SonicStage - Import CD in MP3 or ATRAC3 Format?

[cdg66]

Hi

I've been importing my cd's to my PC in mp3 format but I read this quote on wikipedia tonight which says that Sony have crippled mp3? Should I have been importing to my PC in ATRAC3 for best sound quality?

Sorry if this is a well known problem, I had a look but couldn't find an answer.

cheers, Andrew

'In 2005 Sony presented an update to its Hi-MD devices: native support for the popular MP3 format. Unfortunately, this did not include drag-and-drop capability, but rather required the use of the Sony software to wrap the MP3 files in DRM. A further drawback was that the MP3 playback could be best described as "crippled" — Sony implemented a lowpass on MP3 playback, which could make MP3 sound dull in comparison to ATRAC. Some users say that this was done in hopes of fooling listeners that ATRAC is superior to MP3 to trap their music in ATRAC format. 2005 also saw an update to the SonicStage music transfer software, with version 3.2 allowing users to upload their analogue recordings an unlimited number times.'

[grenert]

What Hi-MD device do you have? The first generation do not play MP3 directly; they have to be converted to ATRAC first. That definitely reduces quality (not necessarily because of ATRAC, but the transcoding from one format to another). If this is the case, then you would be better off importing into ATRAC (unless you need MP3 files for other players/software).

If you have the second generation, you can play MP3 directly, but there is a lowpass filter like Wikipedia says. You can get around this somewhat in the equalizer by REDUCING all of the frequencies except the highest one (search the forums here to find the exact directions).

If you have the third generation recorder (the fancy MZ-RH1), then you can play MP3 directly with no lowpass filter.

[cdg66]

I have an MZ-N10 NetMD not Hi-MD, but because I have version 3.4 of sonicstage I am able to import from CD in MP3 format. But I record all my MDs in SP because my car minidisc player does not have MDLP.

I take it the low pass filter is a hardware not a software issue....and so does not affect me.

cheers, Andrew

[grenert]

Well, if you have NetMD, then I would definitely import in ATRAC, since NetMD cannot play MP3 directly, and Sonic Stage would just convert MP3 into ATRAC anyway when you transferred to your player. On the down side, those ATRAC files are only usable on Sony players, so you may need to re-import into MP3 or some other format in the future to use a different player.

[A440]

The best way to get CD to minidisc is with Simple Burner, which converts directly to ATRAC and doesn't leave files on your computer.

If you want .mp3 files on the computer that you can also use for other players, then you should convert to mp3 at 192 kbps or above--for good quality--before SonicStage sends it to the disc as ATRAC.

As Grenert says, your unit doesn't play mp3s. The second-generation (RH9**) Hi-MD units can play back mp3s, but they don't sound as good as they should. It only affects those units, and was fixed for the RH1. But don't worry about it.

[Avrin]

And dont't forget that ripping directly to ATRAC3 gives gapless playback, while ripping to MP3 and subsequently converting to ATRAC3 does not.