On Thu, 3 Feb 2000, Norman, Dustin wrote:
Hi!
> > CD: PC interface, exploiting CDDB and CD-Index
> > CD->MD: Automaticly title MD name and tracks from CDDB
> > MP3->MD: Automaticly title MD tracks trom mp3 tags
> > MD->PC: Automaticly name sound files
> I bought the MDS-PC2 hoping that I could get the exact support that you
> describe. However, I was disappointed. The MD Editor2 software does not
> support CDDB (what an oversight that was). Nor does it support dumping your
> MD songs to sound files (although other programs will can capture the sound
> data for you... but you still have the naming problem).
Another veeery useful feature, if you have a Sony charger, is PC
control of it. I was very dissapointed when discovered that deck chargers
doesn't have the custom file capability available on almost every car
charger; IMHO, on home systems this is even worst, taking into account
that their CD capacity is several times larger.
I mean, you title a position on the CD caroussel, not the CD itself. When
you replace it, the position remains titled; the exception are CD-TEXT
CDs, but I have seen only 3 of them in my whole life, and oh-no,
they're not text copyable to MD.
Another approach to this would be to make CDR CD-TEXT replicates of your
original non CD-TEXT CDs, but there are very few CDR units that support
recording CD-TEXT, I only know about some latest HPs (a mediocre CDR/W
unit in general IMHO) and TEACs (great).
I guess a veeery useful feature so will be to be able to make the PC to
take the catalog number via SLINK, make the CDDB query, and title the
position accordingly via SLINK; everytime you change a CD, click on Update
CD label->Enter Carousel Position:(A for all) et voilá! Posibilities are
tremendous.
> Therefore, I have decided to write my own software for these purposes. I am
> currently writing a WinAmp plug-in that will automatically start recording,
> create new tracks as they are played in WinAmp, title the tracks via the ID3
> information, and stop recording when the playlist is complete.
I dunno if winamp already support this, but I'm also implementing
a perfect-fit feature for my software that I guess you will find useful
too: I mean, I tell him I want e.g. a 30% of jungle, 60% assorted and 10%
Heavy metal; I enter the exact duration of the MD (eg, 78:30), and let it
make some pseudorandom compilations that fit perfectly on that time and
follow that percentage. (the clasical knapsack programming problem). Then
you let it record and tittle it...
I like too much that "Kinder-Eggs-MD"s for playing on my car, I don't know
what it contents are, that's always a surprise, like Kinder chocolate
eggs... When you're sick of listening to some MD, you erase and record it
again (thanks MD!). posibilities are even greater if you combine your
available CD-Charger CDs and mp3's...
> Unfortunately, in order to do this, I need to figure out exactly how to
> communicate with the CAV unit that comes with the MDS-PC2. I have found
> some web sites that describe this but not to the extent that I would need.
Did you see the S-Link resources listed on
http://www.upl.cs.wisc.edu/~orn/jukebox/ or
http://www.brian-patti.com/s-link/ ? They're a good starting point
about Slink in general there are some pointers to the sony interface
also...
> I guess I will be spending a lot of time with a serial port monitor...
Well, you have an advantage; you have the Sony original program
and interface, and that's supposed to work correctly; the "rest" *could* a
matter of software "debugging" and port monitoring.
But that could be also an additional problem, if Sony happened to worry
more on hiding that providing features, and has cyphered on some way the
serial->CAV communication, hiding/blurring from you how to make the
interface to issue the real S-Link commands. I guess you will take much
more advantage when coding your own if you'd bought nirvis slink-e, that
carries full programing documentation, and even programming libraries...
It will be also great if you later share the info you discover
with the community; I see the minidisc community much like the OpenSource
one, with the exception on S-Link programming/hardware :)
As I explained, I don't like too much the CAV or whatever, as I
see it very overpriced. I probably (if could get in touch with, its author
and provides programming specifications) buy some of the "hacked"
interfaces, that cost $55, while Sony's or Nirvis ones are beyond $200...
Maybe on nirvis one's this is justified, taking into account it's
features, but that features are on a program that runs on the "incorrect"
OS :) and I don't really want as much capabilities...
I guess that almost every user of this list (owner of a sony MD,
of course) will be interested on a good, flexible, cheap and open
hardware/software solution interfacing with slink...
Come on guys! Nirvis, are you online? what do you think? I'm sure almost
all people will prefer to buy a stripped-down slink-e hardware device
(i.e. only one Slink bus) if it's on the $50-$70 price range, rather than
hacking/building them by theirselves. When I speak about open
software/hardware solution I mean programming specs, not the circuit
diagrams... (although that would be fine too!)
greetings,
*****---(*)---**********************************************---------->
Francisco J. Montilla System & Network administrator
[EMAIL PROTECTED] irc: pukka Seville Spain
INSFLUG (LiNUX) Coordinator: www.insflug.org - ftp.insflug.org
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