Help fixing a Sony MiniDisk player

[jmaf]

Hi, I've got this player for 14 years now. Just as I wanted to listen to some of my band's old demos we have on MD, it starts doing this:

Sony MD Player Problem - YouTube

Can anyone ID the problem and let me know where I should start looking? I'd really like to get this player fixed. I guess its amplifier is OK, it must be something with the DAC part, such as the laser head? Is this a common problem? Thanks in advance for any pointers.

[km6xz]

MD players had something in common, they were very dense in SMD layout that required a good workbench set up with magnifier, and SMD rework tools. The first step would be to try to get a service manual from a cooperative Sony warranty station. The publish manuals and updates to tech notices on CD distributed monthly but require a authorization code to open. If you do not have such a cooperative local shop, the best bet would be to take it to an authorized Sony warranty station.

[J M Fahey]

Oi colega.
I think the best for you will be to send those minidisks to somebody who has a still working MD reader and transfer them to CD for safekeeping.
I think the (irreplaceable) *content* they have is worth much more than anything else.
Whether later you can repair that machine, or not, is something else.
Good luck.

[jmaf]

Thanks km6xz, I figured it'd be complicated and I'd never heard of the Sony documents you mention, good knowledge to have. I don't think anyone in town here will have those Sony manuals.

Gracias JM Fahey - I think you're right, I better go after a place that has a working one to rescue our stuff, not that the music is too great, but you know.... worth the memories.

If anyone else has any pointers, it'd be very much appreciated. Have any other of the wizards here ever messed with one of these or similar?

[oc disorder]

I had a front loading one a few years back.The owner a "piano bar man" had midi files with additional overdubs of real instruments
that he used sometimes for live work and as the indexing system (titles etc) was ideal for instant song requests and yes if he had a dollar
for every drunk that fell over him requesting that Billy Joel song I doubt he would be still playing!
Anyway I digress... this one would often spit out the disc but he had a mate who had one with a good mechanism with a ruined pcb
so I did a transplant and all was well.
I looked into the alternatives at the time, the test disc was too expensive but I did find the complete replacement mechanisms
i think including lazer were relatively cheap (approx $60?) and suggested as he relied on it that he purchase one for 'ron (later on).
The tips apply (aprox) from the posting Enzo made about CD players especially cleaning the lazer but I have no idea if yours is
a mechanical type problem or electrical.
I'm assuming yours is the MZ-R3-2 from 1995 I could only find a service manual for a MZ-R3 at eServiceinfo which does contain some test procedures (4 part winRar archive).

Sony MZ-R3 Service Manual free download,schematics,datasheets,eeprom bins,pcb,repair info for test equipment and electronics

There is also one on ebay at the moment for spares that seems to have the same fault as yours

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-MZ-R3-Minidisc-Walkman-Player-Recorder-Repair-Spares-/360395794100

all that comes out of the earphones is a sort of squeal, it sounds like a dial up modem on acid that has breathed helium.

( unless of course it is yours !!! ) so I suspect it may be a known problem .

[jmaf]

I had a front loading one a few years back.The owner a "piano bar man" had midi files with additional overdubs of real instruments
that he used sometimes for live work and as the indexing system (titles etc) was ideal for instant song requests and yes if he had a dollar
for every drunk that fell over him requesting that Billy Joel song I doubt he would be still playing!
Anyway I digress... this one would often spit out the disc but he had a mate who had one with a good mechanism with a ruined pcb
so I did a transplant and all was well.
I looked into the alternatives at the time, the test disc was too expensive but I did find the complete replacement mechanisms
i think including lazer were relatively cheap (approx $60?) and suggested as he relied on it that he purchase one for 'ron (later on).
The tips apply (aprox) from the posting Enzo made about CD players especially cleaning the lazer but I have no idea if yours is
a mechanical type problem or electrical.
I'm assuming yours is the MZ-R3-2 from 1995 I could only find a service manual for a MZ-R3 at eServiceinfo which does contain some test procedures (4 part winRar archive).

Sony MZ-R3 Service Manual free download,schematics,datasheets,eeprom bins,pcb,repair info for test equipment and electronics

There is also one on ebay at the moment for spares that seems to have the same fault as yours

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-MZ-R3-Minidisc-Walkman-Player-Recorder-Repair-Spares-/360395794100

( unless of course it is yours !!! ) so I suspect it may be a known problem .

Thanks for the tips. Buying another one for the parts is a good idea. I hadn't thought of that for this particular MD player, but in fact I'd wanted to do it before for a DOD pedal: I need the SCX6218 IC and thought that'd be the cheapest way.