New Minidisc Software - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

startreksteve · 12th Nov 2022, 8:44 pm

If you still use Minidiscs (Like me)
theres a new web based software program which will allow copying to and from Minidiscs and editting them, all free.
Works entirely in the browser

https://web.minidisc.wiki/

jmcilkley · 15th Nov 2022, 2:14 pm

Thanks for that.

llama · 15th Nov 2022, 4:53 pm

Please can you explain?!
I use minidiscs from time to time but only via a couple of Sony and (I think) Sanyo portable machines. I don't know of any way to get the web to "see" the content of my discs.
However, I do also own one or two "separates" minidisc machines. I think these are faulty but if they are suitable as web/minidisc interfaces I might try to reactivate them.
The link above didn't seem to offer any actual information about what facility it's offering.
Graham

jamesperrett · 15th Nov 2022, 10:39 pm

I think this only applies to Mini Disc machines with the NetMD facility which allows audio to be transferred over a USB link.

startreksteve · 16th Nov 2022, 9:08 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesperrett

I think this only applies to Mini Disc machines with the NetMD facility which allows audio to be transferred over a USB link.

Thats correct NetMD only... works a treat on those though. You can transfer audio files to MD or MD to PC.

Steve

Uncle Bulgaria · 16th Nov 2022, 9:17 pm

Wot no SonicStage?

startreksteve · 18th Nov 2022, 6:55 pm

Dont need that garbage!

hamid_1 · 19th Nov 2022, 2:58 pm

Sonicstage was Sony's official software for their NetMD minidisc recorders. It's no longer supported and only runs on old versions of Windows, though there are workarounds. Sonicstage is full of silly restrictions imposed by Sony, like checking tracks in/out and no copying back from minidisc to PC (except with the MZ-RH1 unit). This new software was developed independently, allowing you to do some previously impossible things.

First, see the user guide here: https://www.minidisc.wiki/guides/webminidisc
You need a NetMD minidisc unit with USB connection. Windows users need to install a special driver using Zadig - see the above instructions. The web version only runs in Google Chrome / Edge browsers. Don't want to install Google Chrome? There's a standalone version of the program called ElectronWMD - download it here: https://github.com/asivery/ElectronWMD/releases
I used the ElectronWMD version. This includes song recognition. It can identify untitled tracks on your minidiscs and label them for you. I was able to find out what was on some secondhand minidiscs that came with a player, then copy what I wanted to keep off them. Brilliant! Thanks to startreksteve for posting about this new software.

To copy tracks from MD to PC at high speed over USB, you need to enable Homebrew Mode Ripping in UI in the main menu of of ElectronWMD. Your NetMD recorder must be a supported one (see instructions).
I tested it with a Sony MZ-NF520D (type S) and Mz-N707 (type R). The type S unit 'ripped' a lot faster - less than 20 minutes to transfer a whole minidisc. ElectronWMD saved the tracks as .wav files though they were in fact ATRAC compressed files. Windows Media Player gave an error trying to open them but VLC media player worked fine. I found a couple of discs that wouldn't read fully - do minidiscs go bad?

12th Nov 2022, 8:44 pm	#1
startreksteve Tetrode Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 57	New Minidisc Software If you still use Minidiscs (Like me) theres a new web based software program which will allow copying to and from Minidiscs and editting them, all free. Works entirely in the browser https://web.minidisc.wiki/ __________________ Tecsuns PL-310, PL-330, PL-600, PL-880, Yaesu FRG-7700, Kenwood R-1000 and a Yaesu FRG-7

15th Nov 2022, 2:14 pm	#2
jmcilkley Tetrode Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: Ilkley, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 92	Re: New Minidisc Software Thanks for that.

15th Nov 2022, 4:53 pm	#3
llama Octode Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: St Osyth, Nr Clacton, Essex, UK. Posts: 1,482	Re: New Minidisc Software Please can you explain?! I use minidiscs from time to time but only via a couple of Sony and (I think) Sanyo portable machines. I don't know of any way to get the web to "see" the content of my discs. However, I do also own one or two "separates" minidisc machines. I think these are faulty but if they are suitable as web/minidisc interfaces I might try to reactivate them. The link above didn't seem to offer any actual information about what facility it's offering. Graham __________________ Half my stuff is junk - trouble is, I don't know which half!

15th Nov 2022, 10:39 pm	#4
jamesperrett Octode Join Date: May 2007 Location: Liss, Hampshire, UK. Posts: 1,876	Re: New Minidisc Software I think this only applies to Mini Disc machines with the NetMD facility which allows audio to be transferred over a USB link.

16th Nov 2022, 9:17 pm	#6
Uncle Bulgaria Nonode Join Date: May 2016 Location: Cornwall, UK. Posts: 2,339	Re: New Minidisc Software Wot no SonicStage?

18th Nov 2022, 6:55 pm	#7
startreksteve Tetrode Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 57	Re: New Minidisc Software Dont need that garbage! __________________ Tecsuns PL-310, PL-330, PL-600, PL-880, Yaesu FRG-7700, Kenwood R-1000 and a Yaesu FRG-7

19th Nov 2022, 2:58 pm	#8
hamid_1 Heptode Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: High Wycombe, Bucks. UK. Posts: 811	Re: New Minidisc Software Sonicstage was Sony's official software for their NetMD minidisc recorders. It's no longer supported and only runs on old versions of Windows, though there are workarounds. Sonicstage is full of silly restrictions imposed by Sony, like checking tracks in/out and no copying back from minidisc to PC (except with the MZ-RH1 unit). This new software was developed independently, allowing you to do some previously impossible things. First, see the user guide here: https://www.minidisc.wiki/guides/webminidisc You need a NetMD minidisc unit with USB connection. Windows users need to install a special driver using Zadig - see the above instructions. The web version only runs in Google Chrome / Edge browsers. Don't want to install Google Chrome? There's a standalone version of the program called ElectronWMD - download it here: https://github.com/asivery/ElectronWMD/releases I used the ElectronWMD version. This includes song recognition. It can identify untitled tracks on your minidiscs and label them for you. I was able to find out what was on some secondhand minidiscs that came with a player, then copy what I wanted to keep off them. Brilliant! Thanks to startreksteve for posting about this new software. To copy tracks from MD to PC at high speed over USB, you need to enable Homebrew Mode Ripping in UI in the main menu of of ElectronWMD. Your NetMD recorder must be a supported one (see instructions). I tested it with a Sony MZ-NF520D (type S) and Mz-N707 (type R). The type S unit 'ripped' a lot faster - less than 20 minutes to transfer a whole minidisc. ElectronWMD saved the tracks as .wav files though they were in fact ATRAC compressed files. Windows Media Player gave an error trying to open them but VLC media player worked fine. I found a couple of discs that wouldn't read fully - do minidiscs go bad?