Posted by Spanners on 7/10/2002, 8:06:20

I create a lot of my own mixes and beats, I use minidisc for the majority of this as it is an extremely versatile medium. When the NetMD came on the market I was excited, however it is sad to see that there has been such restrictions placed on a promising technology. I am now contemplating purchasing a cd mp3 player instead.

Posted by Wouter on 7/10/2002, 11:41:25

Why am I not allowed to copy my own (!!) home made music!?!?

Posted by Matt Dempsey on 7/10/2002, 15:51:10

There are a great many reasons to add uploading to NetMD and many of those that would use it are Mac users as well. You will only increase the use of Minidiscs in the long run by adding these features.

Posted by Nick Lee on 7/10/2002, 16:55:45

If the MD format is going to survive MD needs some changes such as allowing unhindered uploading and downloading. Why go with the OpenMG standard when the rest of the industry has been so slow to follow. Or just have it so you can download your mp3s 3x to the netMD then it just won't go anymore.

Posted by Greg Leffler on 7/10/2002, 18:16:05

Solid-state MP3 players already let you upload your songs back to the computer. It's only common sense - please allow it!

Posted by Chuck Pliske on 7/10/2002, 19:50:45

I use my minidisc to record in the field, then take it home and put it into my computer. I would very much like to be able to upload data directly at higher than realtime speeds. Incidentally, myself and a great many other audio professionals use the Macintosh platform!

Posted by Andy Wu on 7/10/2002, 21:07:10

The upload feature is essential for the survival of MD. There is not reason why users can not record at a live concert or college lecture and upload it into their hardrive. More over, the OpenMG software is not only tedious to use, but also a waste of hardrive space. I am forced to have two copies of the same song everytime I want to export the song to my MD.

Posted by Brian Baker on 7/11/2002, 0:04:31

We were hoping to use the Net MD to (among other tasks) help us record classes and lectures at our church. Adding digital upload capabilities would ease the process of creating multiple CDs of the recordings.

Posted by TRH on 7/11/2002, 0:10:53

I bought the MiniDisc with the reasonable assumption that I could record audio and upload it to my computer. I was preparing to call Sony Tech support tomorrow and figure out what I was doing wrong but I thought I'd look online first. Well, it seems that it's not possible. I'm quite disappointed and will probably return the unit.

Posted by Simon on 7/11/2002, 1:27:09

One of the reasons that I bought a NetMD player was to provide myself with a cheap live recording solution. Given that the interface exists between PC and MD to transfer files, I find the fact that I can't upload tracks to PC from MD (for later transfer to CD) is extremely frustrating. Why should the quality of my live recordings be compromised by some corporate music copying policy when I have the rights to perform and record the music??

Posted by Jazzy on 7/11/2002, 1:32:02 , in reply to "From MD to Mac toooooooo!!!!"

Like iPod on PC.

Posted by Sergei on 7/11/2002, 2:00:59

SONY! I'm very disapointed ! The reason I'm interested in MD is only one, its netMD capability ! If it's not allow upload as well as download, then I don't need this $hit. Sergei.

Posted by Nick Carney on 7/11/2002, 2:55:20

If I could do this, I would certainly buy a new NetMD walkman and deck to replace my old standard Minidisk ones.

Posted by Robert Lieberman on 7/11/2002, 5:20:21

As a cantor of a large synagogue, I have about 45 bar mitzvah students per year. I use my SONY MD to make recordings of their assigned chants. The ability to speedily upload my recordings direct to the computer would greatly ease my workload and be a fabulous way to use this technology. Many thanks.

Posted by bridie on 7/11/2002, 6:01:00

please i must record teacher's voice at classroom ,then uploading to my computer store.

Posted by Jeremy Pile on 7/11/2002, 6:04:22

The minidisc is an impressive format, and the NetMD USB link allows very fast downloads of pre-recorded music for personal use. However there is one feature lacking, and that is a mechanism to allow audio uploads from MD to PC. I am a PhD student and often go to conferences and give presentations. When worrying about your own presentation it is very easy to miss crucial points made by other speakers. Using the MD to record the sessions helps me to review points that I may have missed during the session. It also helps me to analyse my own performance. However the only way I can review these recordings is through the NetMD player/recorder. This limitation also prevents the loss-less archiving of such material to CD-R. I respectfully request that the Sony Corporation consider adding an audio upload feature to their already excellent product.

Posted by Kim Williams on 7/11/2002, 9:34:33

I'm an academic - bought the Net MD to record interviews. I need to be able to move the voice files back to the PC! That's the main thing I want Net MD to do.

Posted by Gabriele on 7/11/2002, 10:35:18

I play in a band and uploading is the lonely reasone for who have no money and who don't want to go in a record room Thanks

Posted by Richard on 7/11/2002, 11:45:10

I agree

Posted by Seth Meyer on 7/11/2002, 12:04:11

I own one....But I didn't know I couldn't upload, imagine my dissapointment! I wanted to conduct some interviews then upload them to the computer...what a dissapointment!

Posted by Rich on 7/11/2002, 16:05:48

NO UPLOAD CAPABILITY REALLY SUCKS!!! THESE RESTRICTIONS ARE REDICULOUS! WHATS THE MAJOR DILEMNA? IT WILL NOT STOP PIRACY... BESIDES THAT MOST PEOPLE (THE MAJORITY) WANT UPLOAD FOR LEGITIMATE REASONS MYSELF INCLUDED. DON'T LET A FEW BAD APPLES RUIN THE MINIDISC FUTURE OR MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE THE NAZI'S OF THE MUSIC WORLD... GIVE US OUR UPLOAD CAPABILITY NOW!!!!!!

Posted by Sylvain on 7/11/2002, 18:16:17

Dear Sony MiniDisc Designers: Sony's NetMD extension is a wonderful boon to the Minidisc format and has helped bring Minidisc into the networked world of online music distribution. Our petition seeks an enhancement to the Minidisc's NetMD facility to enable Minidisc users to move their audio recordings directly from Minidisc to PC. It is not our intention to cause general trouble or engage in ad hominem harassment of Sony. On behalf of all MiniDisc users, we kindly ask that you heed our petition, as follows: WHEREAS, Minidisc recorders are ideally suited to making digital field recordings, and WHEREAS, Users frequently need to move recordings they make onto a computer (PC, Mac, Unix/Linux or otherwise) for processing or further distribution, and WHEREAS, A Minidisc recording is intrinsically a digital format, and WHEREAS, The only existing method of moving Minidisc recordings onto a computer involves "recording" the signal through the computer's sound card, a lengthly and cumbersome process that generally degrades the signal by converting it to analog format and back to digital form, and WHEREAS, All Minidisc recorders already flag their recordings to indicate those tracks that have been recorded through the digital inputs (and are copy-protected) and those that have been recorded through the analog inputs (and are not copy-protected), thereby allowing the upload function to prevent unwanted copying, and WHEREAS, Sony's existing NetMD function already provides for direct transfers of compressed audio from computer to Minidisc, WE THE UNDERSIGNED, kindly request that Sony extend NetMD so that it can be used for uploading compressed audio directly from Minidisc to PC, thereby providing users with a quick, convenient, and lossless method of moving their Minidisc recordings to PC.

Posted by Steve Cahill on 7/11/2002, 18:31:34

I've got a little band and have avoided MD format due to the waste of time in getting the recorded data into my computer. I bought an Archos mp3 recorder which works great at the transfer...but the recording itself sucks so bad (and I returned 2) that I am still without the solution that this proposal would solve in a medium that has proven itself field worthy.

Posted by Jesse Gilbert on 7/11/2002, 19:00:02

I was very dissappointed to find the SONY MZ-N707 USB port crippled with a limitation on uploading my own live recordings to my computer. I record live news event coverage and sporting events for radio broadcast. Dubbing a three hour ball game over the earphone jack takes three hours. When I bought it, I never imagined the usb port would be intentionally limited to one way audio transfer. What's so sad about this limitation is that the MZ-N707 is otherwise a work of art. Sony's technology is amazingly good. But this limitation makes it half the product it would otherwise be.

Posted by Larry Sikora on 7/11/2002, 19:03:52

I just purchased the MZ-N707 for the express purpose of recording, via mike, high quality music from my musical instruments at home and from my club. I also produce digital videos and dub sound recorded live and hoped to use the MZ-707 for that purpose as well. As is, the unit is WORTHLESS JUNK to me and is going back immediately. Make it worthwile and allow high speed digital transfer via USB from mini disk to all computer platforms. Soon, if not Sony, some quality company will offer a good solution. Until then, I will save my money.

Posted by Joe Keto on 7/11/2002, 22:24:47

Audio upload is an obvious need for making the record feature of the minidisc player useful. It does not encourage copyright violation any more than having a computer and a cdrom does.

Posted by John Guest on 7/11/2002, 22:35:24

With MD being such a versatile digital medium with excellent sound quality, I can hardly believe that the NetMD cannot upload personal recordings to a PC for backup, editing, etc. I'm a linguistics postgraduate and constantly record dialogues, interviews, lectures, etc. for personal and academic use. I thought of upgrading from my trusty MZ-R90, but this senseless software restriction doesn't make it worthwhile. Sony, please reconsider!

Posted by Eric on 7/11/2002, 23:19:02

After I bought my Netmd, I started to mess about with openMG. Many hate this progy, but its useable. I wanted to hear the difference between sp lp2 & lp4, with the same song. at first I was pleased with the quality of lp4, but when I found out that I cound't download it a fourth time, I got real disapointed. I work at a radiostation in my spare time, and like to make jingels. The software however prevents me from combining jingels over and over again. Sony, Please wise up and let the people be creative with your high tec device's. Afteral it's you who tells us to "GO CREATE" Please see to it that we can...

Posted by josh kissinger on 7/11/2002, 23:21:10

an upload feature would be awesome, so i could record lectures and such and store them on my hard drive to refer to them later. there are also hundreds of other uses that this feature would allow. please change it!

Posted by Eurus Kim on 7/12/2002, 0:26:24

When I first heard about the new NetMD players/recorders, I was so excited that there was now the next generation of recording on a great medium. To my surprise, now I just found that I can't take the info off of the MD players as easily as I can put it on. Now I understand it's all a marketing ploy to get people like me to go buy a new MD player with your advertising of 32x transfer from the computer. I'd much rather see the ability to take info from the MD to the PC than the opposite. Until I see this happening, it's back to the store with the MD player.

Posted by Kevin on 7/12/2002, 1:06:58

I was not happy to learn that you MD players will not upload. It is a major mistake. I was going to purchase a mz-s1 only to find out before my purchase wouldn't be worth is due to this backwards thinking feature. It would be an ideal format for recording live dj sets which is a culture in itself and would prove to be a lucrative market for you. Instead you turn your back on the people that support you, your custumers. Soon your custumers will turn thier backs on you! I work for radioshack, and we sell this product there--i will be sure to stear everyone away from ANY sony product. After scams like this i can now see clearly what kind of a company you really are. Its sad.

Posted by Bruce Glover on 7/12/2002, 1:37:16

I'm a DJ, I'm just trying to record my mix CD.

Posted by Matthieu Amiguet on 7/12/2002, 9:36:14

As the preceeding messages seem to show, a two-way usb connection would be of breat help for musicians. As a professional musician, I really support the idea of adding this feature that would ease my daily work a lot. In the beginning, copy protection was supposed to protect musicians. Do we really want it to work against them now? One more word: if you ever do it, don't forget mac and linux users (e.g. by using standard usb-storage protocols)

Posted by Matthew Coulson on 7/12/2002, 9:38:55

What's the point in making a MD recorder that can connect directly to a PC via a fast interface when it can't be utilised to the full? Not having to mess around with optical leads and re-recording tracks, when a few clicks of a mouse could be used to copy the recording onto a PC is surely a good thing!

Posted by Kernel Green on 7/12/2002, 9:50:22

I have original recordings on MD which I would like to digitally upload to my PC. Of Course I can re-record into my Audio Sequencer, but this is needless additional. Sony is merely greatly reducing the value of their hardware offerings to try to save some of their media copyright royalties--This will not work in any case.

Posted by Uwe Themann on 7/12/2002, 10:14:13

Please add the upload feature to the NETMD-minidisc-recorders and don�t forget the MONO-mode for upload and download Uwe Themann

Posted by Matthew on 7/12/2002, 11:20:19

I think that this will be one of the best features added to the MD. I am currently faced with the problem of not being able to transfer any of my music that I currently have on MD to CD to be able to playback using other media. My biggest concern is being able to play my music in my car because I have a CD player and not a MD deck. I know that MD decks and changers are avaiable for the car as well, but I don't see that as being a great investment if I already have the music. All I am lacking is the mode of transfer which the upload capability would offer.

Posted by Andrea Cisternino on 7/12/2002, 11:49:30

I'm a sound technician and an upload option would be great for high quality recordings in constrained conditions or when "full-scale" equipment is not available.

Posted by David on 7/12/2002, 12:57:25

Please add the ability to transfer your own music into the pc, i can't even transfer any of my dj mixes to cd with the USB cable...the main reason I got this unit...

Posted by Matthew B. on 7/12/2002, 13:36:06

Please add an upload function to NetMD to allow for the transfer of recorded material from MD to PC over the high speed USB port. Thanks matthew b.

Posted by A.L. on 7/12/2002, 13:59:48

As a veteran MD user/fan, I was thrilled when I came home with my new NetMD recorder. However, the lack of upload ability has dampened my enthusiasm for the product (only slightly, though). I record concerts and my own playing and would like a fast, high-quality method of uploading analog recordings to my PC to burn onto CD-R media. Given that the NetMD recorder is able to read the disc and report the contents of the TOC through the USB connection, audio upload of analog-recorded tracks is technically possible. This in no way would encourage piracy, as most people who dub CD's to MD do so in the digital realm, which would mark the SCMS bit as "1" and hence would not be allowed for check-in. An analog recording, on the other hand, could be sent as raw ATRAC to Open MG for export to the .wav (PCM) format. Perhaps OpenMG could also include a ulility for burning such tracks direct to a CD without exporting them to a wav editor. Please consider the upload feature. It would be a great way of ensuring that MD remains the format of choice for smart consumers and musicians!

Posted by Michael Randleman on 7/12/2002, 14:11:58

I have been a loyal minidisc user since inception, please allow us audio upload. we all love the format, dont make me put my minidisc players next to the betamax in the attic

Posted by David on 7/12/2002, 14:40:18

I iv'e allways wanted mini discs to have this feature so i can record my drumming and then plug my MD in to my computer to upload and edit it.

Posted by Jay on 7/12/2002, 15:37:17

As a web developer, I would love to put audio demonstrations on web sites at the highest quality possible. My minidisc is awesome but I can't seem to transfer that same quality to my computer.

Posted by S�rgio Godoy on 7/12/2002, 16:45:48

uploading is necessarie, I have a minidisc for 5 years and I will only buy my next unit when the uploading function arrives

Posted by Xavier Lanusse-Cazal� on 7/12/2002, 18:03:53

Please consider adding this feature to your product. I currently own a MZ-R30 and was thinking about upgrading to a new MD recorder for that particular feature untill I found out about its limitation. Untill this feature is added, I unfortunately don't see the need to purchase a new MD recorder. Thanks for considering the idea. Sincerely, Xavier Lanusse-Cazal� FRANCE

Posted by Andrew Gaskins on 7/12/2002, 18:16:21

This is a very critical request for people who desire to use the NetMD products in the field.

Posted by jim on 7/12/2002, 18:51:50

It can only help MD format to grow. Please consider allowing this.

Posted by jimg on 7/12/2002, 21:39:18

I'm a musician (wearecybrid.com) and we use MDs to record each and every live performance for archival purposes, and also to post as MP3s on the web. Currently, we have to spend an excessive amount of time re-recording from MD into a computer (Macintosh) for further editing and conversion to MP3. This also results in a generation-loss if the analogue connection is used. I am definitely in the market for a small, cost-effective, portable unit which would allow me to record to WAV/AIFF/MP3 and then upload to my computer via drag-n-drop (preferrably via FireWire).

Posted by Joe Kasperek on 7/12/2002, 23:45:34

This is absurd!! I have audio voice files, "Air Checks", I wish to load to my PC. Your unit considers them to be from another computer. To say that I'm frustrated with the performance of your product, Net MD, in this regard doesn't even begin to explain my feelings. Let me put it this way; I will think twice before I purchase another Sony Product. May be TASCAM would be a better choice.