Sony Net MD problem

On Sun, 5 Oct 2003 20:41:37 +0100, "Slartibartfast"

After a few months, I got this problem too. I don't know if it will
help, but try switching Simple Burner from LP2 to LP4 mode, try a test
burn, and if it works, try switching back to LP2 mode.

At LP4 you will get 320 minutes on one disk.

If these recordings originate on a CD, then assuming you have some sort of
hi-fi, you could always play the CD through the amp, to which you link your
MD recorder.  The recording has to be done in "real time", i.e. to record an
80 minute CD will take 80 minutes, but I'm sure you can find something else
to do while that's going on.
--
Slartibartfast
To reply by email, remove the FJORDS from my address

On Sun, 05 Oct 2003 16:52:42 GMT, Alex Bennett <Abenn @telus.net>
wrote:

If your source material is available in MP3 format, you drag the MP3
files into M3U2SBurner's song window. Or click the WinAmp logo if the
MP3s are loaded in WinAmp's play list. Or load a M3U (play list file)
into M3U2SBurner.

After the total length displays that you've got a disc's worth of
material (depends on recording mode and media size), click on the CD
Audio Images tab. If you're using Daemon tools, click on the Auto
Create Images button, and wait for a bit while the system builds a
number of virtual CDs.

When this is done, click on the first "mount image" button, which
looks like a disc; it's in the second column. Then click the "Simple
Burner" tab, and then the "Launch Simple Burner" button. After Simple
Burner launches, select the proper format (LP2 or LP4), select all,
and download. When Simple Burner is done, close it, and repeat the
instructions in this paragraph for each disc image that was created in
the prior paragraph.

When all of this is done, return to the "CD Audio Images" tab, and
click each of the "Delete Image" buttons, which looks like trash cans,
for each image that was previously generated.

It's not straight forward, but when you get the learning curve behind
you, it's very worthwhile. I can convert and download two hours and
thirty-five minutes worth of music from MP3 into my NetMD in between
16 and 17 minutes, and I don't have to care how the MP3 is encoded.

On Fri, 03 Oct 2003 22:37:08 GMT, Alex Bennett <Abenn @telus.net>
wrote:

Ah, makes more sense. :-)

My main purpose for having a NetMD is so that I can take a disc or two
with when I'm out for a stroll.

Actually, once you get to grips with it, it's quite straightforward.  My
only problem is that Simple Burner has started acting up - I keep getting
messages that the recording has failed.

If you do a Google search for M3U2SB I think you'll find a detailed Help
screen which takes you through the process.
--
Slartibartfast
To reply by email, remove the FJORDS from my address

That's basically what I've done but I would like to store more than 2
cd's worth of info on a disc if possible.  The way Sony's add read you
would think I could store half my cd collection on one disc.

Alex

On Fri, 03 Oct 2003 07:45:16 GMT, Alex Bennett <Abenn @telus.net>
wrote:



Ditch everything but Simple Burner, and use M3U2SBurner along with
Daemon.

Real One is the same as real player. They've renamed it, but it's
still a piece of crap. It does a slightly better job of transferring
MP3s than does Sonic Scraper (er, Sonic Stage), but as otherwise
posted it hammers the track names.

Sony has all but guaranteed that I will never purchase another piece
of equipment with their brand label on it; it takes more than printing
"MP3" in big letters on the package to claim support for MP3s, IMO.

Convert the .wav files directly to ATRAC LP4.  The Sony junk software
does not seem to fully support MP3 format.  By that I mean it will work
with only a limited range of bitrates and has a problem with VBR at
times.   On the bright side you will get better quality recordings by
going from the .wav files directly to ATRAC than you would converting
one type of compressed file to another type of compressed file as you
loose quality with each compression process the file goes through.

--
    Riding and Harpin for the SON
    Barry Leamon

On Fri, 03 Oct 2003 07:45:16 GMT, Alex Bennett <Abenn @telus.net>
wrote:

And if this is your primary need, I would think that you would be
*much* better served by getting a portable device that plays MP3s
natively. Since it's the spoken word you're after, you don't need the
highs and lows that are present in music, so your bit rate could be
significantly dropped, 48 to 64, if not lower. You should be able to
get more of your audio content in a smaller package with no moving
parts to break.

On Fri, 03 Oct 2003 16:10:25 -0400, "David W. Poole, Jr."



Trouble is when I'm not walking and listening to language tapes, I'm
walking and listening to talk am radio (exciting guy eh).  There are
no  mp3 players with am tuners that I was able to find; ergo sony was
the only choice.

Alex

So back to my mp3 problem. Here's the nitty gritties.  I don't do
music.  I like to study a few latin languages.  So, when I find a
language tape or CD I will rip it and use Sound Forge to remove noise
reduce the file size etc and burn the wav's back to cd arranged as I
like. The wave files can be 300 to 400 megs in size, so you don't get
many on a cd or audio cassette.

Then a few days ago I had an brain storm.  Why not make mp3's out of
them and put them on minidisc.  That way I could carry several cd's
worth of lessons on one disc. So, I bought the sony netmd and fired up
Sound Forge 6 to turn my wav files into mp3's.  Did a great job
compressing the 300 meg files down to 20-30 megs.  With LP4 you would
think I could load dozens of these files onto the minidisc, but Sonic
Stage refuses to check out the files - "Unrecognized format".

My question is "What's the problem?" ; a proprietory mp3 format?
crappy software? Files too large? somthing else?

Is RealOne Player the same as Real Player?

One gentleman mentioned using Dameon. I take it that's to fool the
software into thinking you're downloading a cd?

On Fri, 03 Oct 2003 03:22:55 GMT, "Kenneth F. Krutsch"

Sonic Stage is compatible with mp3, however its an extremely shoddy
piece of software and recommend you uninstall it and get a copy of
RealOne Player to transfer your mp3s to MD.

I just bought a sony MZ-N910 and installed SonicStage for a few hours.
During that short time, it incorrectly transferred 4 mp3s to MD as
silence.  Its now been un-installed and I'm now transferring mp3s to MD
using M3U2SB, Daemon Tools, and Simple Burner (still NOT supplied with
European MD units - Thanks a fecking bunch Sony).

I'm tempted to post the SonicStage CD back to Sony and ask them to
supply a working version - its clear my copy is faulty! ;)

No, completely wrong.  I have spent a great deal of time using both the
RealOne player and SonicStage - with both ATRAC and MP3 files.  I know
the check-in / check-out thing with SonicStage is a hassle, but the
problems with the RealOne player are MUCH WORSE.

For starters, RealOne will truncate your track titles when transferring
them to the player and, in my experience, also distort/truncate the
music clip, as well.

Don't believe me... I don't care, try it yourself.  Experiment with a
collection of playlists that you transfer to MD using both LP2 and LP4
and see what the results sound like.

Everyone bitches about SonicStage, but I think that application has a
very clean user interface and it works like a champ for me - never
crashes and the music transferred to my N707 sounds fantastic.  I make a
lot of LP2 mixes for my home stereo (I have a DX40) and they sound great
too.  I even use MoodLogic to create custom playlists from my massive
MP3 collection, which I then convert to LP2 ATRAC, copy to MD on my 707
and then listen on my home stereo.  Even my wife loves the results...

Do I sound pissed off?  Sure, but I am finally sick of listening to
people bitch about MD.  In my opinion, it completely over-delivers on
what was promised.

--
------------------------------­----------------------
Kenneth F. Krutsch
Reply-To: k e n at k r u t s c h dot c o m