Xitel MD-PORT User Manual - page 5
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7. If the music through your headphones sounds distorted, lower the MD-Port I/O Wave Balance volume
control or the media player volume control until the music starts to sound clean and undistorted. This will
set the appropriate recording level for your MiniDisc recorder. If you increase the volume past the signal
level that the MiniDisc recorder can tolerate, it may cause distortion in your recording. Many MiniDisc
recorders have a level display that lets you monitor the input signal strength. You should also consult your
MD manual for any special features your recorder may have in setting its levels.
8. You have set the levels of your MD-Port I/O for recording. You can now load a playlist and start a full
session.
9. Many media players include a 3 second gapping feature designed to automatically add track marks when
recording to MiniDisc. When enabled, this feature will add three seconds of silence between each track in
your playlist and will make your MD recorder add a track mark. There are many programs available for free
on the Internet that have been designed specifically for recording MP3s to MiniDisc. One of our favorites
is called ‘MP3 2 MiniDisc’ by Thallium Software. You can find it by doing a Google search. You can also
get a three second plug-in for Winamp or use the MiniDisc Analog Trackmarking mode in MusicMatch
Jukebox .
Note: It is not possible to automatically insert track marks between tracks with a streaming audio source,
which basically comes into your computer as one continuous track. If you want to add track marks, you’ll
need to manually insert them using your MD recorder.
10. During recording it not advisable to use any other applications on your system. Most MP3 players require
large amounts of resources to ensure flawless MP3 decoding and playback. If you interfere with the
computer during recording, it can effect MP3 decoding, which can in turn effect the quality of your
recording. Read the next section for further tips on getting the best results out of your MD-Port I/O.
Tips for getting the best results with your MD-Port I/O when
recording to MiniDisc
The MD-Port I/O is a high fidelity, digital medium for transferring audio between a PC and MiniDisc recorder.
Because it’s digital, it will only ever send what information it receives and cannot therefore degrade the quality
of your recording in any way. If you're finding distortion in a recording, there are a couple of possible reasons.
The first is that the original source MP3 or wav file contains distortion, or is being corrupted during playback.
Because the MD-Port I/O plays these files exactly, any anomalies in an original recording, or that occur during
playback, will also be played. To reduce the likelihood of distortion in your source file, make sure not to use
your computer for any other tasks during ripping, MP3 compression, or playback. Contact the vendor of your
ripper and encoder to make sure you meet their minimum system requirements and are using the program
correctly.
Another place that audio can be corrupted is in your MiniDisc recorder. Make sure that the MD-Port I/O's
output level is not set too high. Having the output of the MD-Port I/O set higher than the maximum input level
of your MiniDisc recorder can cause degradation in sound quality. Most MiniDisc recorders have an input level
indicator that allows you to monitor the strength of the input signal. Verify that the MiniDisc recorder is not
being overloaded. If distortion is still occurring, make sure that the lens of your MiniDisc recorder is clean.
IMPORTANT: If you’re noticing any distortion or pops and clicks during playback, it is likely that the USB data
travelling to your MD-Port I/O is being corrupted. To reduce the likelihood of this, make sure that you’re not
using any other programs, that all virus checkers have been disabled, and that your MD-Port I/O is plugged
directly into a USB port on your computer. If you’re using a laptop equipped with a wireless network or Lan,
For all of the MD-Port I/O’s recording operations, the volume is set by the Line Balance slider. To get to the
Line Balance slider, double click the standard volume control icon to open the Speaker control panel. Go to
Options, then Properties, then in the Adjust Volume For section select Recording and hit OK. This will open
the recording volume control panel. Make sure a check appears next to Select below the Line Balance slider.
Step Two – Recording from PC to MiniDisc
1. Before starting, set the Wave Balance volume slider to maximum and also set all other MD-Port I/O
volume sliders to maximum. You can access the MD-Port I/O's volume sliders by double clicking the
speaker icon at the bottom right had side of the Windows task bar.
IMPORTANT! Make sure that you’re setting the MD-Port I/O’s volume sliders to maximum and not your
soundcard’s as this may damage speakers connected to your system. You can check that the volume
control panel is for the MD-Port I/O – it will say Speaker up the very top and USB Audio Device down
the bottom.
2. Turn the volume control on your MiniDisc recorder to a MINIMUM and plug a set of headphones or
monitor speakers into your MiniDisc recorder’s headphone output.
3. With the supplied TOSLINK cable, connect the MD-Port I/O to the optical input of your MiniDisc
recorder.
4. Start your favorite Windows compatible media player, and load a selection of wav, MP3, or streaming
audio files to be recorded.
5. Set the volume of your favorite media player to maximum. Press record on your MiniDisc recorder. Press
play on your favorite media player. You should see your MiniDisc recorder start recording.
6. Wearing the headphones connected to the MiniDisc recorder, start to slowly raise the volume control on
your MiniDisc recorder to a comfortable listening level. You will start to hear the volume increase
through the headphones and should be able to hear music. If it’s clear, you can leave all of the
recording levels set at maximum.
WARNING
- It is important to read through these instructions carefully and to adjust the volume
controls as directed. Do not at any stage place headphones on your ears without first checking that the
volume controls are set to a minimum and slowly raised to a comfortable listening level.