ATRAC

[SharkD]

Hi! I'm an owner of several old MD recorders and have some questions regarding the ATRAC format since I've been out of the loop for several years now.

1) Which non-MD types of devices currently support ATRAC or will support it in the future? (I'm assuming that no more disc-based formats will be developed by Sony.)

2) Can you store ATRAC files on your computer and transfer them between devices?

3) Is there a reliable listening test comparing ATRAC with other formats such as AAC or Vorbis?

4) Can you purchase ATRAC tracks at online stores?

5) What other portable digital recording solutions are there (especially flash-based)? How do they compare?

6) What are Sony's plans (if any) for future revisions of ATRAC? Lower bitrates? Other features? None?

7) What is the latest version of ATRAC supported by RealMedia? Will they upgrade to the latest versions?

8) Are there any noteworthy differences (filesize, bitrates, etc.) between disc-based ATRAC and RealMedia?

Thanks for any answers!

-Mike

[edit]

One more question: What's the best method of backing up existing MD recordings to a hard drive? None of my current portables have SPDIF output. Can SPDIF-capable protables/decks be cheap to come by? Is the analog output of sufficiently high quality that I don't need to worry about it?

Thanks!

Edited April 28, 2009 by SharkD

[pata2001]

1. Sony NW series, which are Japan only models. Also, I believe Sony cellphones in Japan still support Atrac. PSP and PS3 also support Atrac.

2. With the more recent version Sonicstage, yes, there's an option to disable copy protection, and you can copy the files to as many PCs/devices as you like. I don't think there's a way to transfer between devices though, unless you re-record/transcode.

3. Yes, but it's old, and only used LP2 and older versions of the other codecs. I have not seen one using Atrac3+ and/or using more recent versions of other codecs.

4. Only in Japan.

5. You can find plenty of portable players and cellphones that can record via their built-in mics. Good for basic voice/lecture recording, but no way near MD in terms of quality/capability. There are plenty of devices geared towards pros with excellent features and quality, but they tend to be pricey. IMO HiMD still holds a good value for a good quality consumer-grade portable recorder.

6. Sony's obvious next step is AAC (Sony co-developed AAC).

7. RealMedia? I hardly see anybody use RealMedia anymore, but I think the last time it had any support for Atrac was for LP2/LP4 (Atrac3), a looong time ago. Never use Real for ages, so not sure about now.

8. Atrac uses CBR, constant bitrate. So filesize should be the same if both have the same bitrate.

9. I assume you're using SP discs/classic MD/NetMD, not HiMD. If they're recorded from mic/analog line-in/optical out, best bet is to buy an RH1 and upload them as WAV to your PC. If they're tracks encoded with Sonicstage and transferred ala NetMD, then there's no way to "backup" those. Just don't delete the tracks from your PC, and/or make sure you rip without copy protection.

[sfbp]

<snip>

If they're tracks encoded with Sonicstage and transferred ala NetMD, then there's no way to "backup" those.

Not (quite) true. All you need is a deck that supports MDLP and has optical output. There are several (I have 2) and the only problem is that you must play the recorded material back at x1, into wherever you want to record (which can NOT be another MD because of SCMS, I think). So an optical card for computer is probably needed too. Of course some will say you won't be significantly worse off outputting ANALOG and recording that.

I agree that you cannot get a bitperfect copy from any portable, or by USB.

[A440]

@SharkD

The overview is that ATRAC is done. Over. A big old floparoo. Sony was idiotic to think that it could force a proprietary format onto the world, especially when Apple/iTunes outflanked it as the only music seller that mattered and mp3 became the universal music format.

Sony has given up its (admittedly stupid) Connect store trying to sell ATRAC files. It's not making minidisc any more, except possibly the MZ-RH1. There is zero future for ATRAC.

If you have recordings that you made on MD or NetMD units, your best bet is to get the MZ-RH1 and upload them. That's the only unit that will upload them.

Or you can record in realtime out of the headphone jack--which won't sound awful, depending on what you're recording into (better a digital recorder, via line-in, than a computer with a lowgrade soundcard).

If you do get the RH1--some minidisc.org loyalists are currently selling theirs--it's a fine recorder and will upload via SonicStage as long as SonicStage remains compatible with Windows. I'm clinging to SonicStage 4.2 on Windows XP, but SonicStage 4.3, probably the last one, is supposed to work with Vista. Whether it will work with Windows 7 remains to be seen.

There are flash recorders by Edirol, Tascam, M-Audio and others that will eventually replace minidisc as the standard for portable recorders, even though minidisc units have better mic preamps (so far at least) and lovely on-unit editing. The old Cowon X5 and Iriver HP120/140 hard-drive recorders also have their fans, and like the flash units they upload recordings by--wish Sony had thought of this--simply transferring files via USB.

But Sony mismanaged minidisc through every phase of its strange lifetime--most egregiously by making recordings encrypted and foisting SonicStage on the world.

I'll be using the two NH700 and one RH1 that I own until they expire as live recorders, uploading to SonicStage 4.2 on Windows XP. But I'm not deceiving myself that it's anything but stubbornness.