MZ-RH1 copy protection on uploads

[homegrown]

Is there a setting in SS43 to allow uploads to PC without copy protection? All my uploaded recordings (I am only recording via mic) are having copy protection being applied to them. I'm running Win7HPx64 and tried SS43 and SS43 Ultimate. I can't locate any options to turn copy protection on/off on uploads. I only see the option available for format conversions.

[Avrin]

Welcome to the forums!

SonicStage automatically applies copy protection to anything uploaded. This is an atavism of SONY's DRM paranoia. To remove copy protection, you need to close SonicStage and then run the SonicStage File Convertion Tool and unselect the Add copy protection checkbox. After a few minutes (the time depends on the amount of music in your library) it will create unprotected copies of all your uploaded tracks.

It is a good idea to run this tool with the checkbox unselected after uploading each disc, so that you always have unprotected copies of all your files.

[homegrown]

Thanks! Files are now free of restrictions.

[sfbp]

note that a System restore or a hard disk reinstall of Windows would likely have knocked them out of the cricket pitch to where they cannot be retrieved. So Avrin's advice is good... do it early and often. Note the initial prompt will keep telling you many hours (as your collection gets bigger and bigger) but this is for conversion TO protected, usually even the re-estimate is high (after unchecking the box). So don't be put off thinking "I don't have time to do this today". Usually only a couple of minutes.

[jmsla]

A further question on thei topic:

When I upload from an MD that I've recorded live or from a commercial CD, I instruct SS to save in .wav to a file in my hard drive. Then I delete the .oma or.OMA files and it doesn't appear that the .wav files are copy protected. I can then import them to SS if I want to put them on a CD or an MD. Am I missing somethin or isn't this a better way? Additionially, as .wav files, I can import or run them in a program like Audacity for editing.

[sfbp]

Absolutely. However, importing CD quality by Sonic Stage has some problem (at least to my ears) which may be the ripper.

The converse problem seems to exist. Sometimes genuine WAV files are flagged as protected (untransferable) by SS. Ugh! Then your only choice is to delete them and re-add. Problem: you lost the titling info.

Here's a small tip, start your names with the Composer (or if you prefer Artist, for non-classical) then a space-hyphen-space and now magically lots of things work right on the re-import, or burning to Nero (there's an undocumented convention that this delineates artist from title, somewhere around).

I'm sure others have found better ways. Another thing when doing as you describe is to leave ONE song as a placeholder from an Album, and process it when you've done all the rest. That saves you retyping all the album details if they came from CDDB.

[jmsla]

Thanks for those tips....

What a goofy programs SS is. Sometimes, I get a choice in one of the drop-down menus called "Recover Rghts". I can't recall exactly what I'm doing when this choice appears, (in 'Controls' I think). Any insight what this does?

[sfbp]

Thanks for those tips....

What a goofy programs SS is. Sometimes, I get a choice in one of the drop-down menus called "Recover Rghts". I can't recall exactly what I'm doing when this choice appears, (in 'Controls' I think). Any insight what this does?

Yeah.

Some of the more *advanced* USB-equipped portables will allow you to erase files (earlier ones simply say "track protect" I strongly suspect) and store what they have erased, presumably on the Medium, not in the player. Weird, eh?

Normally when you put such a disk in and connect up the USB, SS knows about this and automatically fixes track counts. It can be a right royal pain if you deleted a jillion songs and don't need the rights any more, because it really wastes a lot of time doing it. In fact I don't think I have ever up or down loaded a song with restricted number of transfers - that's all in pleistocene times.

If you FORMAT the disk I think it doesn't bother.

Not sure exactly under what circumstances it is necessary to do it by hand but I am sure some sufferer of the early versions of NetMD will be able to come up with a scenario where it is necessary to invoke it.