Sonic Stage Question

[tharmon]

I've installed version 4.0 of Sonic Stage. I connect my himed Sony recorder and the tracks are displayed in the transfer window; then I try to transfer the track to My Library and it completes 100% and,,, the last second I get an error message saying the file won't convert.. doesn't say why.

Can you help me correct this problem?? Thanks... Tom

[Richard]

Hi Tom, can you please provide us with a bit more info regarding your setup as outlined in the rules (in pink above) and what exactly you are trying to do. Thanks.

[smkranz]

Also, please detail whether all tracks transferred except for the last one when you got the error message. In other words, if you got a 100% message then presumably the tracks which transferred prior to the error messsage should have made it over intact. Yes/No?

Similarly, try playing the tracks directly from the MD using Sonic Stage...all of them. Does that work?

Something similar to what you describe occurred to me one time, which I believe was a corrupt recording on a Hi-MD disc which I have used successfully both before and after this event. I was uploading a multiple-track recording to the PC using SS 3.? and one track just wouldn't transfer. Everything else did. Upon trying to play that one bad track directly on the MD through the PC using Sonic Stage, I determined that a segment of the track was bad...it would not play all the way through. I advanced the playback status bar incrementally through the track a couple of seconds at a time, and it eventually picked up and played through to the end. It was about a 15-second gap which would not play, but it has not happened since then, even using the same disc.

I suppose I should pitch that disc and use another one for field recordings...I wouldn't want it to happen again to an important recording.

[faulkner1953]

I've installed version 4.0 of Sonic Stage. I connect my himed Sony recorder and the tracks are displayed in the transfer window; then I try to transfer the track to My Library and it completes 100% and,,, the last second I get an error message saying the file won't convert.. doesn't say why.

Can you help me correct this problem?? Thanks... Tom

The first thing I would try would be to uninstall SS4, reboot the pc, then reinstall SS4. Good luck.

[tharmon]

Hi Tom, can you please provide us with a bit more info regarding your setup as outlined in the rules (in pink above) and what exactly you are trying to do. Thanks.

Rich: There is a lot of information in the rules... terms I don't understand, etc. Don't know if I'm up to all this....

I do note that most of those rules, comments apply to version 3.0 + . I have now installed ver. 4. The sony web site seems to say that ver. 4 is for the kind of uses I want.

However, the rules do mention the following: "Editing tracks on your HiMD before uploading has been known to cause issues with uploading with virtually all versions of SonicStage. The lesson here: if you will be uploading your recordings, do not add or remove trackmarks on the HiMD recorder itself before uploading."

I have violated this rule!! maybe that is my problem!

Here is what I am trying to do:

I do two types of recordings on my MZ-NH1: 1) I record radio broadcasts from my FM/AM receiver connecting to the line-in of my MZ-NH1. 2) Live recordings using a mic plugged into the mic input on the MZ-NH1.

I have always had my MZ-NH1 set to place track marks at 6 minutes intervals. I do this for easier access to tracks deep into the recordings. Then, when I am ready to try to upload my recording to my computer (Windows) using Sonic Stage ver. 4, I delete all the track markers on the NZ-NH1 recording with the intent of getting one long recording on my PC so I can later insert track marks where I want them.

Maybe I should upload the file with the original track marks and try to remove the track remarks later once uploaded?

Don't know if this is any better explanation of my problem... Thanks for any reply.. Tom

[tharmon]

Hi Tom, can you please provide us with a bit more info regarding your setup as outlined in the rules (in pink above) and what exactly you are trying to do. Thanks.

Rich:

I just tried my same procedure using a new recording in its original format... that is before trying to delete track markers. I got the same error report message: "cannot save in WAV format".

I was hoping my problem was with my deleting the track markers. But that doesn't seem to be the problem.

Just thought I'd let you know this additional information. Tom

[tharmon]

Also, please detail whether all tracks transferred except for the last one when you got the error message. In other words, if you got a 100% message then presumably the tracks which transferred prior to the error messsage should have made it over intact. Yes/No?

Similarly, try playing the tracks directly from the MD using Sonic Stage...all of them. Does that work?

Something similar to what you describe occurred to me one time, which I believe was a corrupt recording on a Hi-MD disc which I have used successfully both before and after this event. I was uploading a multiple-track recording to the PC using SS 3.? and one track just wouldn't transfer. Everything else did. Upon trying to play that one bad track directly on the MD through the PC using Sonic Stage, I determined that a segment of the track was bad...it would not play all the way through. I advanced the playback status bar incrementally through the track a couple of seconds at a time, and it eventually picked up and played through to the end. It was about a 15-second gap which would not play, but it has not happened since then, even using the same disc.

I suppose I should pitch that disc and use another one for field recordings...I wouldn't want it to happen again to an important recording.

None of the tracks will transfer... the error message comes up with each individual track.

However, the tracks do play through sonic stage in the Transfer window... before trying to transfer to the Library... Thanks.. Tom

[A440]

I got the same error report message: "cannot save in WAV format".

To save in .wav format, SonicStage goes through two different operations: it uploads the recording from the unit to your computer, and then on the computer it converts that upload to .wav files, either by making an uncompressed version of your original recording (if it was Hi-SP or Hi-LP) or by removing its DRM information (if it was PCM).

To troubleshoot, let's separate the two operations. I have SonicStage 3.4, so 4.0 might be slightly different, but basically you want to NOT have it Save to .wav while uploading. Don't worry, you can Save to .wav later.

In 3.4, under Tools/Options/Transfer/HiMD/Transfer Settings/Advanced (on the bottom), UNCHECK "Save in .wav when importing." As I say, 4.0 may be slightly different, but the option should be in there somewhere.

Once that is unchecked, try uploading again, and see if the tracks upload without a problem.

There have been times that SonicStage just didn't want to save a track to .wav, but would do it just fine as a separate operation.

SonicStage has been through a lot of versions, and in versions before 3.4 it sometimes used to choke on tracks that had been combined on the unit. Later versions seem to have fixed that bug, but it's still mentioned in the FAQs.

Still, instead of combining all the tracks on the disc into one giant upload, it might be better to leave your tracks separated so that SonicStage doesn't have to process so much data at once.

Did all the tracks upload? (I'm going to be optimistic.)

Under Edit in SonicStage, there is a Combine function. Once tracks have been uploaded, you open My Library, highlight the tracks you want to combine--(Important: Highlight in the order you want them combined, because there's no Undo once they're combined)--and let SonicStage combine them. Edit also has a Divide command that's actually pretty good--it lets you finely adjust where you want to divide.

OK, one more question: What format are the tracks recorded in? Hi-SP, Hi-LP, PCM?

Edited July 19, 2006 by A440

[tharmon]

To save in .wav format, SonicStage goes through two different operations: it uploads the recording from the unit to your computer, and then on the computer it converts that upload to .wav files, either by making an uncompressed version of your original recording (if it was Hi-SP or Hi-LP) or by removing its DRM information (if it was PCM).

To troubleshoot, let's separate the two operations. I have SonicStage 3.4, so 4.0 might be slightly different, but basically you want to NOT have it Save to .wav while uploading. Don't worry, you can Save to .wav later.

In 3.4, under Tools/Options/Transfer/HiMD/Transfer Settings/Advanced (on the bottom), UNCHECK "Save in .wav when importing." As I say, 4.0 may be slightly different, but the option should be in there somewhere.

Once that is unchecked, try uploading again, and see if the tracks upload without a problem.

There have been times that SonicStage just didn't want to save a track to .wav, but would do it just fine as a separate operation.

SonicStage has been through a lot of versions, and in versions before 3.4 it sometimes used to choke on tracks that had been combined on the unit. Later versions seem to have fixed that bug, but it's still mentioned in the FAQs.

Still, instead of combining all the tracks on the disc into one giant upload, it might be better to leave your tracks separated so that SonicStage doesn't have to process so much data at once.

Did all the tracks upload? (I'm going to be optimistic.)

Under Edit in SonicStage, there is a Combine function. Once tracks have been uploaded, you open My Library, highlight the tracks you want to combine--(Important: Highlight in the order you want them combined, because there's no Undo once they're combined)--and let SonicStage combine them. Edit also has a Divide command that's actually pretty good--it lets you finely adjust where you want to divide.

OK, one more question: What format are the tracks recorded in? Hi-SP, Hi-LP, PCM?

Hi LP Stereo is what I'm recording in ... on an 80 min standard disc.

... I'll try the other suggestions now... sounds like good suggestions!... Thanks.. Tom

[tharmon]

Hi LP Stereo is what I'm recording in ... on an 80 min standard disc.

... I'll try the other suggestions now... sounds like good suggestions!... Thanks.. Tom

A440: Good news! Your suggestion seems to be working for me. One last glitch: When I attempt to transfer a file(s) to My Library, specifically into a particular play list that I have opened, the file(s) don't go the the play list... but to the "All Files" list! I can than open "All Files" and copy the files to the play list... but this last step seems unnecessary... Am I doing something wrong? thanks.. Tom

[tharmon]

A440: Good news! Your suggestion seems to be working for me. One last glitch: When I attempt to transfer a file(s) to My Library, specifically into a particular play list that I have opened, the file(s) don't go the the play list... but to the "All Files" list! I can than open "All Files" and copy the files to the play list... but this last step seems unnecessary... Am I doing something wrong? thanks.. Tom

A440: bad news...

Now it doing the same thing... I move the files to My Library, then to a play list, then I combine the tracks, then I "save as .wav file, and I get the error report: "Cannot save in WAV format".

What is going on now?!! Thanks.. Tom

[A440]

If I understand you correctly, you're trying to take a file from the minidisc and place it directly into a playlist. I don't think SonicStage does that. All the Transfer function does is copy the file into My Library, not a specific place in My Library.

I don't use playlists much in SonicStage, so if I'm misunderstanding you and you're trying to deal with a file that's already in My Library, I hope someone else can help you.

Title your tracks as soon as you upload them (using numbers at the beginning to preserve the order). Then clicking on the various columns in My Library gives you many different ways to order the tracks.

Another hint: Turn on the Group function on your recorder: under Menu/REC SET there's a setting for [icon that looks like a folder] REC. Each time you Stop recording and then start, the next bunch of tracks will be in a separate group (or folder, or album, which you can title), and they will upload within those folders, so you don't have to make playlists out of them.

Do your combined tracks play back properly through SonicStage while they're still in Hi-LP? I hope so.

Try converting them without putting them in a playlist: just leaving them in My Library and converting one at a time. Maybe the playlisting is getting in the way.

Otherwise, you might try reinstalling SonicStage. It's a complicated program, and maybe the one nugget of it that converts to .wav didn't install properly. Before reinstalling run the Backup Tool--you probably won't need the backup, but it never hurts to have one.

You can also try the homegrown alternative to SonicStage's "Sav as .wav": MarcNet's own Hi-MD Renderer program. Once you have the files in My Library, HiMDRenderer can convert them to .wav , .mp3 or other formats.

To download the latest version go to the last post in this thread.

http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=12683

Usually the hard part has been getting the music from MD to computer, so this is an unusual glitch.

Edited July 20, 2006 by A440