Optical in pointless on HiMD?

[Sparky191]

Is there any point recording via Optical in on a HiMD since you get the same quality from ripping the source and transferring via USB. The only unit with an optical out is likely to be DVD, CD or MD. Ok I can kinda understand recording MD(SP) to HiMD(PCM) if your getting you music off MD but other than that.

[greenmachine]

What about external preamp/ADC combos for live recording?

[Sparky191]

Ok didn't know about them...

[Sony_Fan]

Is there any point recording via Optical in on a HiMD since you get the same quality from ripping the source and transferring via USB. The only unit with an optical out is likely to be DVD, CD or MD. Ok I can kinda understand recording MD(SP) to HiMD(PCM) if your getting you music off MD but other than that.

I've only had mine for a few days and I do a lot of recording using the optical out on my DVD player. I've heard that downloading and recording will not yield the same sound quality. If you download a song to a disc @ 256kbps (Hi-SP) and record a song at 256kbps (Hi-SP), the recorded song would have better sound quality. Something about the high speed transfer rates in downloading may affect sound quality. I'm not sure, so if I'm wrong, please correct me.

[greenmachine]

You're wrong. Speed doesn't necessarily affect sound quality. Although realtime recordings are encoded via hardware vs. USB transfers via software and have to pass the volume control (although it usually yields minor influences on sound quality).

Edited December 10, 2005 by greenmachine

[ozpeter]

Indeed, the optical input seems pretty suspect to me, certainly not providing the kind of bit-accurate transfers you normally expect from such an input - it resamples even 44.1kHz inputs, and as mentioned above, goes through the level control - though having said that, you'd have to have good ears to detect the difference unless you'd changed the volume.

[Archivist]

What if you don't have access to a computer? What if Sonicstage messes with your computer so much that it is impossible to use? What if you don't want to put a rootkit-infested CD into your computer? There could be any number of reasons why you might not be using a computer at that time.

A possibly unique case that is true for me: I want to copy someone's CD to WAV, but I am unable to take the CD with me. The owner does have a CD player with optical out, so the only way I'll get a WAV copy is a real-time optical recording. Thank heaven that Hi-MD has optical in!

[Christopher]

Well Archivist, I think your inital point is a good one -- not everyone has access to a computer (although I suspect that number is dropping steadfast each passing year, I reckon) to facilitate music transfer. The whole prospect of realtime recording other than a live recording situation is becoming less and less viable as we move forth into an era where computers are everywhere.

[Human]

What if you don't have access to a computer? What if Sonicstage messes with your computer so much that it is impossible to use? What if you don't want to put a rootkit-infested CD into your computer? There could be any number of reasons why you might not be using a computer at that time.

A possibly unique case that is true for me: I want to copy someone's CD to WAV, but I am unable to take the CD with me. The owner does have a CD player with optical out, so the only way I'll get a WAV copy is a real-time optical recording. Thank heaven that Hi-MD has optical in!

Warning- Warning - Warning !!!

Now Sony will read this and they will eliminate the "optical line in" on next generation of Hi-MD models. Ha ha

.

[Christopher]

If Sony moves forth into a more professional realm for Hi-MD, I doubt that we'll ever see the optical in removed.

[bjsilva]

Is there any point recording via Optical in on a HiMD since you get the same quality from ripping the source and transferring via USB. The only unit with an optical out is likely to be DVD, CD or MD. Ok I can kinda understand recording MD(SP) to HiMD(PCM) if your getting you music off MD but other than that.

It is true that many people would prefer not to wait for a realtime recording, but there are some (however few at this point in time) who do not prefer a fast-paced life where waiting for a realtime recording is considered too long :-) I have never and don't intend to use my HiMD with a computer, so I'm glad for the optical in!

[Human]

If Sony moves forth into a more professional realm for Hi-MD, I doubt that we'll ever see the optical in removed.

I know not much on technology aspects but I would be not surprised if they put some kind of computer chip into the "optical line in" socket that some how will monitor and limit transfer of CDs that have computer chip protection built in them, and the usability of optical line in will be limited only to microphone.

What U think ? - is this possible ?

[disso]

I find the optical in a usefull addition. i use it to record music from a digital tv set to box, its codec stacking but hey, it still sounds alright.

Also as Archivist said, take CDs with to restrictive DRM for MD simple burner, optical can be quite handy.

[Human]

Just Please guys, don't get me wrong, ....

I too like the idea of "optical line in" - and being able to

record from any source,

but knowing corporate g*eed and over protectiveness this might be next "nail" , ...look what is going on with limits set on recording via computer.

[ozpeter]

But presumably the CD player has analog out as well, and if the MD player didn't have optical in, would you be able to tell the difference between the MD's dubious optical in and its analog in? To which the answer might be "yes" or it might be "no" but for myself, I haven't tried yet to find a way of evaluating the real difference.

I do use the optical in from a Motu Traveler preamp that has optical out (and about every other sort of output you could ever want) because it defaults to settings that don't involve auto level control - for me that it its chief point. I can just bang it into record and forget about it.

[Syrius]

Just Please guys, don't get me wrong, ....

I too like the idea of "optical line in" - and being able to

record from any source,

but knowing corporate g*eed and over protectiveness this might be next "nail" , ...look what is going on with limits set on recording via computer.

They would have done so already. MD has had Optical input for a long time, and they protected it with SCMS. (Which was perfectly fair). Then came the DRM and "three checkouts only, b*tches" for SS. Sony has realized such restrictive methods hurt everyone more than they help, and therefore lifted their restrictions somewhat. They're not concerned with analog copies being uploaded, copied and distributed somehow. It's just the perfect bit-by-bit recordings and the fast copying and sharing what robs them of sleep at night. That's why you can't burn to CD the optical recordings made.

Ironic, huh? We can record and upload analog sources with full CD quality and burn to our hearts' content (well, if it's our own recordings why the heck not?), while other people pay full price for reduced quality, drm-encoded cruddy WMA files. And AAC too. (128 KB is crap and you know it.)

About the computer chip thingy, it's just easier and safer to cripple the CD so it outputs SCMS preventing you from copying the disc even via optical. Some discs have done so already, but in the practice it has had little effect. Forcing you to use a specific format or media player via a data session on the disc, or SCMS-ing discs in the name of copyright, due to the DCMA, is preventing you from your fair use rights, which are also stipulated in the DCMA. In other words, the companies who have done this crap (*COUGH, SONY ROOTKITS, COUGH COUGH!*) want to have their cake and eat it at the same time.

To the RIAA: YOUR COPY-MY ASS- RIGHT ENDS WHERE MY FAIR USE RIGHTS BEGIN!

Edited December 11, 2005 by Syrius

[chriswyatt]

Aargh

I bought a CD a while ago that wouldn't let me rip it to Sonicstage EVEN with copyright protection enabled .

So I try doing a recording via optical-out and my NH700 and Hi-Fi won't let me

In the end I had to do an analogue recording, just to get my CD on to minidisc.

Perhaps I should just use a P2P network to get my music because, guess what? No copyright restrictions !

[KrazyIvan]

I don't know what I would do without optical dub capabilities. I use it all the time. For those that complain about the real-time aspect of dubbing, just think about it a bit. You are going to have to listen to the music in real-time someday so why not while you are recording?

[ATELETRONICS]

i only record with optical. i would never buy any model without it. i likr to listen while i record, using a computer is very annoying.

****please stop posting in all capitals Ateletronics, post edited*********

Edited December 12, 2005 by atrain

[alrose312]

my turntable has an SPDIF digital out - I use my MD to record my vinyl directly from my turntable. I would never even consider a MD unit that doesn't have optical recording

[belletristik]

Is there any point recording via Optical in on a HiMD since you get the same quality from ripping the source and transferring via USB. The only unit with an optical out is likely to be DVD, CD or MD.

I don't use the optical input on my RH-10 as much as I did on previous units (all CD to MD operations now done using Simple Burner), but I still use it quite frequently to record internet radio streams from my PC's optical output. For me it's still an essential feature. I wonder though just what proportion of Hi-MD users have any use at all for the optical input...

alrose312: I was wondering, what turntable is that? I had no idea that you can get one with SPDIF out. I was born just a bit too late to know anything about turntables and the like, but I am planning to get one soon. There's just too much good music that can only be found on old vinyl.

[alrose312]

alrose312: I was wondering, what turntable is that? I had no idea that you can get one with SPDIF out. I was born just a bit too late to know anything about turntables and the like, but I am planning to get one soon. There's just too much good music that can only be found on old vinyl.

I have a Stanton ST150. Here's the link onthe Stanton website: http://www.stantondj.com/v2/prod_st150.asp

The digital output on this is amazing - although, I had to buy an RCA to optical converter (about $25) in order for it to work through the optical input of my NH900.

[Philgood]

well, let's not forget about another restriction when you transfer tracks to MD with SonicStage.

you can't set track marks and divide your material -"Trk from PC NO EDIT" is showing on display so waiting a little bit more is recompenced with having more flexibility handling your stuff on MD.

[greenshank]

well, let's not forget about another restriction when you transfer tracks to MD with SonicStage.

you can't set track marks and divide your material -"Trk from PC NO EDIT" is showing on display so waiting a little bit more is recompenced with having more flexibility handling your stuff on MD.

And the impossibility of gapless recording other than by ripping the whole thing in one go. (I have a somewhat degraded CD with lots of continuous tracks and every time I rip it one or two tracks don't get copied properly, but re-ripping those and inserting them produces gaps, so back I go, re-ripping the whole thing repeatedly. Extremely tedious.)

[WaywardTraveller]

But presumably the CD player has analog out as well, and if the MD player didn't have optical in, would you be able to tell the difference between the MD's dubious optical in and its analog in? To which the answer might be "yes" or it might be "no" but for myself, I haven't tried yet to find a way of evaluating the real difference.

I do use the optical in from a Motu Traveler preamp that has optical out (and about every other sort of output you could ever want) because it defaults to settings that don't involve auto level control - for me that it its chief point. I can just bang it into record and forget about it.

I think it's great for all the situations where you want to record and can't get to a computer. As someone with quite a bit of limited-edition and hard-to-find punk vinyl, I can just plug my record player into a preamp and the optical out directly into my Hi-MD to archive them...no need to mess about with .WAV files and the time it takes to clip them, sort them, etc. etc....

peace

WaywardTraveller

Edited December 22, 2005 by WaywardTraveller

[pauljones52]

my turntable has an SPDIF digital out - I use my MD to record my vinyl directly from my turntable. I would never even consider a MD unit that doesn't have optical recording

Just wondering what turntable you had with a digital out, or is it the mixer with digital out. At the moment I have to use analogue, although I imagine that as vinyl is an analogue format there wouldn't be much benefit to a digital output? Surely it is just turning the analogue signal into a digital one before reaching the minidisc recorder, rather than after. Would there be any benifit in terms of sound quality?

[Mikami]

Is there any point recording via Optical in on a HiMD since you get the same quality from ripping the source and transferring via USB.

Assuming that:

(1) One can rip the media to his/her computer via USB

(2) One only cares about downloading to HI-MD

(3) One has no need for recording from various sources using the optical in.

then I suppose the optical in has no purpose.

For me I need to or strongly want to record. Some CD's I have bought(from Sony and Avex trax) just won't play on my CD-ROM drive and therefore can not be ripped and transferd to my HI-MD other than via optical in. Also, If I am at a friends home or a relatives home and I'm watching a family DVD and I want to grab the sounds, it is much easier & faster for me to do so through optical in then to ask to borrow their computer. If you have digital tv and/or digital radio then I am sure optical would come in handy. When I first got into MiniDisc opticaling in I used it for grabing video game sounds and Laser Disc audio. I guess times are changing but I hope MD doesn't I hope it is always a tool for recording from anything, anywhere, and anytime with ot without a computer.

seasons greetings,

Mikami

Edited December 24, 2005 by Mikami

[alrose312]

Just wondering what turntable you had with a digital out, or is it the mixer with digital out. At the moment I have to use analogue, although I imagine that as vinyl is an analogue format there wouldn't be much benefit to a digital output? Surely it is just turning the analogue signal into a digital one before reaching the minidisc recorder, rather than after. Would there be any benifit in terms of sound quality?

I have a Stanton ST150. Here's the link onthe Stanton website: http://www.stantondj.com/v2/prod_st150.asp

The sound quality is better this way because it is a direct digital signal from the turntable. Couple this with PCM recording on the MD and you have what amounts to the warmth of vinyl with the convenience of digital.

[atrain]

I have a Stanton ST150. Here's the link onthe Stanton website: http://www.stantondj.com/v2/prod_st150.asp

The sound quality is better this way because it is a direct digital signal from the turntable. Couple this with PCM recording on the MD and you have what amounts to the warmth of vinyl with the convenience of digital.

or you just get clarity in your scratches!

kidding but my record collection is in very used condition, scratches &c from playing in clubs, most of them wouldn't benifit from such clarity.