WANTED - Sony MD remotes --- SOLVED ---

[NGY]

I am looking for these Sony minidisc remote controllers: RM-D22M RM-D21M and RM-D49M. If you have one for sale, please let me know in a PM. I have an extra RM-D15M, that I can offer for trade in, if someone needs it.

Until I find them, can somebody owning these help me out please with the IR codes of the buttons. If you don't have the necessary gear, it is enough to boot your MD deck into display/buttons test mode (AMS+REC), and the last step of the diagnostics is the remote test - any buttons pressed will display a code on the display.

[UPDATE: model name corrected]

[PhilippeC]

I am in the same process for my Yamaha DSP AZ1 home theather amplificator. The hard thing is to find a reseller who have the original remote but in Vietnam it seem you can get such thing more easily. I just found the good reseller yesterday in Hanoi (2.000km from me). He will send me an universal remote (Philips 6061) already set "face-to-face" with Yamaha full functionnalities, no need of IR codes. 

For IR codes, I found this web site : http://www.remotecentral.com/index.html . 

Maybe the Philips 6061 owner's manual* will be with some help (when I get it) because it has pages with IR codes (see picture).

D22M : philippeb  has a MDS-W1. D49M remote : fourbanks, freddyjolloa and bluecrab have a JB940.

Myself, I can be with some help just for the MDS-JB980° and its remote.

(*) none of the owner's manuals found on the web have these IR codes pages.

 

 

 

[NGY]

Thanks, Philippe. I saw this site, very informative. There is a file, that describes Sony IR codes in details, I am using it as a reference.

While I would like to stick to an original remote, if ever possible, my backup plan is to use my ipad as a remote. Another plan is to build a small ir box with only a few buttons, that would cover the missing functions only, as most of the functions are common on all MD remotes.

[sfbp]

Most remotes are not simple - Sony's are no exception. The biggest tricky thing is for buttons which repeat when you hold them down. But there are lots of other subtle parameters. Stateless buttons are also a problem eg you press a button to turn something on AND select it. But only select it if already on, not turn it off.

May I commend to you the Sony RM-VL600, I have had the best luck with this one. Especially to the situations where one button does two things. And Sony designed it no doubt with their MD remotes in mind.

One problem which I have never been able to solve myself is where, if you have several MD decks on the wall, one button wakes them all up, or makes them play, or record, or whatever. Onkyo and Panasonic seem to have allowed for multiple devices, I'm unsure if Sony ever did.

Merry Christmas anyway

Stephen

[NGY]

Thanks Stephen.

I will take a look at the Sony RM-VL600 - seems it is a fairly inexpensive model.

The biggest shortfall for me is that these universal remotes have all the generic buttons, like power, navigating, numbers, etc., but very few of the programmable buttons. For me, those would make the most sense, as all I need is a couple of functions from the 22M and the 19M, that are unique to them. Rest (the generic stuff) is working with any other MD remote, like my 15M or 47M I use the most, no use to replicate them on a universal remote.

My understanding is that - at least on the MD remotes - one button is one code, flat, and the interpretation is done inside the unit. I need to verify it though, once I get a little deeper into this IR stuff.

As for selective control of multiple MD decks: no, Sony never implemented this. Very simply put: the IR code of a given button is built of two parts - one is the device ID, the other one is the actual command. Sony reserved only one single device ID for MD decks (”15”), that's why it is not possible to select a given MD deck to operate from the remote, without "bothering" the others. (We touched this question here a few months ago, there are ways to solve this, but way too complicated.)

[sfbp]

The VL600 is completely programmable. Really. Best of all, it learns.

[NGY]

On 2016. 12. 29. at 0:04 AM, sfbp said:

The VL600 is completely programmable. Really. Best of all, it learns.

Thanks, I have just downloaded the user manual and the code table. Will dive into it sometime.

[UPDATE2: I have just learned, that the RM-D21M is the remote I was really after, as this is the remote for the non-Japanese W1, while the RM-D22M is for the Japanese model.]

Just out of curiousity, I compared the photo of a RM-D22M to the other remotes I possess, and the RM-D33M is the closest. What I found is that only seven buttons are missing, three other are potentially OK, all the rest (56 out of 64) is there.

Here is a photo, and the color code:

- green: these buttons are the same and are in the same position on both remotes

- yellow: same buttons, but located in different positions

- red: buttons not on the 33M - these are Deck A, Relay, Deck B, Input, Output, MD-Sync, Timer

- blue: 1) second function of the +/- record level buttons are used for menu select on the 22M, while analogue output level on the 33M, I suspect it is decided inside the units, so they should work. 2) There is an unmarked button on the 22M that can enter the parentheses in name edit mode, same button exist on the 33M, marked A.Space - again I believe this has the same code, and works OK. I will test them on the W1 once I can.

[UPDATE: yes, +/- buttons of the 33M do work for menu select on the W1, as well as the A.Space button for the parentheses. So these blue dots are actually green ones :-) .]

With that, the 33M can be used with the W1 for majority of the functions, though for selecting decks or inputs/outputs the deck's buttons are needed. Not bad, especially when the W1 is not the main recorder or playback unit, when those seven would be handy. Disk to disk operations need the user next to the deck anyhow, and working from the menus is also faster with the AMS knobs.

[sfbp]

I never used the tables. But I did make it emulate several quite complex remotes, in at least one case making it simpler to operate the device than with the original remote that i still had.

I can see the MDS-W1 might be quite a headache!

[PhilippeC]

PDF manual for Sony Remote Control, RMVL600_Remote_Codes

Could be usefull to keep this topic warm for all universal remotes fiited for MD remotes replacement.

 

[PhilippeC]

My Yamaha DSP AZ1 new remote : The Philips SRU-6061 (original cost 3x)

 

 

[NGY]

I thought I'd share this (been searching the net for some IR information):

"In '89, a Customer brings in their VCR for me to fix. It won't accept tapes, plus their kids misplaced their remote, so they wanted a price on a new one. Well, after taking the unit apart, I called them and said, "Sir, I've found the problem with your VCR. BTW, you don't need a new remote." (From: Bill Samuel) "

Too bad that no chance the missing remote of an MD deck finds like this :-) .

 

 

[NGY]

OK, I have also found that the closest match of the RM-D49M is the RM-D19M.

Only two buttons are missing, REC MODE and INPUT, one single button, FILTER is at a different position, all the rest is right there. Very close.

Other alternatives can be the RM-D17M (REC MODE, INPUT and FILTER buttons are missing, the rest is just as covered), or simply the more frequent RM-D15M (P.HOLD is missing on top of the three above, plus the two DATE buttons on "D" and "E" need to be checked if they work - I would expect they do).

I think I will just get a VL600 and program those missing few buttons not on the RM-D15M, for both the 22 and the 49 (and maybe others), and put it next to my extra RM-D15M. This seems the easiest way to fix the remotes issue - true it requires two remotes for MD, but in return I can control any of my MD decks using only those two, and have the convenience of the most used buttons on an original Sony MD remote, with the usual layout.

 

Nevertheless, I keep my WANTED topic open ended - anybody having an RM-D22M RM-D21M or an RM-D49M for sale, please let me know, I still would like to complete my decks with their original remotes.

 

 

[kieronkirk]

I have a RM-D17M which came with my MDS-JB920 and three RM-D33M from MDS-JB930.

One of the RM-D33M has a "DO BIT" button which the other two do not have.

Is this of any help?

[NGY]

Thanks for the input. May I ask you to take a good photo of the two different RM-D33M remotes? With and without the DO BIT button. It sounds interesting. And I am going to check my 33 immediately  :-).

The DO BIT button is there to set the bit depth of the digital out, 16-20-24 bits, if I recall it correctly. Normally, this button would have its own IR code different from those I am looking for, but I will certainly check it.

---

UPDATE: my RM-D33M does not have the DO BIT button :-( .

[punkrockaddict]

On 8.1.2017 at 11:17 AM, NGY said:

Thanks for the input. May I ask you to take a good photo of the two different RM-D33M remotes? With and without the DO BIT button. It sounds interesting. And I am going to check my 33 immediately  :-).

The DO BIT button is there to set the bit depth of the digital out, 16-20-24 bits, if I recall it correctly. Normally, this button would have its own IR code different from those I am looking for, but I will certainly check it.

---

UPDATE: my RM-D33M does not have the DO BIT button :-( .

Of course not.The DO out button is only for Models like JB920 / JA50 . Iirc only the JA50 has both buttons.All other Models have DO out or Filter button.

The 33 remote is from the JB930 isn´t it ? That Deck has no such function, only the Filter

[punkrockaddict]

i´d like to see that picture.. if it will be uploaded :-)

 

[NGY]

2 hours ago, punkrockaddict said:

Of course not.The DO out button is only for Models like JB920 / JA50 . Iirc only the JA50 has both buttons.All other Models have DO out or Filter button.

The 33 remote is from the JB930 isn´t it ? That Deck has no such function, only the Filter

That's right, the 930 does not have this functionality, not even in the Setup. (Unfortunately. And I sold my 920.)

But the 940 does have it, regardless there is no DO BIT button on the RM-D49M. The JA20ES also does, and it's remote has both the Filter and DO BIT buttons on it.

[NGY]

2 hours ago, punkrockaddict said:

i´d like to see that picture.. if it will be uploaded :-)

 

I'd love to see it too.

I recently collected the photos of ~50 different Sony MD remotes, and I had some surprises.

[punkrockaddict]

23 hours ago, NGY said:

That's right, the 930 does not have this functionality, not even in the Setup. (Unfortunately. And I sold my 920.)

But the 940 does have it, regardless there is no DO BIT button on the RM-D49M. The JA20ES also does, and it's remote has both the Filter and DO BIT buttons on it.

No button on the remote because it´s only accessible through the menu.I´ve sold all my 940´s and don´t worry about it :-)

I just searched my JA20´s remote but can´t find it.That unit is not hooked to any of my stereos so im not surprised i´ve put the remote to storage.

what surprises do you mean? Concerning these 2 buttons ok but otherwise ? What bothers me the most is the compatiblity between all MD remotes.If only they had made a 1-2-3 switch like on my Cd Changers remotes.. but that´s not the big deal. I simply put 1 MD unit to each system so im fine :-D

[NGY]

On 2016. 12. 28. at 10:39 PM, NGY said:

As for selective control of multiple MD decks: no, Sony never implemented this. Very simply put: the IR code of a given button is built of two parts - one is the device ID, the other one is the actual command. Sony reserved only one single device ID for MD decks (”15”), that's why it is not possible to select a given MD deck to operate from the remote, without "bothering" the others. (We touched this question here a few months ago, there are ways to solve this, but way too complicated.)

I am just curious how many people would be interested in such a solution. I had some thoughts, and wonder if there are any volunteers (to hack their precious MD gear).

Here is my concept:

 

1. Take an MD remote and add a 3 position switch for controlling 3 different MD decks, and add an extra piece of circuitry, that can change the IR signal as needed (see point 3.).

My candidate is the RM-D15M, for a couple of reasons: it is fairly common and relatively inexpensive, it has a lot of buttons (~90% of other advanced decks' remotes), and it is big enough, so has room inside for the mod. (RM-D7M-s are available from the US at very cheap price, like $7 each or so, but it does not have the +/- buttons, that is worth a lot for many decks.) (Instead of a modded original MD remote, a universal remote can also be used, if and when it is programmable to such modified Sony IR code as below.)

 

2. Build a circuitry into those decks (up to 3) that need to be independently controlled (actually, only into second and third, because the first one can remain intact). This small circuitry will "understand" the modified remote, and transform the IR signal back to the original Sony protocol (again see point 3.).

This device must be between the deck's IR receiver, and its main processor, therefore, the deck itself must also be tinkered (the line that runs from the IR receiver to the main IC must be cut at the most appropriate point, plus two power lines must be connected to the added circuit). The device can be "hard wired" to selection 1-2-3, or can also have a switch (say wired onto the back of the deck), to be able to select its ID.

 

3. Now, before you say it is "way too complicated" (like I did earlier), here are those "little circuitries": in fact they can be very small, like a coin - just a microcontroller (an SMD one), one or two transistors plus a few passives.

The microcontroller in the remote takes the signal of the original remote (naturally, for deck 2 and 3 only), changes the device ID code (but nothing else) in each and every button sequence, and drives the IR LEDs. The same microcontroller (well, different microcode) in the deck then replaces this "fake" device code with the original Sony MD ID ("15"), and sends the "clean" signal to the deck's main IC. As simple, as it gets.

The thing here is that Sony's IR protocol is fairly simple, so we can play with it. We can also find two unused device ID-s for this purpose, to avoid bothering other Sony gear.

 

So anybody who dares, raise their hand :-).

[NGY]

On 2017. 01. 11. at 1:12 AM, NGY said:

So anybody who dares, raise their hand :-).

Nobody? Nah...

 

Anyhow, back to the original thread: I have solved half of my remote needs: I bought an RM-D49M finally. It cost 62 pounds - OK, I got some extras with it: an MDS-JB940QS with manual :-) .

But I am still after an RM-22M RM-D21M - let me know, if you have one for sale. I just figured out, that I also have an RM-D37M (for the MXD-D3), should anyone need that for a swap or trade in.

[UPDATE: model name corrected]

[NGY]

I have finally bought an RM-D21M.

Would have never expected one popping up here on home soil (my W1 might well be the only one in the country, but certainly there are not many), then it happened by chance, and I almost overlooked it.

Remote cost ~19€ that I think is a fair price for such a rare item.

With that, this thread is now --- SOLVED ---.

Thanks to everyone.