andy15star Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 Hi. Just bought myself a Soundcard today which was supposed to be capable of Optical In/Out. Got it home, installed it correctly (looked at sound card settings and it's listed there as working fine). The problem is that i can go from "Soundcard Out" to "MiniDisc In" through the optical okay, but i cannot do it the other way round (i.e. MD to PC through the Optical Cable !). I have tried absolutely everything and i've been on 4 hours with it now !!. The soundcard is an ENVY24 7.1 Channel card (Vinyl Audio), it has Mic IN, Line IN, Front Out, Surround Out, Centre Out, Alt Out, Line IN, S/PDIF Out and S/PDIF In. The connections are all okay (i.e. MD Optical Out to Soundcard optical IN etc), i have also tried 3 different Optical cables in case one was at fault. When i record from the MD Optical Out to my PC, all i hear is white noise on the recorded file. However, using Phono Sockets to Line In i can hear the recording okay, but that's not why i bought this card for, i got it for the fact that i wanted to put all my original MiniDiscs onto my PC in digital quality !!. What could i be doing wrong ??. Oh, i did check the box option "S/PDIF Opt" on the recording tab of soundcard volume & recording properties, so it should have been recording from the correct place !Please e-mail me if any suggestions. andy@apple100.freeserve.co.ukKind Regards,Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Low Volta Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 uhm... I don't think there's any HiMD model with optical out (certainly not the portable models!)so I'm afraid you were informed incorrectlyto get your recordings digitally to PC, just record in any of the HiMD-formats and use the USB->PC connection and get the tracks with SonicStage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy15star Posted March 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 SORRY ! my mistake - i probably didn't make it very clear. The upload to MD was on Hi-MD (MZ-NH600) and worked fine !! - the MZ-NH600 does NOT have an optical out (as you rightly state). Hopwever, I was using my MDS-JB930 to try to get it onto the PC (that DOES have optical out), since it was not specific just to Hi-MD (or Net MD or standard Stereo MD) i posted it here. Sorry if that was wrong, still need help though !Regards,Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrazyIvan Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 Did you record it in Hi-MD mode? The JB930 cannot play Hi-MD mode recorded discs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy15star Posted March 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 Nope !! - just a normal MiniDisc, made on the JB930 (standard play), trying to play it through Optical Out to PC's Optical in CheersAndrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Low Volta Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 since it was not specific just to Hi-MD (or Net MD or standard Stereo MD) i posted it here. Sorry if that was wrong, still need help thoughjust to get this straight... it wasn't really the forum-section you posted this in that confused me, but the title of your thread: "Hi-MD to PC via optical link?"but as I have never owned a deck with optical out I'm afraid I can't be of any assistance... sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy15star Posted March 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 Okay. Anyone else help ?CheersAndrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsoul Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 I had a similar problem with Optical input from a MD deck to a chaintech card. I had lots of missed data after I got it finally accept the input. Finally, I gave up and went with the Creative Sounds Audigy and never looked back, until Hi-MD came along.So, I think:1. It's a driver issue2. A settings issue for the driver propertiesWhat is the driver name for this card? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy15star Posted March 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 On the CD it just says "PCI SOUND CARD" - "Envy24HTS". It was from Maplin http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Module...17m3#storecheckMany Thanks,Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsoul Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 That looks like a chaintech clone. Look in your hardware system profile and check the driver name there. There a ton of these cards that basically run on the same driver in XP or 2000. It's really a buggy driver that isn't very dependable. Sorry for the bad review but basing it on my own trials with that card and chip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy15star Posted March 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 As far as i can see from system properties it is a VIA - IC Ensemble, Inc. PCI Slot 4 (PCI bus 0, device 11, function 0). under the driver (C:\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\Envy24HT.sys) it says File Version 5.12.01.3613, VIA - IC Ensemble, Inc., Driver date 07/05/2003. I/O Range D000-D01F, I/O Range D400-D47F, IRQ 05 "No Conflicts".That all means bugger all to me !!! - hope it's of use to someone out there who knows more than me !!Having said all that, it should work. It says on the box it will, so surely they cannot just advertise the fact that it will pull in optical sound info, yet doesn't !Regards,Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1kyle Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 (edited) Ok let's try an "attack" this problem the Engineering way.1) When you play a MD in your deck unit (JBxx) does the optical out cable have a little reddish / ruby coloured light showing at the end of the optical cable (the end you are going to plug in to your computer). If YES then the optical out appears to be working.If No then go no further the optical out isn't working. This is not very likely but could be a possibility.OK next test.2) plug the optical out of the deck into the optical in of one of your portable units. Play a MD and see if it records to the portable unit.If it doesn't then you've got DRM or SCMS issues. Some units won't allow more than one Digital copy. As you are recording your own gig this isn't likely but could be a problem. If recording works then the MD end is fine so now loook at the computer.3) Do you have any RECORDING software on the computer. You should have got some with your sound card, otherwise programs like NERO or HAUPPAGE WINTV usually have recording software (or you can get Total Recorder. Do a Google search for info on Total Recorder).4) Now see if the recording software works. Hook up any device into the ANALOG input first and just record anything. The easiest is just to plug the phone output of a MD recorder into the Line In on your sound card. Record sya 5 mins and then try and play it. Choose WAV to start with as this won't introduce added complications like transcoding etc.If this doesn't work then you've either got a duff sound card or bad software. Software can easily be eliminated by trying another package / program.5) If all the above work now plug your optical cable into the OPT input on your sound card and start your recording software. Ensure your MD is PLAYING of course.If this doesn't work then your sound card unfortunaterly is no good (assuming all the other tests described above work properly).On playback in any case your computer sound card if it has an optical out should also display a reddish / ruby coloured light if it's working properly. These lights will be displayed both on the Optical IN and Optical out connections.If the Optical Out doesn't show a light then the card is NOT WORKING properly. You've either got a hardware fault (exchange the card) or you'll need to update the driver.(I've assumed you just haven't plugged the optical out of the MD recorder into the Optical In on the computer and hope it works. You DO have to use RECORDING SOFTWARE. Sorry if you already know this but I've actually met some people who had no idea you actually had to set the computer to RECORD.)Cheers-K Edited March 19, 2006 by 1kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsoul Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 (edited) 1kyle- Very good test instructions, I too casually skipped those troubleshooting steps and went to the card. Thanks for picking up the ball. I was thinking about this card this morning...I remember having to set the jumpers on the card to make the card accept optical input. Do your instructions include jumper setting instructions? Edited March 19, 2006 by mrsoul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy15star Posted March 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 as for 1kyles post, Points 1) to 4) work okay, red lights where they should be at ends of both optical cables, records to Looprecorder through Analogue phonos fine. The recorded MD is not copyright (just recorded analoguely !). As for Mrsoul, what jumpers would these be ??. I cannot find anything in the (very thin !) booklet. There are 3 black ports on the card, but these are just labelled "Video", "CD" and "Aux", i assume they are nothing to do with optical. I cannot see any jumpers on the card, where might they be ?. I'm getting a little frustrated with this now as it's a great card in every other respect apart from what i got it for (i.e. MD to PC through Optical !!). I have recorded through analogue and recordings sound more crisp.Kind Regards, Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsoul Posted March 20, 2006 Report Share Posted March 20, 2006 The jumpers were on the card and I had to use the manual to know how to set them to accept the optical input. I sold that card on eBay when I got the Audigy, so I can't help there. Out of ideas right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puzzled Posted March 28, 2006 Report Share Posted March 28, 2006 Hi, I shouldn't really be posting here during your thread, but it does lead into the same questions (Plus being a new user, unsure of where to post this kind of thread). I want to record from a Sony Separate (MXD-D400), this also has a optical out, in addition to standard RCA. I have a laptop with just a MIC input, and would also like to follow Andrew and his quest to record from MD. Although, I want to transfer the music onto CD once it's uploaded, or direct to the recorder. My mission with this is to aim for the lowest cost possible. Although if I am able to change the recording from Analogue to Digital I would be most greatful for suggestions.Andrew, do you have any suggestions during your travels or does anybody else have good ideas for solving this issue. ThanksIan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanage Posted March 29, 2006 Report Share Posted March 29, 2006 I recorded all my MD stuff to PC using line in on the soundcard (plug the cable into your headphone socket on the walkman). I also have an Audigy and MZNH600. It worked fine when I did it.Looks like you need a deck for optical out, sorry (anyone know of a walkman with opt' out?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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