How to Transfer a Minidisc Recording to a Computer
By Abraham Hovey
Updated September 22, 2017
Items you will need
Computer with Internet access and stereo input
Minidisc player
Minidisc with recordings on it
1/8-inch to 1/8-inch audio cable
Minidisc recorders are a convenient way to record and listen to music on the go. The discs are small and easy to store, and the device is portable and can record quality audio. A drawback, however, is that you can play minidiscs only on a minidisc player. So if you have a collection of minidisc recordings, you may want to transfer them to your computer so you can upload them to the Internet, make CDs or copy them to an MP3 player.
Go to audacity.sourceforge.net, select your operating system and download and install Audacity onto your computer. This is a free, multitrack studio environment capable of recording and editing many types of audio files.
Open Audacity and go to "File -> Preferences." Select your sound card from the drop-down menu of recording devices.
Switch on your minidisc player and insert a minidisc. Connect the audio cable from the headphone jack on the minidisc player to the input on your computer. Note that if you have only a mono input, your recordings will not have any stereo effect.
Press "Record" on the minidisc player and "Record" in Audacity. Allow the recording to finish, then press "Stop" on both devices.
Go to "File -> Export" in Audacity, name the file and select the format you'd like to save it as. You can choose from WAV, WMA, MP3 and OGG, among others. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 for multiple recordings.
References
Writer Bio
Abraham Hovey is a poet and songwriter living in Madison, Wis. He has been a working musician since 1997 and holds a bachelor's degree in history from Western Michigan University.