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Explanations
How the MiniDisc got so small
The 2.5-inch MiniDisc, encased in a plastic
cartridge that looks like a 3.5-inch diskette
(see illustration above), uses a new digital
audio compression technology called
ATRAC (Adaptive TRansform Acoustic
Coding). To store more sound in less space,
ATRAC extracts and encodes only those
frequency components actually audible to
the human ear.
Quick Random Access
Like CDs, MDs offer instantaneous random
access to the beginning of any music track.
Premastered MDs are recorded with location
addresses corresponding to each music
selection.
Recordable MDs are manufactured with a
“User TOC Area” to contain the order of the
music. The TOC (Table of Contents) system
is similar to the “directory management
system” of floppy disks. In other words,
starting and ending addresses for all music
tracks recorded on the disc are stored in this
area. This lets you randomly access the
beginning of any track as soon as you enter
the track number (AMS), as well as label the
location with a track name as you would a
file on a diskette.
The meaning of “no sound”
“No sound” describes a recorder condition in
which the input level is about 4.8 mV during
analog input or less than –89 dB during
optical (digital) input (with 0 dB as full bit
(the maximum recordable level for a
MiniDisc)).
Note on digital recording
This recorder uses the Serial Copy
Management System, which allows only first-
generation digital copies to be made from
premastered software. You can only make
copies from a home-recorded MD by using the
analog connections.
BA
B — Music Data
A — User TOC Area
Contains the order and start/end
points of the music.
Premastered software such
as CDs or MDs.
Digital recording
Home-
recorded
MD
No
digital
recording
Recordable
MD