Options for titling SP disks?

[fyrebug]

Hi everyone, so I'm a full fledged N00b.

 

I'm sure some ways are easier, harder, cheaper, expensive. Just wondering what my options are.

I prefer recording SP disks via optical out, and I'm not interested in netMD compression.

 

I've seen ir remotes with keyboards on them and I've seen hacks for the remote that allow old dos machines to program the disk titles via serial or printer port.

 

Is there a way to perhaps edit the titles of the disk that have already been recorded inside a netMD? Would sonicStage allow me to do this? I've seen there are some install issues so I wanted to ask first before installing it.

 

This is the list of devices I have if it helps

MZ-e10

MZ-R55

MZ-R90

MetMD MZ-N707

bookshelf CMT-M333NT (netmd with optical and usb)

MDS-JE510

 

thanks.

[sfbp]

333nt and n707

No issues though I think netmd tracks' titles are frozen after transfer FROM pc.

[PhilippeC]

Just record first (if you use your computer with a good DAC inside or outside - to record Flac flies - you can use foobar2000 withe the Posttracksilen DSP to create gaps). Then put the MD inside your Net-MD unit and connect it to your Pc. Open "Sonic Stage CP" (last version, see download section, you can even install well for any unit on Windows 8.1 64bit). You will get all your tracks, you just need to edit each track (copy-paste track names one by one from foobar2000 if you have used it). If you have errors, record again or split / cut tracks with your portable / deck unit.

[sfbp]

You may (unless you are running 32-bit Windows) need to install the 64-bit NetMD driver to get access to the SP disks.

[PhilippeC]

Note that there is a trick to avoid Windows signature control.

Enable loading of Net MD Drivers in Windows 8

[fyrebug]

Ok! this is great, thanks everyone for your replies!

 

I'm on windows 7 64bit, so I'll go through the hassle of installing sonic stage but it'll be worth it.

right now I record with winamp and have a plug-in that adds 3 second delays between tracks, but if foobar2000 is better I'll use that.

 

I was really worried it was going to be more difficult so this is really good news.

[PhilippeC]

Winamp is Ok, I used it before foobar2000. I knew Wincue plugin also (I used 2 seconds gap). What is important is to use a good output, preferably digital foobar2000 / Winamp : DS, KS, Asio (with exclusive application use of the audio output). You have good external DAC for less than 100$ (Creative HD USB).

[fyrebug]

I use optical right now.

Just the built in optical on my motherboard. From what I've read because the optical is a digital signal there are no good or bad ones really, there shouldn't be any degradation because it's never converting it to analog. is that right?

[sfbp]

Ultimately all audio signals start out as analogue.Staying with digital is usually good, except that compression and conversion artifacts (yes, even "uncompressed, lossless" PCM is in some sense compressed, so please nobody any of that hogwash about perfection through not using compression) can tend to build up depending on what you do to it. Sony is very careful with their digital signals - other mfrs may be less so.

 

Sometimes it's simpler to do a good conversion back to analogue and then record that digitally, especially if the conversion is doing a bad job, Follow what sounds good (assuming your ear can tell!) and always use the same steps whenever you can.

 

There are no simple answers to your question. One unfortunate thing about the means you describe are that the old ATRAC compression (before ATRAC3 and ATRAC3+) although sounding good, is not actually a very accurate codec. Nice yes, warm yes, but accurate maybe not. The strength lies in all the OTHER stuff Sony does to clean up the signal on their amazing MD decks, such that the result can sound better than the original. The other problem is that ATRAC itself is sort of on an island, and to get off the island you have to:

 

a. buy an MZ-RH1/MZ-M200 (same thing)

b. convert the compression to something which can be stored on disk.

 

It doesn't matter what the reasons are - but it's unlikely that storing the actual MD data from your SP disks will be possible or useful.

 

With ATRAC3+ on the other hand (assuming you don't want to spend 5x the real estate on PCM) you can get really very good recordings (of someone else's digital signal) and transfers. The japanese version of the flash walkmen actually allows you ATRAC recording, I just haven't tried it yet.

 

In the post-MD world PCM recordings are very nice, however most people end up converting them to "lossless" like FLAC (and others), to save space.

[Another MD fanatic]

Yes, as said before, follow what sounds good. I have some kit that without doubt gives a more accurate sound (semi-pro gear) but it certainly doesn't sound as "nice" as my minidiscs. Never mind about specs, facts, figures and what other people might say - trust your ears. After all you're the one listening to it.

 

By the way, although you can't edit NetMD tracks on an MD deck you can alter titles. I noticed a couple of spelling mistakes on one of my NetMD discs and it was no problem to correct them on my JE480.

 

And I'm curious, a Flash Walkman that allows ATRAC recording? Which model is that?

[sfbp]

(At least) the Japanese version of the NWZ-S75x series. Probably more, too. Hardware identical, firmware different from the one available outside Japan. Update: just tested it, works recording off the line input, but not radio.