I bought a Sony mini-disc player on sale for $25. After a month of trying to actually put audio files on the player I gave up and bought a Creative Zen MicroPhoto which seems to work.
Still, I have the Sony mini-disc player and would like to use it.
How do I transfer audio files on and off of the Sony player?
In order to use the Mini-Disc player with a PC to transfer files, you need to have one of the NetMD models. They're pretty obvious, as they have a USB type A plug on them. Provided you have one of these types, you'll need the Sony SonicStage or OpenMG Jukebox software, which is available for download at the Sony support site.
If you do not have a NetMD model, you need to record your Mini-Discs in the same way you used to record a cassette tape from a CD provided yours is the type that also records... by hooking up a CD player to the Mini Disc Player's input and capturing the audio. Most Mini-Disc products that record can capture analog and digital optical audio through the 1/8" jack input on the side of the unit. If going optical, you'll need a TOSlink to 1/8" optical adapter.
If your unit doesn't have on board recording capabilities, you're kind of hosed. You'll need a home deck Mini-Disc recorder or a portable recorder to create Mini-Discs.
If you have further questions, feel free to ask, but please provide the model number of the unit.
I have the Sony NetMD with Sonic Stage, Net MD SimpleBurner, usb connector etc. Everything is hooked up, recognized and functioning. It's just that when I go to transfer files from my computer to the device it says it can't do it. The model number on the unit is NET MD WALKMAN MZ-NE410 MDLP. I have SonicStage version 1.5
A few thoughts:
1. They're not copy-protected tracks are they? (Like bought from iTunes or the Wal-Mart Music Store)
2. Is the write-protect tab on the mini-disc in the recorder engaged?
3. Is the music in a format Sonic Stage can understand? MP3, WMA, ATRAC3?
To be honest, I never had a lot of success with the SonicStage Software either. My player came with OpenMG jukebox, and though buggy, it at least worked most of the time. If you still don't have any luck with Sonic Stage you could download OpenMG and give it a shot.