Sony SonicStage Simple Burner User manual

© 2003 Sony Corporation
SonicStage
Simple Burner
Ver. 1.0
3-252-232-71(1)
Operating Instructions

2
•Copyright laws prohibit reproducing the software or the manual accompanying it in whole or in part, or
renting the software without the permission of the copyright holder.
•In no event will SONY be liable for any financial damage, or loss of profits, including claims made by
third parties, arising out of the use of the software.
• In the event a problem occurs with this software as a result of defective manufacturing, SONY will
replace it. However, SONY bears no other responsibility.
•The software cannot be used with equipment other than that which is so designated.
•Please note that, due to continued efforts to improve quality, the software specifications may be
changed without notice.
Notes
• The recorded music is limited to private use only. Use of the music beyond this limit requires
permission of the copyright holders.
•Sony is not responsible for music files that cannot be saved on your computer due to unsuccessful
recording from a CD or from music downloading.
•OpenMG, ATRAC, ATRAC3, ATRAC3plus, SonicStage and their logos are trademarks of Sony
Corporation.
•“WALKMAN” is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation to represent Headphone Stereo products.
is a trademark of Sony Corporation.
•Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the
United States and/or other countries.
• IBM and PC/AT are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.
•Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.
• Pentium is a trademark or a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
•Adobe and Acrobat Reader are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
•All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. ™ and ® marks are omitted in this manual.
Music recognition technology and related data are provided by Gracenote and the Gracenote CDDB®Music
Recognition ServiceSM. Gracenote is the industry standard in music recognition technology and related
content delivery. For more information visit www.gracenote.com.
CD and music-related data from Gracenote CDDB®Music Recognition
ServiceSM © 2000, 2001, 2002 Gracenote. Gracenote CDDB Client Software ©
2000, 2001, 2002 Gracenote, U.S. Patents Numbers #5,987,525; #6,061,680;
#6,154,773, and other patents issued or pending.
CDDB is a registered trademark of Gracenote. The Gracenote logo and logotype, the Gracenote CDDB logo
and logotype, and the “Powered by Gracenote CDDB” logo are trademarks of Gracenote. Music Recognition
Service and MRS are service marks of Gracenote.
Program ©2003 Sony Corporation
Documentation ©2003 Sony Corporation

3
Table of contents
Getting started
What you can do with the SonicStage
Simple Burner software......................... 4
What is the ATRAC3plus? .................... 6
What is the ATRAC3? ........................... 6
Providing the required system
environment ........................................... 7
Installing the software ............................... 8
Before installing the software ............... 8
Installing the SonicStage
Simple Burner Ver. 1.0 ....................... 9
Using the software for the first time........ 10
Before starting up the software ........... 10
Registering with the CDDB®.............. 10
Checking the reading capability of the
CD-R/RW drive ................................ 13
Starting up the SonicStage
Simple Burner ..................................... 14
Recording on CD-Rs/RWs
1Selecting the tracks or files and making a
disc image to be recorded.................... 15
Selecting tracks from an audio CD ..... 16
Selecting tracks from among
MP3 files .......................................... 17
2Editing a disc image to be recorded ... 19
Adding names...................................... 19
Changing the order of tracks or
groups ............................................... 20
Creating a new group .......................... 20
Erasing tracks or groups ...................... 20
3Recording a disc image on
a CD-R/RW ......................................... 21
Other information
Various settings........................................ 23
Selecting the recording mode .............. 23
Setting a CD-R/RW drive.................... 23
Viewing version information ............... 24
Viewing CDDB information.................... 25
Confirming CD information registered
in the CDDB ..................................... 25
Sending CD information to
the CDDB ......................................... 25
Settings according to OS and
precautions .......................................... 26
Settings according to OS ..................... 26
For users with OpenMG Jukebox,
SonicStage, or SonicStage Premium
installed on their computer ............... 27
Uninstalling the software......................... 29
For Windows XP users ........................ 29
For Windows Millennium Edition/
Windows 98 Second Edition users ... 30
For Windows 2000 users ..................... 30
Troubleshooting ....................................... 31
If the installation was not successful... 32
Tracks do not appear on the display.... 32
You cannot record a CD on
a CD-R/RW....................................... 33
The time left for additional recording
on a CD-R/RW is too short. ............. 33
Recording was unsuccessful.
(You cannot play back the CD-R/RW
you created on your CD player.) ...... 34
You cannot use the SonicStage
Simple Burner................................... 34

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What you can do with the SonicStage
Simple Burner software
This software allows you to record music tracks from an audio CD as well as record MP3 files
on a CD-R/RW, using the ATRAC3plus/ATRAC3 format.
1
Create a disc image.
Select tracks from Audio CDs or MP3
files.
From Audio CDs
From MP3 files
2
Edit a disc image.
You can attach names, change the
order of tracks or groups, make a new
group or delete unnecessary tracks
or groups.
Select the CD tab.
Select the MP3 tab.
Click
Click
The disc image
Note
Once you have recorded audio data on a CD-R/
RW, you cannot change it. Edit audio data you
want to record here in step 2.
Getting started

Getting started
5
Notes
•Use CD-Rs/RWs of 650 MB or 700 MB only. If
you use other types of CD-Rs/RWs, you may not
be able to record tracks or files successfully.
•You cannot record on a CD-R/RW where audio
data has already been recorded using software
other than the ATRAC CD burner software such
as SonicStage Simple Burner. Make sure that
you use a new CD-R/RW or a CD-R/RW where
audio data has been recorded using the ATRAC
CD burner software.
3
Burn a CD-R/RW.
You can record audio data on a CD-R/
RW.
Enjoy your own CD on an
ATRAC CD Walkman.
Click

6
What is the ATRAC3plus?
“ATRAC3plus,” which stands for “Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding3plus” is audio
compression technology, developed from the ATRAC3 format. Though the ATRAC3plus
format can compress music contents to about 1/20 of its original size, you can still enjoy high
quality sound.
ATRAC3plus 64 kbps: The best recording mode for ATRAC CD Walkman because this
mode satisfies the demand for high sound quality and high
compression rate.
Maximum number of tracks recordable on a CD-R/RW is approx.
360*.
ATRAC3plus 48 kbps: Use to record a large number of tracks or files.
Maximum number of tracks recordable on a CD-R/RW is approx.
490*.
*When recording 4-minute tracks on a blank 700 MB CD-R/RW.
What is the ATRAC3?
“ATRAC3,” which stands for “Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding3” is audio compression
technology that satisfies the demand for high sound quality and high compression rates. The
ATRAC3 format can compress music content to about 1/10 of their original size, which
contributes to reduction of the media volume.
ATRAC3 132 kbps: High quality recording mode.
Maximum number of tracks recordable on a CD-R/RW is approx. 170*.
ATRAC3 105 kbps: Maximum number of tracks recordable on a CD-R/RW is approx. 220*.
ATRAC3 66 kbps: Maximum number of tracks recordable on a CD-R/RW is approx. 350*.
*When recording 4-minute tracks on a blank 700 MB CD-R/RW.

Getting started
7
Providing the required system
environment
The following hardware and software are required in order to use the SonicStage Simple Burner
software.
Computer IBM PC/AT or Compatible
•CPU: Pentium II 300 MHz or higher (Pentium III 600 MHz or higher is
recommended.)
•Hard disk drive space: 200 MB or more (The amount of free space
required differs according to the size of the audio files that you want to
handle. 1.5GB of free space or more is recommended.)
•RAM: 64 MB or higher (128 MB or higher is recommended)
Others • CD-R/RW drive (capable of digital playback by
WDM)
•Sound Board
Operating System Factory installed:
Windows XP Home Edition/Windows XP Professional/Windows
Millennium Edition/Windows 2000 Professional/Windows 98 Second
Edition
Display High Color (16 bit) or greater, 800 ×600 dots or more
Others • Internet access: for Web registration and CDDB*services
•Adobe Acrobat Reader installed for viewing the online help
* See page 10.
This software is not supported by the following environments:
•NEC PC-98 series or compatible machines, Macintosh systems
•Windows XP versions other than Home Edition or Professional
•Windows 2000 versions other than Professional
•Windows 98 versions other than Second Edition
•Windows NT
•Windows 95
•Personally constructed PCs or operating systems
• An environment that is an upgrade of the original manufacturer-installed operating system
•Multi-boot environment
•Multi-monitor environment
Notes
•We do not ensure trouble-free operation on all computers that satisfy the system requirements.
•We do not ensure trouble-free operation of the system suspend, sleep, or hibernation function on all
computers.

8
Windows XP tpage 26
Windows 2000 tpage 26
OpenMG Jukebox and/or
SonicStage tpage 27
•To install the SonicStage Simple Burner software,
you must log on as “Computer Administrator.”
•To install the SonicStage Simple Burner software,
you must log on as “Administrator.”
•Depending on the version of the software you have
installed, the software will be updated or upgraded
by the SonicStage Simple Burner.
Installing the software
Install the SonicStage Simple Burner software on the hard disk drive of your computer.
Before installing the software
1Close all other Windows applications before starting the installation.
Make sure to close any virus-check software, as such software application usually demands
large amounts of system resources.
2If the following operating system or software is installed on your computer, refer to
the reference pages before installing the software.
Note
For Windows XP or Windows Millennium Edition users
If you use the “System Restore” function in “System Tools,” the SonicStage Simple Burner may not run
properly. An error dialog box may appear. If this occurs, follow the instructions given in the messages
displayed.

Getting started
9
Installing the SonicStage Simple Burner Ver. 1.0
1Turn on your computer and start up Windows.
2Insert the installation CD-ROM for the SonicStage Simple Burner into the CD-
ROM drive of your computer.
The setup program starts up automatically
and the SonicStage Simple Burner Ver.
1.0 installation window appears.
3Follow the displayed instructions.
After the installation* is completed, click [Restart] to restart the computer.
*The installation may take 20 to 30 minutes, depending on your system environment.
Was the installation successful ?
If any trouble occurs during the installation, see “Troubleshooting” (page 32).
Notes
•The SonicStage Simple Burner uses the installed folders. Do not delete, move or change the contents of the
installed folders.
•While the installation is still in progress, do not interrupt the operation or take the CD-ROM out of the CD-
ROM drive. Doing so may render it impossible to install the software thereafter.

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Using the software for the first time
Before starting up the software
Check that the CD-R/RW drive is connected to your computer securely.
If you connect the drive after starting the software, your computer may not recognize the CD-R/
RW drive.
Note
The SonicStage Simple Burner software cannot be used with certain CD-R/RW drives. To prevent damaging
your data unexpectedly, you can check with the Simple Drive Checker software to see if your CD-R/RW
drive is usable for recording using the SonicStage Simple Burner software.
To check the suitability of the drive
You cannot start the SonicStage Simple Burner and the Simple Drive Checker at the same time. To use the
drive checking software, make sure to close the SonicStage Simple Burner first.
To start the Simple Drive Checker software, click the [Start] menu–[All Programs] (or [Program])–
[SonicStage Simple Burner]–[Simple Drive Checker].
Registering with the CDDB®
The Gracenote CDDB®is the Internet service for audio data recognition. A number of album
names, artist names, track names, etc. have been registered on this data base. When you connect
your computer to the Internet and use the SonicStage Simple Burner, your computer will search
the CDDB automatically when you insert an audio CD into the CD-R/RW drive. The computer
imports CD information such as album names to the hard disc and displays this information.
This is more convenient than inputting album names, track names, etc. using the keyboard.
To use the CD information on the CDDB, register with the CDDB following the instructions
that appear when you start the SonicStage Simple Burner for the first time.
Note
To use the Gracenote CDDB service, you have to register with the Gracenote CDDB. The registration is done
between the Client and the Gracenote CDDB. Sony assumes no responsibility for this matter.

Getting started
11
1Start up the SonicStage Simple Burner and insert an audio CD into the CD-R/
RW drive of your computer. (page 14).
The CDDB registration window appears.
If you start up the software with an audio CD inserted in the CD-R/RW drive, the “CD
Drive Check” dialog box appears. If you follow the instructions displayed (page 13), the
CDDB registration window appears when the check is completed.
2Select [This is a new CDDB Registration] and click [Next].
3If you agree to the terms of use, select [I have read and agree to these Terms of
Use] and click [Next].
Continued

12
4Input the information required for registration, such as a user nickname.
Input a “user nickname” and a
“password.” Input your “password” again
for confirmation. Also input some words
as a password hint in case you ever forget
your password. If you input your mail
address, your password will be sent to
you.
5Click [Next].
6Click [Next].
If you want to receive special offers or
promotions (free of charge) from the
CDDB, check the box.
If you decide you do not want this
service, you can turn it off at any time.

Getting started
13
7Fill in the text boxes, and click [Next].
8Click [Finish].
Registration with the CDDB has been
completed and the “CD Drive Check”
dialog box appears. Check the CD-R/RW
drive.
If you have already checked your drive
before starting the CDDB registration,
you do not need to check it again.
Checking the reading capability of the CD-R/RW
drive
Click [Start].
The software starts to check if the drive
connected to your computer is able to read
audio data properly.
Make sure to check your CD-R/RW drive.

14
Starting up the SonicStage Simple
Burner
Do one of the following:
•Double click the SonicStage Simple Burner icon on the display.
•Select [Start]–[All Programs] (or [Program])–[SonicStage Simple Burner]–[SonicStage
Simple Burner].
The SonicStage Simple Burner starts up and the main window appears.
To quit the software
Click the [X] button on the upper right side of the window.
Note
Do not start up the SonicStage Simple Burner and other CD-R/RW burner software/OpenMG software
(SonicStage, OpenMG Jukebox, etc.) at the same time on your computer.
If the icon of any other CD-R/RW burner software is displayed in the task tray, close that software.

Recording on CD-Rs/RWs
15
1 Selecting the tracks or files and
making a disc image to be recorded
Select the tracks you want to record from an Audio CD and/or from among MP3 files.
Tracks from an audio CD and those from MP3 files can co-exist in one disc image. You can
record them on the same CD-R/RW at the same time.
Notes
•Adisc image is made based on the recording mode set up in the “CONFIG” window. If necessary, change
the settings in the CONFIG window before making a disc image (page 23).
• If you close the software before recording on a CD-R/RW, the disc image you were just working on is
cancelled.
• The maximum number of groups you can make: 255
•The maximum number of burning times (the number of sessions) on one CD-R/RW: 99
•This software uses approx.14 MB of overhead per recording (over and above the space used for recording
the tracks themselves).
Audio CD
MP3 file
The disc image to
be recorded
Continued
Click
Click
Recording on CD-Rs/RWs

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Selecting tracks from an audio CD
1Insert an audio CD into the CD-R/RW drive of your computer.
2Click the [CD] tab.
If you are online and have registered with the CDDB, the disc information (track names,
etc.) appears automatically (page 10).
3Click the check marks of the tracks you do not want to record so that the check
marks disappear from the boxes.
If you click and select a track, you can play that track by clicking Non the display.
4Click ADD.
The selected tracks are converted to the
ATRAC3plus/ATRAC3 format and
appear in the ATRAC CD frame. A new
group is created and the selected tracks
are included in the group.
A disc image is made but not yet recorded
on the CD-R/RW. If you want to edit
these tracks in the group (changing
names, changing the order of tracks, or
erasing unnecessary tracks), perform
those operations in this step. For details,
refer to “2 Editing a disc image to be
recorded.” (page 19)
If you want to record MP3 files on the
same CD-R/RW, select and add MP3 files
at this time.
The disc image to be
recorded
CD tab
Check boxes
ADD
(check all)
(clear all)

Recording on CD-Rs/RWs
17
Selecting tracks from among MP3 files
Specifications of the MP3 files supported by this software
•Sampling frequencies: 44.1/48/32 kHz
•Channels: stereo, joint stereo, dual channel and monaural
•Transfer bit rate: 32/40/48/56/64/80/96/112/128/160/192/224/256/320 kbps
•Version of ID3 tag: 1.1/2.2/2.3
Note
This software is not compatible with MP3 VBR or MP3 Pro files. Do not select them for recording.
1Click the [MP3] tab.
2Click [OPEN] (selecting a folder) so that the list of folders appears on the
display and select a folder.
All the files in the selected folder appear
in the MP3 frame.
(for moving up to the group
above)
[OPEN] (selecting a folder)
[MP3] tab
Check boxes
ADD
(check all)
(clear all)
Continued

18
3Click the check marks of the tracks you do not want to record so that the check
marks disappear from the boxes.
If you click and select a file, you can play
that file by clicking Non the display.
4Click ADD.
The selected groups and files appear in
the ATRAC CD frame.
A disc image is made but not yet recorded
on the CD-R/RW. If you want to edit
these groups or files (changing names,
changing the order of groups/files or
erasing unnecessary groups/files),
perform those operations on this step. For
details, refer to “2 Editing a disc image to
be recorded.” (page 19)
If you want to record an audio CD on the
same CD-R/RW, select and add tracks
from an audio CD at this time.

Recording on CD-Rs/RWs
19
2 Editing a disc image to be recorded
Edit the image of tracks or files (the disc image) you have made in the ATRAC CD frame.
Notes
•Once you have recorded audio data on a CD-R/RW, you cannot change it. Edit it before recording.
•You cannot play an ATRAC CD using the SonicStage Simple Burner software.
* If you want to record on an ATRAC CD on which audio data has already been recorded, insert it into the
CD-R/RW drive before editing the disc image. The remaining space on the ATRAC CD and a list of the
recorded tracks and groups appear in the ATRAC CD frame.
Adding names
Click the track in the disc image you want to edit.
Click the track name, artist name or album name and type in the name.
You can also edit track names, artist names or album names that appear in the CD frame or the
MP3 frame.
Note
The maximum number of characters you can input is 62.
Continued
Remaining space indication*
The tracks/files already
recorded are masked.
(cannot be changed)
The amount already
recorded
The amount to be
recorded
The space left

20
Changing the order of tracks or groups
Click and select the track or group you want to change, and drag and drop it to the destination
point on the display.
You can also move the track to a different group using the same procedure.
Creating a new group
Click [New Group].
A new group is added at the end of the current listing.
Note
The maximum number of characters you can input is 62.
Erasing tracks or groups
Click and select the track or group you want to erase, and click [Delete].
If you delete a group, all tracks in the group are erased.