Tech: Help! Minidisc sounds like R2D2!

Subject: RE: Tech: Help! Minidisc sounds like R2D2!
From: treewind
Date: 08 May 07 - 12:48 PM

I've taken to using 320k MP3 when recording on the internal mics.
The mics will surely be the weakest link and the extra storage of PCM WAV is not worth the (mostly indistinguishable) differenece in quality.

I'll save 24/44 WAV for when I'm doing a location recording with Schoeps mics and DAV preamp...

Anahata

Subject: RE: Tech: Help! Minidisc sounds like R2D2!
From: GUEST
Date: 08 May 07 - 12:11 PM

Thanks, Anahata. I have ordered a cleaner on your recommendation.

No vibration at all while recording either time, Hitchin' John.

I also use an Edirol. Fantastic for top notch recordings. The WAV files take up hhhhhhuuuuuuuggggggggggeeeeeeee amounts of space on the hard drive if kept after burning, though.

Cheers all.

Ian

Subject: RE: Tech: Help! Minidisc sounds like R2D2!
From: treewind
Date: 08 May 07 - 06:15 AM

Me too. My MZR30 still works (as far as I know) but the Edirol R-09 is the way to go. That Zoom recorder (link in Darowyn's post) looks like an imitation of the Edirol. I'm not wildly convinced by its mic pattern feature; the rest of it is very similar to the R-09.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Tech: Help! Minidisc sounds like R2D2!
From: nickp
Date: 08 May 07 - 04:58 AM

I've given up my MD for an Edirol r-09 which records to a camera type SD card in WAV or MP3. Direct download to pc via USB. Not cheap but I reckon it's the way to go. There is a thread on the earlier R-01 which may hev spread to the 09.

Subject: RE: Tech: Help! Minidisc sounds like R2D2!
From: Darowyn
Date: 08 May 07 - 02:59 AM

Minidisks are magneto-optical, they use a laser and a magnetic head to change the state of the disk surface during recording.
There is an explanation here:-


Magneto optical

The system has so many stages and so much processing, that it has plenty of opportunities to go wrong. It's probably time to switch to a memory card recorder like this new one from Zoom.

Mini recorder

Cheers
Dave

Subject: RE: Tech: Help! Minidisc sounds like R2D2!
From: jeffp
Date: 07 May 07 - 03:38 PM

That's strange. My Sony MZ-M10 MInidisk Recorder makes no mention of a laser. You have to look at the manual for any warning. I stand corrected (sitting, actually). Mine seems to be pretty impervious to any vibration. I can shake it around pretty violently while it's playing and it doesn't skip a beat.

Subject: RE: Tech: Help! Minidisc sounds like R2D2!
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 07 May 07 - 03:33 PM

Maybe you just inadvertantly recorded bits of Star Wars?

I'll get my coat...

:D

Subject: RE: Tech: Help! Minidisc sounds like R2D2!
From: Hitchin' John
Date: 07 May 07 - 03:29 PM

A MiniDisc recorder does have a laser I have the manaual for a Sony MDS-JE780 in front of me - by chance I was checking a message from the display.

On the first page there is a warning that it contains a Class 1 laser and a copy of an internal warning label that it uses invisible radiation - when open and interlocks defeated avoid exposure to beam.

Minidisc reads very similarly to CD but has a compression system (lossy recording) that allows the amount of material to be fitted into a smaller disc. I hadn't realise it uses magneto optical properties to write.


wikipedia minidisc description

This is not a great deal of help technically.

Was there any chance that the minidisc was exposed to considerable vibration while recording?

Subject: RE: Tech: Help! Minidisc sounds like R2D2!
From: jeffp
Date: 07 May 07 - 02:14 PM

A minidisk recorder doesn't have a laser. It uses magnetic disks.

Subject: RE: Tech: Help! Minidisc sounds like R2D2!
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 07 May 07 - 01:33 PM

That's what my minidisc recorder started doing before it finally stopped functioning completely.

In the beginning the problem was intermittent.

Had to replace it.

Hope you're luckier than I was.

Russ (Permanent GUEST)

Subject: RE: Tech: Help! Minidisc sounds like R2D2!
From: treewind
Date: 07 May 07 - 01:07 PM

It looks like a description of a playback problem, not a duff mic.

Easiest possibility to cure: a dirty lens. You can get a lens cleaner MD - jut put in in and play it, and a little brush wipes the dirt off the lens.

Failing that it's a worn out laser. Getting a replacement could be interesting!

What's happening is its getting lots of errors while reading - the gaps are caused by re-reading. Up to a point it can do this without interrupting the music, but if too many re-reads are needed before it gets a good copy of a block of data it runs out of time and the music stops briefly, and if never gets a good copy it stops completely.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Tech: Help! Minidisc sounds like R2D2!
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 07 May 07 - 08:42 AM

Probably not the same problem, Ian, but I found that a whole load of my recording was NBG - very faint and quiet, the reason traced to the microphone BATTERY: mine's a Sony, and has a small Li-ion cell in it: having replaced battery, it's now recording fine again.
TB

Subject: Tech: Help! Minidisc sounds like R2D2!
From: GUEST,Ian cookieless
Date: 07 May 07 - 08:09 AM

I have a Sharp minidisc recorder which has never let me down in 2 years. Recently, half way through listening to a playback of a recording, it - that is the recording on the MD, not the unit itself - started making electronic noises like R2D2 on a bad day, interrupting the sound recording. It also kept stalling then restarting where it left off. The next recording was much worse and had to be scrapped.

Anyone know what the problem could be? It could be 2 duff MDs (Maxell), but it seems an odd coincidence to have one then another duff one. Is it the recorder? I have recorded something silly since (my washing machine) just to test it, using one of the same MDs with the noises on, and that was strangely OK. I doubt that the mic could be responsible, but I am speaking from technical ignorance here. Anyone help?

BTW, I have looked through previous MD threads on Mudcat and found nothing to help.