Importing music off of MiniDisc

[mwilkie40]

I have a mini disc player and am wondering what the best way is to import the music off of it and get it into Itunes. Any help would be appreciated. I am simply using a mini to mini plug and putting it into the back of my iMac but don't know where to go from here.

[albloom]

The process is akin to getting any sound source into the Mac and iTunes.
Capture the sound, break it into tracks, save the tracks, import the tracks
into iTunes.

Audacity (free) or Amadeus ($40) will do you for everything but the last
step. I prefer Amadeus' interface and power, so I'll use it's features and
nomenclature. Audacity can do much the same things.

First make sure the sound is coming into the Mac. The Sound Prefpane
is easiest. Do this once. For each mini-disc do the following:

1. Ensure the sound is coming into your "sound" app. That's "monitor
input" in Audacity and the "playthru" button in Amadeus' "record"
pane. Play the minidisc for a minute and see what you're getting.
2. Set your app to "record" the incoming sound. Restart the minidisc.
3. When the input is done, stop recording and save what you have
captured (the whole minidisc contents), just in case.
4. Break the capture into tracks. I've only done this in Amadeus. Set
markers between each track on the capture. Select all. Under "selection"
select "break according to markers," name the folder where you want to
store your tracks, select the format for the output files (AIFF only for
Audacity I think, just about anything for Amadeus -- I use MP3).
5. I create a new playlist in iTunes with the name of the album, hi-lite
that playlist, then drag the whole output folder onto iTunes window.
6. Use iTunes to edit the titles and artists and art and such.

Hope this helps.

[mwilkie40]

Al,

What's the best place to obtain these software programs?

Thanks,

[fryke]

For any Mac software, always search www.versiontracker.com or www.macupdate.com ... There you'll find information, pricing and links.