bloody minidisc

[RabBell]

ok, we had a presentation last week in London and the company down there who took charge of providing big screens and microphones has sent us the soundtrack from the event....on a minidisc

WTF? A minidisc...what were these popular for a week or something?

Anyway we contacted them to send us a cd instead but they said they couldn't because the discs they've sent us are the only copies. We could send them back but we don't have the time so after an appeal around the company for someone to bring in a minidisc player, we got 3. But we don't have a clue what to do with them????

I know it works with an audio cable that you connect to the disc (most of which seems to be walkmans) and then to the pc, but is it as simple as copying the files over and then converting them to mp3?
If not how do we do it?
Am I right on how easy it is to connect it to a pc?
Does anyone know a good freeware program that will switch whatever format is on the minidisc to mp3 (or another format)?

the soundtrack is going to be added to the site as a downloadable track and maybe added to a flash movie.

Any help is appreciated, thanks.

[gonzales]

there is a way to transfer audio in highspeed format but it has been made to look for a specific computer (the users) so the high speed transfer would probably only work on your clients PC. you can just take the audio out/ headphone out and record it in real time into some sound editing program, but its in real time so you will just have to wait it out. if there are other ways, i dont know about them. highspeed transfer requires a special adaptor and software that comes with the MD recorder. on a side note, the minidisc is my favorite recording medium, as it has many benifits to the format... sucks that the technology never got bigger....

[Ubik]

You'll have to record the sound on the pc with a software... sorry mate
Dor the recording try adobe audition for example but there are a lots of software that can do that

[hl]

i love minidisk :)... don't they work as regular cd's in a pc drive though?

[gonzales]

i love minidisk :)... don't they work as regular cd's in a pc drive though?

i think youre thinking of those small 3" cds. minidisc's are these tiny square discs (similar to 3.25" floppys with a small cd looking thing inside...). they only work in minidisc players...

[hl]

ahh... yeah, i was thinking of those handidisks or something like that

the squarish cd's that are small with curvy sides, sort of like an over with a straight top and bottom is what i'm talking about

[lunatic]

Rab I have a minidisc that I use to record various things (african drumming performances/rehearsals, etc.). I transfer to CDs all the time.

It's easy to transfer to a CD though time consuming and you have to have the minidisc player. Here's the process:

1) use a standard cable that can go from the minidisc to your computer
2) download audacity from http://audacity.sourceforge.net/. It's free and it's an awesome sound editing tool with lots of effects. You can manipulate time lines, add fade ins/outs etc.
3) Start recording on audacity and hit play on the minidisc player. You might have to play with the sound levels on your computer a bit.
3a) Double click the volume icon on your task bar. Go to Options --> Properties and click the radio button for recording then OK. Play with the Line In slider bar.
4) That's it! Unfortunately it's all in real time meaning that you'll have to play the entire minidisc recording before you can start fooling with it.

Let me know if you have any problems/questions! Feel free to email or PM or post them here.

I have to run to a meeting but will be back in an hour or so.

:hr:

[RabBell]

thanks lunatic, not doing it until tomorrow but that will be a big help

Any problems I'll give you a shout :thumb:

[lunatic]

Sure - no prob. Just keep in mind that there is a serious time difference between us! :P Seems like you are jumping on the Movie Quotes at 3:00 a.m. here. :hugegrin:

[sky_vault]

Seems like you are jumping on the Movie Quotes at 3:00 a.m. here. :hugegrin: hey RabBell id look out for i think you may have a stalker
(cough,cough,lunatic,cough) :thumb: i have a minidisc player and the people at your work that came up the md players should have the sony software it takes to transfer back and forth from minidisc to pc/mac _ but all you need is the correct cable its a type of usb2 cable i think and the software you use is either Open MG or i think the update is called SonicStage which both of these should be free _ http://products.sony.co.uk/SonicStage2_3.asp _ and with that you can just check the tracks/entire disc back into library. now i now they use there own compression format so you may have to burn that track as an audio cd and then take that back into the computer to get mp3 files or wave files that you can work with _ hope this helps _ lunatics option is a pretty good alternate way to do all this as well _ have fun :smirk:

[RabBell]

thanks lunatic, your list and app worked perfectly

:thumb:

oh and ermmm thanks to everyone else to :cool:

[lunatic]

glad you got it working! :beam:

[RabBell]

oh yeah, this made me look very knowledgable in front of my boss...good to remind him of during my wage review

thanks again :thumb:

[lunatic]

lol, share the wealth! :p: