Audacity Forum

I've failed to solve this problem through Sony's software, so I hope Audacity and this forum can help. I have an oldish MD player Sony MDSJB980. I want to transer some of my MD tracks (recorded a few years ago from my vinyl records) into my laptop (Windows Vista) in a form that will allow me directly or eventually to transfer them into my i-tunes library. Sony sent me some software, but though I could see the tracks list it wouldn't allow me to transfer them. Can Audacity help solve the problem, and if so how? - what cable, what sockets do I plug into etc (I'm hopelessly non-technical).

Does your minidisk player have a USB connection to your computer? If so, then getting the Sony software working is the best option as this will be a digital transfer and probably better quality than going through your sound card.

Laptops do not usually have a "Line In" socket, so plugging in the "headphone out" or "line out" from your computer directly into your laptop may result in badly distorted recordings. This is because most laptops only have a microphone input (which is too sensitive) and not a "line input" (which would be the correct one to use).

If you want to try plugging in your minidisk directly to the laptop, you will need a lead with a "stereo mini-jack" at each end.

If that method causes badly distorted recordings, you will need to use an external audio device such as the Behringer UCA 202 (there are many alternatives from other manufacturers, but that is the one that I use). You would then need a lead with a stereo mini-jack at one end, and 2 phono (RCA) plugs at the other end.

Thanks, Steve. I just wish I could get my Sony software to work, but it won't. I suspect it's because my MD player is not one of the more recent Hi-MD generation. I'll maybe try the line-in through my mic socket and just see what the quality is like.

Another route would be to get an external USB soundcard - the Edirol UA-1EX that I have handles digital SPDIF direct from my MD deck via an optical "cable".

WC

This external USB sound card sounds interesting. Could you please tell me the steps in transferring my MD tracks from there to my PC and subsequently my i-tunes? Also, would I need to buy any more cables other than those supplied when I buy the product? Thanks for your input.

David,

one of the reasons that I purchased the Edirol UA-1EX was that it has a digital input in addition to the analog RCA.

My Minidisc deck has an SPDIF output (little squarish socket with chamfered off bottom corners - normally plugged with a little removable plastic plug). From looking at the photos of the back of your deck on t'interweb this is labelled on your deck as "Optical Out".

This connects via a Sony optical "cable" to my Edirol via a 3.5mm optical input jack (cable part no. POC-15AB). I already had this cable to attach my minidisc deck to the optical input on my hi-fi. The Edirol connects to my PC via the USB plug.

Then just record with Audacity. You should have no need adjust volume/gain of the signal (nor even be able to) - as the data will be transferred digitally.

If you do get an oversaturated signal then you could connect the RCA out (labelled "Analog OUT" on your deck) to the RCA input on the Edirol. You will then be able to control the signal level via the gain control on the Edirol.

For exporting to iTunes/iPod see this article from the Audacity Wiki: http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php? ... s_and_iPod

WC

Fanastic, practical reply. I'll try this, many thanks.

Just to let you know that Waxcylinder's solution worked just fine. Many thanks.