The best way to get MD music into my computer?

[gumboots]

I'm trying to get my recordings from a Yamaha MD4s minidisk recorder into my computer as MP3s to eventually burn the final cuts onto CDs. But recently, I've not been satisfied with the headphone out-to-line-in approach. I don't know if it's my soundcard or my software, but I've been getting tiny warbles in pitch, and the overall quality of the sound on the MP3s is slightly less than what I've been hearing all along from the MD. I'm just wondering what all you MD pro's have been using to finally transfer the music out of the recorder, and onto some usable medium. What kind of software, what kind of cables, which ports, etc. I just got an SB Live soundcard because I needed one that was digital, obviously, and I've been using MusicMatch JukeBox as an encoder, on the highest quality (160 kbps).

So what are the standards for this type of procedure? How do you get the music onto regular CDs without a loss in sound quality? Thanks for any info, and if possible, use laymans terms...I'm not familiar with EVERYTHING out there that people keep talking about.

-gumboots

 

[Kelly Holdridge]

Sounds like your griping about your MP3 encoder, which, more likely than not, is "shredding" your high end. Try a different encoder... Actually, try playing the new file you create (the WAV file) and see if it's also "warbly." It probably isn't, and if not, then it's your encoder. I use "bladeenc" by Blade, it works alright. Nothing great about it (well, it's FREE, and that's good), I'd recommend trying another...

 

[Buffalo Bob]

Boots-
The headphone output is an amplified signal. You need to use a line level signal. Try using your Master Out on the MD4S(2 RCA's) to a stereo adapter(2 RCA females to a 1/8" male stereo plug (Radio Shack) into the line input on your computer. As the Md4S has an analog mixing section, this is as good as you're going to get.
As for the CD recording, pick up a copy of Cakewalk Music Creator( $50), record the stereo output from the MD as audio in Cakewalk, save as a WAV file and burn your CD. This way, you also get six more tracks (in Cakewalk) to add stuff before you mix it down to a stereo pair. You will also get better quality than with MP3's. Hope this helps!


Bob