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MusicBringer

Apr 12 2005, 03:53 PM

Hello folks, I am another one of the NH900 newbies - and I'm struggling a bit.
I want to understand more about "How to import MP3 format music files into My Library".
I have just read the following help file in Sonicstage 3.0, and I have some questions...

QUOTE

How to import MP3 format music files into My Library:
Importing tracks from an audio CD in MP3 format.
Importing MP3 format music files stored on your hard disk into My Library.
Notes
To import tracks in MP3 format, "SonicStage MP3 Add-on Program" must be installed on your computer. (SonicStage MP3 Add-on Program is pre-installed on some Sony VAIO series computers.)
In order to import music files in MP3 format, Windows Media Player Version 6.4 (or later) must be installed on your computer.
Details regarding importable MP3 format music files
The following MP3 files can be imported into My Library:
Raw MP3 (extension: .mp3) and RIFF MP3 (extension: .wav, .mp3)
Bit rate: 32 kbps to 320 kbps
ID3 tag version: 1.1, 2.2, 2.3
Notes
Playback and conversion to OpenMG Audio format of imported MP3 files is only guaranteed for files with a constant bit rate (CBR).
SonicStage does not support reading or editing of RIFF MP3 file tags.
When converting MP3 format music files to OpenMG Audio format*
When importing music files into My Library, only MP3 format music files with the following characteristics can be converted to OpenMG Audio format:
32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, or 48 kHz sampling frequency
Monaural or stereo format

I want to transfer my fully tagged MP3 files from PC (WinXP Pro SP2) to MD (NH900).

My MP3s are encoded using EAC+Lame at VBR (not CBR). I use 44.1 kHz (that's ok) and Joint Stereo (not Stereo), and I use Foobar2000 (not WinAmp).

So having read those instructions how do I deal with these issues of VBR (not CBR), Joint Stereo (not Stereo), and Foobar (not WinAmp). Is there a workaround, or can't I put my MP3s on my NH900.

How do I know if I have the "SonicStage MP3 Add-on Program". Where do I get it.

I guess that importing my MP3 files into the Sonicstage My Library converts them to .oma files on my HDD before they are then transferred to the NH900. I am not sure

I should be grateful if you would tell me how does it all works.

matrulesok

Apr 12 2005, 04:13 PM

QUOTE(MusicBringer @ Apr 12 2005, 03:48 PM)

I guess that importing my MP3 files into the Sonicstage My Library converts them to .oma files on my HDD before they are then transferred to the NH900. I am not sure

I should be grateful if you would tell me how does it all works.
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No! It converts them as you transfer them and stores the .oma files in a folder called "optimised files" in the folder where you tell it to put importes cd's (does that make sense?)
As for your specific mp3's, just try it! Put a few duplicate ones in a folder and just import that folder and see what happens. Sonicstage is bad but it wont go around erasing your music collection willy nilly!
My method so far has been to only import (into the library) the files I want to move to disc, move them to disc, them erase them from the library. Hope that helps, and I am beginning to believe that the "nh900 team" can get through anything!

MusicBringer

Apr 12 2005, 05:07 PM

QUOTE

I am beginning to believe that the "nh900 team" can get through anything!

Hello matrulesok, yeah I hope you are right. Although I have been getting a great deal of help from the folk here. They're a wonderful bunch.

QUOTE(matrulesok @ Apr 12 2005, 05:08 PM)

No! It converts them as you transfer them and stores the .oma files in a folder called "optimised files" in the folder where you tell it to put importes cd's (does that make sense?)

Yep, perfect sense. It's the bit about "and stores the .oma files in a folder". I've got that happening to me. But I don't want to store a load more music files, in addition to me MP3s. Am I safe to zap the .oma's? It looks like you are.

QUOTE

As for your specific mp3's, just try it! Put a few duplicate ones in a folder and just import that folder and see what happens.

Yeah, I did. It seems ok (although I've not had the NH900 long enough to do much in the way of proper listening assessments).

What I want to know is, why does SS Help say it won't work, or it's not supported, when clearly it's doing something - but what? That's what I find so confusing.

matrulesok

Apr 12 2005, 06:00 PM

QUOTE(MusicBringer @ Apr 12 2005, 05:02 PM)

Hello matrulesok, yeah I hope you are right. Although I have been getting a great deal of help from the folk here. They're a wonderful bunch.

Yep, perfect sense. It's the bit about "and stores the .oma files in a folder". I've got that happening to me. But I don't want to store a load more music files, in addition to me MP3s. Am I safe to zap the .oma's? It looks like you are.

Yeah, I did. It seems ok (although I've not had the NH900 long enough to do much in the way of proper listening assessments).

What I want to know is, why does SS Help say it won't work, or it's not supported, when clearly it's doing something - but what? That's what I find so confusing.

[right][snapback]52396[/snapback][/right]

I dont see that not having winamp is a problem. For vbr vs cbr, it only says it is only guaranteed for cbr, so a few of yours may indeed fail. As for joint stereo, I dont even know what that means, but I'd guess that it is a trivial difference.

As far as I know you are safe to zap the optimised files, as long as you wait till the end.

Good luck!

bug80

Apr 12 2005, 06:27 PM

Properly encoded MP3's (CBR or VBR) should not give any problems when importing in SonicStage. The EAC/LAME combination should be fine (I mean, if THAT doesn't work, what else?).

Some crappy encoders don't write the headers (metadata) like they should, especially with VBR files and I think SonicStage chokes on them for that reason.

MusicBringer

Apr 12 2005, 06:32 PM

Hello bug80, thanks for your words of encouragement. I have always taken particular care with my music files - as you can tell - using EAC+Lame. I guess that SS3 is fussy too (just like me

) and will only accept files that are tidy.

zerodB

Apr 13 2005, 03:42 AM

QUOTE(MusicBringer @ Apr 13 2005, 04:02 AM)

What I want to know is, why does SS Help say it won't work, or it's not supported, when clearly it's doing something - but what? That's what I find so confusing.

[right][snapback]52396[/snapback][/right]

Read the part of the help file you posted again, and you'll find that it is referring to the ripping of CDs in SonicStage to the MP3 format.

This was something, that, until now with the release of an MP3 ripping plugin for SonicStage, was not possible unless you had a Sony VAIO computer.

(I'm not to sure how good the encoder is - I suspect you will be better off using EAC + LAME)

mrsoul

May 6 2005, 03:46 PM

Anybody noticed that you CANNOT playback mp3 files off a Hi-MD via SS? How lame is that? Again, we find that mp3 functionality limited by Sony. Come on. If it can encode and write in mp3, WHY CAN'T IT PLAYBACK IN MP3????

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kurisu

May 6 2005, 05:32 PM

That really stinks, mrsoul. Are you sure it's just not a specific track? I wonder why they would do that..

bug80

May 8 2005, 04:21 PM

mrsoul, what version of Sonicstage are you using, 3.0 or 3.1? If playback of MP3 files is not possible through SS3.1 it would be really.. weird. I can't think of any reason to not implement this (though I have a hard time finding reasons for lots of other things Sony decides to not implement

mrsoul

May 8 2005, 11:59 PM

Folks, it even states in the SS 3.1 Help files that you cannot play these mp3 files.
Look under the section Header "ATRAC Audio Device: Playing back a track"

! Notes
Tracks on a VAIO Music Clip, certain types of Network Walkman, an ATRAC CD, or an MP3 CD cannot be played back.
If you play back tracks on a Net MD device, sound will be produced from the Net MD device, not from your computer.
MP3 tracks transferred to an ATRAC Audio Device that supports MP3 transfer cannot be played back.
MP3 tracks transferred to a Hi-MD that supports MP3 transfer cannot be played back.

hobgoblin

May 9 2005, 01:07 AM

one step forward, two steps back...

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