mz-r50 Copying own recordings Sony MZ-R50 to PC Windows 10 ?

[Vienna snitzel]

Hello folks, 

before upgrading my Windows 10 PC to Windows 11, I thought , it's a good idea to save my recordings from around 2020 to the PC.

They are own recording for private use from trips to various Pacific Islands, public shows.  So no rights should be infringed, if such an issue matters.

.

In managed to copy a few records to the PC, but then the audio stream was not recognized anymore. 

From a listing, I learned, that MZ-R50 - mine is  # 1036711 - has ATRAC 4.0, Chip CXD - 2652AR. Plese check, if it is correct.

I am still not sure, if it produces analog or digital data.

There is no USB socket, just line in optical, line out is a 3,5 mm stereo plug.

How can I make the PC fit for recording. My first attempts using Audacity were successful, but the setting looked not particularly reliable.

What's the way to do it properly? Is a a/d converter required? I found some discussions about the reliability of Audacity, all quite dated.

 

Hopefully, this community is still alive...

 

Best wishes,

 

Vienna snitzel, Vienna, Austria

 

 

[Vienna snitzel]

vor 22 Stunden schrieb Vienna snitzel:

Error: Read recordings from around 2000, Sry

 

[BearBoy]

Hi @Vienna snitzel. Welcome to the forum.

 

The MZ-R50 only had a digital input, not a digital output, so the only way to get sound from it to your PC is via an analogue connection (use the 3.5mm Line Out connection rather than the headphone output for the best quality).

 

How are you connecting it into your PC? Audacity should work fine but some more information regarding how you are connecting the MZ-R50 to your PC would help diagnose your problem.

 

Is the MZ-R50 your only MiniDisc device? Many of the Hi-Fi decks have digital outputs, which would give you better quality. Additionally, it is now possible to rip the actual recordings from a MiniDisc with no loss of quality using the Web MiniDisc Pro software and a NetMD compatible device.

[Vienna snitzel]

Hello, BearBoy,

thanks for your message.  Yes, the MZ-R50 is my only MD device. I tried  a 3.5mm cable and used line out. I'm not sure, if "Volume" had an  influence.

Ripping my MDs, that's what I tried to do.  For some reason, it has worked for 2 or 3 MDs, later I could watch the graphic signals, but I could not copy th erecording. Perhaps you have some recipe of the workflow for a dummie in electronics ...

Best wishes from Vienna

Vienna snitzel

[Vienna snitzel]

I found this workflow:

https://www.minidisc.wiki/guides/md-to-pc

 

It is a little dated.  Maybe there is a more simple way to do it?

[BearBoy]

20 hours ago, Vienna snitzel said:

I tried  a 3.5mm cable and used line out. I'm not sure, if "Volume" had an  influence.

 

I don't have an MZ-R50 but, assuming that the Line Out functions in the same way on that device as on my Sony MiniDisc portables, then the volume control is bypassed.

 

I don't often use Audacity but a couple of things worth checking:

 

1. Make sure that you have selected your "recording device" correctly from the Audio Setup drop down menu:

 

 

I'm using a Focusrite Scarlett interface but you just need to select whatever input method you're using on your PC.

 

2. Make sure that the recording levels (the top level with the microphone symbol) in Audacity are up:

 

 

If you then press record in Audacity and play on your MZ-R50 you should see the audio being recorded in the left and right channels.

 

Once you have finished recording, save your Project (File > Save Project > Save As). Audacity saves its Projects as *.aup3 files. If you want to create a more universally playable file then you'll need to Export it (File > Export Audio > Export to Computer) and choose the format you want (.wav, .mp3, .aac etc). That should (hopefully!) give you a file you can play back more easily.

 

Hope some of that might help. Let me know how you get on and, if it's still not working for you, we can try to work out why.

[Vienna snitzel]

Thank you!