I realize that the mini-disc is going the way of the buffalo, but like those weird, majestic, tired looking mammals, the minidisc still remains. Does anyone know how to transfer these files? I purchased my minidisc player used & don’t have the prerequisite cables, so…maybe there’s a nifty secret/special minidisc lair where such things can be accomplished.
If you have a MD player with a SPDIF digital output, you need a sound card with a SPDIF input, and then a SPDIF cable. That’s the only way to make a digital transfer. If there is only an analog output on the player and an analog input on your sound card, all you will need is a patch cord with 1/8" stereo miniplugs on either end. Plug one end into the MD output, the other into your sound card’s line input. Done!
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- There’s two types of minidiscs out there, the older “plain” versions and the newer Hi-MD ones.
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- If you have an older minidisc player/recorder, then the way you transfer files is by hooking a patch cable (a double-ended 3.5mm stereo pug cable) between your minidisk player’s headphone jack and the line-in jack of anything else, like your PC. Start with the volume and rec-level at zero, start the song playing and turn both minidisc-volume and PC-rec-input-level up until you get the usual -3 dB levels. There is no advantage to using SPDIF transfer in getting songs off these older MD units, because the ATRAC conversion took place in the MD player/recorder, and it had to be re-converted to produce any kind of usable output anyway, as nothing else could play ATRAC files. And if you keep the cable short (3 feet or less) you really don’t lose any noticeable quality to the analog cable.
- The newer Hi-MD players might have some other options, I am not familiar with them, as I don’t own one–apparently you can transfer files off them in some circumstances–look around at http://www.minidisc.org/minidisc_faq.html
- Incidentally, Sony did realize at some point that they had missed the boat on portable music player sales by crippling the mindisc. The two biggest complaints about MD they got were that it was limited to its own proprietary file format, and that it had copy-protection integrated into the hardware. One of the “old Japanese guys” at Sony said in an interview that they had recognized their mistakes and that the next generation would very likely support playing alternate common file formats, and the future of the integrated copy protection system was under consideration as well.
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I’m not meaning to dispute what you said. However, in my line of work, we use professional minidisc machines every day. A coaxial or optical digital transfer from minidisc to computer is performed daily. That’s why digital outputs are provided on the units, because they are a quality upgrade from an analog transfer. They yield a 44.1 KHz, 16-bit digital stereo or mono signal, which is measurably of higher resolution than an analog transfer. The ATRAC compression process has no bearing on it. You still have a bit-reduced file, but it’s a clone of what’s on the disc.
If you have a consumer machine, it probably has no digital outputs. If it does, they are crippled by copy protection, which you most likely cannot turn off. Still, it may be possible to get one digital transfer out of the setup.
I have used both the standard MD and Hi-MD formats. I’m guessing that your used MD recorder is not a Hi-MD unit. If it is standard MD, then what DougC has told you is right. Your only option is to make a copy, in real time, to your computer (or some other medium) via the analog headphone output. It’s a real pain, but that’s it. Period.
Hi-MD allows you, using Sony’s proprietary software (and only that software), to make digital copies of your recordings at high speed to your PC. Once. Because of the built-in copy protection fishbicycle referred to, the software treats your original microphone recordings as copyrighted. You can only upload the recording from the disc to your computer one time. (Arrrgghhh!)
Once they’re on your computer you can copy them and convert them to other formats like WAV and MP3. There’s also a utility that lets you burn a CD directly from the MD.
The problem that I’ve had is that Sony’s software is buggy. Many people have had problems with it. I got it to work briefly, but since then it crashes my computer (running Windows 2000) every time I try to start it. For my purposes it’s not essential that I get it to work (although it would be a hell of a lot more convenient) so I just play the recordings on the MD recorder.
Hi-MD recorders have a USB output and can exist as a drive on your computer. You can copy any kind of file to or from minidiscs. Well, except for Hi-MD files. They won’t show up in the directory. You have to use Sony’s software to copy those files, remember? But if you would like to use the Hi-MD discs as storage media for other forms of data, you can.
So, say I have a Mac. Analog headphone to what sort of plug? Or am I up that one creek without that one thing?
(Y’all have been quite helpful, but last question: do I need any software? My mini-disc (yes the non-Hi one) was a hand me down & I’m software-less.)
Heh. My dad just got a letter this morning saying he’s won a Minidisc player in some charity raffle he entered a while back. I said congratulations, etc. but from my limited experience with these, I kinda get the feeling he’s got the booby prize there. 
I’m not a Mac person, but you’ll need a cable to go from the headphone jack (stereo mini plug) of the MD player to whatever line audio inputs the Mac has, probably another stereo mini plug or a pair of phono plugs. Radio Shack will have it for $5.
As for software, any audio recording program will do. If the Mac doesn’t come with something, I’m sure there are freeware and shareware programs out there. Sorry I can’t be more helpful, but someone will be along shortly who knows more about Macs.
I just wanted to let everyone know that I took all advice and made the minidisc recording happen last night. We recorded with a sad, 70 dollar room mic, but it sounded surprising and boisterous. Your thoughts & tips were invaluable. We threw the roughs up on my website , if anyone involved wants to hear how they turned out.
You recorded it with a microphone???
Would you like to send the minidisc to me? I’ll be happy to transfer it onto CD for you, for free. My e-mail is in my profile.
Apparently, I wasn’t clear. We plugged the mic into the minidisc and transfered the minidisc data straight over to a Mac with a 1/8" inch to 1/8" cord. The minidisc to mic would have been a sad state of affairs.
Thanks for the offer though, fishbicycle. Much obliged.
Oh. I thought you wanted to transfer sound from a minidisc to a computer. I thought you described recording the sound as it came out of a speaker, onto the computer via microphone. I’m slightly confused. Where did the microphone come into it?
But if you need a proper digital transfer to CD, the offer is still open.
He’s talking about the original recording having been made with a cheap boom microphone.
The microphone was just what we used to capture the sound ONTO the minidisc. I was just saying how pleased I was that a fairly low quality mic recorded as well as it did. The sound FROM minidisc to CPU, what the OP was about, was achieved with a 1/8 inch chord, following the instructions of you fine people.
I suppose I could easily have ignored the microphone aspect altogether, but I get unnecessaily verbose at times. (see this entire thread)
So the ones labelled (rough) are the MD recordings?
I listened to Resurrection Song first, and thought, Wow! I want one of those mics! But that’s a studio track, right?
You should be able to record a feed from your PA mixer through the MD’s line input. That would sound much better than the mic recordings.
You never mentioned the brand and model of your MD recorder.
commasense: yeah, resurrection song’s definately a studio recording. That cracked me up. Thanks for the PA hint, too: a fine idea. We’re still hammering out kinks, so any help is great.
The minidisc player is an old Sony one. An MD walkman “MZ-R55” It’s served us well, as far as rough recording for our own sake are concerned. These are just up for a week or two for people who actually check the site once in a while.
Thanks again.