Will SF7 Rip a Minidisc? -Sound Forge - PC - MAGIX Community Forums Archive

Subject:Will SF7 Rip a Minidisc? Posted by: stevegarman Date:12/8/2003 2:27:46 PM I have a stack of minidiscs I need to convert to CD's. I can't see playing them out the analog port into sound Forge and then burning to CD's. That would be real time! Arrggghhh! Will anything rip a minidisc? What would the resulting file format be? Would SF7 read this? And then reburn it for a CD? I've seen some USB interface devices but they never say what format they are sending out other than SPDIF. I don't think that's an actual datafile format is it? Thanks!
Subject:RE: Will SF7 Rip a Minidisc? Reply by: Geoff_Wood Date:12/8/2003 7:57:45 PM Rip a MiniDisc ? Do you have a drive on your PC that takes a MiniDisc ? ..... thought not. So, the next best thing is an SPDIF digital copy. Your MD player will need a 'digital out' and your PC soundcard a digital in (SPDIF) to acheive this, though this is still a realtime operation as SPDIF is merely a digital data stream (not a file format !). SF can read whatever you soundcard can supply. Otherwise you are stuck with analogue copying, though quality shouldn't be an issue with a decent soundcard, the audio quality already being somewhat compromised in the MD encoding ..... geoff
Subject:RE: Will SF7 Rip a Minidisc? Reply by: surfnturk Date:12/8/2003 10:48:37 PM Ah the limitations of MD. You can put digital in, but can not get digital out with a MD to PC hook up. Analog out only. That means real time recording. I do the following: MD line out--> PC line in. Remember to set the MD out to line. (on my Sony you can choose line out or head phone) SF7 will record it. I usally save in .wav files so I can play with them later. You will need to adjust the volume out (of sound card) so you don't over volume the recording. The other bummer,,,, if you set it all up, start recording and walk away you will have one looonng file (no track cuts). No prob if you don't mind cutting them later in SF and creating seperate sound files. I have the USB device you were talking about: Xitel's DG2 MD-Port. Again, it will digital real time PC to MD, but not back.
Subject:RE: Will SF7 Rip a Minidisc? Reply by: planders Date:12/9/2003 1:15:15 PM I use MD on a regular basis to archive live community performances, which can then be burned to CD. I simply run the optical-out of my Sony MDS-JB940 MD deck to the optical-in of my sound card, set the appropriate sample rate and bit depth in Sound Forge, and record away. It's no faster than standard playback, but at least there's no loss of quality. After a minor bit of play in Sound Forge, I end up with wonderful-sounding tracks. I've frankly been amazed by how good MD recordings can sound, as long as you avoid recompressing the audio afterwards. That said, if all you've got is a portable MD deck, chances are pretty good that it's only got optical in, not out. I keep hoping that this will change someday...

Subject:Will SF7 Rip a Minidisc?

Posted by: stevegarman

Date:12/8/2003 2:27:46 PM

I have a stack of minidiscs I need to convert to CD's. I can't see playing them out the analog port into sound Forge and then burning to CD's. That would be real time! Arrggghhh!

Will anything rip a minidisc? What would the resulting file format be? Would SF7 read this? And then reburn it for a CD?

I've seen some USB interface devices but they never say what format they are sending out other than SPDIF. I don't think that's an actual datafile format is it?
Thanks!

Subject:RE: Will SF7 Rip a Minidisc?

Reply by: Geoff_Wood

Date:12/8/2003 7:57:45 PM

Rip a MiniDisc ? Do you have a drive on your PC that takes a MiniDisc ?

..... thought not. So, the next best thing is an SPDIF digital copy. Your MD player will need a 'digital out' and your PC soundcard a digital in (SPDIF) to acheive this, though this is still a realtime operation as SPDIF is merely a digital data stream (not a file format !). SF can read whatever you soundcard can supply.

Otherwise you are stuck with analogue copying, though quality shouldn't be an issue with a decent soundcard, the audio quality already being somewhat compromised in the MD encoding .....

geoff

Subject:RE: Will SF7 Rip a Minidisc?

Reply by: surfnturk

Date:12/8/2003 10:48:37 PM

Ah the limitations of MD. You can put digital in, but can not get digital out with a MD to PC hook up. Analog out only. That means real time recording.
I do the following:
MD line out--> PC line in. Remember to set the MD out to line. (on my Sony you can choose line out or head phone)
SF7 will record it. I usally save in .wav files so I can play with them later.
You will need to adjust the volume out (of sound card) so you don't over volume the recording.
The other bummer,,,, if you set it all up, start recording and walk away you will have one looonng file (no track cuts). No prob if you don't mind cutting them later in SF and creating seperate sound files.
I have the USB device you were talking about: Xitel's DG2 MD-Port. Again, it will digital real time PC to MD, but not back.

Subject:RE: Will SF7 Rip a Minidisc?

Reply by: planders

Date:12/9/2003 1:15:15 PM

I use MD on a regular basis to archive live community performances, which can then be burned to CD. I simply run the optical-out of my Sony MDS-JB940 MD deck to the optical-in of my sound card, set the appropriate sample rate and bit depth in Sound Forge, and record away. It's no faster than standard playback, but at least there's no loss of quality.

After a minor bit of play in Sound Forge, I end up with wonderful-sounding tracks. I've frankly been amazed by how good MD recordings can sound, as long as you avoid recompressing the audio afterwards.

That said, if all you've got is a portable MD deck, chances are pretty good that it's only got optical in, not out. I keep hoping that this will change someday...