Downloading tracks from Sony Mini-Discs

[ffutures]

My brother-in-law has a lot of old audio recordings on Sony Mini-Discs in some sort of DRM-managed format which doesn't let him transfer them to any computer other than the one which recorded them. Needless to say that is now somewhat defunct - and he's gone Mac - and it seems to be impossible to do anything to transfer them to a more useful format.

I think it might be possible to record them using an SPDIF cable and suitable sound card, but that presumably means playing them all at normal speed, e.g. a very long job, and my computers don't have that sort of card, and the Mac doesn't have and SPDIF socket. Any suggestions for alternatives?

Comments

[keristor.livejournal.com]

My minidisk recorders (home ones, not the portable) have RCA phono in and out, and SPDIF as well. But there's no need for whatever is recording them to use RCA plugs, RCA phono to other plugs (1/4" and 3.5mm jack are the most common) are common. Finding a PC with SPDIF in is the trick, and yes it does have to be realtime, but with any decent PC sound input (i.e. not the one on the motherboard) there should be very little difference between using analog and digital.

I'd volunteer, except thatr I have some minidisks which have been waiting for several years still to be copied...

[pbristow.livejournal.com]

Same here. =:o\ Plus the machine is physically inaccessible.

It was a lovely way to record/edit/replay things back in the day, though... [SIGH]

[pbristow.livejournal.com]

I'll also second the point that the quality of your copy depends almost entirely on the quality of your PC's audio input. I used to prepare my filk backing tracks on a CD-recorder, which of course used the annoying "only one generation of digital copying allowed" SCMS scheme, but I got excellent results doing analog transfers from the MiniDisc deck to the CD deck, avoiding any copy protection and also giving myself the opportunity to tweak the eq/balance/levels slightly (when required) by running it through the mixing desk.