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SonicStage CP 4.0


Christopher

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With the infamous Connect Player dissolved, a union between the functionality of that program and Sonicstage has come to fruitition: Sonicstage CP 4.0. All of the details and download links can be found within..+++

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SonicStage CP 4.0 has finally arrived! The new SonicStage CP 4.0 includes full support for features exclusive to the WALKMAN A Series. We should have a full offline installer available in a fortnight. Please use this topic to report new enhancements and/or woes related to uploading, downloading and everything inbetween. It is already apparent that there is a substantial increase in the navigational speed, especially in previously laggy areas such as 'My Library'.

SonicStage CP 4.0 now supports the following WALKMAN devices:

  • Hi-MD Walkman
  • Net MD Walkman
  • NW-E series
  • NW-A series
  • NW-HD series
  • NW-M S Series
  • ATRAC CD Walkman
NEW FEATURES/IMPROVEMENTS:
  1. Support for the Walkman A series.
  2. Recording and playback support for AAC format – encode and transfer 3GP/MP4/M4A at 80-320kbps (not applicable for Hi-MD).
  3. AAC tunes in SonicStage CP can be transferred directly to the NW-A3000/A1200/A1000 without converting them to ATRAC format.

    Note:

    a. Firmware version 3.0 is required for this feature. –> click here for more details

    b. Copyright protected AAC files cannot be played back

  4. Artist Link function is now available on SonicStage CP 4.0.
  5. Full support of Intelligent features exclusive to the Walkman A series.
  6. Selectable background image.
MODULE VERSION

SonicStage : 4.0.00.05080

SonicStage Add-on for Personal Audio Download : 4.0.01.05160

OpenMG Secure Module : 4.5.01.04270

MagicGate Memory Stick Device : 4.5.01.04270

NW-E2, NW-E3, NW-E5 and NW-E8P : 4.5.01.04270

OpenMG CD : 4.5.01.04270

M.S. PRO : 4.5.01.04270

CD Walkman : 4.5.01.04270

ATRAC Audio Device with Intelligent function : 4.5.01.04270

Hi-MD : 4.5.01.04270

Music Clip, NW-S4, NW-E7 and NW-E10 : 4.5.01.04270

ATRAC Audio Device : 4.5.01.04270

Net MD : 4.5.01.04270

EMD Plug-in : 1.2.0.9

CD-R 書き込みモジュール(Audio CD/ATRAC CD/MP3 CD) : 4.0.01.05160

Px Engine : 2.7.33.500

DOWNLOAD LINKS: Sony Japan | Sony Europe | Sony USA | Sony Asia-Pacific | JEB [Overseas]

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i'm all over this, the streaming install is slooow, as is to be expected when sony nerds worldwide are all updating.

*asia pacific of course.

ooh AAC module

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Nice to see a new version. Doesn't seem to offer anything new for HiMD users though. No European version yet though?

We will try and update the EU link shortly. As for Hi-MD, the last new update was with SonicStage 3.4.02.14020. I don't think there's anything of significant for Hi-MD with SonicStage CP 4.0.

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No, the disc had to be write-enabled with previous versions, because the number of uploads was limited. But now that the restriction has gone, it doesn't make sense to keep it write-enabled, and it just put the recording at risk. And as far as I known , the Mac utilities allow you to upload with the media write-protected, so it is just a matter of fixing this bug.

Regarding 356kpbs, an improvement that should be done with no firmware upgrade, would be to store Atrac 356kpbs in the library, or even better IMO allow this bitrate in SimpleBurner (or whatever replaces it).

Maybe next time ...

Edited by Roamer
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Why shouldn't I? :D

Actually I would prefer 128kps ATRAC3plus instead of 132kps ATRAC3. It is perfect for some music.

I don't see what it gets you. 256kps is very close to 352kps, hard to tell the difference and thats almost 100kps difference. You must have X-Men hearing to notice 4kps difference even with different encoders especially at that low bitrate.

Why 320 vs 352? File size difference would be neligible. You won't hear the difference. Unless you've X-men hearing.

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I've been putting this through its paces since last night, and writing up a lot of notes on usage, evident bugfixes, &c. Will post once I've finished ul/dl testing.

Most obvious deficiency to note so far:

The AAC module does not read tags at all. I've tried this with m4a tracks created by both itunes and foobar2000 [FAAC encoder] and the tags are completely ignored. This pretty much makes the AAC support useless, unless you want to spend hours retagging everything with SS [the CDDB lookup thing takes about 10 minutes to look up a single album from here, so I'd call that less than useful if you have hundreds or thousands of AAC tracks to re-tag].

I don't see what it gets you. 256kps is very close to 352kps, hard to tell the difference and thats almost 100kps difference. You must have X-Men hearing to notice 4kps difference even with different encoders especially at that low bitrate.

The difference here is in the codec; atrac3plus > atrac3, or so goes the assumption.

I find the software-encoded LP2 [132kbps] to still be unlistenable for most types of music with my ears [which are by no means X-Men ears]. Given the obvious differences in how encoding is done between the a3 and a3+ codecs, I have no doubt that 128kbps a3+ would sound a great deal better than LP2. Mind you, I still haven't tested that myself, so it's only an educated assumption.

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I find the software-encoded LP2 [132kbps] to still be unlistenable for most types of music with my ears [which are by no means X-Men ears]. Given the obvious differences in how

Nothing against you, but your statement made me smile because it reminded me of when CD's first came out. People that preferred listening to vinyl would say things like "I can't stand listening to CD's because it sounds like a machine gun going off." They were referring to the pits that carry the music that the laser reads. I wonder what those people listen to now days since almost all music comes on CD?

Edited by nathantw666
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Nothing against you, but your statement made me smile because it reminded me of when CD's first came out. People that preferred listening to vinyl would say things like "I can't stand listening to CD's because it sounds like a machine gun going off." They were referring to the pits that carry the music that the laser reads. I wonder what those people listen to now days since almost all music comes on CD?

Heh. Nice analogy. In my case, my dislike of LP2 came about because of listening to lot of tracks encoded in it. Hardware-encoded LP2 is not so bad, but software-encoded [i.e. SS or SB] still sounds far worse than even MP3 to my ears - very harsh, almost gritty or granular sound, almost like sand being blasted into my ears.

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Lots of people still listen to Vinyl, and you can still get it. CD isn't prefect reproduction.

The only new music I actually purchase is on Vinyl. I then make a back up of it on MD and CD for inclusion into my CD Megachangers.

Robert

The only new music I actually purchase is on Vinyl. I then make a back up of it on MD and CD for inclusion into my CD Megachangers.

Robert

Boy that sounded bad, No I do not pirate music. I actually use Rhapsody Music Service to stream audio when I am at work. Any new music I listen to at home is purchased on Vinyl if available, 2nd choice is then SACD or DVDA, then CD, if nothing else is available.

Robert

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Do any of these versions not have the connect store?

thanks

Do the connect store versions cause a problem if you've no net access?

Heh. Nice analogy. In my case, my dislike of LP2 came about because of listening to lot of tracks encoded in it. Hardware-encoded LP2 is not so bad, but software-encoded [i.e. SS or SB] still sounds far worse than even MP3 to my ears - very harsh, almost gritty or granular sound, almost like sand being blasted into my ears.

'MP3' theres a big difference between a 64kps MP3 and a 192-320kps lame encoded one. I wish people would make that differenciation. ;)

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Do the connect store versions cause a problem if you've no net access?

'MP3' theres a big difference between a 64kps MP3 and a 192-320kps lame encoded one. I wish people would make that differenciation. ;)

I was referring to MP3 of near or the same bitrate [i.e. 128kbps in that example]. ATRAC3's artfifacting has a specific spectral character, as does MP3's artifacting [as done any specific encoding/decoding algorithm], regardless of the encoder used. Encoder efficiency does affect the amount of artifacting present, but the artifacting itself is pretty consistent.

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Any word on the Mac software? The previews said that the Mac software was supposed to have " increased functionality" ( hopefully drag and drop from computer to minidisc ). Actually, the bare-bones nature of the current software is fine for my uses and the lack of excess baggage is kind of nice.

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We will try and update the EU link shortly. As for Hi-MD, the last new update was with SonicStage 3.4.02.14020. I don't think there's anything of significant for Hi-MD with SonicStage CP 4.0.

Well actually the MZ-RH1 comes with version 3.4.03.15140 of Sonic Stage on CD.

It's an interesting enhancement to make it possible for the MZ-RH1 to upload the MD Atrac format digitally, which of course is not unimportant. I'd say it's a major breakthrough (from the digital transport mode) to the classic MD (analog out only) format. So the tunnel is established, the hole to the other world finally is found.

Edited by Oti
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