Can I copy a minidisc

[nleric]

Hi all,

what is the easiest way to make a copy of a minidisc??, I know I can copy the contents into my computer and then copy it all back from my computer on to a blank minidisc, but is there a handier way than this??

thanks,

Noel

[sfbp]

Don't even go there. Thanks to Sony's paranoia (mind you Apple does it too!) you simply cannot copy a MD unless you have an MDS-W1 (and that only if the disk is old-fashioned "SP" - not HiMD or MDLP).

If it's a HiMD (1GB or 80m disk formatted for HiMD) recordings that were made on it should be uploadable to PC. Copying them back to MD may be more complicated.

If it's a NetMD (LP2, LP4) there's little hope.

Your best bet, if you want something off of a disk, is to ask someone if they could get the music for you. Me for example. Is the contents of this disk commercial tracks that came from a PC? Most likely hopeless. But if they are someone's treasured recording, you can probably get them.

Tell us more about the disk the music is on. Describe it (colour, words) and anything you know about the unit on which it was made and on which you can now play it.

[Syrius]

The RH1 will also upload almost anything, except tracks that had been transferred to a NetMD from another computer.

[nleric]

Thanks for the detailed reply, what a bummer!!!!, the discs are belonging to a friend who is a band, so they are backing tracks that he wanted to make a copy of ,just in case the originals crash on him some night,

thanks for your help

Noel

[Soundbox]

Why not just connect two machines with a line level cord? It won't be a bit for bit perfect copy, but will at least be a reserve.

[sfbp]

Thanks for the detailed reply, what a bummer!!!!, the discs are belonging to a friend who is a band, so they are backing tracks that he wanted to make a copy of ,just in case the originals crash on him some night,

thanks for your help

Noel

You can do all of that - but the "right" place for that copy is on the computer (and thence to a CD). You still don't tell me what kind of disk was made and in what machine. Presumably since it's not yours and you are helping him out, you simply don't know.

This unfortunately now reduces to a series of hypothetical questions along the lines of "if x and y then would z be possible?" and we're basically spinning wheels making polite conversation. Sorry.

[nleric]

Sorry for the delay in replying we are snowed in, here in Ireland and I had to get to my friends house to get the details, it is a Sony, MDS-JE480, connecting two machines is a great idea, thanks for that, I just thought there would be a quicker copy or cloning option.

Noel

[sfbp]

Yes, if you have a 480 there is NO way to get data out of the machine. You can get analogue, just like Soundbox says.

In an ideal world we could get you a digital copy. But either your friend would need more equipment, OR we would need the disk.

The one thing he DOES NOT want to do is analogue line in to the PC, from any source whatever. The analog inputs on PC sound cards are pretty uniformly cheap-and-nasty, and you would be sacrificing quality bigtime. Copying analog from MD to MD will not be too bad as the MD analogue inputs have got nice filters on them.