Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Ferrara
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 11:17 PM

Thanks Rick & Jeri!

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 05:25 PM

Ahh... the grand debate...

Portable hard drive (Which is really all a mp3 recorder is), or Minidisc...

;-)

Prefer minidisc myself....

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: GUEST,chris
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 05:22 PM

Take a look at the Archos mp3 recorder - I use if for recording off the pc and stereo, but it also has a mic and you can add a separate mic with amplifier. It's cheaper and has bigger memory (gigs!) than the Sony - but you should have the store test if for you before buying. Chris

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 03:38 PM

Just bringing this back for Ferrara.

Rick

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Al
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 03:04 PM

Sony MZ R900. Al

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 01:22 PM

My 0.02

If yer gonna get a MD recorder, there's not much point unless ya get a LP (Long Play) recorder... 5+ hours of music on 1 MD ROCKS!!!!

I'd rather die than lose my MZ-N707 MDLP...

.-)

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 01:06 PM

Where are you, neophyte? I'm selling a good dictaphone-style recorder, if you're in the UK; I used to use it but switched to a minidisc.

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: JohnnyBGoode
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 01:04 PM

As for microphones, I got a couple sony flat mic's offa ebay for about ten bucks a piece. I like them very much. They're mono, so you'll want two and an adapter to record. Messier with the chords but worth it.

Also got a prof. walkman, which does kick butt. MD may be more convenient and niftier though.

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Jeri
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 12:48 PM

Refresharoonie - and another thread here.

Subject: Typo!
From: Bernard
Date: 10 Jan 01 - 02:25 PM

Whoops! For 'platback' read 'Playback'!!

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Bernard
Date: 10 Jan 01 - 02:22 PM

If you are using a portable MiniDisk to record, the headphone output (3.5mm stereo mini-jack) is not a good idea for input to an analogue input on a sound card.

BUT! most of them have a Line Out socket (also 3.5mm stereo mini-jack) which is suitable.

You will probably find that most of the 'noise' you get is simply down to over-driving the input of the soundcard.

If you haven't a line output, turn the volume down on the MD player, and up on the line input of the soundcard. Play about with the balance between the two until you get the best results - a clean, undistorted sound, with a reasonable platback level.

Good software has a facility for filtering out the soundcard's inherent noise - you ask it to record some silence, and it fingerprints the noise for later filtering.

I would suggest that most people would not notice the difference, particularly if you are recording a session which is going to be a less-than-professional standard of recording, and using the recording primarily for learning tunes - which, I think, was the original query.

I produced my one-and-only album on cassette, and later transferred it to my hard drive, and wrote it to CD. The sound quality is as good as the original cassette - really, a lot of the debate about 'quality' is over-stated, as the differences are in frequencies out of human earshot! Now a dog...

The debate about loudspeaker cables is a typical case in point - oxygen free copper has an advantage for the manufacturer (easier to draw it out thinner), but the difference isn't audible, and hard enough to see on an oscilloscope. Polarised cables are total poppycock - loudspeaker signals are AC, not DC...

At long last people are beginning to realise they've been had!! Thick cable is better than thin cable (better current rating), and lots of fine strands are better than a few thick strands (surface effect), but that's as far as it goes!

For the 'record'(!!) I'm a full-time sound engineer...

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Sorcha
Date: 10 Jan 01 - 10:06 AM

When Allan C and bill/sables were here last summer, Allan had a mini disc recorder. I have no clue about the specs, but the playback quality was AWESOME for open mike/backyard jamming. You might PM Allan.......

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 10 Jan 01 - 09:18 AM

Microphones.

Try your tie clip and if you like the results, stick with it. If you're not satisfied, move up. I sometimes use a tie clip myself. The advantage is portability. The recorder goes into a pocket, the tie clip clips to a pocket (wouldn't think of wearing a tie when I play) and I become a walking sound studio. For jams and other informal settings the sound is fine.

If I plan to be stationary for a while I use the big Sony mic and a stand.

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: AKS
Date: 10 Jan 01 - 07:22 AM

Minidisc, definitely!

Notice that the MZ-R35 of Sony is an outgoing model (if not outgone already, at least here in Finland not available any more), one newer (and even smaller) equivalent being MZ-R70. I hear no difference in sound quality between those two, so if you'd come across an R35 (the operating buttons on both are far too tiny for fingers even as slim as mine, anyway:) there's no reason not to buy it, methinks.

If one wants to transfer the recordings onto pc, the (only?) drawback is that there are no computer-compatible MD-drives on the market (at least so they told me when I asked). Much of the advantage of the MD-recordings being digital fades away, unless one does not have a digital out table-top (portables tend to have dig. in only) MD-player + digital in soundcard on the pc. Mind you, some ordinary soundcards make quite noisy A/D conversion that will ruin the nearly CD-quality MD-recording, when 're-digitized' onto pc through analog connection.

AKS

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From:
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 10:18 PM

Bonnie, I'm saving up for a Mini-Disc recorder myself. A friend of mine, who is actually a performer, and has a small studio at home has been using one of the Sony's and swears by it. I believe, he paid about $500-$600 Cdn for the recorder and mic. (roughly 50/50)

Depending on what you are going to do with the recordings dictates what sort of money you spend on the microphone. If you want good QUALITY recordings, don't skimp on it.

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 10:03 PM

Oy, I must be blind. Russ answered all my questions about cost and microphones. Us highly intelligent people have to come across as kind of slow at times so that the others won't feel inferior.

Thanks for all the comments here. They are helping me make a sound decision......get it?

Bonnie

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Banjer
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 07:05 PM

I like my Panasonic RQ-L319. It has excelent pick up qualities and as someone mentioned earlier can be slowed down (or sped up) to better understand lyrics you may be wanting to learn. It also has places to plug in external mic and monitor. It can be set to VOX operation as well. (Voice activated) If I recall correctly the thing only ran about $40 at our local Office Depot. I have had it for a couple of years so price may not be accurate, but surely cannot be that much off.

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: NSC
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 06:21 PM

Ì am in the process of converting all of my old cassette recordings (over 30 years of recording) onto Mini disk.

All new recordings are done on the Sony MZ-R37. A truly magnificent machine.

The results of the transfers are also magnificent. I can control the recording level nad exclude the slight hiss in the bsckground. I didn't expect enhancement but what a wonderful side effect.

Definitely go for mini disk. Save up for it rather than buy a cheaper tape unit - even if it takes you a year. It will be worth the wait.

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 05:33 PM

What are your thoughts about getting a very good microphone?
I have a tie clip but if I do get the minidisc recorder, is it worth while for me to get a really good external microphone?

Bonnie

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Bernard
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 03:57 PM

I didn't do that, honest!! An error message came up... and that's my story...

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Bernard
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 03:55 PM

Oh, and the pitch doesn't have to alter, as with a cassette, etc.!

And you can set it to loop a phrase over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over........

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Bernard
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 03:54 PM

Oh, and the pitch doesn't have to alter, as with a cassette, etc.!

And you can set it to loop a phrase over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over........

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Bernard
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 03:52 PM

No, but you can easily transfer the file to a computer, and slow it down there (with the right software!).

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 02:37 PM

Is it possible to slow down the minidisc recorders?

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 02:35 PM

Thanks guys
Sounds like the minidisc recorder is the way to go.
I would love to buys the Sony MD Walkman MZ-R37
I'll have to think about it. Ever since I got interested in the 'banjo business' seems like I'm always buying something.
Thanks for the site Russ, I'll go there next.
By the way, how much do the Sony MD Walkman MZ-R37 cost in the US? I was told it cost less in the US than in Canada.

Bonnie

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 02:23 PM

I have a little portable Panasonic cassette recorder that has the very useful ability to playback at half speed (half speed is exactly one octave down). This means that if you use it to record tunes at a session it is a lot easier to learn them slowly at home later. The panasonic is small enough to live in my fiddle case and cheap enough not to worry about on a pub table.

Therefore I would recommend that if you intend to record tunes at sessions to learn then go for a cassetee player with a half speed feature. If you just want the best quality small recorder then go mini disk.

Ian S

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 12:23 PM

I have used various portable analog tape recorders for years. I have miles of tape. A friend bought a Sony minidisc recorder a little over a year ago. He played me a recording he had made at a jam. I immediately went out and bought the same recorder he had, a Sony MD Walkman MZ-R37. I've never looked back.

Sound quality: no comparison. Ease of use: no comparison. Imagine never having to rewind or fast-forward a tape again. Random access beats sequential every time. Editing: no comparison. Delete exactly the part of the recording you don't want. Rearrange the order of the tracks at will.

The easiest way to get started is to go to someplace like Circuit City and buy whatever recorder is cheapest that day. The MZ-R37 currently sells for about $170 US. Most minidisc recorders do not come with a microphone. Use whatever external mic you have been using with your analog recorder. If you've got no external mic, they'll probably have one or more Sony mics at the same store. I use both a (big) Sony ECM-MS907 and a little Sony lapel mic. I happy with both. There's also Radio Shack. Buy LOTS of discs. You'll be playing with your new toy a lot.

Check out http://www.minidiscussion.com/boards/general/

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Gervase
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 11:18 AM

For ease of use and quality of playback, I'd say that the tape has maybe had its day - thought the Sony professional recording Walkman is a good bit of kit, with Dobly B and C built in.
Go for a MiniDisc recorder - they are dropping in price (around œ200 in the UK stores) and give superb sound quality. They're limited by having a 74-minute maximum recording time (double that if you record in mono), but that's about the only drawback. Being digital the recordings never wear out (sony claims you can record up to a million times on one disc), and you can jump immediately to tracks, rename them, combine, edit...

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 11:17 AM

Oh.... and tape recorders... you don't have to worry 'that' much if they get stolen... it's not like you would have spent over £100+ for one of those...

and it was Sony tape recorders... sorry I was not clear

oops

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 11:17 AM

Oh.... and tape recorders... you don't have to worry 'that' much if they get stolen... it's not like you would have spent over £100+ for one of those...

Subject: RE: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 11:16 AM

I have found that Sony ones have been fairly reliable... but this is from personal experiences...

The mini cassette recorder is great for sessions... and the like if you just want to have tunes to learn etc.

Mini disk gives you a better quality, and much easier referencing and access... My friends who have these have a small clip microphone to go with it too.

Ella

Subject: Help: Purchasing a mini tape recorder
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 09 Jan 01 - 10:37 AM

I am interested in purchasing a good small pocket size recorder for taping music.
I know you can get small cassette tape recorders, mini cassette tape recorders and now digital disc recorders.
There is a large range in prices from $100.00 - $500.00
I was shown an amazing digital small disc recorder made my Sony called the digital Walkman I think?
It was pricey though, $500.00 Canadian dollars.
Are regular cassette tape recorders becoming obsolete?
I'm assuming the mini cassette recorder is not the best thing to use for recording live music.
Is the way to go digital with an external microphone?
Any suggestions on what I should be looking at?

Bonnie