POB Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 I've started using my MZ-S1 again after many years. I'm using the latest SS (which I downloaded from here), and successfully transferred some mp3 files to an MD (I was able to transfer those onto another MD as well). But subsequently I've been getting "Transfers are not allowed" error message on other mp3 files. I've searched most of the threads on this problem and haven't had much luck. If somebody as any newer ideas about what might be happening with mp3 files that won't transfer to MD I'd love read them. I'll keep working on it as time permits and report back if I figure out solutions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfbp Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 Nah, just delete the MP3's from the SonicStage database (but not from the computer) and re-add them. In addition, you might want to find where SS puts the temporary files that they get converted to, because most likely the old converted file is lying around and SS somehow objects to this. They will be called <song>.oma where your original is <song>.mp3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POB Posted March 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 Okay I did as you suggested: found where SS puts the converted (.oma) temporary files, deleted them, and readded the mp3s but unfortunately it didn't work. I haven't played around much with converting these mp3's to a different format. I tried working with a program called Mp3tag to strip the ID3 tags, but wasn't able to make that work. Quite honestly I probably need to educate myself a little more on audio files. I'm thinking that Simple Burner might be a solution but it looks like I'll have to convert these mp3's to cd. I'll try making a cd iso image and see if that works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfbp Posted March 17, 2011 Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 It may be that SS doesn't handle Variable Bit Rate MP3's - I recall some weird comment to that effect. However I am far from being an expert on MP3. Do they PLAY in Sonic Stage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netmduser Posted March 17, 2011 Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 Use another tool to convert to WAV then import the WAV into SS. Always works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POB Posted March 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 @sfbp, yeah the mp3's I'm having trouble with play in SS. Which is a good thing, right? @netmduser I'll get cracking on converting the troublesome files to WAV and then importing to SS, and report back. I'm still really happy to be using the MZ-S1 again and I have enough MDs recorded to keep me busy for a while (the mp3 files I'm struggling with are mostly instructional audio material, and I've managed to transfer the most important ones without any error messages). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfbp Posted March 17, 2011 Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 did you actually delete them from SS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POB Posted March 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 Yes, I deleted the mp3 files from "My Library" in SS and I deleted the .oma files I found in C:\Documents and Settings\admin\Application Data\Sony Corporation\SonicStage\Temp. I've discovered though that when I try to convert the mp3s in SS the Result is: Conversion to OpenMG Audio (ATRAC3) 132 kbps. Cannot convert the specified track. Possible reasons may include: - The track (files) cannot be found. - SonicStage does not support the file format of the track. - The track is copyright protected. The mp3's play in SS so that would mean they're supported, right? Then probably it is an issue with "The track is copyright protected." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POB Posted March 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 I converted the troublesome mp3 files to wav and SS transferred them. So it begs the question, why didn't SS just transfer the original mp3's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfbp Posted March 17, 2011 Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 Not so fast. I have seen weird things with MP3's. The problem may be that the format does not *per se* guarantee an ID Tag. In efforts to be compatible with files that do have ID tags (note Windows Media Player, for example asks you if you want it to retrieve information from the internet) and possibly for other, DRM-related reasons, I have noticed (often) that an MP3 file which gets played by some MP3 software players, is MODIFIED (by that player). Sonic Stage which used to believe in the integrity of that file now sees it as having changed. And will not transfer it. You might want to study very very carefully the exact sequence of operations you put an MP3 through, and also look at the date stamp and file size to see if it changed after being played (by other players than Sonic Stage). I think it was this that stopped mine from being transferred. One more detail: are you logged on as "admin"? (seems so from the location) Perhaps you should put your temporary files in a place that no one except you and Sonic Stage know about (eg C:\mySSfiles or some name you made up). If some background process is updating the wretched things you'll never ever get there unless you guarantee that nothing else modifies them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POB Posted March 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 @sfbp Thank you for offering some great information about how MP3's work; so that as far as transferring them through SS goes I can fix it so that I don't have to convert them to WAV (although that works really well). Your last paragraph about moving the SS Temp folder to a different location is something I hadn't thought about before: that background processes could become an issue with folders assigned by Windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfbp Posted March 17, 2011 Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 Now you mention it, Sonic Stage has some weird background processes. Check and see if SSAAD.exe is running. See the first tip here: (with a little more research this appears to be related to mp3 files). Two possibilities arise: 1. it's essential for MP3 usage and the lack of it is messing you up 2. it's inessential for MP3's and the presence of it is messing you up. I have no clue, because MP3's for me have been nothing but trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netmduser Posted March 17, 2011 Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 There are a lot of reasons why an mp3 will not convert in SS. For those ones it is just easier to convert to wav file. MP3 files as mentioned can contain tags, bits etc that SS does not like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POB Posted March 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 I hear you netmduser, and I'm just fine converting mp3's to wav when I have to, but in the long run trying to figure out problems like this certainly adds a little to my skills (I'm already pretty good with Nunchucks, not so much with a staff ). Anyway the link that sfbp provided, raintheory's: A Collection of SonicStage tweaks will assist me (time permitting) on this journey to SonicStage mastery (that has a nice ring to it). . Happy Saint Patrick's Day 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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