SonicStage or Similar?

[osushipower]

Hello everyone,

I was digging through an old box I have and was surprised to find an old walkman NW-S603 that I got as a present (bought in Japan). It's been a long while since I last used it, and back then I used to import songs to my walkman through Sonic Stage software. Unfortunately, while browsing the web for more info, I did not find an offline version of this software and most probably lost the installation cd.

I have also watched some videos in which they gave instructions on using MediaGo/Music Center by Sony, but those don't seem to recognize my walkman, might be for another model, most probably.

Any tips on how can I "resurrect" this little guy? Anyone with an offline installer hosted somewhere or another "new" software that might do the job?

 

Thank you!

[kgallen]

Welcome!

I don't see NW-S603 listed on minidisc.org. Can you elaborate on make/style?

Comments I just made in this thread might help you get SonicStage up and running on your PC:

 

[BearBoy]

I don't think it's a MiniDisc player Kevin. Looks like it might be one of these:

 

Either way, your advice re SonicStage should hopefully help :-)

[kgallen]

1 hour ago, BearBoy said:

I don't think it's a MiniDisc player Kevin. Looks like it might be one of these:

Doh! (Blush emoji!). I'll get my coat...

[sfbp]

I have never seen one of these in the flesh, as it were. They date from the era when Sony was producing devices that spoke NetMD, but did not do ATRAC3+ since HiMD didn't yet exist (about 2004). You can check the dates in the manuals. So they should talk to Sonic Stage, and YES will likely need a 64-bit driver (I'm assuming OP has a 64-bit Windows). Unfortunately I honestly don't know whether the NetMD driver is any use for these units. It's only a protocol, but Sony might have modified a bit for their first foray into solid state. I'd need details of what gets installed on a working version, in order to help much.

With the later models there is less problem as you don't need any special drivers to speak Hi-MD, and most people transfer HiMD from SS to begin with.

My first suggestion would be to run Virtual PC as I do for M-Crew (ie PC-Link PCLK-MN10 or -MN20). You then end up attaching the supplied 32-bit driver to the 64-bit stub, using a pull-down menu of VirtualPC after it loads.

The other problem I have not myself grappled with is whether VirtualPC even works with Windows 10. Can anyone clarify? I use W7 for this. There *is* a perfectly good 32-bit install of Windows 10 but most people never even notice it unless they happened to upgrade a 32-bit W7 at about the right time. This might solve the problem so that the original drivers work correctly.

My own difficulty is twofold:
1. I don't have an NW603 or any other diskless unit which predates ATRAC3+/HiMD
2. most of my W10 installs are virtual machines, and I have not tried attaching USB hardware to them.

Sorry not to be of more help, but the driver is surely the problem.

[osushipower]

Thank you all for the help!
I managed to download Sonic Stage 4.3 and it imported all the songs perfectly.

Have a great weekend!

[sfbp]

Great! Sounds like it behaves as a generic "Atrac Device". This is so for many Japanese-market machines. The export equivalent, especially the more recent ones, this is less true.