Remove SCMS from ES MDS-JA333ES

[mestkidd]

I was still wondering if there is any sort of hack or firmware upgrade available that can be done to my ES, MDS-JA333ES Minidisc deck, to remove SCMS so I can digitaly record other minidiscs?

thank you, Aaron.....

[viiv]

Hi, I am not aware of any hacks that can be done directly to the unit to disable SCMS. The only unit I am aware that you could "hack" in this manner to disable SCMS was very early versions of the MZ-R50. What you can do though is buy a SCMS "stripper" or more politically correctly called tSCMS tweaker. What you do is you place it inbetween the two MD devices you are recording from and to. As the name implies it "strips" the SCMS info from the signal and sets the SCMS flag to zero. By setting it to zero not onl does it allow you to record that MD digitally but that MD you just recorded can now be rocerded from unlimited times without the need for an SCMS stripper! Also you obviously need two optical cables instead of just one. You can see a list of them here:

http://www.minidisc.org/part_SCMS_Tweakers.html

Edit: Never mind. Just looking through the link I just posted. It seems like your MD deck can be directly hacked for about $200. However you would need to send your deck into Germany and I am not sure if they still do it so you would have to call to see and for more info. Although you can order the parts yourself and do it yourself too. However this is definantly a more elegant solution.

Edited August 29, 2006 by finalcoolman

[philippeb]

There is an alternative solution. What you need is a - hard to find - second hand Sony MDS-W1 double deck. I use my own MDS-W1 to duplicate, rearrange and defragment my minidiscs.

These operations are done in the ATRAC domain, at high speed (4x), without loosing any bit. SCMS bits are copied along with the tracks, regardless of their values. The procedure is the following:

1 - Insert your recorded source disc in A and your empty target disc in B. Both discs must be writable.

2 - Move all or selected tracks from disc A to disc B with the "All Move" or "1Tr Move" functions.

3 - Eject disc B. This is your defragmented copy.

4 - Enter the service mode as described in the Service Manual, and leave it. Disc A is ejected without writing the TOC, restoring the tracks which have been deleted by the "Move" operation.

Disc A is left unmodified - the deck actually never writes on it. Disc B is a perfect clone of disc A (or a clone of a subset). I backup all my minidiscs with this procedure.

Felix

[raintheory]

TOC cloning might circumvent SCMS. Though you would need a unit that you are able to perform TOC cloning with.

I would assume the following procedure would work:

Clone a TOC from a disc containing one long track in the same format to your SCMS protected disc. You would have to add the trackmarks yourself, but it might work. You would then be able to digitally copy the disc just fine, since the only info changed would be the TOC.

http://www.minidisc.org/cloning_procedure.html

If the procedure mentioned in that link doesn't work, it is possible to modify probably just about any portable recorder to enable TOC cloning.

Edited August 30, 2006 by raintheory

[KCT]

Get a Behringer SCR2000 Digital Match unit, it takes care of the SCMS. They sell for about $30 on E-Bay these days.

Cheers

KCT