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Sony ATRAC3plus MP3 format - anyone use it?

onewebfoot

onewebfoot

Mar 12, 2006
495
1
SF Bay Area, CA
#1
Other than a dated thread (http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=249052&highlight=ATRAC) i don't see a whole lot of discussion about using Sony ATRAC3plus MP3 compression to support portable audio.

A few months ago, I got a Sony CD player (D-NF600) with this software bundled, I installed it, and am now adding my hard copy CD inventory to conversion. It's basically a way to put off buying an iPod, as it enables one to put 485-490 songs on a single CD. Just burned my first last night. The software seems very robust, and doesn't really crash even if running out of disk space when burning a CD. The software advised me when target disk was full, without crashing. The software allowed me to change album parameters while tracks were being burned to it. Of three music conversion programs I've used (Adaptec, NPI plus, and Sony ATRAC), the latter takes the cake in stability and performance, thus far.

Sure is nice to have a single CD for nearly 500 songs, and the quality is pretty good. First disk is Fusion, to follow will be general jazz, smooth jazz, reggae, rock, then...... Does anyone else use this software to support portable audio? any additional tricks? otherwise, i'm still avoiding iPod thus far, or having to buy a new computer.....
 
#4
Thanks, Kevin. Perhaps it is garbage, but it's nice having 485+ songs on a single CD, with titles and navigation. better than carrying 15+ CDs, but not as good as iPod will be. do you have rough estimates for single-disk capacity with those alternate MP3 formats? any good links/articles? thanks.
 
#5
Just about everything plays .mp3 files from a cd these days.
CD players, dvd players, in-dash car players, no-name stuff too.
Sony's ATRAC is proprietary, and as far as I know, they will only playback on Sony players.

Knowing Sony's love for copy protection, probably only on YOUR computer too, but I can't say for sure about that.

Don't get me wrong, I think Sony has quality stuff... I own plenty of it, but it would be a cold day in hell before I would tie the future of my portable audio to Sony! Just doesn't seem to be very portable to me... kind of defeats the purpose.

Of course with these considerations in mind, it may be fine for your intended usage.

Edit: beat me too the punch!
+1 to EAC and LAME too!
... and these are just programs... NOT alternate mp3 formats.
The size of an mp3 file can vary depending on bit rate and amount of compression you use.
 
#6
thanks all. I don't care if people want to bash Sony, as I know that nearly anybody in this forum knows more about MP3 than I do. but it's funny, a simple CD player with simple bundled software answered a real need for me. as long as this one player keeps working, I'll be fine. but yes - tying one's portable audio scheme (to entail thousands of titles, really soon) to Sony does not seem the ideal scenario, unless it's merely a 4-6 month proposition. 485 well-chosen fusion titles, on a single CD, may hold me for awhile for rail commuting. :-) but i'm in a situation where I can listen to music at least 5 hours per day, or 10+ hours a day if working at home.
 
#7
onewebfoot said:
i'm in a situation where I can listen to music at least 5 hours per day, or 10+ hours a day if working at home.
Click to expand...

So a single cd with 7-8 hours of *high quality* standard mp3 files would be fine. If you're at home, it should be no big deal if it takes 2 cds in 10+ hours... right?
Plus they'll work on your friend's players too.
 
#8
right. i'm less inclined to use compressed audio formats at home. portable audio without a $100+ device, and without having to get a new computer, for 6+ months, was my aim. but asking for further tips or tricks for ATRAC is likely a waste of time - i see now. it's a 6-month temporary solution. may only burn 2 CDs like this. a single ATRAC CD is roughly 49 albums (at 10 tracks each). that's more than a day of listening, typically. :-) the basslines have come through pretty well, however. but when burning tracks for learnings/study, i'd go normal CD anyway. thanks.
 
#9
I have sony's version of the ipod which wasn't around too long, 20GB hard drive player in about half the size of a regular ipod. I believe for that sony also used the ATRAC format but it's not a problem for me. It converts my mp3's to the ATRAC format on the fly and is really quick to put songs on the device. Quality wise I hear no difference than that and mp3 since I can select the bit rate in which the end result is (320kb/s being the highest)

I don;t see a problem with it, if it works for you then it works for you. I'd rather go back to casettes than use an ipod. (I'm a firm Apple hater)

If only they made protable record players :)
 
#10
I have several Sony Cd players that use the Atrac3 format and I like having a disk that holds a lot of music, the down side is that it will not play in other players. I have about a dozen Atrac3 cds and it's kinda cool to have all the Beatles on 1 cd for exapmple. I also joined a band an d they dropped about 100 tunes on me to learn in a short time and it was a real convenience to have all the tunes on 1 cd.
Several months ago I got one of the newer Sony MP3 2MB walkmans (about the size of a bic lighter)and it is awesome. Lots more functionality for the same price as an Ipod, and it comes with Sony's Sonic Stage music software. Sonic Stage is the real bargain since it will actually do all the things that itunes is supposed to do but never did for me.
 
#11
thanks, chuts and brad. Sonic Stage is my first serious audio management and conversion software, and I'm only getting started. I don't count Adaptec or NPI Plus as serious audio management software, and Sonic Stage has not had one single problem (not one) that plagued these other software applications. I have no idea how Sony MP3 compares to Ipod, or non-proprietary MP3, and realize it's a new research project. But nice to hear that a 6-month solution for me (ATRAC) could support portable audio much longer than I now anticipate.

But yes - no matter what format or computing platform, it's sure nice to convert all my CDs to MP3, fit nearly 500 on a single CD, gain menu and textual options I never had before, and get pretty decent quality on the road. I won't be wearing high-fidelity headphones as I cross streets, oblivious to the things that could kill me. MP3 does me a lot of good through earbuds.

I don't listen at high volume, of course, or I'd never have the endurance I do for listening. But my audiologist told me the worst thing I could do would be to sit in silence for long period of any given day. I have chronic tinnitus, and it actually INCREASES if I listen to silence for too long.

how's that? I have doctor's MANDATE to listen to music. :-) (long story)
 
#13
understood, from post #1. See thread title ("Sony MP3" - the term they use and print on their product - a CD player in this case), but thanks. Despite valid issues, cited in thread, it meets a need of mine right now. Even two CDs to total 850+ songs should carry me for awhile. :-)
 

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