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Hi-MD Music Transfer for Macintosh v. 2.0

Christopher

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Christopher

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Sony has officially released an updated version of the Hi-MD Music Transfer application for Mac OS X. There are some amazing improvements for file transfer that applies to MZ-RH1/RH10/RH910/RH710 owners.+++

Sony offers Hi-MD Music Transfer for Mac Ver.2.0 for owners of the following Hi-MD Walkman models:

  • MZ-RH1/RH10/RH910/RH710

New features of Hi-MD Music Transfer for Mac Ver.2.0:

* Applicable only to the stated Hi-MD Walkman model

MZ-RH1:

  1. User can import audio data recorded in Linear PCM, Hi-SP or Hi-LP mode on the Macintosh-compatible Hi-MD Walkman to a Macintosh computer after converting to WAV format audio data.*1
  2. User can download WAV*2 or MP3 format audio data from a Macintosh computer to a Hi-MD Walkman.*3
  3. User can change a track or group title in a Hi-MD disc, and change the order of tracks or groups.
  4. User can erase the tracks or groups in a Hi-MD disc.
MZ-RH10/MZ-RH910/MZ-RH710:
  1. User can download MP3 format audio data from a Macintosh computer to a Hi-MD Walkman.*3
  2. User can change a track or group title in a Hi-MD disc, and change the order of tracks or groups.
  3. User can erase the tracks or groups in a Hi-MD disc.

*1 - An audio data transferred using SonicStage or MD Simple Burner and an audio data downloaded from this software cannot be imported.

*2 - WAV format audio data is downloaded after converting to Linear PCM.
*3 - If an audio data downloaded from this software is used on SonicStage, some functions such as transfer times or CD burning, etc are limited.

Download (*.dmg): http://forums.minidisc.org/downloads/details.php?file=95

Download (*.zip): http://forums.minidisc.org/downloads/details.php?file=98

Download (Sony): http://www.css.ap.sony.com/Consumer/templa...=Personal+Audio

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The Low Volta Newbie

The Low Volta

Posted
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as the program only transfers MP3 and 1st gen can't play MP3 nor convert it on the fly and only Mac-compatible machines are able to upload to mac, I really doubt that connecting a 1st gen HiMD to mac and opening HiMD music transfer will do anything remarkably interesting :P but if you really need proof of this, I'll try it as soon as I get near my NH900 (in my desk at work at the moment and I'm working from home right now)

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atikin Newbie

atikin

Posted
Posted

Wow! They even let RH10 users do something with Mac! I downloaded, installed (first the installer requires to de-install the previous Hi-MD Music Transfer program which was installed "just in case it will work with RH10").

This is what we have:

G4 with MacOS 10.4.7

MZ-RH10

The first impression is disappointing:

No help, no system requirements, not even software version indicated. The software is made with no love.

1st try Hi-MD 1Gb inserted

In good traditions of the software making IT DOESN'T EVEN START. At all. Well actually it does but immediately quits unexpectedly.

2nd try RH10 is not attached at all

Software starts and shows its laconic interface. Looks quite a bit less minimalist as in v.1 though.

When RH10 is attached the program doesn't notice that. I found no way to say to the program that RH10 is attached and have 1G Hi-MD in it. No LUCK. Further efforts to re-open/re-start are not fruitful.

3d try 80min MD inserted

See 1st try.

4th try Blank Hi-MD 1G inserted

Same luck

5th try RH10 attached, no disk is mounted

No luck

Conclusion

Let's wait for version 2.9 which will probably start at least.

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1kyle Newbie

1kyle

Posted
Posted (edited)

Whilst this is great stuff I'd suggest any MAC user running Parallels could run Windows XP as a VM (Virtual Machine)--then all the SS facilities are available to you.

Note however that Parallels still does Virtualisation of USB at 1.1 so don't expect lightning fast transfer when you are using an RH1.

Parallels on OS X runs Windows XP fine -- no dual booting etc etc.

Bootcamp is another method but you have to dual boot which is a hassle.

OK I know a lot of people won't bother with "Virtualisation" but sometimes it is extremely useful. You can build for example a Windows VM and only have a single APP (say SS) installed keeping the VM really small. You can have a number of these all optimised for specific purposes and you only have to bring up the VM you need.

Once these VM's are booted you can "SUSPEND" and "RESUME" them at will so no boot / reboot sequences needed.

VM's can be "cloned" so no extra "Activations" needed --Windows essentally thinks its running on the same hardware.

Vmware and Parallels both have "Virtual Network" support as well allowing you to share files seamlessly between Windows VM's (Guest OS'es) or whatever OS you are running in your VM and the Host system (OS X / Tiger / panther).

You can also use (on your Windows VM) the sound output so you can use SS to play files from your library / minidisc without problem.

Both Parallels and Vmware "virtualize" the sound hardware based on the omnipresent Sound Blaster type of cards so pretty compatable with almost every known sound card on the planet. -- Doesn't matter what actual physical sound card you have on your MAC -- the VM thinks it's seeing a Sound Blaster card and works fine.

Just one word of warning -- while you can mix and match any sort of hardware and "Real" machines on your network only Parallels will allow a Virtual Machine to run on OS X. The resulting virtual machine (if it's windows) however will be seen as a "bog standard" windows machine on the rest of the network --this will also allow data from the VM to be shared / accessed across your network.

This makes manipulating and sharing Music Libraries a lot easier.

The only major multi-media problem currently on VM's (running on VMWARE or PARALLELS) is that video streaming isn't yet implemented so if you want to play DVD's then you'll have to do this from the HOST machine and not the VM.

I use this method a lot when I have to run Windows Apps that MAC doesn't have the equivalent of.

Cheers

-K

Edited by 1kyle
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clarkeda Newbie

clarkeda

Posted
Posted

Just for kicks I tried this with my 1G MZ-NH1. It displays the tracks and folders, reporting the free space correctly. Oddly enough the "delete" function works. When I click the "import" function nothing happens. This is as advertized of course, but frustrating none the less. I'm very close to mothballing the MZ-NH1 and getting an iriver H10 20GB instead. Shame on you Sony for not considering us 1st Gen Hi-MD owners. Sniff.

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The Low Volta Newbie

The Low Volta

Posted
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uhm... 2nd gen (the non mac-compatible machines so everything except the MZ-M10 and M100) doesn't have uploading to mac either and they can only download as they can play MP3s without conversion

as said before (and we will probably say lots of times before everyone realizes it):

- only the mac-compatible machines were marketed by sony as mac-compatible (specifically in regards to uploading) -> support for other machines should be seen as an unsuspected bonus if it should ever pop up but the lack of it should definittely not be criticised! you should have known your machine didn't work with mac (it said it didn't in tthe manual and in other places and each shopkeeper should have been able to tell you this!), Sony never promised it, get over it :P

- only the RH1 was marketed as being able to download from mac. now even the 2nd gen machines have been attended to -> again a bonus

- Sony has yet been unsuccesful in porting atrac to mac, so 1st gen as atrac only machines will remain unserved by the mac -> HiMD MP3-transfer software. This isn't evil, this is rather logic...

IMHO if something isn't present when it is advertized as not being present, it is not frustrating! just imagine, I personally would have been frustrated if the 1st gen was mac-compatible all of a sudden, as I have invested another €300 in an RH1 cause I valued mac-compatibility... but I had (and still have) an NH900... if that could do all the RH1 could (without being advertised) I probably wouldn't have invested €300 in a new machine :lol:

PS: if you were lied to by a shopkeeper claiming mac-compatibility at the time, it is another story, but then you should blame/sue/molest :P (I don't really care) the shopkeeper and not blame sony publicly on forums

PPS: my bottom-line (finally :D ) Sony has done quite enough evil/dumb/... things, so if you want to nag and blame sony, just pick one of those real issues, but do not blame them for the one thing they didn't do! Live with it, they added mac support because we all asked for it over and over again, they didn't withheld it from the first gens just to bug you!

Edited by The Low Volta
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clarkeda Newbie

clarkeda

Posted
Posted

I'm not really cross with Sony of course, but it's a pity that they couldn't have shipped function on OS X that was similar to that on Win32 with Sonicstage. In a declining and/or niche market I think I'd be shipping anything that would keep users using the hardware.

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sallymae_hogsby Newbie

sallymae_hogsby

Posted
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This is from the "Hi-MD Music Transfer for Mac Ver. 2.0" manual. One of the notes at the end of page 3:

The following tracks cannot be imported.

-- Tracks that have been downloaded from a Macintosh computer to a Hi-MD Walkman using Hi-MD Music Transfer.

And this from the notes at the end of the first column on page 4:

Audio data downloaded from a Macintosh computer to a Hi-MD Walkman using Hi-MD Music Transfer cannot be re-imported to the same Macintosh computer. For this reason you should make double check (sic) the contents of the original files before deleting them on the computer.

Could someone see if this can be "gotten around" by changing the track name slightly?

Thanks!

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dunebug81 Newbie

dunebug81

Posted
Posted

This is from the "Hi-MD Music Transfer for Mac Ver. 2.0" manual. One of the notes at the end of page 3:

The following tracks cannot be imported.

-- Tracks that have been downloaded from a Macintosh computer to a Hi-MD Walkman using Hi-MD Music Transfer.

And this from the notes at the end of the first column on page 4:

Audio data downloaded from a Macintosh computer to a Hi-MD Walkman using Hi-MD Music Transfer cannot be re-imported to the same Macintosh computer. For this reason you should make double check (sic) the contents of the original files before deleting them on the computer.

Could someone see if this can be "gotten around" by changing the track name slightly?

Thanks!

I doubt that it could because that info is included with the meta data in the mp3.

-Greg

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Shakuhachi Newbie

Shakuhachi

Posted
Posted

Hi Kurisu,

I have not been in touch much with anyone using the NEW Sony MZ-RH1, and uploading old MD live recordings onto a Mac. I have some questions in that regards, perhaps you might be able to answer.

I want to know if there is an English Software for uploading to a Mac, available now on the internet, and where? (Although I live in Japan, I do not read Japanese Kanji)

If I buy my unit from here, can I still download the software in English and use it with the unit I buy from here?

How has the users' response been to this unit? Is it really doing what it is meant to do, and that is to allow musicians to transfer their live recordings onto a PC/Mac, for archiving, or editing purposes?

What has been the overall response to this unit?

Thanks.

Shakuhachi.

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The Low Volta Newbie

The Low Volta

Posted
Posted

hi shakuhachi, I'm not kurisu, but he hasn't got an RH1 yet IIRC so I'll answer some of that for you...

- old MDs (legacy MDs or non-HiMDs) will only upload to PC (and only through SonicStage), not to mac (only HiLP, HiSP and PCM recorded with a mac-compatible recorder like the RH1 can be uploaded to mac)

- the English software for mac is available in this very thread you are posting in (or a link to it at least)

- where's 'here'? Japan? then you will have to set the menus to English with the help of one of our Japanese speaking friends, but software wise it's no problem at all

- the overall response to the RH1 has been great IMHO, but only f you realize its strong and weaker points: it is a recorder, not a dedicated player; it does NOT upload old recordings to mac... not at all, excapt for the old realtime analog way

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The Low Volta Newbie

The Low Volta

Posted
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Can anyone of you guys post a screenshot of the software.. for those of us who don't have a mac?

IPB Image

there you go... nothing fancy, just a small screen that shows the folders and files, you simply drag the MP3s into the screen and they are downloaded to the RH1

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meika Newbie

meika

Posted
Posted

Has anyone tried accessing the MD through the command line in the terminal and looking at directory with the -a option, show invisible files, ie > ls -a

As I do not have a MD of any description I ould be particularly interested to see if the non Mac supported MDs, which can be used as USB fat volumes, can have their directory structures look at via the command line in the Terminal.app, if so one might be able to copy mp3 via the command line

open the Terminal and type at the prompt (the '>')

cd ../../Volumes

then

cd name-of-the-MD-volumeordrive

then type ls -a

IS there a hidden directory (starting with a ' . ' ) where the audio like MP3s go?

Or is the data volume completely seperate from the audio, like a blood brain barrier?

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The Low Volta Newbie

The Low Volta

Posted
Posted

to be playable, music gets 'inscribed' into a special file called 'HIMD' (or something) on the disc... there are no separate MP3 files, nor atrac files. If you combine atrac and MP3 files (as I did with the disc shown in my screenshot: the first album = A3+, the rest MP3) there still is only one file containing the music.

you can drag and drop MP3s, but only in two ways:

- as playable music: D-N-D into the HiMD music transfer window, but this is not real D-N-D, it is just easy interface but the MP3s are nonetheless inscribed in the one 'music file' on the disc and do not appear as MP3s anymore (not even as hidden files)

- as data: simple D-N-D into the disc icon. This is real D-N-D and the MP3s are visible as unaltered separate files, but cannot be played on the machine!

I know little of Terminal and I didn't check this, but I did check this on PC when trying to reimport the MP3s I downloaded from mac, and even with 'hidden files' visible, there are no MP3s, only the music file

at this moment, the disc format itself doesn't allow D-N-D of playable music so unless the playback system of the recorders is completely altered it won't happen... and this means it definitely will never happen for any older MD IMHO... never!

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batfastad Newbie

batfastad

Posted
Posted

Just thought I'd add that the app works with the MZ-RH10, even on my beat up old G3 running OS X 10.3.9

I like the interface - nice and simple.

Shame you've got to install that beast of a program called SonicStage on PCs :(

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Abbstrack Newbie

Abbstrack

Posted
Posted (edited)

i'm interested in knowing what effect (if any) this has on the "crippled" mp3 playback issue of the generation 2 units. Since this is the closest thing to drag and drop, shouldnt there be a difference in the sound of mp3's as compared to those transferred from sonicstage, or was it deduced that the players were actually doing the crippling, not sonicstage?

Edited by Abbstrack
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emeb Newbie

emeb

Posted
Posted

Last night I gave it a try. Here's my gear:

iBook G4 800 w/ MacOS 10.3.9

MZ-NH800

Result:

Softare installs & runs fine. When MD player is plugged in the app can see the tracks. Uploads of any format are impossible. Deletes are possible on unlocked disk. Rename may work. Regroup may work (didn't try).

I wonder why PCM uploads aren't allowed on gen1 players?

Eric

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danielbb90 Newbie

danielbb90

Posted
Posted (edited)

Why can't sony just do a basic one from the first gen Hi-MD players (and the none mac ones)

With just Hi-LP, PCM and Hi-SP for them, it would dig people out of sticky situations with a mac... :( (upload & download)

It is posable as long as the hi-md player shows up as a drive in a mac..

Edited by danielbb90
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dherren Newbie

dherren

Posted
Posted

- Sony has yet been unsuccesful in porting atrac to mac, so 1st gen as atrac only machines will remain unserved by the mac -> HiMD MP3-transfer software. This isn't evil, this is rather logic...

My wife owns two MZ-B100 units that she has been using to record bi-lingual children for her research. We have dozens and dozens of discs. If we were to buy the MZ-RH1 would we be able to transfer those old recordings to a Mac OSX box?

I have already downloaded and installed the new version of the software, but I'm hesitant to purchse the RH1 if still will not allow us to do a pure digital transfer via USB.

Thanks for any information.

Hi Kurisu,

I have not been in touch much with anyone using the NEW Sony MZ-RH1, and uploading old MD live recordings onto a Mac. I have some questions in that regards, perhaps you might be able to answer.

I want to know if there is an English Software for uploading to a Mac, available now on the internet, and where? (Although I live in Japan, I do not read Japanese Kanji)

If I buy my unit from here, can I still download the software in English and use it with the unit I buy from here?

How has the users' response been to this unit? Is it really doing what it is meant to do, and that is to allow musicians to transfer their live recordings onto a PC/Mac, for archiving, or editing purposes?

We have many of the same questions. If you learn anything I would love to hear about it.

I did find the English language version of the sofware at Sony's site:

<http://www.css.ap.sony.com/Consumer/template/DDSummary.aspx?Id=54320&Category=Personal+Audio>

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The Low Volta Newbie

The Low Volta

Posted
Posted

hi Dherren,

welcome to MDCF... I see you quote a post by me, that means you read a bit of this thread...

My wife owns two MZ-B100 units that she has been using to record bi-lingual children for her research. We have dozens and dozens of discs. If we were to buy the MZ-RH1 would we be able to transfer those old recordings to a Mac OSX box?
...that should mean that you have seen the answer already, but perhaps you missed it. I'll try to explain it again very clearly.

with the mac software you can:

- upload (MD -> mac) HiMD (= HiLP, HiSP or PCM) recordings made with a mac-compatible machine (only the MZ-M10, MZ-M100, MZ-M200 and the MZ-RH1)

- download (mac -> MD) MP3's to all HiMD's that are capable to play MP3's without conversion so that means 2nd gen (RH710, RH910, RH10) and later

with the mac software you cannot (really we tried):

- upload legacy (in this case any non-HiMD) recordings (not even legacy recordings made with the RH1)

- upload HiMD recordings made with a non-mac-compatible machine (this moment that means all MD recorders except the M10, M100, M200, RH1)

- download MP3's to a non-native-MP3 playing MD (so no downloads for 1st gen HiMD and before)

- download anything else than MP3's

the B-models are non-HiMD, non-mac-compatible so they produce non-HiMD = legacy recordings made with a non-mac-compatible machine --> so there are 2 reasons (and one is already enough) why these recordings will not be uploadable to mac

on the other hand, these recordings are uploadable to PC through USB with the RH1 but that is already discussed widely in other threads

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dherren Newbie

dherren

Posted
Posted

with the mac software you cannot (really we tried):

- upload legacy (in this case any non-HiMD) recordings (not even legacy recordings made with the RH1)

- upload HiMD recordings made with a non-mac-compatible machine (this moment that means all MD recorders except the M10, M100, M200, RH1)

[snip]

the B-models are non-HiMD, non-mac-compatible so they produce non-HiMD = legacy recordings made with a non-mac-compatible machine --> so there are 2 reasons (and one is already enough) why these recordings will not be uploadable to mac

on the other hand, these recordings are uploadable to PC through USB with the RH1 but that is already discussed widely in other threads

Thanks for your quick response. I have been reading for hours at this point and I'm finding conflicting information on the net regarding this. Your information seems definitive given that you've tried to do the above.

So, it looks like we're stuck using a desktop PC to upload those files if we want to stay digital throughout. Oh well, that's why I have both types of machines, but when we're in the field doing recordings we currently travel only with macs.

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The Low Volta Newbie

The Low Volta

Posted
Posted

because the NH1 is first gen... as said before

track titles etc are written in the TOC (table of contents) which can be read by mac software, but unless the music has been written into the HiMD file by a mac-compatible machine, it won't upload...as said before

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ykstyle Newbie

ykstyle

Posted
Posted

Does it have black body color?

(The picture on the sonystyle shows it's black model but I can't beleive well.)

If it has, I would order it immediatly. Because The RH1 black in Yahoo! japan auction priced VERY HIGH!!

JP sonystyle has no stocks on RH1 Black and It will take much time to get it.

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msole Newbie

msole

Posted
Posted (edited)

I have a MZ-M100 and I'm using Hi-MD Music Transfer for Mac Ver.2.0 and it works beautifully both ways. Uploading and downloading from and into the mini disk player (WAV files). I think everyone should ignore Sony's claims, and just see what the program realy does.

Don't use the import button. Just drag the files into and from a folder on your desktop and onto and from the Hi-MD Music transfer screen directly.

Can anyone figure out what the advantages are of the new MZ-RH1 over the older MZ-M100, when interface with Mac and PC are identical?

:rolleyes:

Edited by basho
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The Low Volta Newbie

The Low Volta

Posted
Posted

I have a MZ-M100 and I'm using Hi-MD Music Transfer for Mac Ver.2.0 and it works beautifully both ways. Uploading and downloading from and into the mini disk player (WAV files). I think everyone should ignore Sony's claims, and just see what the program realy does.

eh, I do not mean to flame you basho, but what you describe here is exactly what Sony claimed the program would do for the MZ-M100 (and your post might give ppl false hope again)...

Sony actually did 'claim' that the MZ-M100 (one of the mac-compatible models) would be able to upload recordings with the mac transfer program. That actually was the whole idea of the M-models, that they could do this. It was/is their only difference with the RH10 and RH910 respectively.

What's new is that version 2 allows the M-models to upload HiSP and HiLP as well, while with version 1 this was limited to PCM only. But even here this isn't an 'unexpected and unpromised' bonus, again Sony did claim with the release of the version 2 software that one would be able to upload all HiMD-recordings made with mac-compatible models (which includes the M-models and the RH1).

on the other hand, Sony did say that version 2 would allow MP3-downloading from mac to any HiMD that natively is able to play MP3... again this includes the M-models (and the RH1 and the whole 2nd gen)

so while I am very glad you enjoy the extra functions, please realize that they were 'claimed' by Sony so it is not necessary to give ppl hope that their machine will be able to do more stuff with the mac software even though Sony says it won't...

don't get me wrong...if you do not believe Sony or what has been said (often) in this thread (by ppl who have tested it), please try for yourself... but don't come complaining that it doesn't work :P ... we know

Can anyone figure out what the advantages are of the new MZ-RH1 over the older MZ-M100, when interface with Mac and PC are identical?

:rolleyes:

- well, for me personally the biggest difference between the RH1 and the M-models (and between the RH1 and all existing HiMD in general) is the fact that it remembers manual recording settings, which makes stealth recording so much easier.

- second most important is the ability to upload legacy discs (to PC)

- further more its MP3 playback isn't crippled in any way (unlike all 2nd gen models including the M-models IIRC)

- it has the HD-digital amp (unlike M100 which has a digital amp) which offers a different and according to my personal preference better (clearer and more realistic) sound

- it charges fully through USB (unlike the 2nd gen and M-models)

- it has a fully metal body (M100 has metal as well, but it is hidden underneath a softish plastic coat)

but... the M100:

- has a bigger screen

- uses a gumstick battery + AA add-on

- comes with a scrollwheel/roller for easy navigation on the recorder

- doesn't require a remote for some (playback) functions/displays

all in all these are two very different machines that both offer mac-compatibility.

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