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SonicStage v3.4 - works just fine

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rdwhitehill

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Hi y'all,

OK... I'm a true old-fogey veteran MD user since late 1996 (yes, really!) I've DJ'd using MD since mid-1997... bought my first two JE-500 decks from Crutchfield in late 1996... but today is the first time that I've dived into the NetMD/HiMD pool.

I own two MDS-E10 pro decks (boy, they are SWEET!) and various JB-series and JE-series decks (ugh, the JE-510 decks from Malaysia were terribly-made!)... but I now am the owner of two humble little MZN420D portable NetMDs... Hey, at $70 each from BHPhotoVideo, I couldn't go wrong...

I DL'd the latest SonicStage/Simple Burner full install from MiniDisc.org and used this instead of the older versions packaged with my units. No issues installing, even considering that I use ZoneAlarm Pro and have it ratcheted up to the hilt... I just allowed the appropriate permissions...

Once installed, I took a look *FIRST* at the options settings in both applications, and made some changes.

Bottom line, troops: This application suite works just fine. I am not seeing any of the problems that others have mentioned from time to time. I've moved tracks to and from the MD to my computer... no problem. You have to pay very careful attention to file format types, DRM settings, and remembering to import CD tracks to "My Library" first (without DRM) before transferring them to MD. If you pay attention to all of that, then you can move music back to the original computer without difficulty if you desire.

This software is working just fine. Before readers of this 'board get an opinion locked in based upon a few users, do be aware that I'm using it all just fine... with a little tiny $70 USB MD player. As with any software situation, one has to pay attention to its settings and details!

It *does* work, folks. Good luck to all! May MD live on!

Doug

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hi there rdwhitehill,

glad to read SS is actually working for you. I must say that it has always worked quite flawlessly for me as well (and I started with 2.0 and have done every upgrade without ever uninstalling anything). I do agree that all this 'SS Sucks' stuff can take a bit of counterweight... cause even though this site is a great source of info for MD I get the feeling a number of ppl are getting scared by the numerous 'I hate SS'-threads or even won't get MD because of some restrictions that are gone since SS moved into the 3.-stage.

But...

I've moved tracks to and from the MD to my computer... no problem.
uhm... correct me if I'm wrong here ppl...but isn't the whole point we all switched from NetMD to HiMD that you can't move anything from MD -> PC with NetMD? Perhaps you were tricked into believing this as it did allow something called "check-in" stemming from the days long gone where there was a "check-out" limit on tracks in your library. you could move a track in your library only to three different discs/devices so after those three times one needed to check a track back in before it could be transfered again. But it didn't really upload the track from MD -> PC only a code that added one to the SS counter and then erased the track on MD.

NetMD's USB connection is strictly PC -> MD so to speak. Your device is a downloader (a 'D'-model) so this wouldn't really be of much interest to you, but just to get things straight... if you could record anything on MD with a NetMD (through mic-in or line-in) it is pretty much stuck there unless you rerecord it in realtime to PC/mac (line-out MD -> line-in PC). The RH1 (which isn't out yet) will overcome this limit, but further on that on other threads (check the news section). With HiMD you can actually just plug in the USB and 'upload' the recordings digitally and faster than realtime to PC (not mac, unless with the M-models or the RH1)

so sorry for this long post just to correct one thing... but digital uploading from NetMD doesn't work...

have fun with MD and SS3.4 and see you around on these forums

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Bottom line, troops: This application suite works just fine. I am not seeing any of the problems that others have mentioned from time to time. I've moved tracks to and from the MD to my computer... no problem. You have to pay very careful attention to file format types, DRM settings, and remembering to import CD tracks to "My Library" first (without DRM) before transferring them to MD. If you pay attention to all of that, then you can move music back to the original computer without difficulty if you desire.

This software is working just fine. Before readers of this 'board get an opinion locked in based upon a few users, do be aware that I'm using it all just fine... with a little tiny $70 USB MD player. As with any software situation, one has to pay attention to its settings and details!

It *does* work, folks. Good luck to all! May MD live on!

Doug

I've been using SS for 4 months now and am having no problems, aside from the "multiple album upload" issue that I've worked around with my "priming the pump" method. I have almost 40 GB of music stored in it at 105 kbps! It has never crashed on me.

SS gets a real bad rap outside of these forums. Any review you read of a Sony DAP product (be it minidisc, flash, or hd based) mentions SS as a major drawback. SS is way better than it used to be, but it will take time for its reputation improve. Now that much of the DRM crap has been loosened, it's a much more usable product. But it may be a bit late - Sony is playing major catch-up in the DAP arena.

For me, the sonic quality of the ATRAC coders, gapless playback, and audio quality of the hardware make up for any flaws SS may still have.

Rich

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Hi ya,

Re: Your comment: NetMD only goes one way... you're quite right of course. In my haste to tell good news about my SS v3.4 experience, I didn't add one necessary detail... <my bad...> When I said that I can transfer from MD to computer, I meant that, once I got the audio file transferred via USB to the NetMD, I could then play it back through analog (headphone) output into my computer, and from there do whatever with it...

Being a 50 year-old, I'm a bit old-school in terms of not having issues mixing digital and analog; I route things where I need them to go via whatever interface works (as long as it's clean and quiet; I use an M-Audio USB-to-analog audio interface a lot).

So... my big oops here... I agree with your correction to my post. I should have told a bit more of the story.

Postscript: I was pleasantly surprised that a $70 teeny-tiny NetMD player had such a quiet headphone analog audio output... it's not bad, actually; a bit hissy, but no hum; has a lot of headroom... <smile>.

ANYWAY... SS v3.4 still works just fine. I have it on two PCs now... one XP SP2 and the other W2k SP4... it just does what it is supposed to do. I'm happy.

PS: I still insist on ATRAC Lossless when I rip a CD, and I use SP mode for transfer to MD, as I have too many older MD decks that don't support MDLP. Better sound quality, anyway. <smile>

Thanks for keeping me honest!

Doug W.

hi there rdwhitehill,

glad to read SS is actually working for you. I must say that it has always worked quite flawlessly for me as well (and I started with 2.0 and have done every upgrade without ever uninstalling anything). I do agree that all this 'SS Sucks' stuff can take a bit of counterweight... cause even though this site is a great source of info for MD I get the feeling a number of ppl are getting scared by the numerous 'I hate SS'-threads or even won't get MD because of some restrictions that are gone since SS moved into the 3.-stage.

But...uhm... correct me if I'm wrong here ppl...but isn't the whole point we all switched from NetMD to HiMD that you can't move anything from MD -> PC with NetMD? Perhaps you were tricked into believing this as it did allow something called "check-in" stemming from the days long gone where there was a "check-out" limit on tracks in your library. you could move a track in your library only to three different discs/devices so after those three times one needed to check a track back in before it could be transfered again. But it didn't really upload the track from MD -> PC only a code that added one to the SS counter and then erased the track on MD.

NetMD's USB connection is strictly PC -> MD so to speak. Your device is a downloader (a 'D'-model) so this wouldn't really be of much interest to you, but just to get things straight... if you could record anything on MD with a NetMD (through mic-in or line-in) it is pretty much stuck there unless you rerecord it in realtime to PC/mac (line-out MD -> line-in PC). The RH1 (which isn't out yet) will overcome this limit, but further on that on other threads (check the news section). With HiMD you can actually just plug in the USB and 'upload' the recordings digitally and faster than realtime to PC (not mac, unless with the M-models or the RH1)

so sorry for this long post just to correct one thing... but digital uploading from NetMD doesn't work...

have fun with MD and SS3.4 and see you around on these forums

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hey rdwhitehill, no problem... I was just trying to avoid the heards of ppl yelling "hey SS3.4 doesn't make my NetMD able to upload...what's wrong?" :lol:

glad to hear you enjoy MD! perhaps one day you might consider the switch to HiMD (the NH600 is a download only unit so no recording, but it sells @ $60 sometimes and allows you to put much more music on the same discs (but they wouldn't be useable in your old equipment though))

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