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Uploading legacy MD's to mac or pc over usb

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taper420

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This is not the right section I'm sure but since this is an upload issue that I'm concenrned with I'm putting it here.

There is a professional model deck (HHB MDP 500, retails for $1500) that advertises the ability to upload to pc or mac over USB. I would like someone to explain this to me. My guess is that it stores it in wav format and therefore is available for drag and drop. This doesn't make much sense because it says that it encodes the audio in atrac 4.5. But the info doesnt mention any program and the fact that its mac and pc compatable makes me think its drag and drop. Does this mean the unit encodes the data to atrac and then again to wav? Basically what I wanna know is if recordings made on other pre-himd units can be uploaded using this unit. And if this is the case why hasn't this been exploited to allow uploading of legacy md's using the usb connection on hi'md decks? If the MDP500 uses some software to decode the md data this same software should work with any himd deck that can be used as a data drive. Know what I mean? My guess is that the MDP encodes the audio differently and is therefore drag and dropable. Anyone care to enlighten?

Here's a link to the brochure: http://www.hhb.co.uk/hhb/global/brochures/...sc_Brochure.pdf

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And while I'm on the topic I know of one other way of getting legacy md files uploaded to the computer. The program MD Studio coupled with a SCSI MD Data drive (although I've heard this runs around $3500) will do it and also will repair damaged md's along with other stuff. Check it out at http://www.esdl.co.uk/body/mdte/mdte.htm. So I'd like to hear any feeback from any forum users that are familiar with this program. And a shoutout to any hackers that might know why this program hasn't been exploited to allow uploading of legacy md's through the himd units. It's obvious the program writers have cracked the sony encyption that we so desperatly yearn for. Is it just that the right hacker hasn't had access to this program, or would hacking this be tantamount to hacking sonicstage? It kind of seems to me that we md users just don't have a big enough constituency of hackers to support the programming, unlike such things as dvd ripping which is a popular thing. Is that what it is? Do we just need to find the right hacker? Or is it something that even the best hacker couldn't do? From what I can figure, if we can get a copy of MD Studio alls a hacker would have to do is change the way the program trys to get the data...instead of a scsi interface, it would have to be usb interface...and then we could plug in a himd unit and presto.

Just throwing the idea out there...seeing what everyone thinks.

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in answer to your first post that machine is fairly old technology & i don't think it even uses mdlp, let alone HiMD. professional level md stuff didn't use/ignored the checkout & one way roadblocks on personal md. so yes it'd tranfer at 292kbs SP without the drm crap. expensive for that though.

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...

There is a professional model deck (HHB MDP 500, retails for $1500) that advertises the ability to upload to pc or mac over USB. I would like someone to explain this to me. My guess is that it stores it in wav format and therefore is available for drag and drop. ...

Give it a try! Only $399.00

HHB Portable MiniDisc Recorder

:blink:

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in answer to your first post that machine is fairly old technology & i don't think it even uses mdlp, let alone HiMD. professional level md stuff didn't use/ignored the checkout & one way roadblocks on personal md. so yes it'd tranfer at 292kbs SP without the drm crap. expensive for that though.

so does that mean this unit would upload a recording made only on it or could i upload recordings made on my r70 too?

Give it a try! Only $399.00

HHB Portable MiniDisc Recorder

:blink:

Yeah I saw that, thats actually what got me thinking about this whole thing...although I remember you could get them new for between $800-1000 a couple years ago (as opposed to $1500 list). If I can use this to upload my old legacy recordings and bypass the asynchronous encode/decode generation loss that would be amazing...once I'm done doing that I can just sell it...who wants it next? On a side note...if this was HiMD with PCM it would be the best MD Deck ever! Well...maybe if they added a buffer big enough to change discs while still recording...or a second disc drive...buffer would probably be cheaper.

Edited by taper420
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I read the usermanual and it is not a real upload:

"Universal Serial Bus (USB) audio transfer is provided for

easy exchange of audio with a compatible computer.

The format of the transfer is streaming audio – the

software you are using on the computer will control the

stored file format of the audio data.

The PORTADISC will automatically start any required

software installation when connected via a USB cable to

a computer."

So what it does: the device probably installes on your PC/MAC as an USB-soundcard. When you play the music on the Portadisc you can record it via software like Adobe Audition or Audacity. Because the device sends the audio as stream you never get the original ATRAC-audio on the PC/MAC and recordings can only be made real-time.

The quality/procedure of recording will be very similar to a recording made via a MD-deck with optical out and a PC/MAC with an optical digital in. The only difference is the cable you use to transfer is over.

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Because the device sends the audio as stream you never get the original ATRAC-audio on the PC/MAC and recordings can only be made real-time.

The quality/procedure of recording will be very similar to a recording made via a MD-deck with optical out and a PC/MAC with an optical digital in. The only difference is the cable you use to transfer is over.

Yup..I just read the faq..thats what it is..it decodes it to PCM before sending it...guess MD Studio is the only way to actually upload the files...maybe someday they'll wise-up and make their program recognize the himd decks as data drives.

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I would like to point out that the reason members here constantly point to MD/LP recording as not being uploadable via USB is that the assumption is made [as is correct nearly 100% of the time] that people are asking if such can be done with common, consumer equipment - specifically netMD and HiMD portables.

I too would like to see HHB produce a HiMD portable with prebuffering, phantom power capable XLR mic preamps, SP/DIF in and out, &c.

That Sony won't allow uploading from MD/LP discs in this day and age is basically a matter of throwback. I personally wouldn't care if PCM conversion is a certainty in the process, simply being able to copy legacy MDs without having to go through at least one generation of D/A and A/D conversion [or buying a deck with optical out and sound card with optical in] would be boon enough to me.

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