aportlock]

Just upgraded to Vista home premium and mcrew (any version) wont run. Anyone else had this problem

Allan

[aportlock]

Just wondered if anyone has managed to get any version of M-crew to work with windows Vista.

Allan

[Duncan.Mc]

Just wondered if anyone has managed to get any version of M-crew to work with windows Vista.

Allan

I havent got mcrew to work with vista though i havent got the latest version could you email me a link to the japanese download version please

[aportlock]

Sorry about the long delay in replying, I been away from minidisc's for awhile but now back again. The link is below:-

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl...l%3Den%26sa%3DN

However I dont think it will work (I couldn't get it to work with XP or Vista). I use an old Sony mini laptop (PCG C1) running W2K permantley connected to my CMT-SE9 via USB. I replaced the hard drive on the laptop with 16 GB SSD this give very quiet operation and long battery life. I run M-Crew 2.5. As the laptop is so small its like using a large remote control for my SE9 which controls DVD, minidisc, radio and net radio. I also run SS4.3 as this allows my RH1 to play my HI-MD recordings through the SE9 HiFi.

I got the laptop off ebay for a few pounds.

Cheers

Allan

[Steve*]

I wonder if anyone will get an e-mail to say this long dead thread has been dug up by me?  Haha, well anyway, I have recently bought a Sony PCLK-MN-20 and I am trying to get it working.  I have Windows XP installed on a laptop that I use for everything minidisc related and it's working great.  By ysing the links in this thread I have located a download for the M Crew software, however I am not sure if the software is a "one size fits all" type of affair or if I need a specific download for my kit.

https://www.sony.jp/support/h-audio/upgrade/down_m_crew.html

Would anyone have a disk image of the original software supplied with the unit in the box?  I am tempted to try Sony UK for a disc, but I'm fairly sure I won't get anywhere!  Thanks in advance for any help!

PS, I originally pasted the wrong link in this comment which is why there is a link to this very post!  Sorry if I broke the internet in some blackhole quantum mechanics time distortion type way!

 

 

 

 

[sfbp]

Huh?

There are a couple of downloads here. On this site.

What matters is: what MD unit are you connecting to?

[Steve*]

Wow!  Quick reply on an 11 year old thread! My main deck is a Sony MDS-JB930.

Thanks for your help!

[sfbp]

Unless you have the Japanese (domestic) version, most of the regular decks will not work with PCLK/PS2. They're all set up for keyboard only, and several of us have tried to tweak some models without success.

Sorry!

The decks  and combinations and bookshelf units known to work with PCLK (10 or 20 doesn't matter) are:

Simple decks (all versions):
MDS-PC3
MDS-JE770

Deck via USB direct (no PCLK):
MDS-JE780
MDS-JB980

CD-MD decks:
MXD-D40

Bookshelf:
CMT-PX3/5/7 (the PX3 was sold as DHC-MD595)
CMT-SE9*
CMT-M100MD
CHC-CL5MD
CMT-CP500MD

Bookshelf via USB direct (no PCLK needed):
CMT-M373NT/M333NT*
* indicates special version of MCrew needed

In addition there's a DVD bookshelf (horrible because the DVDs it plays are very restricted in many ways), and the Japanese versions of:
MDS-JB940
MXD-D5C
? MDS-JE640

JBS-920/30 and most other models predate the PS/2 MCrew interface and do not support it even when there is a keyboard port (eg MDS-JE530/630).

There are some other odd models that almost nobody seems to have such as MDS-DAV1 and MDS-S500 - status unknown (at least by myself).

Hope this helps!

[Thiago Ikeda]

I have this CMT-SE9/MDS-SE9, I bought when I lived in Japan back in 2003... I can't seem to find the driver, can't you really upload it for me? I'm having trouble setting it up... 

[NGY]

Stephen, this is a great summary, thank you on behalf of everybody who are looking for this information.

On 7/7/2019 at 7:38 PM, sfbp said:

The decks  and combinations and bookshelf units known to work with PCLK (10 or 20 doesn't matter) are:

Simple decks (all versions):

We can add the MDS-JE470 to this section, a well as the MDS-S50 (I have/had both, working with PCLK is confirmed).

On 7/7/2019 at 7:38 PM, sfbp said:

JBS-920/30 and most other models predate the PS/2 MCrew interface and do not support it even when there is a keyboard port (eg MDS-JE530/630)

One remark here: the MDS-JE530 does not have the PS2 port (although it does have Control A1 II).

[NGY]

2 hours ago, Thiago Ikeda said:

I have this CMT-SE9/MDS-SE9, I bought when I lived in Japan back in 2003... I can't seem to find the driver, can't you really upload it for me? I'm having trouble setting it up... 

Can you read out the USB VID/PID values of this unit in the Device Manager? There are lots of different drivers here, we can then check, which one may support this USB IF chip.

[sfbp]

There's a version for the SE9. I just posted it here. I hope it works, please let us know.

Kind regards

PS note you are stuck with XP pretty much although there was a hint the other day from a Swiss user that px.dll might be the only thing missing when you install some of these earlier software in Windows 7. Better have a 32-bit version of the operating system though.

[Thiago Ikeda]

On 8/4/2020 at 6:48 PM, NGY said:

Can you read out the USB VID/PID values of this unit in the Device Manager? There are lots of different drivers here, we can then check, which one may support this USB IF chip.

I've attached a screenshot, is this the information you need? for the "unknown USBCOMM" thing? 

On 8/5/2020 at 2:38 AM, sfbp said:

There's a version for the SE9. I just posted it here. I hope it works, please let us know.

Kind regards

PS note you are stuck with XP pretty much although there was a hint the other day from a Swiss user that px.dll might be the only thing missing when you install some of these earlier software in Windows 7. Better have a 32-bit version of the operating system though.

Hello I'm trying all ways to make it work (I know this system works, 1 month ago i got it working without any driver, just plugging the USB on a computer, i don't know why it's not working on this one (or maybe something mysterious inside the audio system itself). Anyway, thank you guys for replying so fast, I installed this but nothing changed (and even rebooting). I'll keep trying switching plugs, testing and rebooting all the time...

[NGY]

On 8/18/2020 at 1:47 AM, Thiago Ikeda said:

I've attached a screenshot, is this the information you need? for the "unknown USBCOMM" thing? 

Yes, it is.

When windows detects an USB device, it reads this VID/PID string above from its USB IF chip, to indentifiy the given device. In your case: "VID 054c" means it is a Sony device and "PID 0119" means it is the SD9. Then, windows wants to install the matching device driver. How does it know which one is matching? From the .inf file of the driver. If the .inf file does not contain the exact same string, windows will just ignore that driver.

Now: attached is the USB driver for the SE9, unzip it to a folder on your PC. Then open device manager,  right click on the unknown device, and click "update driver". When windows asks for the driver location, navigate to the folder you copied the files to. It should then install the driver properly.

However ... as Stephen pointed out:

On 8/5/2020 at 7:38 AM, sfbp said:

note you are stuck with XP pretty much

This driver is for XP, and from Sony there is not one for and above Vista. You may want to set up and run a virtual xp machine on your PC.

xp.zip

 

[sfbp]

Well done, G. Where did you find that driver, or does it come because you ran SE9 install?

It's possible that 32-bit Win 7 or even 10 will work properly.

[NGY]

I pulled the driver from a Japanese M-Crew install package and modified the .inf file removing all unnecessary stuff to reflect the SE9 only.

Without the actual device connected to the PC the setup program will not install the driver. The only way to get hold of it is to "dig deep" into the installer files and find the driver based on the VID/PID information. Sort of "needle in a haystack" thing, but doable :-) .

(Unfortunately, I don't have the SE9 installer kit, it would have been much easier then, just simply copying the drivers folder.)

The only thing I am not sure about is whether or not W7 and up would accept this driver directly. MS had changed the device driver structure with Vista, and while all drivers since then should work with w7/10 too, normally there is no backward compatibility just as no "upward" compatibility of the xp drivers either. The .inf file actually defines which OS was the given driver meant for, and windows is "picky" on that information.

[sfbp]

I'm not so sure there was such a big change. I was able to edit the inf file of the MZ-RH1 driver (NETMD052) and it's still working today. It was written before Vista, I think. (it's just possible from the timelines that Sony targetted the RH1 at Vista, but in 2005 when they would have been working on it, everyone was still on XP).

What I had not realised, in my haste, was the the SE9 that I posted was not a complete install. Mea culpa. There ought to be a real install disk in English around, as I found the user's manual in English;  so it does seem likely that this was not a Japan-only product.

Can you send me the M-Crew Japanese install somehow?

The other thing I know I have is the same version of M-Crew (at least nominally) modified for the M-Crew Server, which I have (had) running. That's probably when I found the SE9 install. Without anything to try it out on, I wrongly assumed that this was an installer.

[sfbp]

On further reflection, I think we can add the SE9 into the versions of NETMD052 and NETMD760, as it sounds like it is the same generation as the CMT-M333/373NT model. That would at least make SonicStage work - of course we know now that the music recognition function is dead but that's life.

While we're on that topic, I'm going down to check my CMT-M333NT 's M-Crew still fails with Gracenote.  Last time I tried I am certain I couldn't get it to work. (added:) Right "CDDB setting is not supported on this model".

[sfbp]

Ha! I have some news. Checking back, it seems I messed up all those years ago when I added all those devices into NETMD052 and NETMD760. The PIDs presented by my CMT-M333NT for NetMD are quite different from the ones you get when it's doing M-Crew/PCLK.

So I will be posting revised files for both our driver package downloads later.....

Should now properly support SE9 and M333/373 just fine.

In addition, I may well modify the PCLKUSB.inf file so that it catches all of these guys too. The erroneous entries in NETMDxxx.inf for the PCLK-compatible devices are gone.

[NGY]

Stephen, when you compile a new driver set, can you please check the .inf file I posted. I think I forgot to remove two semicolons - from where it does matter ... Thank you.

Edit: I fixed the .inf file and replaced the .zip above

[sfbp]

It's done, I just don't have the energy left tonight. Also an outstanding request for NW-E7/E10 which has been on my Q for a while. My M333NT now speaks NetMD properly. The design by Sony is interesting - using the one cable for 3 different USB functions:

1. Audio USB (no extra driver required)
2. PCLK or
3. NetMD

All at the same time, essentially. You have to pick 2 or 3, the PID changes when you do.

[sfbp]

Posted

[Thiago Ikeda]

On 8/18/2020 at 5:35 AM, NGY said:

Yes, it is.

When windows detects an USB device, it reads this VID/PID string above from its USB IF chip, to indentifiy the given device. In your case: "VID 054c" means it is a Sony device and "PID 0119" means it is the SD9. Then, windows wants to install the matching device driver. How does it know which one is matching? From the .inf file of the driver. If the .inf file does not contain the exact same string, windows will just ignore that driver.

Now: attached is the USB driver for the SE9, unzip it to a folder on your PC. Then open device manager,  right click on the unknown device, and click "update driver". When windows asks for the driver location, navigate to the folder you copied the files to. It should then install the driver properly.

However ... as Stephen pointed out:

This driver is for XP, and from Sony there is not one for and above Vista. You may want to set up and run a virtual xp machine on your PC.

xp.zip 10.75 kB · 1 download

 

It's still not working, I even extracted into the @sfbp's MCrew installed folder, tried to manually install the .inf, tried your way, through Device Manager, doesn't seem to get this working... I'll keep trying to get this audio system's USB to work...

[NGY]

I still feel this is because ms wants an .inf with w7 (or, vista and up) explicitly stated the driver was written for. What we have here is an old XP driver, that might or might not work with a newer OS.

You can try adding legacy hardware, to see if that helps windows installing this driver. (In w7: click "Action" in Device Manager, select "Add Legacy Hardware”, "Show all", "Have disk", browse the extracted files' folder, then you should see "PclkComm" listed, select, "OK").

There is a catch though: if it is a 32bit-only driver (it well might be), it probably won't install on an x64 system. It should though install on a 32bit W7 for example.

To see if this given driver does work with your SE9 or not it has to be installed on an XP machine at first. I do have an XP machine (32bit XP Pro SP3) for these old stuff, however, I obviously could not try it myself, without the actual device connected to the PC. Even if I am convinced (by myself :-) ) that this very driver "must" work, I am not able to test and troubleshoot it :-( .

 

Edit - If you run into the 32bit driver issue: Stephen's new driver packs are now posted - if you have an x64 system, you may want to take that pack and do the install in legacy mode.