Re: [microsound] MDs and SCMS

[Joshua Maremont <thermal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 05:12 PM 4/27/01 -0700, { brad brace } wrote:
> The Marantz PMD650 manual says the MD-recorder will turn-off SCMS (serial
> copy management system). Does anyone know if this applies to both incoming
> and outgoing signals? And, apparently it's an older recorder using ATARC
> v.4 and not the newer versions: how much of a limitation is this?
> Are there any portable MD recorders without any SCMS?

I use two Sharp consumer portables, and SCMS is most certainly awake on 
both; because the Marantz is I believe a pro unit SCMS there may work 
differently.  SCMS sets the last two non-audio bits in the data stream to 
indicate number of copies, so for the greatest flexibility it should be set 
to Original (00), allowing unlimited copying; Copy sets the bits to 01, and 
No Copies sets them to 11, the latter causing a consumer unit to lock upon 
recording.  (This is all from memory and may be less than completely 
correct.)  Pro units usually allow SCMS writing to be selectable between 
these three options.  If SCMS is "off" or absent, I would assume that these 
last two bits will be ignored (or stripped) in the input and not written in 
the output.  As for compression, ATRAC 5 is reputed to be better than 4 in 
the readings I have come across, but 4 was I believe the first version many 
people found to be sonically acceptable for serious audio recording (I am 
sure some will dispute this).  SCMS is only an issue when a source is set 
to No Copies (as would be a consumer copy of a commercial CD) and a digital 
recording is being made on an SCMS-enabled consumer unit.  Even then, 
however, one can get hold of an SCMS stripper, like the handy M Audio C03 
digital signal converter, and rid onself of the two evil bits in order to 
get on with the recording.  SCMS by the way was invented to keep people 
from pirating CDs on DATs, as I recall, while the alternative frequency 
notch (analog copy protection) was beaten down in listening tests.  Alas, 
new copy protection proposals from those great protectors of music the RIAA 
are not so simple or, one fears, so inaudible, and analog copy protection 
has lately raised its ugly head as a possible means of "securing" DVD 
Audio.  For more MD information, have a look at http://www.minidisc.org/ if 
you have not already done so.

np - David Reeves "Otras 2"

Joshua Maremont / Thermal - mailto:thermal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Boxman Studies Label - http://www.boxmanstudies.com/

--Boundary_(ID_MPRcvwDMIpntJWFdsEexSw)
Content-Type: message/rfc822; Name="Re: [microsound] MDs and SCMS"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit