Standalone MD reader for PC?

[Jaycatt]

From what I've been reading in the forums here, it doesn't appear that there is a way to read MDs directly into a computer using some type of disc drive (similar to the way a 3.5" disc drive reads discs, or even like Smartcard readers for digital cameras).

Does anyone know of any plans in the works to produce one?

I'm using a non-NetMD recorder (MZ-R700) and I guess it just rubs me the wrong way that there isn't a way to keep it digital, even though it's recorded on digital media.

[aeriyn]

Hi there. Welcome to the MDCF. :happy:

In the past there have been a few MD "drives." There are MD Data drives, which used MD Data discs, but those aren't for music.

If you want to transfer the music you recorded with your R700 to your PC without having to do the digital to analog conversion and then back again, you should look into an MD deck with an optical out to run into a sound card with SPDIF inputs. That way you can get a true digital record.

Transferring music from your PC to MD, you don't even need the deck since your MD recorder has an optical line-in. Use a sound card with SPDIF optical out (TOSlink) with the optical cable that came with your R700. Conversely, you could use one of those dongles like the Xitel or the M-Audio Transit, which are USB-connectable and might be less expensive than a sound card with optical i/o.