Hi-MD transfer to PC of 'normal' MD recordings

[Slippershod]

wonder if anyone an clarify whether a Hi-MD player/recorder will allow one to transfer 'normally' recorded MD tracks through SonicStage via USB to a pc, and save the files in different, more computer friendly, formats?

apologies if this has been mooted recently already - think it might have been ...

** found the thread in question. hmmm, what a bore.

[Mr Nad]

Looks like you have found this thread: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=15161.

And to summarize: it depend on your Hi-MD deck!

[dave2010]

This model - http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_MZ-RH1.html - is the only one which is known to work - sometimes! There may be others, but I am coming to doubt it. Sony did a very good (!!!) job of making sure that most people couldn't access material they had recorded.

If it works, then it is fairly quick, and produces ATRAC files, which can then be converted.

These MD units are still available from eBay sources, but they're still rather pricey.

[Slippershod]

thanks chaps, for summarizing - I have indeed found the thread (I even knew it had been around recently and still just started a new one without searching ... :o)


Sony really messed up with their attitude to digital uploading / downloading etc - what a shame.

one thing I've realised in getting back into minidisc (for archiving vinyl!!) is how nice it is to have an actual 'thing' / disc, rather than files in folders in a pc ...
there can be such a thing as too much choice and ease of use I think :lol:

I guess there's a question mark over long-term reliability of discs etc, but I'm not too bothered about that ultimately. If they go, they go, hardly significant on the richter scale of tragedy.

I've gone to some trouble (ridiculous really) to find slide storage pages that will take cased MDs, together with printable labels - I'll just put a thumb of the album cover on I think, and then stick em in folders.

I've been trying to get in PC based digital playback - but realised it was getting even worse than vinyl - trying out different software players, trying to decide what the difference was etc, etc.
And then there's the hardware, and connecting of .... :rolleyes:

At least with MD, one is pretty restricted in terms of what faffing can take place, and the sound quality really is quite good.

[Mr Nad]

Since I've been using MD (since 1993 I think), I've only had one disc fail, but thanks to minidisc.org i was able to recover it.

However, I have had three of five MD recorders fail.

I still have my very first recordings made on MD, but I am eager to have them transferred to CD or DVD to make them easier to access in the event of my MD deck giving up the ghost.

[Slippershod]

for the moment at least, there are plenty of decks about for not much money.

the best ones don't seem to be around for bargain prices, however.