Newbie & help needed - transferring MD to mp3

[foundationsmcr]

Hi people, I'm new around here.  I've been reading a lot of the threads and I'm a little confused on how I go about converting my old Mds into mp3s.  Ideally I'd like to transfer/convert them into as high a bit rate as possible.

 

I have a Sony MDS-S707, Sony Net MD MZ-N1 (albeit it's a bit temperamental these days) and a Win 7 64 bit laptop which only has a mic in (no digital).

 

Can anyone tell me where to start?  I've tried using some software called Audacity, but I've found that the mp3 files sound quite poor as they're only exporting as 128kbps.  What am I doing wrong??

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

[Another MD fanatic]

You can change the bit rate of the exported file in Audacity. When you go in to select the type of file you want to export (i.e WAV, MP3, etc) there is a button in the bottom right hand corner labelled "options". Click on that and it gives you a range of bitrates from 8kb all the way up to 320kb, although why anyone would want to go as low as 8kb is beyond me. Just make sure you've selected "MP3" before you change the bitrate.

 

However, I suspect your problems are more to do with the input. This was exactly the problem I had with my own laptop until I got things sorted, an input only designed for a mic is hardly going to be top notch hi-fi standard. I suggest you have a look at a Behringer UCA202 or UCA222 audio interface. You just connect your MD to the little box then plug the box directly into a USB port. The 202 model is cheaper but I'm not sure what the differences are between the two, might be negligible.

 

Bear in mind there will have been losses when the original material was recorded to MD and you will be introducing more losses when you convert to MP3 so don't expect miracles. Having said that there is no reason why you shouldn't get perfectly acceptable results.

 

Shout up if I can be of any further assistance. I've been using Audacity for a few years now and I know it has a few quirks that can baffle you if you're not used to it.

 

Thanks, Steve

[foundationsmcr]

Mate, you are an absolute lifesaver.  Ironically I'd consider myself fairly tech savvy, but somehow I missed the "options" in the "File Save" pop up window!!  I was scouring the actual settings of Audacity to find the bitrate settings.  This is excellent info.  I'll definitely look into the Behringer kit options as well.  Now if only there was a way to do this that didn't involve "realtime" recording.  I've got shoeboxes full of MDs to go through this process!

 

I've found that some of the tracks sound a bit "muddy".  Is there anything I can do to clear them up a bit?

 

Thanks so much for the help!

[Syrius]

Now if only there was a way to do this that didn't involve "realtime" recording.  I've got shoeboxes full of MDs to go through this process!

 

If the tracks were recorded as opposed to downloaded to the N1 via USB, the RH1 can upload as 256kbps ATRAC3+ or Wave.

[foundationsmcr]

The tracks were recorded live from my turntables either via the N1 or the S707, but I don't have an RH1 unfortunately and it's not something I can afford right now. 

 

So the UCA222 looks to be an affordable solution for improving the quality.  I reckon I can get one for around £20.  Is there anything I should know/do whilst using one that will ensure I get the best possible quality from the original recording? 

 

Thanks again for all the help and suggestions!

[Another MD fanatic]

I've sent you a PM.