RE: MD: buying cheap blank mini discs from over seas.
Dear Sir, Yes you can use British-supplied MDs on Australian hardware. With regards, Simon -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of smithy Sent: Friday, 2 November 2001 14:26 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: MD: buying cheap blank mini discs from over seas. gday i live in sydney australia and i was just wondering if i bought mini disc in england could i use them on my australian mini disc. or are they like dvd and have different regions. thanks heaps adam. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Sony 750 FM/AM
===BEGIN QUOTE== I've got a 750. The FM reception is pretty good. I listen to it quite often when I'm in public transport. Sometimes there's some distortion, but that's usually caused by the electrical systems of the train. AM reception is OK, but I hardly ever listen to AM. In the Netherlands all the stations I listen to are in the FM range. ===END QUOTE== When you listen to FM on any Walkman radio, including the G750, the headphone cord is your FM aerial / antenna. There are a lot of factors to consider with FM radio on a Walkman. The metal housing that is common with public transport vehicles can act as an RF shield and, as you travel, you will experience destructive multipath which is similar to ghosting on analogue TV. This is because you will receive radio signals reflected off hills and tall buildings as well as the direct signal that is emanating from your favourite station's transmitting tower. This can cause cancelling out which results in poor signal or mono reception at spasmodic times. As you walk or travel; or even move your headphone lead, the signal will come back to normal stereo reception. So I wouldn't expect perfect reception out of a Walkman radio because of the way it is used. As well, I often wonder whether the cable that runs between the G750 and the remote is the set's FM aerial or whether it is just the headphone cable? With regards Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: MD good enough for vinyl archiving?
Hi everyone! After reading the post about using MD for vinyl archiving, I would agree with the concept. A good idea is to use 80-minute MDs for the job because you could easily fit two standard-length LPs onto one disc. This was because, during the 70s, most people I knew used to record LPs to cassette for enjoyment in car stereos and portable equipment. In a lot of these situations, they would record to C-90 cassettes with the goal of fitting both sides of one album on one side of the C-90 cassette. With most popular albums, once both sides of one album were laid down on the one side of the cassette, there was usually 5-10 minutes worth of spare tape left, which could allow a user to insert a bonus track. This let them have nearly one and ha half hour's worth of music on the one tape with 45 minutes between side-changes. The listeners would have the choice of listening to both albums by playing one after another or they would listen to one particular album by rewinding the cassette to the beginning of the side that had that album. In the inner suburbs in Australian capital cities, where there are many university students and like-minded people, there were some funky lounge-room bars that catered to this community. These bars were furnished with the kind of furniture that was common in household living areas during the 60s and the 70s. The owners of these places often played 60s and 70s music off vinyl and one place that I attended as part of a graduation party had regular clients that loved the sound of the vinyl -- they would expect the hear the familiar crackling noises that accompanied the music. In these situations, I would find that recording the vinyl to MD would work wonders because the records will last longer. In this situation, the LPs would have to be cleaned as would be expected for normal playback; then recorded to MD. You could use a deck that is equipped with MDLP and Group Mode for this application and record the vinyl in LP2 mode on 80-minute discs. Each LP would be recorded as its own group on the disc. Then the bar owner rests the LPs and plays the MDs -- the crackling sound is still there on the MDs. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Group Function implementation in automotive MD units
Hi everyone! I was reading a review of the Sony MZ-R909 that was posted up on the Internet and was interested in how it handles the new Group Function that has been added to the Rainbow Book MD specifications. A key factor with this function is that each group is treated by the MD unit as a virtual disc and the physical disc is regarded as a collection of virtual discs. This is equivalent in user-interface terms to how a CD changer is controlled. To change between CDs, you operate the DISC buttons and you use the TRACK buttons to navigate the tracks within a CD. In an automotive implementation, you use the REPEAT key to choose whether to repeat the current track or the current disc; or play all the discs in the changer's inventory. The SHUFFLE key in newer car CD changers gives you the option to shuffle tracks on each disc, with the changer working through each disc sequentially; or pick tracks randomly across the whole inventory. A Group-enabled car MD player can be set to treat a Grouped MD as though it is playing discs in a CD changer - each group is treated as though it is a separate disc. The user changes groups by using the DISC controls and enables shuffle play and repeat play in a similar vein to a changer. This would be enabled through an option in the player's setup menu. Car MD changers could treat groups as though they are extra discs in the changer. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: SCMS question
=BEGIN QUOTE= Last night I made a compilation CD on a Pioneer twin deck recorder for a mate of mine, using a number of Minidisc tracks. The first few were ANALOGUE copies of MD's as the MD's were digital copies of the original CD. The last few were digital copies (bringing my Sony MZ-1 out of retirement and using its digital output to feed into the CD deck! I KNEW it would come in useful one day!), as the source was an MD recording of an analogue tape Once having compiled this I thought 'Hmmm, I'll make a copy of this for myself', and put the new CD (a mixture of analogue and digital tracks) into the CD recorder, and managed to copy it all to a blank CD. My question is because the first few tracks were analogue copies of the MD, the burner was quite happy to record these, but I was surprised the last few were allowed as these were digital copies of the MD. When does the SCMS check get done? At the start of the disc or at the start of each track? If its the start of the disc, the analogue tracks seem to have let the digital ones slip through. The only alternative I can think of is that the CD recorder switched to an analogue copy for the last few tracks? ===END QUOTE I would suspect that the Pioneer, like most twin-deck audio CD burners, would use SCMS-driven analogue routing. This means that if the tracks on the original CD are marked SCMS-final, the unit would route the signal through an internal analogue bus. The reason that this practice is common and able to be done is that a lot of these units have dual DACs - one for each transport. This also allows for the unit to be treated as two CD players -- useful for music stores, mixing and the like. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Grouping
==BEGIN QUOTE=== To answer the original question, I believe the grouping area is so that you can create tracks that are actually supersets of tracks. Playlists, in other words. ==END QUOTE= This feature comes in handy in the following situations: 1 - You record two or more albums to the one MD. You then use the Group Function to organize the tracks so that you know which album the tracks belong to - Tracks 1 - 10 belong to Album 1 for example while Tracks 11-20 belong to Album 2. 2 - You use MD for presentation audio like square-dance calling, praise and worship music in a church, sound for theatre, background music for fashion parades and other similar applications (you hook up the MD deck to a PA amplifier and have it provide backing audio). You then use Group Function to class tracks on the one MD according to the situation that they are meant to be played in e.g. slow music, background music, audio for a particular act in a play, etc. 3 - You make a compilation MD and you find that there are very special songs that stand out from the pack. Then you don't want to dump the rest of the tracks from the disc so you can hear the favourites of favourites alone. Here, you can group those tracks in their own group so you can have a sub-playlist with thos songs and be able to use the Repeat Group or Shuffle Group function on suitably-equipped players to hear only those tracks. This situation is the same if you wish to prevent the playback of controversial songs that you recorded on an MD on Group-enabled communal MD equipment - you only play the desired tracks group on the equipment. Also, has anyone put up on the MDCP any manuals for Group-enabled MD equipment? This can help people to understand how the function works and its limitations, including compatibility with legacy MD gear such as the Sony MDS-JE520 deck. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Use of MD portables in new CD/radio-equipped cars
Hi everyone! I was reading the discussion on the idea of adding MD equipment to newer cars that are equipped with CD/radio head units that don't have auxiliary inputs. As has been mentioned earlier, some of the cars such as the Oldsmobile that was cited at the start of the thread use highly-integrated setups like steering-wheel control, consolidated-display setups where the car stereo's status appears on another panel on the dash and aesthetic integration (mainly practiced with the VW New Beetle). There are some ideas that can be put forward to Sony and other manufacturers to deal with this situation. The key factor is that the practice that FM modulators aren't the only solution for this problem. One solution that was practiced during the 60s and 70s with add-on cassette and 8-track cartridge players was to have the units equipped with built-in power amplifiers. These units often fed a set of speakers and, in some installations, the OEM car radio was fed through the tape player, which meant that the radio played through the tape player speakers. The moment you pushed a cassette or cartridge in to the tape player, the tape-player sound would cut over the radio. In the 80s, there were a few CD players and CD-changer controllers that installed between the existing car stereo and they performed the same job as these tape players. Why can't we do this for MD? Sony could sell a Unilink-compatible CD/MD changer controller that has sound-adjustment controls and installs between the OEM car radio and the existing speakers. They could also sell a tuner-less MD player (either a single-disc uniter or a 3+1 disc unit) that has a power amplifier and installs in the same manner as those old tape players. They could also design a MD-Walkman controller that installs between the OEM stereo and the speakers and provides power to and takes sound from a remote-capable MD Walkman. The control factor emulates the remote-controls that come with these Walkmans. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: MD/CD Car Stereo Recommendation
BEGIN QUOTE By this you mean the Sony units interface with CD changers? That's cool. That might be a better thing for me really instead of a hybrid deck. That, and it's probably cheaper in the long run, and more flexible. END QUOTE=== Another way to go is to buy a Sony CD/tuner unit that can work with a UniLink-capable CD changer, then get that fab Sony MDX-65 6-disc MD changer. This small changer can be installed under the front seat or in the glove compartment or centre-console armrest / storage compartment or boot (trunk); and can play 6 MDs. It even makes clever use of the buffer by reducing the amount of dead-air during disc change. In Europe, Pioneer made a rebadged version of this MD changer and it can be integrated with any Pioneer IP-bus head unit (any model with P in the model number). It still offers the same features that the Sony design was known for. If you trawled the MD-L archives, you may see a fair bit of mention of this MD changer, including use of the RM-X69RF controller to interface it with various car stereo systems that are equipped with AUX inputs. As well, SoundLinx, a company who makes aftermarket interface kits for some European OEM car stereos sells interface kits for hooking up this changer to some of these OEM car stereos like the Ford 5000 / 6000 / 7000 RDS series head units used in European Ford cars during the mid-90s. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: recording audio to video tapes
BEGIN QUOTE=== What I actually want is to record shows off the radio without having to change media. Figured that if a videotape can hold 6 hours, then I could get the show on without doing much more than turning the radio and recording on with power timers. END QUOTE Most HiFi VCRs do support this form of recording. This can be done by selecting LINE-IN on the VCR and hooking up a radio tuner to the audio inputs. You don't hook anything up to the video inputs. Newer machines treat the line inputs as though they are TV channels - you select the input by using the channel selector buttons with the unit showing AV on the channel display. In Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other countries that use the PAL system, some HiFi VCRs offer Audio LP mode where the units will record only sound in the LP mode. If you are wanting the show recorded under timer control, you would use the VCR's own timer to start the recording at the radio show's time. On newer machines, you select the audio inputs by setting the recording channel parameter to the line-level inputs associated with the radio tuner. For older units, you set the machine to LINE-IN mode and set the timer to record any TV channel -- the unit records off the radio tuner connected to the audio inputs. In all cases, avoid setting the machine to SIMULCAST mode, which records the video from the built-in TV tuner and the audio from an external device. The only device that you need a power timer for is the radio tuner, and try to use one that uses a quartz-controlled digital clock, rather than an electro-mechanical cam setup. Also remember that if you live in the PAL countries (Europe, Australia, New Zealand, etc), you can buy the E-300 (5 hours in SP mode) blank tapes and when used with LP mode, you can record 10 hours of radio programming. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: MDLP Titling question
BEGIN QUOTE= MDLP tracks will play on a JE500 (albeit as silence), so they will also be able to be titled by the deck, just remember you have half the time to title them..hehe (although you wont have half the time again for lp4 tracks, they play at half the time in mono, lp2 in stereo) ==END QUOTE As already mentioned, you can title MDLP tracks on a non-MDLP player like the MDS-JE500, but there is a shortcut around the half-the-time problem during titling. You can put the machine into PLAY (you will hear silence but the time display will turn over). Then put it into PAUSE before you start titling. This means that you get around the shorter time limit you have on titling LP2 tracks. This ability to title MDLP tracks and discs on non-MDLP decks is useful if you have a Sony JE500, JE510, JE520, W1 or other Sony MD deck where you are able to type the title into the unit using its remote control - the deck has the large remote control with many buttons. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: spine labels
==BEGIN QUOTE== | I have horrible visions of the label catching on something inside the | deck. Is this unlikely? ==END QUOTE For a short while, I put spine labels on my MDs but found that they start to peel off, or there are remnants of label glue existing on the MD's shell. This, I agree, is worrisome with MD equipment that uses powered slot-loading mechanisms or changer mechanisms which handle the disc like most home MD equipment and all car MD equipment. From what I have observed, most MD changers, both the car units and the bookshelf systems, often rely on an elevator to collect the desired disc from particular floors (holding bays which you slot the discs into) and either lower the disc over a read / write mechanism right next to the ground floor (lowest holding bay) or build the read / write mechanism into the elevator so that the disc is drawn directly from the floor into the elevator for use by the player. I have had some bad experiences with car cassette players which drop the cassette into the playing position when the user pushes the tape in, trapping tapes because of the labels starting to peel off. Now, when I label an MD, I use the face lahel and make sure that it is firmly stuck to the disc casing; and avoid using the spine label. Also, if any spine labels start to peel off, I would remove them instantly and make sure there is no remnant gum on the disc housing. This would then prevent foul-ups when discs are used in slot-in MD equipment or MD changers. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Argh, Aiwa XR-H66MD junk
==BEGIN QUOTE== My Aiwa XR-H66MD quit reading CD's many months ago. Now it won't make a decent MD recording, as a few tracks skip upon playback. I bet it's got Sony optical blocks in it. I practically have to replace my Sony-based CD/MD equipment every year just to keep it all working *sigh*. END QUOTE== If you are constantly replacing your equipment or had to replace equipment with a dead power supply, I would suggest that you keep the old equipment rather than junking it if you are into electronics tinkering and experimenting. Some of it can be useful as parts donors. For example, you may be able to use parts from a Sony JE520 to do elementary repairs on a Sony JE530. Sometimes you may be able to find some parts useful for a particular project like microswitches and rotary encoders from this kind of equipment. With regards, Simon Mackay. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: DCC?
Re DCC decks handling analog tapes ===BEGIN QUOTE It will also spit out the analog tapes with S/PDIF and Coax :) END QUOTE If this is so regarding DCC decks digitizing the signals that come out of analogue cassettes, then this could be good for cassette restoration exercises. If you use a soundcard or USB-SPDIF block that can capture SPDIF signals, you could record a cassette to hard disk as a WAV file using the DCC's on-board A/D process. By containing the analogue process in the DCC deck during this exercise and the fact that DCC decks may digitize post-Dolby or apply the Dolby playback curve using a bit of DSP, there is very little risk of computer interference getting into the playback chain. Then you use a good sound-editor package like SoundForge to treat the sound of the cassette recording that you captured. Here you could do effects like applying frequency filters to the sound to cut out tape hiss or augmenting the sound level to bring-up low-level recordings. Then you export the finished recording to CDR as a Red-Book volume or to MD. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: MDLP Question
=BEGIN QUOTE=== I downloaded the codec from that page and did some tests by encoding a WAV file at various ATRAC bitrates. I find the LP2 bitrate to be quite acceptable, and the LP4 bitrate to be unacceptable for music with a wide stereo field, but perfectly acceptable for mono or narrow stereo sources. ==END QUOTE=== MDLP, especially the LP4 mode, also can come in handy for background music or PA-related applications where quality isn't critical. In these environments, stereo separation isn't critical because speakers are often located where the business owner sees fit so as to cover the area with music. Also, the music often competes with lots of other background noise, especially in a restaurant or bar. Sony also promoted the concept of MDLP being suitable for long-distance driving in countries like USA and Australia, where there is a large federal area and you can cross the country east-to-west without passing through border controls. They envisage that the music would be competing with the engine and road noise while the driver is concentrating on covering the long-distance journey and there is a need to only carry one disc full of music to cover the journey one-way; or two discs to cover the journey there and back without the music repeating. This would work well if the car MD player was set in shuffle-play mode. As for equipment used for this kind of application, the equipment should support segue-shuffle where the next track appears to start the moment the current track ends if the MD player is playing a disc where dead-air at the start and end of songs is edited out. This is the behaviour that the Sony portables and car units exhibit when placed in shuffle-play mode. With regards, Simon - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word unsubscribe to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: selector box question
===BEGIN QUOTE= how do you guys handle having like 3 different output sources and one input source for dubbing? i have a DAT, a CD burner, and an MD player/recorder. i dont have enough inputs in my stereo to handle all these sources. so, im thinking i need a mixer or something that will allow me to selectively switch the output between 3 differnt sources (DAT, CD, and MD) and send a signal to a single input in either another digital recording unit, or at least my stereo. know what i mean? for example: on the back would be 3 input jacks, and 1 output jack. on the front would be a selector switch to allow me to route one of the three sources to the target recording device. like an A/B/C selector switch. ==END QUOTE== There are some vendors who sell switch-boxes that route signals between two or three recording devices and an amplifier. QED distribute a premium-grade "two-deck" unit and a "three-deck" unit through most specialist hi-fi stores - you may have to order the unit in. But you can get a cheaper unit from Tandy / Radio Shack which handles three recording devices e.g. a cassette deck, an MD deck and a CD burner. This one uses four knob switches on the front - one for each deck and one for the amplifier. For the switches that are associated with the decks, they select between the other two decks or the amplifier while the one that is associated with the amplifier selects between the amplifier's REC OUT sockets or any of the three decks. Some other accessory makers like Musicway may supply switch boxes that route recording and playback signals with two or three tape decks. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: JVC XU-301 ejecting minidiscs
==BEGIN QUOTE== I have a practically new JVC XU-301 MD-CD combination deck that is suddenly ejecting all minidiscs after trying to read theirTOC's. All the track numbers on the "music calendar" display remain lit. I tried reseting the unit by leaving it unplugged for an hour, but that doesn't help. =END QUOTE== I would get the machine serviced under manufacturer's warranty by a JVC-authorised repairer. If the machine is trying to read a disc's TOC, the fault could lie in the optical block or its connection to the "front-end" boards for the MD department. The phototransistor that converts the light signals into electrical signals for decoding may be faulty or have a faulty connection to the "front-end" boards. What the machine is doing is going through the "load-up" routine but is receiving no data from the disc that is currently in the transport. Then it ejects the disc, assuming it is a faulty disc. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: MD Data 2 - why can't it be marketed as a Zip killer?
Hi everyone! I have read about the MD Discam on the Sony Web site and it only can hold up to 20 minutes worth of video on one MD Data2 disc which can hold 640 Mb of data. If Sony improved the disc access time for MD Data so that it is comparable to a hard disk, they could end up with a product that overtakes Iomega's low-end removeable data storage solutions easily. The orginal MD Data hardware was known to be as slow as a floppy, require a SCSI interface which wasn't common on PCs at the time of its release; and was very expensive. Iomega stole the thunder out of this format because its portable Zip drive had higher-speed access, worked with a parallel-port interface and was sold in a price-subsidised manner where there were cheap drives and expensive media. Now the landscape for MD Data has changed significantly. Most computers made since 1997 have a USB port on them for connection of removeable media devices and similar peripherals and Firewire is now considered a valid option for a ultra-high-speed access prot for removeable media hardware. If a manufacturer designs a USB peripheral such as a removeable-media drive to consume a small amount of power, they can have the device draw power from the host computer. The speed of access and data throughput can be improved by use of higher-than-normal spindle speeds and spinning constant-linear-velocity media like CD-ROM and MD Data at a fixed spindle speed unless "real-time" data like sound or video is being moved. Also, an MD Data 2 disc can carry over 1440 1.3 Megapixel JPEG digital camera images held at a low compression ratio, or 320 2.1 Megapixel images held at a low compression rate. This format will be a boon to the digital camera user, who has to mess around with buying lots of expensive memory cards to use their digital camera at its best potential or use low-resolution shooting modes which don't bring out the best in today's digital cameras so they can cover themselves for a long photography session. A good peripheral that makes use of MD Data 2 would be an image-transfer unit which copies images held on a memory card onto an MD Data 2 disc. This is in a similar vein to what Iomega are selling with their PocketZip drive for digital cameras and their Fotoshiw Image Viewer which copies digital images from Compact Flash or SmartMedia cards to Zip disks. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: MD Data 2 - why can't it be marketed as a Zip killer?
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MD: Longer than 80 minutes - is it possible?
Hi everyone! Is it possible within the MD standard to make discs that go longer than 80 minutes in SP mode by tightening the "pre-groove" spiral on the disc? This could be interesting because I have heard a rumour being passed amongst retailers that there could be 90-minute MDs on the market. If the rumour proves true and someone starts to manufacture 90-minute MDs, you could have discs that go for 3 hours in mono or LP2 stereo or 6 hours in LP4 joint stereo. This would be enough to threaten Audio CD-R and most solid-state MP3-carrying media. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Sony MDLP Walkmans and shuffle play
Hi everyone! Does anyone know whether the Sony MDLP-capable MD Walkmans can support "segue-shuffle" where, if a MiniDisc (usually a home-brew personal-favourites compilation MD) is edited with no silence gap between tracks, the next track starts coming through as soon as the current one ends when the machine is in shuffle-play? This is a feature that I enjoy a lot with my MD Walkman when I am playing my compliation MDs. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: External battery packs and portable electronics
Hi everyone! Please bring the thread back on course rather than trashing editors of magazines. The thread is all about the use of external long-range battery packs with portable electronic gadgets like MD Walkmans and digital cameras. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: The future of minidisc. (was Best buy, phasing out MD equipm
BEGIN QUOTE=== Well, I have to say that my own anecdotal evidence from the UK is rather different. In the UK, the minidisc scene seems to have exploded in the last year. I see almost as many people with personal minidisc units as cassette walkmans now. Everyone seems to be buying them. Additionally, if you go into any branch of Dixons (the dominant high street electronics retailer in the UK) its difficult to find a hi-fi system *without* an integrated minidisc. And in contrast to the US, I've only ever *seen* ONE person actually using a personal MP3 player, and I certainly don't know anyone who owns one. Can anyone else back me up on this (perhaps with some industry figures?) That said, I think in the long term, Minidisc is doomed. As soon as someone comes up with a personal MP3 player with integrated IBM Microdrive, I think MP3 will have found its 'killer player'. Afterall, it'll be *tiny* with massive capacity. In fact, does anyone know this hasn't happened already? (And please nobody point out that you *can* slot a Microdrive into some PDAs, and then use it to play MP3s. Thats clearly not what I meant) Robin. ===END QUOTE Hi everyone! One key factor that MD has about it is that there are _portable_ recorders that hook into sound systems and make stereo recordings on the discs. Also, the bookshelf systems and MD decks are able to record material on the discs from any source without tying up a computer for the job. Most PCs need to be dedicated to the task of recording audio or they will make a poor job of it. MD is the only "non-computer" consumer-grade digital audio format that permits non-linear editing. From my experience with a Sony JE520 that I have regular access to and a secondhand Sony MD Walkman that I bought, I find it fun to work with -- "chiselling off" silent gaps at the start and end of recordings in order to achieve smooth joins between tracks even when my Sony MD Walkman is in Shuffle-Play mode, positioning appended tracks in my preferred position on the MD and joining tracks together for an interesting mix. I also make "relevance notes" about favourite songs when titling them so I know where they fitted in to my life. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Digitizing recordings on cassettes
Hi everyone! There are times when we want to copy recordings that are on a standard cassette to MiniDIsc or a computer's hard disk for "polishing up" with programs like CoolEdit. A format that has been forgotten about is the Digital Compact Cassette, which was discontinued in 1997. One feature that was heavily promoted in the format was the ability for DCC hardware to play standard cassettes using auto-reverse, auto-search, the ability to handle chrome and metal tapes, and Dolby B C decoding (in the case of home decks). I often wonder whether it is worth it to use one of these decks as a tape player for this purpose? This also includes the question whether any home DCC deck ever uses the A-D subsystem to digitise the standard cassette's signal for exporting via the SP/DIF output? For this purpose (of digitising standard cassette recordings), should I stick to a regular cassette deck or use a secondhand DCC deck as a cassette playback deck? When choosing a tape deck for this purpose, what features should I be concerned about? With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: MDLP- makes a good thing better!
==BEGIN QUOTE Mmm I have some catching up to do this is the first time I heard of MDLP. How does it work exactly. different pitch smaller pits ?? ===END QUOTE This improvement to the "Rainbow Book" MiniDisc standard is achieved by implementing the ATRAC3 codec which is more efficient than the ATRAC codec specified for MD. Audio data encoded in this manner is "packed out" in a manner to suit the standard cluster sizes used on "Rainbow Book" audio MiniDisc media. Playing any tracks recorded using MDLP on a regular MD deck would result in silence being heard because the audio data is of a different format to the original ATRAC format. Most of the earlier ATRAC3 codecs will be regarded as sounding pretty awful because that codec needs to be tweaked in the same manner as what happened to the original ATRAC codec. Therefore newer MDLP decks will be made to sound better under LP2 LP4 once ATRAC3 undergoes some revision. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: MDLP- makes a good thing better!
Hi everyone! I asked JB HiFi about whether they have Sony MDS-JE640 MD decks in store and they told me that the moment they get these decks in store, they sell out very quickly. They even have told me that the local Sony distributors even have ran out of machines to supply as "general stock". I often suspect that the machines that are lingering in stores are the demonstrators which are used by those stores who won't sell display or demonstrator units to customers unless the unit is a superseded model. The reason that these MDLP-capable decks have sold out very quickly is because they offer MDLP abilities along with essential "presentation-audio" features like fade-start and fade-stop during playback; and "auto-pause" which stops the machine at the end of each track (very important for musical-accompaniment use, drama and the like). MDLP works hand-in-glove with MD's abilities in presentation audio because you can store the equivalent of five CDs; 6-8 vinyl LPs or at least 80 standard-length songs on one 80-minute MD when recorded in LP4. This amounts to lots of space saved in transporting and storing your "presentation-audio". I was told that a DJ could carry a small satchel full of music that would take up the equivalent of a car trunk full of vinyl stored in milk crates for example. MDLP will bring about the fact that this small satchel or gig bag will hold twice or four times the equivalent -- bring on the flexibility and variety for performances. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Interfacing Sony S-Link MD decks to BO or Bose systems
Hi everyone! An issue that has come to my mind lately is whether anyone has developed a "protocol converter" to allow people to hook up S-Link Sony MD equipment (MDS-JE530, MDS-JE640, MDS-JB930, MDS-JB940) to Bang Olufsen or Bose Lifestyle equipment. The BO gear comes with a 7-pin DIN connector for connecting Beovision TVs, Beocord tape decks, Beogram CD players and Beogram turntables to primary equipment which is either a Beomaster receiver or a Beocenter "all-in-one" unit. This connector has 2 pins for control signals, 1 pin as an audio "common", 2 pins for stereo "in" and 2 more pins for stereo "out". The control pins are referred to as "datalink" pins and these carry signals to do the following: * transfer program-location data to the primary component to show up on the primary unit's console, two-way remote controls, display-equipped Beolab speakers or Beovision TVs that are installed in other rooms and part of their Beolink "multi-room" audio-video infrastructure * "open up" the audio inputs on the Beomaster or Beocenter if the local "PLAY" key is pressed on the unit * accept control signals to control the device from either the primary unit or a remote control. Most Beomasters and Beocenters made since the mid 1980s have a connection for a second tape deck and this can be exploited for a MiniDisc unit. As for Bose, they use a stereo mini headphone-style jack labelled "CONTROL" on their Lifestyle systems for "uspecified uses". This would be used if Bose made a tape deck to go with the systems, so that it can be operated with their systens' remote controls. What needs to be achieved is to use "third-party" protocol converters which enable users of these exotic systems to use the specified MD decks as though the deck is a tape deck attached to these systems. This means being able to use the system's remote control or multi-room abilities to play MDs or manage the recording of material from a source associated with the system onto MD. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: in-car MD portable adaptor
===BEGIN QUOTE Theoretically, the sound quality of the cassette adapter can be as good as the original minidisc, but that depends on the quality of the components (mainly the magnetic head in the adapter and the magnetic head in the cassette deck). Of course the electronics in the cassette deck play a significant role. ==END QUOTE= It is also amazing that these cassette adaptors will also work in a cassette player where the mechanism won't play tapes. This, I had discovered a few days ago, when I ran my MZ-E20 MD Walkman through my Recoton cassette adaptor in a car stereo whose tape mechanism had given up the ghost. The car stereo was one of the "cheap" units with an analog tuning dial and an auto-stop tape mechanism controlled by a fast-forward / eject button; and it was installed in a neighbour's early-80s Toyota LandCruiser jeep and they offered me a lift home in that car. The neighbour had installed this cheap outfit because he knew it wouldn't be of interest to thieves I pushed the cassette adaptor in and switched on both the MD Walkman and the car stereo and the music came out of the car stereo, even though the tape mechanism wouldn't work. This is hecause of the "head-to-head" inductive coupling setup that is used in the cassette adaptors. Just then, he was immediately sold on MD and is considering buying some MD gear, including an MD Walkman to use in the car; and was saying that when he gets more money together, he will see what's there at JB HiFi for MiniDisc gear. What I had discovered can come in handy if you buy, inherit or use a car with a cassette player that doesn't work. This is very common in those countries like Australia where people keep cars on the road for many years in varying states of repair. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: RF Car MD Changer?
=BEGIN QUOTE=== Does anyone know if such a thing exists? I recently purchased one of the new Acura SUVs, the MDX, and the factory stereo is very much tied to the whole functionality and asthetics of the dashboard. The factory cassette/cd in dash player is double-sized, and there are controls mounted on the steering wheel. I don't want to change the appearance of the dash or lose the functionality of the steering whell controls, but for the last two years I have been anticipating installing an MD player in the new vehicle I knew I would purchase. Now that I bought this new fancy ride, it's killing me that I won't be able to have the MD option in it. There are plenty of CD RF (radio frequency) changers--you know, the kind that you tune in to on an unused frequency of your factory radio. But I haven't been able to find any evidence that MD RF changers exist. And if they don't, does anyone know of any plans for one in the future? How about some other workaround besides a portable MD player and a cassette adapter? END QUOTE== Does the OEM head unit have an ability to control an optional dealer-fit CD changer? If so, I would go to a specialist car-stereo dealer and find out if there is a "protocol converter" available for that particular Acura vehicle. These devices allow aftermarket CD changers to be controlled by (obviously-incompatible) OEM car stereos that are equipped with CD-changer controls. If so, find out if it can work with all Clarion CeNet changers; Sony UniLink changers or Pioneer P-Bus changers. If it then satisfies these requirements; you may be able to use a Clarion, Sony or Pioneer MD changer with your factory head unit and even be able to control it using the steering-wheel controls. OTOH, you may need to use the Sony MDX-65 MD changer alongside the RM-X69RF changer controller / RF modulator in the traditional RF mode. I would also find out if the OEM head unit does support an auxiliary input (perhaps after a bit of hacking). This means that you can use the RM-X69RF controller as a controller with the audio being fed into the auxiliary input. This is because some people have discovered a 12-volt control output from the controller's wiring, which opens up auxiliary inputs if the head unit simply receives a 12-volt trigger signal; or operate a relay to "short to ground" for units that "short to ground" their trigger input, or bring signals away from a on-board sources to the attached changer in the cause of units that loop the signal out via an outboard device. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Tuner-less car MD players
-Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Shawn Lin Sent: Monday, 6 November 2000 18:46 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: MD: Tuner-less car MD players ===BEGIN QUOTE=== Pioneer has one, Sony has had a few. Most needed a head unit to control it though. ===END QUOTE=== The concept I am talking about is a unit that DOESN'T need to be controlled by a particular manufacturer's head unit. Rather, it has its own disc navigation controls on its front panel and has its own sound controls. This is just like those tape players that I mentioned about in my previous posting. The idea is to make it independent of any OEM or aftermarket head unit that is implemented in the vehicle. One of the best examples for CDs was a CD player that Radio Shack sold in the late 80s and was also available by some other dealers under the Sencor brand. This unit had no tuner and had its own power amplifier and fitted in between an existing head unit and the speakers. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Tuner-less car MD players
Hi everyone! Who remembers those cassette or 8-track tape players that were sold during the 60s and 70s, which were designed to be mounted under the dashboard of a car? A lot of these units didn't have a tuner and often played through a set of speakers that were often sold with the unit. Sometimes, it was possible to feed the existing car radio (whether mono or stereo) through those speakers by the use of an automatic switch box. Then, during the 80s, some manufacturers supplied add-on car CD players that were designed around the same concept as these tape players -- no tuner and able to work with an existing OEM or aftermarket car stereo installation. Why can't manufacturers work on car MD players that are designed like these earlier add-on CD and tape players. If they removed the tuner, they can sell these units for a lower price than the standard radio-MD units thar are sold nowadays. There are people out there who own good car audio equipment and wouldn't want to replace the existing head unit just to play MDs. From what I have noticed, Europe could be a good market to market these units because, from what I have heard, MD is gaining a foothold in that market. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: sony car decks
===BEGIN QUOTE== Yes, I have had the same problems. I have owned: MDX-U1 MDX-C150 (two of them) MDX-400 MDX-C7900 (still own) MDX-65 (still own) All but the C7900 and MDX-65 has had problems reading recordable MD's, but no trouble with prerecorded ones. ===CUT CUT= These problems are NOT specific to car units though, I have had an MZ-E3, MZ-R2, and two MDS-501's that had these very same problems. =END QUOTE This is because of the fact that the units were of earlier design and Sony hadn't learnt from "field experience" about anything that could go wrong with the equipment. The MDX-c7900 and MDX-65 were designed around many years of improvement and customer / repairer feedback. Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: The proper use for MIni Discs
=BEGIN QUOTE== very high quality portable music medium. Use it in your car, jog with it. Sure you can buy an expensive deck. Great for making the highest quality MD copies and titling, but why play back the MD on your $10,000 stereo unit? Play the original CD. =END QUOTE=== MD isn't just useful for music on the move (car, portable) but for "presentation" applications. This is where audio is used as part of a presentation or similar application. The buffer comes in handy on MD decks equipped with auto-pause and fader; which brings MD into this realm. A track could contain a sound effect; music used to dance to, sing to or line some "patter". To achieve this goal with tape, you would have to use a cassette deck and a tape which is recorded with particular sounds in a certain order. CDs and LPs are limiting hecause they are large and expose their music surfaces at all times. No affordable domestic CD player uses buffering to "pre-load" audio so that it is ready to go "on the button". Affordable MD decks like the Sony JE520 and JE530 have the essential features for this kind of application. Also, MD has the ability for users to name tracks and "search by name" designed in from the outset while CD's name abilities were designed in as an afterthought. When preparing the material, there is the ability to perform "razor-blade" editing on the recording -- good for eliminating "dead air" from the start and end of tracks. This means that even in advanced play modes, especially single-track repeat or program-play mode, there is no "dead air" in the program. Some Sony portable and car decks use the buffer to eliminate track-search "dead air" during shuffle play. If a deck is used in "auto-pause" mode, the first couple of seconds worth of an upcoming track are held in the buffer, ready to be started when the PLAY or FADER key is pressed -- if the track is edited properly, the audio comes out on cue. The size issue also is of importance for people who present music or perform "on location". They can carry more music than what they could have carried using other media. For example, a dance caller could keep a huge repertoire of music on hand in a school lunchbox or similar container rather than a couple of milk-crates or large cases. This means they have more opportunity to vary their entertainment "on the fly". Also, they could have plenty of discs full of many tracks' worth of background music to have playing during the dinner before the real entertainment starts. A clown, magician or similar entertainer could keep a few discs worth of "accent" music in a wallet-size container to play as part of their entertainment. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Princo Minidiscs
BEGIN QUOTE Someone has used the Princo minidiscs? good? bad? c Any commnents welcomed ==END QUOTE Hi! I have not had any trouble with the Princo MDs. I have recorded them on a JE520 that I have access to and played them on my E20 (E40 in the US / Canada). Good sound for portable use and very little dropouts. For labelling, I am satisfied with the labels; even though I don't use the thin "spine labels" at all MiniDiscs because of a tendency for them to peel and foul-up in a "slot-in" mechanism. I have mainly picked them up at the computer swap-meets (the computer flea-markets held every Sunday at varying locations) and at JB HiFi; who sell them for dirt cheap! With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Why can't we petition manufacturers regarding the boombox issue
Hi everyone! After I raised a discussion over the availability of boomboxes in USA and Australia, whey can't we raise the issue with the manufacturers and importers? We should start off a petition to the manufacturers and importers, like what happened to cause Sony to dump "mandatory End Search" on their portables, to import and make available in significant quantity the MD boomboxes. These two markets have the long summers and the outdoor lifestyle that encourages use of these devices. Even the mains-only boomboxes come in handy in the outdoor lifestyle because they can be used in the backyard (well-used area during the long summers). This is because they plug into a long extension cord run from the house; or the boombox can be perched on a nearby windowsill with the front facing the backyard; the set being plugged into the nearest outlet. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Those MD boomboxes - why isn't anyone bothering to release them to Australia?
Hi everyone, especially those who live in Australia! One issue that I find very perplexing regarding the MiniDisc format in Australia is why aren't manufacturers releasing MD boomboxes into the Australian market? The only MD boombox released in Australia so far has been the JVC "bazooka-style" CD-MD-radio unit -- a very large unit for that market segment. Manufacturers could give the same old excuses like the weakening Australian dollar or the market's too small; but why can't they try to release some of these units into our market just to see if it is really worth it. The boombox is still considered a very important product segment in the Australian market because of its outdoor lifestyle. These units don't even have to be battery-operated just to prove their worth in the Australian outdoor culture. All that is required of them is to be a single-box unit that is carried out to the backyard, plugged into the mains (whether into the nearest power outlet or via an extension cord) and used to play music or sports broadcasts as part of hte backyard activities like a barbecue; outdoor playtime or even "handyman" work in the backyard. In some cases, I have seen boomboxes and transistor radios perched on windowsills; with the speakers facing the backyard (where the action is); and if the window is an awning or casement type, the window leaf is closed just enough to stop the boombox or radio falling out. Judging from a barbecue that I attended last Saturday where a CD boombox was set up on a laundry windowsill with the speakers facing the backyard, this unit's deep design made it very stable in this situation. It may be also true of the US, where there is still an outdoor culture, but few MD boomboxes exist in that country. I hope manufacturers and equipment retailers wake up and realise that they still need to keep interest in that product segment in those countries where the outdoor lifestyle matters. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Displays on MD equipment
Hi everyone! After following a thread which mentioned about the scrolling behaviour on MD equipment, especially Sony portables vs. home decks; it all comes down to what the display technique is used for the application. Portable units and most car units all use a liquid-crystal display because of its low power consumption while the home decks use a fluorescent-tube display because of the fact that they are all connected to mains power at all times and can provide a consistently-bright display. There are three differnt types of display mapping for characters (listed in order of cost-to-apply): 1: A "segment" display which is used on Sharp bookshelf systems and must car units. This type is modelled on the seven-segment display and cannot display lower-case characters and foreign-language characters. The Sharp bookshelf systems then have a limited character repertoire which only covers upper-case letters, some punctuation and numbers; and all the units that use this display resolve lower-case characters as upper-case ones. 2: A "dot-matrix" character display where each character is made up using a 5x7 dot matrix, usually with a bit of gapping between the letters. Its main benefits include the ability to show lower-case characters, punctuation, foreign-language characters and digraphs; but characters which use descenders like "g", "j", "p", "q" and "y" become lifted up and squashed. This is used on most MD home, car and portable units, but gives a very "jumpy" scroll effect. A few units use these displays as level meters or volume markers and these displays become very blocky. 3: A bitmapped display, used on high-end Pioneer car audio; the Sony MDS-W1 dual-MD deck and Nokia mobile phones. With these displays, there is an area of the screen which is "bit-addressed" and the unit's firmware draws graphics on that display area. This allows for "GUI" menus, proper and efficient text display and sophisticated eye-catching user interfaces -- just like a computer. The problem with this display is that it is very costly to implement because of needing a bitmapped area on the display screen; and needing some very sophisticated display firmware. The Sony portables use a similar display but it is limited to a very small area and provides a smooth volume marker; time display and smooth "Times-Square" scrolling of disc and track titles. Most manufacturers use fixed icons for purposes like status indicators; level meters or spectrum analysers and "music calendars". This means that it is cheaper and quicker to make up the symbols and drive them off the firmware than to "raster" them for a bitmapped display. As for making up the actual displays, the liquid-crystal method is considered less costly and power-hungry than the fluorescent-tube display. but the newer "Organic ElectroLuninescent" display used on Pioneer top-end car audio equipment is now placing itself in a niche where a flexible low-power display is needed for mid-range to top-shelf low-voltage applications like car audio and digital photography. This display could drive down the costs of implementing bitmapped liquid-crystal displays in portable and low-end audio applications. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: The whole copyright debacle regarding music
Hi everyone! With all the fuss regarding Napster and MP3; why are the record companies so worried about copyright? In a sense, it is all about control of where the music is heard! MP3, Napster, Internet radio and related Internet-based technologies allow a piece of music to be distributed anywhere in the world for the cost of an Internet connection. This means that a recording which is not officially released in a particular country can be heard in other countries; which is against record publishers wishes. These Internet-based technologies also work hand-in-glove with Internet-based music stores like CDNow where anyone can buy a copy of a CD that is not available in their own country. A similar debacle had occurred in Australia when in 1998, our government relaxed restrictions over parallel-importing of books and music. Since 1989, the "grey-import" practice came under the spotlight because music retailers, especially speciality outlets like Central Station Records who specialise in dance music, imported music, especially hard-to-find recordings, without going through the official distributors. The record companies were recruiting Metallica and Dr. Ore who are under contract to give "sob stories" against Napster mainly because Napster and its underlying technologies are stripping the record companies of their control over the artists' music. Now we have quite a lot of direct imports available from the "specialists" as well as JB HiFi who sells music at prices that are cheaper than the "official" price. The only stores who stick to what the record companies offer are the mainstream outlets like Delta / Sanity; In2Music; Blockbuster Music and HMV (which I suspect is owned by EMI because they own the HMV (His Master's Voice) name and "dog listening to gramophone" logo in the UK and Australia). Some of the direct imports include material that is not released officially in Australia and material that has been released previously but was deleted by the official distributors. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Things Sony should add
BEGIN QUOTE= - Menu lock (when you don't want someone to make edits, or to change setup options) ===END QUOTE=== If manufacturers added this useful feature, it can come in handy if the deck is deployed in a school or similar environment for students or others to listen to MDs on (MDs being the ideal medium for keeping music education, language-learning and other educational audio material on because it is hard to damage the discs). Also, in our church, we use MD as a "cart machine" for backing tracks during praise and worship and when we are between services; especially when we fellowship with each other after the service, we sometimes find little fingers discovering the controls on our MD deck. As a matter of course, we make sure that all discs are "locked-out" using the write-protect switch to prevent any problems with over-recording or unwanted editing. This feature can be implemented by use of a button on the remote control much like the C-LOCK mode on a VCR (which stops others from operating a VCR which is doing something like recording your favourite TV show). With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: MDLP (Amended Comments)
BEGIN QUOTE=== Sorry, what's an aircheck? END QUOTE= An aircheck is used to describe the recording of a radio broadcast in an uninterrupted fashion (similar to recording a TV show with a VCR). The practice of recording selected songs off radio )a practice which many of us did using our "ghetto blasters" during the 80s to grab only those "crown jewels" - particularly-favourite songs - that we wanted off the radio) would not best describe an aircheck. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: MDLP (Amended Comments)
===BEGIN QUOTE== I still think LP4 is pretty damned good, but the quality will depend in large part on the type of music one is recording. It's certainly good enough for airchecks, which was the primary reason for my enthusiasm. If you want a long mix for background music, LP4 will definitely suffice. ===END QUOTE As far as MDLP goes, I would regard LP2 as being useful for any situation where quality is desired but it may be desired to achieve a long playing time, such as longer personal music mixes, "sound-catching" where good stereo separation is desired and "cart machine" jingle use. LP4 may be suitable for obtaining "warts and all" airchecks of long radio broadcasts such as entire announcer shifts (announcer samplers, station output samplers, station logs); recording background music for places like shops and restaurants were sound quality doesn't matter (think Muzak); recording meetings and lectures; and archiving speech-based tapes such as cassette ministry tapes. The regular ATRAC1 modes come in handy where quality or compatibility with legacy MD equipment is desired. For example, they can be used for MD-based mastering. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Interfacing MD Walkmans to OEM stereos in the trendy VWs
Hi everyone! I have noticed that over the last few years, the new Volkswagen cars, especially the New Beetle and the Golf, have become very fashionable amongst the young well-to-do in Europe and Australia. The New Beetle would also be considered fashionable in North America as well. In a lot of these situations, the young people would either be buying the cars through the company that they own; or leasing it (perhaps for tax advantage and the ability to upgrade the vehicle when the lease terminates). In these situations, it may be desireable not to mess around with the sound system; and also the owner may not want to put in a new MD head unit because of security reasons or that it may look out of place in the VW's blue-illuminated dashboard. In the case of the New Beetle, there is a distinctive styling setup where the edges of the audio system are round, rather than square. In Australia, I have noticed that most of the current VW lineup, including the New Beetle, are equipped with single-CD head units that can work with a very costly dealer-installed optional six-stack CD changer. With these units, the CD stacker is accessed by one pressing a button labelled CD-C. Cassette-based head units aren't even offered as a "downgrade"; confined to the Transporter vans; or available only in less-desireable packages where you lose all the other desireable options. From the tone of the list, I have heard many negative comments about vehicle builders like VW making it hard for us to hook up portable MD and MP3 players to newer factory-supplied car-audio setups. As I said before, this has caused fellow listmembers to downgrade to vehicle packages that don't match what they really want or stay away from certain desireable vehicles when the time comes around to change vehicles; just so they can have a cassette player to use with their cassette adaptor or a sound system that has a front-panel CD-IN socket. Does anyone know if there are any devices that allow an MD changer or MD Walkman to be hooked in to newer VW sound systems? With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: OEM-aftermarket CD-changer adaptors and MD changers
=== The original message was multipart MIME=== === All non-text parts (attachments) have been removed === Hi everyone! Does anyone know whether there are any of the OEM-aftermarket CD-changer adaptors which can allow one to use the Sony MDX-65 6-disc MD changer or any other MD changer with particular factory-supplied CD-control car radios? Also, if there are any such controllers, could you please identify which factory-supplied radios (and vehicle model / year / market) would work with these adaptors? This is because some of the factory-supplied single-CD head units are able to control a CD changer but, as we all know, these changers are often the costly dealer-installed units; and most vehicle builders have never provided MD as part of a vehicle package or as an add-on to be installed by the dealer. Some vehicle-builders, especially GM, Ford and Daimler-Chrysler, could look at issues like "multi-changer" setups where multiple OEM CD or MD changers can be hooked up to and controlled by the OEM car radio. This is a practice that is often practiced by aftermarket car-audio names like Pioneer and Sony. Also, vehicle-builders could, when they specify car-audio options for a model lineup, look at licensing the JVC CD-MD mechanism that is used in the KD-MX3000 and using it in their premium single-CD applications or "add-on" single-CD units. This means that CDs or MiniDiscs are able to be enjoyed with the one unit, rather than customers having to buy two units to enjoy both formats. With regards, Simon Mackay === MIME part removed : text/html; === - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: MDS-W1 during an SCMS-forced analogue copy
=BEGIN QUOTE= There is one bug in MD SYNC: recopyable copied data (SCMS-unlimited mode E) will be transfered over the analog bus. (Recopyable original data [SCMS-un- limited mode C] will be copied via the digital bus; thanks to Jim Resinger for checking that out.) If you just set the target drive to record from the other drive over the digital bus and play the source on the source drive, SCMS-unlimited-E tracks are copied digitally and of course tracks are marked. Titles are not copied, but you can copy them one at a time with the Disc-to- Disc Name Copy function. END QUOTE== Does anyone know whether Sony has been made aware of this bug when it comes to handling SCMS-unlimited recordings during MD-SYNC copying and whether they will release new firmware to rectify this problem? The logic currently reads: On TRACK_CHANGE Select Case SCMS_STATUS Case ORIGINAL Route via digital Recording = COPY Case COPY Route via analog Recording = ORIGINAL End Select End TRACK_CHANGE It should read: On TRACK_CHANGE SCMS_STATUS = PROTECTION AND COPY_TYPE Select Case SCMS_STATUS Case UNLIMITED Route via digital Recording = UNLIMITED Case LIMITED AND ORIGINAL Route via digital Recording = LIMITED AND COPY Case LIMITED AND COPY Route via analog Recording = LIMITED AND ORIGINAL End Select End TRACK_CHANGE This is where I would advocate use of flash-memory for equipment firmware and, in the case of MD equipment, have it capable of accepting special MD-DATA (MD-ROM) firmware upgrade discs to rectify known bugs. CD players and associated equipment could read firmware updates off CD-ROMs and system-control buses can be used to transmit firmware updates to other equipment. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: External pre-amp / A-D boxes and SCMS
=== The original message was multipart MIME=== === All non-text parts (attachments) have been removed === Hi everyone! I have looked through various on-line "pro-equipment" catalogues and come across some manufacturers selling pre-amp / analogue-digital boxes which boost microphone signals and / or convert microphone or line (depending on the box) signals to SP-DIF signals. With these boxes, what is the SCMS status of the signals that emerge from them? Also, with the i-Link system becoming a new standard of equipment connection as in the Sony LISSA system; wiill the SCMS rules and pseudocode that were implemented with the SP-DIF system be carried through or will we find ourselves with a totally different set of rules and pseudocode? With regards, Simon Mackay === MIME part removed : text/html; === - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: MDS-W1 during an SCMS-forced analogue copy
=== The original message was multipart MIME=== === All non-text parts (attachments) have been removed === Hi everyone! I read in the online manual for the Sony MDS-W1 that; if you do a "one-push-start" copy of an MD; the unit will route the signal via the analogue bus if the source disc is an SCMS-final recording. In this mode; will the copy lose the track marks and titles present in the SCMS-final recording during this mode? With regards, Simon Mackay === MIME part removed : text/html; === - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: The Onkyo FR-435
=== The original message was multipart MIME=== === All non-text parts (attachments) have been removed === Hi everyone! Once I had read the review of the Onkyo FR-435; I was reading a review of a system that effectively is a successor to one of the top-notch classic "3-in-1" systems made between 1979 to 1983. A lot of the good "3-in-1" units of that era had features like a cassette department that used user-settable record level, the ability to work with cassettes that have Type II or Type IV tape formulation; and, in some cases, be equipped with Dolby B noise-reduction. The record-playing section was often equipped with a moving-magnet cartridge and the amplifier was able to put out a decently-loud signal. Let's not forget the fact that most of these systems were equipped with at least a line-level input and line-level output. This was so that anyone can hook up an external tape recorder or other piece of audio equipment to the music centre. Sometimes these music centres even had an automatic music search function on the cassette deck for those tapes that have songs spaced apart by four-second blanks. They, like the Onkyo FR-435, were designed to "do their job"; rather than imitate Las Vegas by having so many flashing lights and "demo" modes. They also cabled up effectively to most sets of speakers and would blend in effectively and unnoticeably with any room where the system would be deployed. Speaking of the Onkyo FR-435 "music centre"; JB Hi-Fi (the Melbourne-based hifi chain who specialise in selling good-quality hi-fi and video gear; and CDs at rock-bottom prices) will sell it in different packages depending on whether you want a set of floor-standing speakers; bookshelf speakers or "three-piece" (subwoofer-satellite) speakers. You may be able to organize a deal with them for this unit and a set of speakers of your choice at a negotiable price. With regards, Simon Mackay === MIME part removed : text/html; === - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Sony MZ-E40 and trickle-charging
=== The original message was multipart MIME=== === All non-text parts (attachments) have been removed === Hi everyone! I own a Sony MZ-E20 portable MD player (MZ-E40 in the USA) and am using it with Sony rechargeable batteries. If I want to start the batteries charging, I press the STOP button until the display says "Charge". When the "Charge" indicator goes out. does this machine go into a "trickle-charge" or "sustaining charge" mode where a small amount of current is fed into the battery to finish off the charge cycle and prevent the battery self-discharging in the unit so it's ready for use when you want to go out? The battery pack I am using with it is the Sony BP-DM10 NiCd pack which is the NiCd equivalent of the BP-DM20 NiMH pack recommended for the MD Walkman. This is because I have been finding it hard to track down the BP-DM20 pack and will be eventually using that pack alongside the BP-DM10. With regards, Simon Mackay === MIME part removed : text/html; === - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: JE520 transport mech repairs?
BEGIN QUOTE= My JE520 has finally bitten the dust, I'm afraid. In the last two days, it started to have problems reading inserted discs, then problems skipping tracks and finally, last night, when I tried to skip several tracks backwards, went bananas (rapid clicking from the transport) and refused to eject. Eventually, I had to power the unit off at the mains and remove the cover to extract the MD. What appears to be happening is that the small white plastic cogs on the lower level of the transport mechanism (which control the lateral movement of the read/write head) are slipping. This only seems to occur now when the head is required to move from right to left into the first third of the disc (say, skipping from Tr8 of 10 to Tr3). Of course, this restriction to movement doesn't prevent sequential playback of an entire disc, but it does prevent ejection (the head returns to the leftmost position) or TOC-writing after recording. Pretty fatal. ==END QUOTE= What you are dealing with is a "chassis" deck which could have parts that benefit other Sony models. If you look at or inside the 530; you would reckon that it would share most of the 520's parts and you may be able to use the common parts to do some elementary repairs on either of these decks. I would suggest not to scrap the 520 but to look towards buying a 530 or another secondhand 520 for your next MiniDisc deck. If a part common to either of these machines has bitten the dust and you need to replace it, you could use salvageable parts from the 520 for the other machine. Also, if you are an electronics "tinkerer" and are competent with the soldering iron, if you scrap electronic equipment; don't throw it in the garbage, but keep it for parts that you may use in your projects. WIth regards, Simon - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: MiniDisc and lifestyle systems
Hi everyone! So far, the only way MiniDisc has been integrated with lifestyle systems is as part of Pioneer's new NS-series systems; and Onkyo's FR-435 music centre; and the "cube" systems offered by Onkyo and Sony. Noticeably absent from this list of implementations are companies that are well-known in the "lifestyle audio" market i.e. Bose, Nakamichi and Bang Olufsen. Has anything been done by these companies to supply companion MD decks for their lifestyle systems? In the case of Bose and BO; the decks should work as part of their lifestyle systems -- be able to be controlled by the systems' remotes or controlled as part of multi-room setups that are promoted by these companies. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Boom Box or Speaker set
Another way to go with amplifying the sound of an MD walkman for your
juggling act is to visit the local hock-shop and look for any old boom-boxes
which were made up between 1979-1987 -- the ones that used to be used to
play rap music for street breakdance troupes to dance to when entertaining
in the 'hoods.
Make sure that these monstrous units have a LINE IN connection on them. This
them means that they can be used with your MD Walkman to play your music
soundtrack. You will also have to check the FUNCTION switch for a LINE IN
position; so you can play the MD Walkman through the unit. Some of the Sanyo
units, like the M-9998K, have a LINE IN socket but you have these units
switched on at the POWER switch and the FUNCTION switch set to TAPE.
As for batteries, these units go through 8-10 D size batteries at a time and
are best operated on rechargeable batteries. These batteries are available
from your local Radio Shack store ("Rat Shack" if you may call them that);
and they also have a charger capable of charging 10 D batteries at a time.
With regards,
Simon Mackay
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RE: MD: Automatic gapless track marking from PC
==BEGIN QUOTE Basically, when compiling MP3's or even a wav file with track marks / regions, I'd like to be able to just transfer them digitally to MD via the coax connection I'm currently using between my TB Fiji and the JA30ES. I know neither soundforge nor cooledit pro support it, but I'm not sure if that's because it's a soundcard issue or a software issue. Any ideas fellas? I don't want to do the x second(s) gap thing because these recordings are seamless from track to track. It's kinda tedious watching the clock to make sure I get back to the deck in time to produce the next track split by hitting the record button on the MD deck. END QUOTE=== I would check out WinRemote which is an IR remote / A1 emulator for Sony MD decks; - details may be found in the Accessories section of the MDCP. There may be plug-ins available for WinAmp or other popular multimedia players and jukeboxes. Some of these plug-ins coud do tricks such as issue the REC function when items start during playlists or title tracls according to filenames or CDDB titles. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Record overwrite
===BEGIN QUOTE== Is there such a function in the Sony JE530 deck? If yes, how do I activate it? I couldn't find anything like that in the manual. =EBD QUOTE== Speaking from experience with using a JE520 that I sometimes borrow, to do a "record overwrite", you select the track which you want to overwrite using the AMS knob, place the unit in PLAY-PAUSE mode then press RECORD. The top line will display "Overwrite" when you press RECORD and the timing display will show the track number, with a flashing "Tr" as well as the elapsed or remaining time on the disc. When you press PLAY to start recording, you then are overwriting the rest of the disc. The JE530 would use the same procedure for this practice, since it is based on the JE520. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Sony MD car stereo for AUD$600 at JB Hi-Fi
Hi everyone! JB Hi-Fi is now selling one of the new Sony XPLOD series MD head units for AUD$600 in Melbourne, Australia. At last the AUD$700 barrier for MD head units has been broken! But this price is an estimated maximum which you can bargain down further with. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: MDX-65 Changer
-Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Shawn R. Lin Sent: Thursday, 18 May 2000 15:06 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: MD: MDX-65 Changer WZ wrote: 1) Sony changers (MD/CD) uni-link can be adapter-converted to work with other manufacturer HU for cheap ? =BEGIN QUOTE== OR, you could buy a Sony changer compatible head unit made by another company. I think all Blaupunkts use Unilink (or at least they used to), and some Prestige head units used Unilink as well. My girlfriend has a Blau 10-disc CD changer and the Sony MDX-C7900 can control it. END QUOTE= Does anyone know which Prestige head units can control CD stackers using the UniLink setup? This is because I know of someone who has recently installed a Prestige P74 head unit and is starting to show interest in MiniDiscs and there is also a Sony UniLink CD stacker that may be sold up because it is without a head unit thanks to water damage caused by a car painter failing to replace the windshield wiper seals. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Sony MD changer in car on non Sony head unit
==BEGIN QUOTE There is a rather "expensive" box that was designed for use to adapt early Sony chagners to non changer equipped head unit (Sony or otherwise). It has a unit link cable to connect to the changer, power cables for input, RCA cables for input and output and antenna connector "T" so you can use it as an "RF" type unit if you want. =END QUOTE= There is actually the RM-X69RF CD changer controller which normally provides RF output but, if you plug the changer's RCA outputs into the head unit's AUX input, you can avoid the need to use the RF modulator. I have discussed this unit previously in a posting on the 4th September and will repeat it heare incause you missed it. As cited by Timothy P. Stockman, there is an undocumented +12 volt trigger output on the RM-X69RF controller, which is exposed as a red wire and a blue wire on the power MOLEX connector. The situations that I documented were for various implementations, some of which are common in the Australian market. These are: 1. The stereo car radio that doubles as an amplifier for an outboard cassette deck (common in a lot of Nissan / Datsun, high-end Mazda and some Mitsubishi vehicles made during the 70s and 80s) 2. The stereo car radio-cassette (OEM or aftermarket) that provided an AUX input for an add-on single-slot CD player (a practice common with some cars sold during the late 80s and early 90s where the CD player was supplied as a dealer option). In most of these installations, it was necessary for the outboard CD or cassette player to turn on the head unit whenever one intended to play the CD or cassette. This would bave been done in one of many ways: 1. The CD player or cassette deck would expose a +12 volt "trigger current" to an "trigger input" in order to wake up the radio and accept signals from the deck. 2. The CD player or cassette deck would use TTL logic or an extra pole on the "cassette-present" microswitch to short an input trigger loop to ground in order to wake up the radio and accept signals from the deck; in a similar way that a cellular-phone system triggers a car stereo's phone-mute circuit during a phone call. 3. The same device may use Method 1 or 2 to wake up the radio (if you don't have to turn the radio on manually to make use of it) but use a switch or relay to select between the radio's own signal sources or that device's signal. The trigger output could be wired across the trigger input with systems that work on Method 1; wired across a relay that shorts the trigger input to ground in a Method 2 system and/or a DPDT relay that manually selects the signal between the RCA outputs on the stacker and one of the existing sources. This information listed here is especially of interest to Australian readers who maintain older vehicles with their OEM sound systems and want to add MiniDisc or CD to their vehicles. The only units that may not be easy to add extra equipment to are those units that use a proprietary serial bus chosen by the vehicle builder usually in order to discourage the use of cheaper aftermarket equipment. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Standard control bus for portable MD / CD / MP3 units
=== The original message was multipart MIME=== === All non-text parts (attachments) have been removed === Hi everyone! An issue that is annoying me about a lot of personal audio equipment is the lack of a standard for remote control of these devices. The standard should define issues like a common connector type; a common set of commands for the equipment and a standard set of attributes describing what is being played, to pass back to the controller for use as part of a system display. This can come in handy where the personal-audio devices are connected to other audio equipment in order to provide playback or recording services to the equipment. This would work in a similar way to the MD WALKMAN IN facility on the Sony DHC-MD555 bookshelf system. This connection allowed selected MD Walkman units to work as part of the system, offering system-based control, sync-start dubbing and title-copying. Once the standard is defined, a car-audio supplier could provide integrated personal-audio control with such features as media-pause during traffic announcements and cellular-phone calls; program-detail information on the set's display (also comes in handy with vehicles that use an integrated display); and ability to control the personal-audio unit with the car sound system's controls (which comes in handy with vehicles that have the sound system able to he controlled at the steering wheel). Also someone can improve the cassette adaptor by designing a "smart adaptor" which can inform the personal-audio device about whether the tape mechanism is running or has stopped. This could allow one to stop the CD or MD that is playing by ejecting or pausing the tape; or simply switching off the car stereo. Car stereos that are equipped with RDS, ARI (SDK / VF) or Timed News Interrupt would work well with this adaptor -- causing the MD or CD to stop when the set goes into the automatic-interrupt mode. For home-audio devices; the personal-audio device can work as though it is part of the home-audio system. For example, it will respond to timer-start; system-initiated syncro-recording; same-room and (in some setups like the BO Master Control Link system or the Bose Lifestyle systems) different-room remote control. As well, it could be able to provide "one-touch" play or portable-started syncro-record for suitably-equipped systems or present the media data on the system's primary display unit. I hope that there is some activity in this idea. With regards, Simon Mackay === MIME part removed : text/html; === - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Pioneer car MD changer in Australia?
=== The original message was multipart MIME=== === All non-text parts (attachments) have been removed === Hi everyone! Does anyone know whether the Pioneer car six-stack MiniDisc changer (a clone of the Sony MDX-65) will be available in Australia and whether it is a P-Bus changer that can work with any Pioneer P-Bus head unit (changer-control head units made since 1996) This is because I know of someone in our church who has seen us use MDs a lot (mainly for backing tracks during the worship service) and was amazed at what the format can do -- is looking at getting a head unit (preferably a Pioneer) that can work with an MD changer to install in his Hyundai Excel Sprint. With regards, Simon Mackay === MIME part removed : text/html; === - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Portable power pack
===BEGIN QUOTE=== Is it possible to connect Portable power pack by Radio Shack with the Sony MZR 55, the European model? Do they work together or do I need to make some modifications or changing some connectors? Also, where in the San Francisko area I could find the Sony BC7HT, international model of recharging unit for the Sony batteries? Thanks ===END QUOTE== What you need to do is purchase a regulated multi-voltage adaptor which can put out the power specified for the R55. Then make sure that it has the fitting which fits the R55's DC IN socket with the correct polarity. Most of the newer regulated multi-voltage adaptors available at RS can do this. With these adaptors, you can use your European R55 over in the States because the mains voltage goes up to the transformer then is brought down to the useable voltage for the appliance. WIth regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: MiniDisc in my car -- possible?
===BEGIN QUOTE= We've all discovered that FM modulators are no good. So I'll reverse the question: is there an affordable option to play MDs from my portable (R37) in my car, which has a factory CD player only? (I have no CD changer controls, BTW.) J. C. R. Davis ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ===END QUOTE= Come on car-audio manufacturers! Wake up! There is room for an affordable car MD player unit WITHOUT TUNER here for these cars! These units should be car MD players that have their own amplifiers (or can connect to an outboard amplifier system) and have NO radio tuner. They should be designed to mount under the dashboard or in an auxiliary equipment bay in the dashboard and work without any need for a particular head unit rather than just being a slave "MD drive" to a head unit. Because there is no tuner in the unit, there is room for extra abilities like designing in an MD changer; large display suited to MD needs; and "add-on" facilities for the existing car stereo. This means that the existing OEM car stereo (which is often under-powered) can benefit from more power and access to extra speakers via a fader control. Also OEM stereos can benefit from features like cellular-telephone mute (the unit mutes or fades-down the volume on the OEM car stereo if the mobile phone rings or you place a call on the mobile phone) or a graphic equialiserwhich can improve the sound somewhat. This issue that was raised regarding MDs in a CD-equipped car is an issue also shared by people whose cars are equipped with older car stereos that are regarded as classics; like the Eurovox units made for the Australian market between 1980 and 1989; the Nakamichi cassette car stereos; the early Becker Mexico units installed in European cars between the late 70s and the mid 80s; any of the Blaupunkt "high-end" units or those classic Concords. This concept is a tried and tested concept which was successful in the form of those 8-track cartridge and cassette players that often had to be installed under a car's dashboard or in its console for that car to he considered classy during the 60s and 70s. It was also tried with success during the late 80s with the car CD players that were in vogue during that time. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: CD/MD mechanisms - a possible OEM solution
Hi everyone! As judging from my observations with new cars at the Melbourne Motor Show, the motoring columns in the daily press, write-ups in motoring magazines and reports on this list; it is becoming a common practice for vehicle builders to specify a slot-in single-disc CD player and radio combination as the stndard car audio option in a lot of vehicles. Some manufacturers like GM, Ford, Toyota and Saab are offering single-CD/cassette units in a form similar to the double-DIN CD-cassette units now available on the market. These would allow the use of a cassette adaptor if you want to play your MiniDisc walkman through the car sound system. But most manufacturers such as Honda, VW, Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Daewoo and Hyundai are offering single-disc "slot-in" CD players which have no cassette facility. A few of them who use Philips / VDO-Dayton to supply the system, such as Hyundai, Daewoo and Alfa Romeo, have head-units identical to what is or was offered by this company in the aftermarket. This means that you can connect the MD walkman to the unit's AUX sockets and select the AUX input in order to hear it through the car sound system. Other systems often don't come with any external-source connectivity options or may come with a connectivity option for a dealer-fit CD changer (in the case of VW for example). OEMs and vehicle builders could realise that MiniDisc does exist and could look towards integrating it into their own vehicles. This reality comes about due to the popularity of "MD-Bundles" and the cost of MD equipment plummeting into affordable levels even though it is facing the threat of being usurped by the MP3-based solid-state audio players. As well, MD is available in stereo systems that are close to the bottom of the price range where you expect to buy a decent stereo system that will last. This could be done by integrating JVC's or Panasonic's single-slot CD/MiniDisc solution into their designs. If JVC improved the eject action on their mechanism in order to eject the MiniDisc a lot further than it does in the current implementation (bring out the disc by an inch at least), the mechanism can be used in curve-front dashboards like that found in the VW New Beetle. WIth regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Guided bus or boat tours
=== The original message was multipart MIME=== === All non-text parts (attachments) have been removed === IMPORTANT NOTICE: THIS IS ALSO BEING POSTED ON THE MD-L LISTSERVICE AS WELL AS BEING CONTRIBUTED TO THE MDCP. Hi everyone! A couple of years ago, our previous State Government hosted an "open weekend" on projects that it was sponsoring as part of a PR exercise. One of the activities that was featured was the use of a chartered cruise boat which performed a tour of all of the new sites that were along the Yarra river. What was done was that, rather than having a tour guide explain the sites, they played a cassette which had pre-recorded commentary through the sound system ax the cruise boat was at the various points of interest. MiniDiscs can suit these kind of bus or boat tours. For example the itinerary can be varied at the last minute without having to fast-forward or rewind a cassette to suit. There is no need to worry about tape being "snarled up" in poorly-maintained sound systems. What you need is a MiniDisc with audio commentary for each waypoint; a MiniDisc Walkman; a power adaptor which runs the MD Walkman off the vehicle's or boat's cigar lighter or accessory socket (or a mains power adaptor in case of boats equipped with a mains-level power supply); and a cassette adaptor which slots into the vehicle's or boat's cassette player and connects to that Walkman. Nowadays, ther will be an increased likelihood that the bus or boat that you charter or use as part of the tour will come with a cassette player as part of the sound system. If you are lucky, you may even have a line-level input for connecting the MiniDisc Walkman to the vehicle's sound system. When you load or unload the passengers, it may be a good idea to always know where the MD Walkman is at all timws because these units can be easily stolen by passers-by. You could easily disconnect the unit and take it with you if you are going away from the sound system; so as to dissuade theft. With regards, Simon Mackay === MIME part removed : text/html; === - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Sony new minidisc at Minidisco - MXD-PCD3
What a wonderful idea for a "one-box" CD-MD unit for use with a PC. Could this mean that, if the MXD-D3 can "do" USB-Audio, it could wipe out the need for a SB16 soundcard and crap speakers for most audio work, including Windows sound effects and games audio? With regards, Simon Mackay -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Magic Sent: Sunday, 2 April 2000 00:14 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: MD: Sony new minidisc at Minidisco Has anyone else seen the new Sony MXD-PCD3 ? I'd appreciate an opinion on it - how does it compare to the JB930 in terms of sound? I couldn't get a link to the Minidisco page to bookmark properly (kept taking me to the start page) so I've put a link in the Minidisc section of my home page. http://www.mattnet.freeserve.co.uk/minidisc/ Magic -- "Creativity is more a birthright than an acquisition, and the power of sound is wisdom and understanding applied to the power of vibration." Location : Portsmouth, England, UK Homepage : http://www.mattnet.freeserve.co.uk EMail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Sony new minidisc at Minidisco
If the MXD-PCD3 deck is an April Fool's idea, the concept has to be considered as theoreticallly valid. To modify an existing MXD-D3 chassis to the proposed concept, it would require the ability to provide a USB-Audio circuitry in the chassis, write a USB add-on to the MXD-D3 firmware, and write USB software for the PC and iMac. The firmware would have to support: 1: Transport control of the CD-Audio and MD-Audio drives 2: Publishing media data to the USB bus 3: Switching between the on-board sources, the USB-Audio subsystem and the external SP/DIF (optical) input and the analogue-digital interface circuitry 4: Support for interworking with SCMS (SP/DIF domain) and SDMI (Internet domain) copy protection mechanisms 5: Gateway to the "set controls" on the front of the unit by enumerating them as USB-HID devices 6: Managing the MD-Audio file system under the USB bus. An option that can be considered is to make the proposed unit a complete computer peripheral by making the CD-Audio drive a CD-ROM drive; and the MD-Audio drive an MD-Data2 drive. This means that if the unit is hooked up to a PC, the CD player becomes a secondary CD-ROM drive and the MD recorder becomes an MD-Data2 drive thus putting it in a position to become a "Zip Killer" as I mentioned before. Other abilities could include streaming of computer audio out of the unit to an amplifier, thus rendering the sound card obsolete. The software should perform the following functions: 1: Transport control of the CD and MD drives 2: Passing waveform audio, including rendered MIDI audio to the proposed concept unit 3: Acquiring waveform audio from any source in the unit so it can be edited and used as part of multimedia 4: "Shadowing" the control panel and display for PC-based CD and MD playback 5: Computer-controlled CD-MD dubbing and the ability to record PC audio (Internet radio, MP3s, etc) to MD 6: Computer-based MD editing and titling (waveform views of MD-Audio to allow easy removal of "dead air", use computer keyboard to title quickly, etc) The CD-ROM and MD-Data2 functionaliry could be catered for with extra drivers for the drives. As well, DirectX support can be built into the drivers so the unit can do all sorts of PC audio functions such as games audio. Let's expose this as a concept to MD equipment makers like Sony. Also why doesn't Sony develop a VAIO PC that fits in well with their popular "E-series" mainstream-priced hi-fi gear like the MXD-D3 CD-MD deck or the MDS-JE520 MD deck. There are incentives for this to happen with the Microsoft-Intel PC-99 specification. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: The MDX-65RF -- a step in the right direction!
Hi Everyone! With Sony releasing the MDX-65RF package (the MDX-65 6-stack MD changer and the RM-X69RF RF interface kit), there has been a step in the right direction for adding MiniDisc to an existing car stereo in a permanent manner! This will mean the end of people using temporary setups of MD Walkmans, cassette adaptors and cigar-lighter power adaptors to play their MiniDiscs in the car. Instead, those of us who want to retain good car stereos can add on MD playback facilities to these systems. Remember that you don't have to use the RF modulator in the kit to feed the signal into the sound system if it has an AUX input. Here, as previously documented on this discussion list, you take the RCA connections out to the head unit, rather than to the modulator. The Peripheral Interface Components website ( http://www.stinger-aamp.com/peripheral/s-ind.htm ) has kits available to interlink most OEM head units equipped with the AUX input (for the dealer-fit CD player option) with kits like this one. Also, you may be able to find protocol adaptors that let you use Sony UniLink CD and MD changers with some OEM head units. With regards, Simon Mackay PS. If you buy MD equipment and own a car, remember to consider investigating car MD equipment because you may want to start playing the MDs that you recorded on the equipment in your car regularly. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Problems with Creative CD-ROM drive
=== The original message was multipart MIME=== === All non-text parts (attachments) have been removed === Hi everyone! I have often been having problems with my Creative CD-ROM drive, where the quality deteriorates during CD-Audio playback. Symptoms include stuttering and skipping of music. They also include the CD-ROM not recognizing certain CD-Audio discs as they should be recognized (starting the CD Player software); the player spins up and vibrates as if it is trying to read the data and it sometimes stalls the whole computer. Could this be a mechanical problem I am having with the Creative CD-ROM drive and should I simply save up for a new CD-ROM drive and junk the old one? With regards, Simon Mackay === MIME part removed : text/html; === - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Chassis MiniDisc decks
=== The original message was multipart MIME=== === All non-text parts (attachments) have been removed === As I have looked at various MiniDisc decks that have been on the market, I have noticed that a lot of Sony decks and some bookshelf systems have very similar layouts -- just a bit of internal improvements (ATRAC, DAC, extra facilities) and some slight cosmetic changes such as slightly-different MD slot escutcheons. For example the JE530 looks very like its predecessor (the '520), except for a newer slot escutcheon and there are a few internal improvements to the firmware for abilities like Control A1 and variable pitch playback as well as some slight improvements to the ATRAC and analogue interface gateway circuitry. This still can be of benefit if older models were broken beyond repair and it was possible to use most parts from the newer models for these units. With regards, Simon Mackay === MIME part removed : text/html; === - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Loudness feature on stereos
Hi everyone I consider the loudness switch on an amplifier as simply a "preset" tone modification which provides a bit of extra low-end and high-end response to the signal, in addition to what was obtained with the tone controls. The reason some of us run the function all of the time is because we still want to hear the bass notes and the higher treble when we play music at a civilised level most of the time, but occasionally run the system at a loud volume. Then we forget to cut out the loudness control. Also we often find that this "preset" gives a sound system a "rich sound" at all times, which comes in handy even with speech -- a feeling of you're there is brought across when the speech is given a bit of timbre. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: MD-Data2 as a Zip killer
=== The original message was multipart MIME=== === All non-text parts (attachments) have been removed === Hi everyone! When I first heard about the MD Data format being released by Sony, I thought that it would be a successful "B Drive". But Iomega went in around the time that Sony released MD Data and aggressively pushed their "Zip" disk on everyone. The factors that brought Zip as the primary "B drive" was the snappy name, the sexy blue case that the external drive came in and the way the earlier versions were able to connect via the parallel port on the average PC. This was exaggerated by the big-budget ad campaigns that they took out, with the goal of running it as a "loss-leader". What Sony needs to do is promote the new MD-Data2 650Mb disc as a "B drive" is to market it as a "Zip killer". This would mean designing USB or SCSI external drives that work with current-generation PCs and Macs and are presented in sexy boxes; encouraging the Linux community to write Linux drivers for the MD-Data2 drives, providing software for playing (and perhaps editing or recording) regular audio MiniDiscs; and market it in a loss-leading way. The MD-Data2 discs could hold heaps of high-resolution digital images (especially in bitmap form), many projects worth of Word documents, one or two desktop publishing projects with all of the images for that project. An interesting appliance concept for this medium would be a digital image view-download unit for use in the field. These devices, in a similar vein to Iomega's Clik digital-image-download device which fills 40Mb disks, would transfer images from a CompactFlash card or a SimartMedia card to an MD-Data2 disc (which holds 10 times the amount of the biggest CF card). This would allow a photographer to work at the highest resolution on one of the new 2.3 or above megapixel digital cameras for a long time without worrying about memory-card space. This comes in handy during weddings, holidays and other occasions where a lot of pictures are being taken and there is no chance of being able to download the images during the trip. By providing a built-in LCD screen in the device (which the Iomega Clik device doesn't have), it makes it possible to preview images taken during the past shoot, thus conserving the camera' batteries for taking pictures. The unit can support external video outputs so images can be viewed on a video monitor by a group or projected using a video projector. USB ports would be provided so the unit can be connected to a computer for image manipulation or to a printer, card drive (for other solid-state media) or scanner. As well, regular audio MiniDiscs can be played in the unit, with such facilities as an "at-a-glance" track index. With regards, Simon Mackay === MIME part removed : text/html; === - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: DVD's and CD-R/RW's
==BEGIN QUOTE== In fact, I can record CD/RW's of DMX (Digital Music Express) and dub them back to CD-R on my Marantz CD Recorder and the SCMS does not kick in!! END QUOTE= Could the CD-RW unit that you recorded the DMX tracks onto be observing the digital radio exception in its SCMS logic -- making a digital recording derived from digital radio a "Penultimate" recording and the CD-Rs that you make when you "boil-down" the CD-R/W be marked as "Final"? The DMX box could be identifying itself as a "digital tuner" in its SP-DIF Category Code and this is assessed as part of SCMS logic to allow recordings of the SP-DIF stream to be marked as "Penultimate". With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Tarnished brandnames (was-Re: MiniDisc Weekly News...)
==BEGIN QUOTE= My impression was that they had gone the way of the Fisher brand name --a brand that used to make high quality stuff, but through the years either made shoddy equipment, had bad luck with a line of products, or some other event that basically tarnished the brand's image. What is the story on Casio? END QUOTE= This reminds me of the TEAC and CDC brands in Australia. Before the late 80s, they made good-quality serviceable hi-fi gear with sound-quality-enhancing features but since then they made crappy downmarket electronics. Our market started to get flooded with "flashing-lights" bookshelf systems; rat-s**t ghetto-blasters and cheap CD players that were prone to many problems. A similar fate happened to Philips for a while in our market between 1990 and 1993 where Philips killed the Pye label (reserved for low-end equipment) abd sold cheap and nasty audio equipment for that period. The DCC equipment and the 900 series of "co-ordinated" components being released in 1993 was an attempt by Philips to climb out of the cheap sound system image. Other brands that I have known that have been killed off by the supply of cheap and nasty equipment include Kriesler; HMV and AWA. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Voquette's NetLink
==BEGIN QUOTE does anyone have Voquette's NetLink MD to PC connection and software, is it any good, and where can i buy it separately from the MT15? ==END QUOTE= This program would use "text-to-speech" renderiong to read out e-mails and other similar material onto an audio medium such as cassette or MD; and play MP3 files onto the audio medium. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: I need help with digital output
==BEGIN QUOTE== ANYWAY, to my question. I have also noticed that on the back of the Pioneer changer there is an output labeled SUBCODE OUTPUT. The manual states that this will be used at a later date by Pioneer. Well, I figured that since the unit was so far ahead of it's time in 1988, that this might be some type of output for data disks or DVD. I would appreciate any input as to what this may be or where I can find the information as to what it is...I have already tried Pioneer's page but to no avail END QUOTE This was meant to be for sharing data from the PQ Subcodes data stream that are used in the Red-Book CD-Audio standard. This data is mainly used for track numbering, pre-emphasis, SCMS and the like. The idea at that time was to connect a black box which decoded CD+Graphics data and "paint" the bitmapped pictures on a television or computer screen. All the audio would be stripped from this output at this data outlet and such data would end up in the CD+Graphics box. The CD+Graphics specification mainly evolved in a few multi-purpose interactive-CD players such as the Commodore CDTV (an earlier attempt to house a computer - an Amiga 500 with CD-ROM drive - in a living-room-friendly box) and the Philips CD-I machines as well as a handful of JVC players pitched at karaoke use. Also the CD+Graphics format ended up mainly being used as a medium for karaoke applications -- a disc equipped with a backing track and some real-time lyrics. Once you knew what the data-stream that came out of this port consisted of, you could use that to "get at" the CD-Text data stream on newer CDs to aid in titling MiniDiscs or presenting on a display. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: XA-C30 (possible revision notes for a MkII unit)
BEGIN QUOTE=== I haven't opened the unit yet, but from its operation I have deduced that its little more than a Unilink-controlled rotary switch. For whatever reason, the head unit seems to operate the changers one-at-a-time, period... That's why I'm guessing that the XA-C30 might have to be upgraded, as well as the firmware in the head unit, to do multi-changer shuffle correctly. As far as I can tell, the original intent of the XA-C30 was to allow several different *types* of sources to be connected, for example a CD changer, an MD changer, a TV tuner, etc. They must have been too far along in the design process when someone thought about the case where multiple changers of the *same* type would be connected and halfheartedly added the multi-changer shuffle mode. ==END QUOTE== This could be a possible revision point for Sony when they decide to revise this accessory. They would be able to release a unit that is conducive to control of multiple units of the same type as well as its inherent design -- one unit of three different types. It would be able to recognize whether how many changers of a kind are living downstream of the unit and even collect and publish all device lists for units on the Unilink bus, even if there are multiple adapters downstream. These functionalities may be released as a Mark II product. Also, when used along with the RM-X65RF module, is there any text display of MiniDisc titles or CD-Text titles on the controller's display? With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Sony XA-C30 with 3 MDX-65 changers...
===BEGIN QUOTE=== Perhaps someone at Sony watches this list and will improve the software to fix shuffle mode 3 in future releases. My guess is that it would involve buying a new head unit (BTW I'm using the unilink control part of the RF adapter with the audio feeding directly into "aux" inputs on my radio) and maybe a new switching unit... ==END QUOTE= This could be achieved in the software regarding 10-15 seconds at the end of the current track being regarded as "end of message". At this point, the switching unit begins the shuffle process and tells one of the changers to play a randomly selected track from a randomly selected disc into the buffer and then wait around until the current track actually finishes. When this happens, the switching unit starts that changer. Changer firmware would have to support a new "ready to play" function which causes the unit to be ready to play a nominated track from a nominated disc. This function would cause the changer to put away the current disc into the store, take the desired disc out of the store then go to the nominated track and be ready to play. It would fail if there is no suitable disc in the store. This would allow a switching unit in a multi-changer setup to pass "ready to play" commands whenever tracks end during all-disc shuffle play; or provide near-instant changer "wrapping" as discs are selected. With regards, Simon Mackay PS: Are any manufacturers watching this list and learning from it how they can improve their products? - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Digital-direct recording from DAB tuners
=== The original message was multipart MIME=== === All non-text parts (attachments) have been removed === Hi everyone! Has anyone tried doing a digital-direct recording from any Eureka 147 DAB tuners such the Arcan Alpha 10 or the new Technics digital tuner? Have you run into problems with sampling rates or SCMS? Is it possible to make a second-generation digital direct recording off that digital-direct recording? This is a situation that is catered for with some decks when cabled up to most digital satellite radio receivers, where they allow an extra copying generation for recordings off these services. With regards, Simon Mackay === MIME part removed : text/html; === - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Recording compilations with a high degree of control
Hi everyone! If I buy a CD-MD combo deck or bookshelf system, what "easy-record" functions should I look out for when choosing such systems. The kind of custom-built compilation work that I would do would be done off different CD albums, including career-summary albums (the so-called "Best of" or "Greatest Hits" CDs which cover the highlights of an artist's or band's career) and various-artists anthology albums (K-Tels, "as-seen-on-TV" compilations and the like). What "easy-record" features would suit this job, knowing that I would chisel out the blank leading and trailing spaces after a recording session as described before in previous posts and then end up playing the MiniDisc on my portable in "shuffle-play" mode? Also, which of the combo decks and bookshelf systems would have these facilities? With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Handling a large cassette inventory
Hi everyone! Now that I am moving onto MiniDisc, I am wanting to know what to do as regards with my cassette inventory which consists mostly of tapes made off FM radio over the last 14 years; a couple of out-of-print Musicassettes; as well as a significant number of compilation tapes, some of which contain material from various recordings that were lost in various moves. I don't want to get rid of the tapes but want to know which way to go as regards copying them to MiniDisc or being able to play them as required. If I buy a CD-MiniDisc bookshelf system like the Sony DHC-MD373 or DHC-MD555, should I ever buy any of the optional companion tape decks or look for another deck from Sony or another manufacturer. What should I look for in a secondary tape deck which will be primarily used for playback. On the other hand, should I look for one of those "4-in-1" bookshelf system which has CD, radio, cassette and MiniDisc. On the other hand, I could make up a system based around a receiver; cassette deck; and either a CD player / changer and MiniDisc deck, or a CD-MD combo deck like the Sony MXD-D3 or JVC XU-301BK . If I go for the latter option, what should I look for in a cassette deck for such a setup -- I don't want to get more than I need for this kind of arrangement. Some of the key features that I am after include logic control and support for Dolby B at least. On the other hand, should I buy secondhand cassette decks and how should I go about buying them -- buy through the local free-ads paper, buy through word-of-mouth, or scout the hock-shops, consignment stores and secondhand dealers. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Recording compilations with a high degree of contril.
=== The original message was multipart MIME=== === All non-text parts (attachments) have been removed === Hi everyone! When building MiniDisc compilations of select tracks from assorted CDs, I tend to prefer a high degree of control as far as tightening the spaces between songs so there is no silent space between the songs because of my Sony portable suppoirting "back-to-back" shuffle play. Should I be using separate CD and MiniDisc units or can I achieve some control when using CD-MD combo units or bookshelf systems. If I use CD-MD combo decks or bookshelf systems for the exercise, can I use the "easy-record" functions on these decks and "clean up" the MiniDisc using the unit's editing functions (chisel off silent leaders and trailers by dividing at the head and tail of the song then erasing the blank tracks) or should I stick to total "hands-on" manual control during the recording sessions. If I use separate decks and the CD player is equipped with a matching digital output, can I achieve this same level of control when I go the digital-direct route which yields the SCMS-final recordings or should I stay with the analog route and make SCMS-penultimate recordings. Also, with either path, should I use programmed-play on the CD player and use any sync-start or automatic track-marking facilities that the setup offers. At the moment, I feed my Discman into a borrowed JE-520 in order to do theise recordings, but am looking at buying a sound system which caters for this format, while realizing that I have a significant inventory of cassettes including some recorded during and since my teenage years. With regards, Simon Mackay === MIME part removed : text/html; === - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Song DHC-MD555
===BEGIN QUOTE=== Guys, I saw this unit in Fry's selling $699. It said on the box sometihng like controlling the unit using PC and software. . Anybody has any idea on that? I tried to look around the internet to find more detail for this unit. No luck yet. ==END QUOTE== If anyone has bought this bookshelf system -- the Sony DHC-MD555, could they please type or scan in the user manual and put it up on the MD Community web site Simon Mackay PSS. As user manuals are put up on the MD Community web site, could the links page be updated to point out the fact that the user manuals are on line. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Applications of MD Data2
BEGIN QUOTE=== I've been a proponent of extending considerably the recording time of minidiscs for quite a while now. I'm not talking about getting 80 minutes from a disc but how about several hours? With Sony's unvailing of the MD Data2 format which is a 650 MB variant of the original 140 MB minidisc, I am excited that my wish may become a reality. See the MD Community Page for details. DAT has long been a standard in live recording and archiving anything acoustic. The implication of an MD with greater storage capacity, and its implication on the DAT community has been discussed here and on the DAT list several times. If Sony can make this technology feasible, then MD can become a standard for live recording and thus open new markets. ==END QUOTE= By supporting an Audio MD variant of the MD-Data2, Sony could release a "disc-based" recording alternative to DAT which has a selection of recording modes, ranging from 74 minutes of stereo linear-PCM audio for CD mastering to 296 minutes (nearly 5 hours) of stereo ATRAC audio or 492 minutes (just over eight hours) of mono ATRAC audio. This would lead to a very flexible Extended Density MiniDisc catering to concert recording, conferences, muzak applications, listening devices (surveillance), in-flight entertainment, and even having more time to pack variety into our "choice cuts" compilation recordings. When used with changers like the Sony MDZ-65 or the Sony DHC-MD555, you could have a huge collection of music on tap, especially if you use the shuffle-play mode. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: VW Gold adaptor problem solved - thanks
==BEGIN QUOTE=== To those of you who replied to my question, thanks. My friend followed the advice to get a Sony cassette adaptor ... and it works fine. So the old no name adaptor has been retired. The only downside is that the man in the Sony shop would only sell him the adaptor with a power adaptor as well (which he didn't need), but that's Sony all over I guess. ===END QUOTE= Buying that cassette adaptor that worked well in the Golf is a major step. IMHO, I haven't had much trouble with cassette adaptors no matter what car stereo I have used them in -- I mainly used them with OEM units of varying ages and even with some cheap "fast-forward/eject" units. I have also heard positive stories from people whom I know who have used them with good results. The adaptors I have used are the original Recoton design, the Radio Shack unit (which is really the Recoton design, a Discwasher-badged original Recoton design, a Sony unit belonging to a friend and another Kenwood unit belonging to a friend who recently bought a portable CD player. Also, I have had success with using one of these adaptors to play a Discman that I had through an old compact "three-in-one" music centre which had no auxiliary inputs. It shows that these adaptors can work in allowing one to play a Discman or MD Walkman through equipment where there are no auxiliary inputs, such as cheap old "three-in-one" music centres, most "ghetto blasters" and some cassette-based background-music players. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: RF Modulators
==BEGIN QUOTE=== I personally haven't tried any of them, but after hearing the stories I'm just gonna fork out the bucks for an in-dash MD player. ==END QUOTE I would assess the situation more carefully if you are considering MiniDisc in the car, especially on a permanent basis. This would mean assessing whether the factory head unit has a line-level input that can be opened up by any old device. Some AM/FM stereo car radios have a connection to feed in the signal from a separate cassette player which was available as standard or as a dealer-fit option. Here, you adjusted the volume for the tape sound by operating the controls on the radio. Also some car radio-cassettes made since the late 80s were equipped with connections for a separate CD player, available as a dealer-fit option in most cases. I had discussed the possibility of modifying a Sony add-on CD changer controller kit (which controls their MDX-65 MiniDisc changer), which uses the RF modulator setup to perform a direct feed into these car radios. The trick was to wire the controller to the vehicle power, then re-direct the RCA connectors that connect the changer to the controller, from the controller to the line inputs on the car radio, then use the "switched power output" on the lead to operate the line-level input trigger. If this is hard to do, look for an CD/MiniDisc stacker controller that installs in the output line and has its own volume and tone controls. Then you can use a speaker-line interface for those car stereos that only have speaker level outputs. These controllers then feed a powerful amplifier, thus modernising the sound in an older car stereo. Alpine and JVC make these kind of changer controllers and they are still worth investingating. They also come in handy if your car is a recently-made luxury one where external amplifiers are used for the sound system, such as the Bose, Harman-Kardon, JBL or Infinity sound systems. If you live in an area covered by a digital radio system such as the Eureka 147 system, keep an eye out for controllers that can control add-on digital radio tuners. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: TOSLink protective caps on sockets
Hi everyone! I have noticed that a lot of home digital-audio equipment that is equipped with optical inputs or outputs is often fitted with removeable plastic caps on these Toslink connectors. I have a few reservations about these caps. For example, if you ran an optical digital link and then had to disconnect that link for situations such as having one of the devices repaired, you would have to replace the caps which can easily get lost. They also present a choking hazard with toddlers if you are in a situation where you have to leave the equipment unsupervised at a reachable distance with its back panel showing. Should I always keep the plugs on the TOSLink connectors whenever I am not using the connectors or can I not have the plugs on them? With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: 650 meg audio MD?
BEGIN QUOTE I've read about the new 650 meg md's coming out, but I've also read that they will only be data MDs. I'm pretty sure that this is not the most current news, so can anybody enlighten me as to the current situation for 650 meg md's? Will they be for audio also? I really hope so, it can only be good for Minidisc...74 minutes of uncompressed music (to give it a more status as a robust recording medium) or almost 6 hours of compressed music END QUOTE=== If an "extended density" audio MiniDisc is to be released, there are a lot of issues to be discussed and truths have to be realized. For example, the format will need to be promoted under a logo which embodies the MiniDisc logo. This logo cauld be referred to as an ED MiniDisc logo, and discs and hardware that work to the specifications would have to have this logo. An assurance of backward compatibility would have to be guaranteed in the form of players being able to play either standard MiniDiscs or ED MiniDiscs in all recording modes; and recorders being able to record in the standard modes when a standard disc is mounted as well as the ED modes when an ED disc is mounted. A recorder; such as a low-end portable, boombox, low-end stereo, or low-end MiniDisc component deck can be able to be "quasi-compatible" by being able to play the ED discs recorded in all ED modes but only able to record on standard MiniDiscs. This could be a cost-effective way of bringing ED MiniDisc into lower-price equipment. The recording modes allowed would have to support 74 minutes of stereo linear PCM audio, 148 minutes of mono linear PCM audio, approx 296 minutes (nearly 5 hours) of stereo ATRAC-compressed audio, or 592 minutes (nearly 10 hours) of mono ATRAC-compressed audio. By using these various modes, it allows for an existing stereo MiniDisc design to be modified for playback or recording of these formats. Signal routing can be performed based on the recording mode -- go via the ATRAC codec or go straight to the SP-DIF outputs and analogue-digital conversion department. As for buffering, this can be achieved on PCM nowadays as the cost of memory silicon is reduced -- as we know through the use of buffering on portable CD players. Control logic is just about the same except for more positions on the recording mode switch; and some extra "behind the scenes" logic to cope with the recording modes and the extended-density MiniDiscs. The only major change required would be the transport which would have to be designed for narrower resolution and also to be able to detect and react to the difference between the two types of discs. So theoretically, it would mean that there is very little need for major chassis revision to occur when implementing an extended-density MiniDisc. Support for these discs at various levels would be considered a "product differentiatior" feature for different MiniDisc units, thus allowing a manufacturer to have a large line-up of models at varying price ranges. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: The knock-off a car radio racjet
Hi everyone! I have been talking with a friend about new car stereos and one ossue that he has with them is the propensity for new car radios to he stolen, even though manufacturers are taking various measures to prevent this problem. A lot of the thieves have worked out ways of getting around the measures such as using "code-cracking" software to break into coded radios; stealing removeable faceplates from display and demonstrator car stereos in stores; amongst other methods. Sometimes, the cars are still broken into even if there is a "cloaking" measure in place like Kenwood's MASK system, because they often think that if the car is relatively new, it must have a flashy car radio in it. A lot of the time, this dissuades some people from investing in good car sound and thus it cam cause a dint in the acceptance of new car-audio technology. There needs to be a lot more done to make it hard for car-stereo thieves to operate, for example encouraging people who provide car-parking to facilitate improved surveillance of the car-parking area by improving the lighting in that area. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Web sites related to SCMS
Hi everyone! Are there any web sites that talk about the SCMS (Serial Copy Management System) as used with MiniDisc, DAT, DCC or consumer CD-R? This question is to include any pages set up by end-users, official standards pages, amongst other things. This is because there seems to be an official site for the SDMI (Secure Digital Music Initiative) system -- www.sdmi.org, but not for this established SP-DIF copy-protection system. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: USB-SPDIF converters and SCMS
=== The original message was multipart MIME=== === All non-text parts (attachments) have been removed === Hi everyone! Does anyone know how SCMS is handled by the USB-SPDIF converters that have come on the market lately? How do they handle an SCMS-Final source like a V2 CD or a digitally-recorded MiniDisc that is fed into them, or an SCMS-Penultimate source such as most CDs? Also what does the SCMS logic in MiniDisc decks see the output of these converters as? Also, do any consumer digital recorders allow for monitoring the SCMS status of either a recording that is in them or a source that is fed through the digital inputs? With regards, Simon Mackay === MIME part removed : text/html; === - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: In-dash MiniDisc players and shuffle-play
BEGIN QUOTE= What's seamless shuffle play? My MDX-400 never repeated a song twice if that's what you're talking about. END QUOTE=== This is where, when a track ends during shuffle play, the next selected track starts with very little delay -- even with no delay if there is no silence before or after the track. Most Sony portables achieve this by reading ahead and stuffing the buffer while playing out the track out of the buffer. With regards, Simon - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Copy-Proof CDs (Long)
Hi everyone What has happened to permitting "fair use" of copyright materials? Have governments and rights-holders, especially publishers, lost the sight of the spirit of the DAT Pact and, the Betamax decision and other copyright decisions to allow home recording for purposes such as archiving, transfer to another media for use in equipment capable of playing that media; recording broadcasts for use at a later time or in a different location; and making custom-built recordings of songs. Often it is the publisher who is obsessed about copyright more than the artist. Artists who go for "burden-free" distribution such as MP3 have had a fair bit of grief from their publishers because the publisher loses control of the work. Publishers who object to technologies like digital radio, Internet radio and Internet-based music distribution; utilise technical methods to prevent recordings from being copied at all and take action against retailers importing music themselvss are really trying to control how each copy of music is distributed. Some publishers even want to take action against the sale of second-hand music so they still have control over each copy of music. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: In-dash MiniDisc players and shuffle-play
=== The original message was multipart MIME=== === All non-text parts (attachments) have been removed === Hi everyone! Do any of the in-dash MD units provide a "seamless shuffle play" function similar to what the Sony portable MiniDisc unts offer? With regards, Simon Mackay PS When will car makers offer MiniDisc as part of an OEM sound system or as a dealer-fit option for mid-range cars, rather than top-end vehicles? === MIME part removed : text/html; === - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Pioneer in-car MD changer...
==BEGIN QUOTE== I've just installed my new Pioneer P100 changer into my car, connected to my MEH P5000R MD head unit and CDX P5000 CD changer, and I've noticed that when changing MD's ,the current MD continues to play at reduced volume whilst the next disc is selected, and continues to play until either the next disc is playing or the 10 second shock memory is exhausted, rather than cutting off the sound instantaneously, like the CD changer does when changing discs. Anybody else notice this? Is this normal for MD changer operation? ==END QUOTE= Continuing to play out the buffer in a MiniDisc changer may be normal behaviour so it appears that the music is continuing while the discs are changed. The unit would be reading ahead while playing out what is in the buffer. You would be used to the silent gap that you notice when your CD changer switches discs, but due to the anti-shock buffer, the MiniDisc units can read ahead and keep the music going. If I were you, I would try out the "shuffle play" mode and see if the effect is still there with the MiniDisc changer. This could lead to a GOOD THING! Radio-style "back-to-back" shuffle play of multiple home-brew compilation MiniDiscs with this car stacker, if you edit the recordings tightly. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: MiniDisc and the lifestyle systems
Hi everyone! I have noticed that there are some companies making "lifestyle" music systems which consist of a stylish easy-to-operate CD-radio unit plus a set of matched speakers. Some manufacturers like Pioneer are selling companion MiniDisc decks for these systems. But others like Grundig, Bang Olufsen, Bose, Nakamichi, Loewe (pronounce Lerve) and Harman-Kardon are not marketing MiniDisc decks to go with their lifestyle systems. They usually assume that a lifestyle system user is less likely to do activities such as make personalised music mixes on MiniDisc. If they sell a recorder as part of a system, they usually sell a cassette unit. Has there been any activity on the part of these manufacturers to bring MiniDisc into their product lineup, in a manner so as to work with their lifestyle systems? Some of the lifestyle systems often provide a tape loop (playback and recording) and/or at least one set of line-level inputs for extra devices. They usually even provide a connection of some sort so selected external devices made by that manufacturer can be controlled by the system's remote or on-board timer; or can cause "one-touch" play and "sync-start" recording. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: CD-MiniDisc combo decks
Hi everyone! Has anyone used any of the CD-MiniDisc combo decks? What has led them towards these units rather than using a separate CD and MiniDisc unit? Was it really because of a shortage of line inputs on the sound system, or a lack of space? I often reckoned that a lot of the value-priced CD-MD units like the Memorex unit and the Goodmans unit would help in "modernising" some older "all-in-one" audio equipment equipped with an AUX input socket and a recorder-output socket on the back. For example a lot of the mid-range 70s-vintage compact stereos which were equipped with a radio, record player and a caseette and/or eight-track cartridge recorder were equipped with these connectors for devices such as open-reel recorders. These units provided a sense of redundency so that if the on-board recorder failed for example. one could hook up a newer recording device. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Oldies FM uses minidisc..
BEGIN QUOTE= The music, which is transferred from old 78s on to mini-disk with no loss of sound distortion, is interspersed with phone-ins and occasional health advice. END QUOTE=== By copying the old 78s to MiniDisc, they are able to have the irreplaceable recordings on a format that doesn't deteriorate with repeated play. A lot of these 78s were acoustically recorded direct to disc and often, to get marketable quantities out of these recordings, they had artists performing repeated sessions before arrays of horns. Due to this factor, there are smaller quantities of these recordings in existence. Therefore it is imperative for any radio station who is broadcasting irreplaceable material to archive the irreplaceable material onto a durable medium. Some digital formats such as MiniDisc still retain the "comfort factor" noise floor during copying of the old analogue discs (the 78rpm shellac records made before the 50s and the 33.33rpm and 45rpm vinyl records made since the 50s). With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Question on MZ-EZ40
===BEGIN QUOTE= I think the motor just runs to fill the buffer. It is a way to conserve the battery. My R30 does the same thing. ===END QUOTE== This is also how the portables can achieve the "back-to-back" shuffle play -- by reading ahead in order to fill the buffer and only play out what is in the buffer. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Grundig MD deck
BEGIN QUOTE== BTW other brands "owned" by Philips: Magnavox, Aristona, Denon (Yes, a japanese company which has been making MD stuff for years, so they've actually produced MD for quite some time) END QUOTE Marantz is another brand fully owned by Philips but they have introduced a few MD products mainly in the form of CD-MiniDisc combo decks. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: RM-X69RF...
-Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Timothy P. Stockman Sent: Monday, 16 August 1999 12:44 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: MD: RM-X69RF... =BEGIN QUOTE= The RM-X69RF can indeed be used as "just a controller" by connecting the RCA outputs of the MDX-65 to another device. Here's the catch: due to the way the MDX-65 gets its analog ground, you have to at least connect the shield of one of the RCA's on the MDX-65 to the shield of the RX-X69RF RCA (either channel will work and the center pin need not be connected). This requirement MAY already be taken care of since the radio and the RM-X69RF have the same ground; it was not on the powered speaker. My guess is that this so that the MDX-65 analog circuitry gets a "clean" ground, rather than use the "dirty" power ground in the Unilink cable. This probably helps eliminate electrical noise from the various motors in the MDX-65. END QUOTE=== How is the RM-X69RF controller supplied? Is it supplied with the RF block (which feeds the FM car radio) built into the controller circuitry or as a separate block, apart from the controller box, which just receives power from the controller box and the signal from the changer? Also, how do some car radios open up the line-input when the auxiliary source is started? Does this involve any special wiring to cause this trigger and can this controller provide that special trigger arrangement for these radios? With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: Can consumer CD audio players read CD-R and CD-RW discs
BEGIN QUOTE=== imho i think it depends on the laser that the cd player has. some of the older cd players had a more powerful lazer which enables them to read cd-r. the newer ones, i think to save power have a weaker laser. hope this helps cg END QUOTE= I have seen an el-cheape CD ghetto hlaster being able to handle a CD-R which was a custom-built gift CD. This machine, which is a cheap Taiwan-built unit made in 1990 and very similar to a unit that was soild in Radio Shack (Tandy) as a "house-label" unit around that time, was able to initialise and play through this CD-R which was a TraxData blue-side "pro" disc. Another thing is that if you use a "domestic-legitimate" CD-R blank of the kind designed for a standalone domestic CD burner on a PC to burn a CD, would you have a CD which can play on all CD players? With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: CD-ROM with Digital out
===BEGIN QUOTE Sometimes the CD-ROM has been known to stall, and sometimes cause the computer to hang, in the midst of a playback session. How can I prevent this from occurring during a playback session? Why does it stall? a very scratched disc? causes the computer to hang? try a better OS...I'd suggest Linux or any of the BSD's for Intel. ==END QUOTE= It also manifests in the music stream sounding as though it is breaking up and sometimes the CD-ROM skips around tracks during play. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: JB Hi Fi, Richer Sounds and JR Music World -- was RE: 80 minute MD's in Oz
=BEGIN QUOTE Are they really the same chain? I never realized they were. I really enjoy JR Music, and was thinking of ordering an item or two from them by mail order (i'd ordered from them 2 years ago, but back then I was living in NYC!). Have you heard anything (or experienced anything) positive or negative about them at all? In a way (I'm not sure if you're even familiar with them), I think JR is better than the mega stores like Best Buy or Circuit City. Not just better, actually... WY better! :-) =END QUOTE= They are independent chains in their own countries rather than one big multi-national chain but all seem to support the concept of aggressively undercutting everybody else's prices when selling hi-fi gear. They also support a cheap but aggressive and effective way of advertising these goods. JB Hi-Fi also aggressive undercut everyone else when selling CDs; and now they are selling Region 4 DVDs for $A29.95 for a new-release movie. With regards, Simon Mackay - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
