Jump to content

Local FreeDB & NetMD aware software

Rate this topic


Guest Anonymous

Recommended Posts

Guest Anonymous

Hi,

Does anyone know of a piece of software that can be configured to look at a local FreeDB database that can also talk to my MZ-N710? If it can't do NetMD, then perhaps there is something that can convert my CDs to ATRAC3 format?

TIA,

Josh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

Thanks, I'll take a look at Win NMD.

The FreeDB bit is an issue for me becuase I don't have an always-on internet connection, and I want to xfer loads of CDs to ATRAC format.

I have configured my home network to run a local FreeDB server & database, so I wanted a piece of s/w that could be configured to look at that.

Hopefully Win NMD fits the bill.

Cheers,

Josh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

Hang on, Win NMD looks like an upload tool - not what I was after. Oh well, thanks anyway.

This NetMD game is beginning to become more trouble than it's worth. It's a shame really...

Josh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No no. If you want to convert cd's to atrac, I assume you mean you want to put your cd's on md because it isn't possible to record atrac on the computer (the comp only records atrac3, which is a different codec. If you just want atrac3, meaning lp2 or lp4, then just use openmg or sonicstage to rip the cd's onto your computer. BUT, if you want to put them on minidisc, you can make your recordings using a digital realtime TOSLINK connection and then win nmd can access freedb and title the tracks for you so you don't have to.

If I still haven't quite figured out what you're trying to do, I apologize...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

Hi again,

Yep, what I want to do is to rip my CDs onto hard disk in ATRAC3 format (sorry, I mentioned ATRAC in a previous post). Sorry if I wasn't clear (I don't think even I knoew what I wanted when I started out!). But...

1) I want to do the onversion using a program that can access a local FreeDB server I have running on a unix box - I don't think proprietary Sony software allows this (anyone?)

2) I want to be able to do it without necessarily having the NetMD player attached.

I can then use my library of titled ATRAC3 files to feed my NetMD player as and when I want, at a decent rate, using RealOne.

So far, what I have seen involves a lengthy conversion/xfer process (all that SimpleBurner/Nero stuff). I should add that I'm wanting to convert a heck of alot of CDs, not just 1 or 2.

I MAY have found my holy grail in a ripper called Audiograbber (which can be configured to encode ATRAC3 rather than MP3). This proggy can also use a FreeDB server, I think.

If I'm barking up the wrong tree please let me know...

Josh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah, I understand now, sorry about the confusion.

Sony software does indeed use Gracenote for cd info. I think that Audiograbber can record music in atrac3 (if you have the codec,) BUT I don't think it's the same kind of music format that OpenMG or Sonicstage records in. As a result, I HIGHLY doubt that you'll be able to check them out to MD, although I believe that any music program that can read wav files will be able to playback these files (if you're thinking of using the recording method I've heard of before.) Please post your findings if anything interesting happens, and good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

Alas, you are right - the PC ATRAC3 encoder is not directly compatible with the NetMD. Another dead end :cry:

Looks like I'm stuck using RealOne to convert MP3 to ATRAC3(OMG) for the time being.

My quest to find an encoder that can create .omg files without needing to write to the MD unit continues....

Thanks for the information and your time, Bazirker smile.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

For what it's worth, my latest solution involves ripping CDs to my HD (WAV format), encoding them using LAME (MP3 format), and then using SonicStage to convert them, ready for download (ATRAC3 format).

These things are sent to try us....

Josh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whoa, why are you converting them to wav then mp3 then omg? Why not go straight from wav to omg?

And by the way...I was reading earlier stuff in this post, and I honestly must admit that I don't know much about how online track titling works. How is it that FreeDB works differently from Gracenote? Do you download a big file to your comp full of cd names or something? I thought they both just accessed the internet and got track names...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, I went and did some research and figured out what the differences are between gracenote and freedb. I got an idea on how t use freedb with sonicstage...is there any way that the program can be faked out so that it thinks it is accessing gracenote when it is actually accessing the freedb database?

Hey Josh, to make your freedb search easier...

http://www.freedb.org/freedb_aware_apps.php

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

Hi,

I'm going WAV->MP3->OMG because I don't have a massive hard disk on which to store the wav files. Bakground reason: I will be using RealOne player to download tracks to the NetMD unit, since I can't be dealing with that Sony Check-in nonsense. To download, RealOne needs the MP3 file to be present in addition to the OMG file - it doesn't work otherwise. I delete the WAV file after I'v converted to MP3. Ta-da!

No, I don't think SonicStage can be tweaked to use FreeDB. The reason is that it now uses the newer Gracenote system called CDDB2. The original CDDB used similar mechanisms as FreeDB hence could be tweaked more easily. As an aside, I am running my own private FreeDB server on a Unix machine on my home network. So yes, I have my own CD database (it's BIG!). I did all of this because I don't have an 'always-on' interent connection and as such don't want to waste money dialing up just to retrieve CD info (especially since I have 100s of CDs!).

FreeDB compatible software can have several levels of support - not many provide the ability to access a specific database such as my home network's (most will just go to frredb.org). Thanks for the link - in fact that's where I learned most of my (limited) knowledge about FreeDB!

Josh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

By the way, I like the idea of going direct from WAV->OMG. What software would allow me to download OMG files to my NetMD player without any supporting WAV or MP3 files? Are OpenMG/SonicStage the only programs available?

Thanks,

Josh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

Sorry, you're probably right. You can probably go from WAV->OMG using RealOne but I don't use that method because storing the WAV file takes up too much space. That's why I convert to MP3 and store that instead...

Josh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...