Necessary equipment

• 1) A Mac with a mic or line input jack (only needed if you want to transfer audio from a MiniDisc to your Mac's hard drive). Some TiBooks, iBooks and G4s lack analog inputs, but you can add them via USB with Griffin's iMic ($35).
• 2) Audio recording software (only needed if you want to transfer audio from a MiniDisc to your Mac's hard drive). Coaster is free and easy to use (Classic OS only), while Felt Tip's Sound Studio offers OS X compatibility (US $50). If you need professional-level features, have a look at Peak from BIAS software.
• 3a) If you're using a PORTABLE MD UNIT, you also will need an analog audio cable ($4) with a stereo mini plug (1/8-inch) on each end. Here's one that RadioShack sells.
• 3b) If you're using a HOME MD DECK, you will need an analog audio cable ($5) with a stereo mini plug (1/8-inch) on one end and two RCA phono plugs on the other end.

Transferring the contents of a MiniDisc to your Mac's hard disk

• 1a) PORTABLE MD UNIT: Plug one end of the analog patch cord into the MD unit's line out. If the unit has a combination headphone/line out jack, make sure you switch it to "line" mode in the MD unit's set-up menu (if it has one). You may have to do this each time you power up the unit, as this setting may not be "sticky." If your MD player has no line out provisions, use the headphone jack but turn off the MD unit's bass boost (aka "MegaBass") and set the volume about mid-way to prevent distortion in the audio. You can raise the volume later if necessary to get a good level when you start to record on your Mac. This level ultimately will depend on how "hot" your original MD recording was. The MD unit's volume and bass settings are not an issue when using a line out connection.
• 1b) HOME MD DECK: Plug the analog patch cord's RCA phono connectors into the MD unit's line out.
• 2) Plug the other end of the cable in your Mac's audio input jack. If you have one of the Macs without a line-in jack, buy Griffin Technology's iMic to provide one over USB.
• 3) Open your Mac's "Sound" control panel and change the input to the appropriate setting (with an iMic, it probably will say something like "Line In -- USB audio").
• 4) Launch the hard disk recording software of your choice. Set it to record at 16 bits, 44.1 kHz. This is CD-quality audio. Lower settings will result in degraded sound quality.
• 5) Start recording with the software.
• 6) Press "play" on the MD unit. When done, press "stop."
• 7) Stop the software.
• 8) Save the audio file on your Mac as "filename.aif". (An AIFF is the Mac version of a WAV -- large, uncompressed, CD-quality audio.) From here, you can:
• a) Play the file in iTunes
• b) Use iTunes to compress it down to an MP3
• c) Edit it in a desktop audio application like Sound Studio or BIAS Peak
• d) Burn it to a CD, either as an AIFF (will play in any audio CD player and has the highest quality) or an MP3 (will play only in computers or the new CD players that can read MP3 files).

NOTE: Make sure your recording software's input gain isn't set too high during recording, or the audio will sound distorted. The recording level meters should never go above 0 dB during the loudest passages of music/audio. Also: If you're still using OS 9 or lower, turn off virtual memory and reboot before attempting to record audio to your hard disk. Virtual memory can cause audio stuttering and glitches under the "Classic" Mac OSes; it has no impact under OS X.

Transferring audio (MP3s, AIFFs, WAVs, streaming internet audio, etc.) from your Mac to a MiniDisc

• 1a) PORTABLE MD UNIT: Plug one end of the analog patch cord into the MD unit's line input jack.
• 1b) HOME MD DECK: Plug the analog patch cord's RCA phono connectors into the MD unit's line input jacks.
• 2) Plug the other end of the cable into your Mac's audio output/speaker jack.
• 3) Open your Mac's "Sound" control panel and change the output to the appropriate setting (probably "Built-in").
• 4) Set the volume on your Mac about 3/4s of the way up.
• 5) Launch whatever software you need to play the files you want to record. Turn off any bass or treble boost and set any equalizer settings to "flat." If you're using iTunes, go to Edit >> Preferences and click on the "Effects" tab. Uncheck the "Sound Enhancer" box.
• 6) Press "record" on your MD recorder.
• 7) Start playing the audio files you want to dub.
• 8) When the audio file is finished (this is a real-time, 1x process) press "stop" on the MD recorder.
• 9) You're done.

NOTE: I strongly recommend you use manual recording levels for the best quality files. Your MiniDisc unit owner's manual has more information on this. Make sure the recording level isn't set too high on the MD unit during recording, or the audio will sound distorted.

Additional Information:

Greg Chan's extrordinary MP3-to-MD page (for analog transfers)

Ken Tidwell's MiniDisc Recording with iTunes