Minidisc players to PC?

[sjt269]

I assume this is the right forum for this sort of question...



I'm asking this on behalf of one of my dad's friends, who wants to know how to transfer files from a minidisc (minidisc player as well, I assume) onto his PC. I have never owned a minidisc player, so I said I had no idea, but I've been told today that this friend has managed to get the tracks onto his computer, however he can only get the first 30 seconds of a track onto it. This sounds like some sort of trial software limitation to me, but I really don't know for sure.


So, what I'm asking is, how would he go about transferring all his songs from minidisc to computer?


Thanks
tTz

 

[benjo plz.]

What make is the player?

 

[sjt269]

Um...



I have absolutely no idea. It was a rather vague request, tbh.



I thought minidisc players would just hook up by USB or Firewire and Windows would (hopefully) autodetect the player, but like I say, I've never used one.

 

[Stellios]

Providing its a NET minidisk it will connect to the PC via USB. If its not NET then it become a lot more difficult.

The minidisk should have came with some software, this being drivers for the player and song transfer software. Providing its a Sony player it will have came with either SonicStage or OpenMG. Install this software and then connect the player, then use the software to transfer the music.

 

[Arsey]

I could never transfer my files from my minidisc to my PC, it was a NET MD but im not sure if this is because i couldnt do it or it wasnt possible. I think because it is analogue data it doesnt work but im not sure.

 

[dmr79]

Presently, it is impossible to copy music from your MD to your PC using Net MD unless it originated from the PC in the first place. Minidisc.org FAQ covers a bit of it. The latest minidisc player will upload, but only in Hi-MD mode, so you still can't upload you own NetMD / old style discs.

I think sony really missed a trick here, and it probably will be the death knell for the minidisc.

I'm in the same boat - I've got loads of old minidiscs that i'd like to convert to MP3, but the only way to do it is to run your minidisc into your 'line in' on your soundcard.

 

[sjt269]

I'm in the same boat - I've got loads of old minidiscs that i'd like to convert to MP3, but the only way to do it is to run your minidisc into your 'line in' on your soundcard.

That was my original suggestion, funnily enough. Does that work at an acceptable quality?

 

[benjo plz.]

That was my original suggestion, funnily enough. Does that work at an acceptable quality?

Yeh, as long as you've got a decent connection. You can record using the standard windows recorder, which will record in Wav, which is lossless, but you'll probably want to encode as the files will be big. There was a decent minidisk app made by someone a while back, but I can't find it.

 

[sjt269]

Okay then, thanks for the info. I'll pass that all along to the guy who needs it. Once again, it's OcuK to the rescue!

 

[tom_nieto]

You won't be able to transfer the songs in digital due to copyright restrictions built into the MD. Analogue line in is the only way to do it really.