Minidisc recorders

16 Dec 99 - 07:13 PM (#150546)
Subject: Minidisc recorders
From: BanjoRay

I'm thinking of replacing my old walkman recorder with a minidisc one for getting down the many tunes in sessions that I've never heard before. I bet nearly everyone out there has one(tee hee), so I'd like to hear some opinions about the various makes and models you can buy. What gets me, is that when you go to a shop that sells them, and ask why one costs 250 pounds and another costs only 90, they haven't a clue why! Would I be daft just to go for the cheapest one? Come on guys, give us a clue ok? Thanks Ray

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16 Dec 99 - 07:39 PM (#150564)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: Sunley

1)Know anyone flying out of Heathrow? Dixons there have vat-free stuff.

2)Sony has "bolt-on" 2XAA batt pack whereas Aiwa has its 3XAA batt pack on a little lead.

3)Don't bother with the playback-only ones, they're no fun. - they are the 90 pound ones.

4)Can recommend Aiwa AM-F5 which was 170 pounds almost a year ago, at a time when Sony was 220+. But Sony are v.good too. Both have digital input and come with stereo mics.

5)Mono recording (150 minutes) is excellent for live concerts; if you're near the speakers, the quality is superb.

6)Shops in USA don't seem to stock any - perhaps that's why MP3 players took off so easily there.

7)Sharp minidisc walkmans are the 'clunky' ones & very James Bond-ish. Don't know what they're like.

THEY'RE a great invention - even if they were 'slow burners' due to lack of pre-recorded stuff. Glad Sony stuck with the idea and got them so small.

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17 Dec 99 - 03:11 AM (#150733)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: Will Bakker

Can anyone tell me, if and how long this MD technique is going to last? Or are there new toys coming up? And what about recordable CD? I still don't know what to choose.

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17 Dec 99 - 08:18 AM (#150755)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: Ritchie Forster

Will, I have exactly the same dilema. I've got 'round it a little bit by buying my son a mini disc. It means I can easily send him compilations and copies of any new music that I am currently listening to quite easily thro' the post. I had intended to xfer all of my vinyl singles onto mini disc as it's very user friendly. As for CD copying I was n't sure if my pc was up to it and thought about buying a cd to cd copier for all my record and tape collection, however, it does n't copy play station games so....

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17 Dec 99 - 09:31 AM (#150770)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: Bert

I've got a Sony which I picked up at their outlet in Lancaster PA. for $150. Sound quality is fantastic. even with a cheapie $10 Magnavox microphone. Only compliants are that the controls are too small and there is no digital output.

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17 Dec 99 - 10:31 AM (#150798)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: KingBrilliant

I had a go with a friend's Pioneer Minidisc recorder. He highly recommended the sound quality & was absolutely right.

Kris

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17 Dec 99 - 11:58 AM (#150831)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: (S)nobby

1 month ago I bought a Minidisc Recorder by Sony for about 90 pounds (170 instead of 410 DM. It works very fine and the only disadvantage is that it has no digital output.

I use it as storage of all my music cassettes and language learning cassettes. From now on I don´t have do worry about band salad etc.

I felt the urge to buy it extremely when I wanted to record a LP via soundcard to *.WAV-files. I had to pay a lot of attention to stop the recording after every track (lack of memory to edit huge WAV-Files). After recording to the minidisk I can edit the tracks afterwards and record them easier to my hard disk.

Snobby

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17 Dec 99 - 12:20 PM (#150839)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: rjradack

If your thinking of getting a portable unit, make sure it has adjustable recording levels. Some of them have automatic or preset levels, depending on what your using it for, fully adjustable levels is the way to go. also, if your using it for live recording via microphone, the Audio Technica Pro7a is a great self-powered mini condenser mic for the money.

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17 Dec 99 - 04:52 PM (#150935)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: Melbert

I couldn't find a mini disc recorder with a digital output, this feature seemed only to be available on music centres for use in the home....
I bought a Sony MZ-R37 recorder (costing £UK190) which I use with a sony stereo mic ECM-MS907 (which cost £UK90).
I've used it to record a number of pus sessions now and the results have been outstanding.
Transferring the output from the minidisc to CD via analogue connection to the soundcard does seem to be a bit daft, but it seems to cause no discernible loss of quality (unless , I guess, you're very picky.....)

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17 Dec 99 - 10:27 PM (#151082)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: davidmc24

I have the Sharp MD-702 minidisc recorder, and have been quite happy with it. I bought it for US$100, though a more common price is US$150. I has adjustable recording levels, and takes both analog and digital input. The quality is quite good, even with poor quality mics. It comes with a remote control which is useful when you're using it to listen... you can leave the unit in a bag, while using the remote control to adjust volume, change tracks, etc. Also, the remote control is backlit, a definate advantage in dark situations.

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20 Dec 99 - 03:42 AM (#151840)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: Will Bakker

Are there MD recorders (I mean not the portables) with a microphone entrance. This must be bad English, but I hope you understand.

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20 Dec 99 - 04:29 AM (#151851)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: bseed(charleskratz)

Will, good question. The component Sony carried by Guitar Center has audio inputs on the back, but no mike jacks that I know of. I suppose if you have a receiver or amplifier, you'd use the mike jack(s) on that unit, which would in turn be connected via the audio inputs. I don't know if the inputs are analog or digital.

All I really know is I've gotta have one. Or two (a minimini and a component mini), recorders both, not playback only.

--seed

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20 Dec 99 - 05:13 PM (#152099)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: Bev Lawton

For all you need to know and way more than you do go to here :

The Minidisc Community Page : http://www.connact.com/~eaw/minidisc/index.html

Bev Lawton

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20 Dec 99 - 07:13 PM (#152144)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: John Wood

I have been using a SONY MZ-R30 Mini Disc Recorder with a SONY Stereo Mic.(ECM-MS957)for field recordings,and a stationary SONY Mini disc deck MDS-JE510 For Play back/editing.The stationary deck is much larger and it's much easier to do cliping,texting ect.It also has a remote control.

I'm very satisfied with this set up,and can thoughly recommend these products.

Greetings John.

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20 Dec 99 - 09:14 PM (#152196)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: John in Brisbane

For those of you who want to make good quality stereo recordings, but don't want to part with the loot for a brand name mic, I have read a Web article in the last week about the simple construction of one using low cost components from Radio Shack, no fancy tools required and a cost of less than $20. Was that here at Mudcat or where? Regards, John

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21 Dec 99 - 01:40 PM (#152493)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: Sam Pirt

I'm planning on buying mine in the sales!!

Cheers, Sam

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22 Dec 99 - 06:58 AM (#152829)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: Garry of Australia

One thing that none you guys are aware of, is that in order to record on a mini disc the manufacturers have incorporated an algorithm which compresses the music, before it does this it filters out certain components of the music that most of us can't hear directly, consequently fidelity is lost in recording and does not compare with DAT or hard disk recording. I use a sony but only for recording live sessions so that I can use it later for ideas for tunes and songs. If you do a listening comparison with CD's and DAT you will hear the difference. A friend of mine who is a professional uses one for all his recorded backings on stage because of the ease of accessing the tunes.

Garry

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23 Dec 99 - 01:05 AM (#153260)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: Charlie Baum

So can anyone recommend a good portable DAT recorder? One of the things we'd like to be able to do is make good high-quality field recordings. (For example, the untapped source singer we found in upstate New York). Thanks for suggestions.

--Charlie Baum (& Lisa Null)

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23 Dec 99 - 05:59 AM (#153311)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: John in Brisbane

Charlie, my future response may not be timely if you plan to buy yourself a Christmas, but I'll be seeing someone at Woodford Festival over the Christmas/New Year break who has just bought a Sony MD, and partially regrets the decision. Apparently the editing facility is superb, but she believes that the cost/quality equation still favours tape - I don't know whether she meant analogue or digital. I'll try to remember to check out this thread in about ten days time. Regards, John

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05 Jan 00 - 11:15 AM (#158366)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: BanjoRay

Thanks guys, this is turning into a great little information source on recorders, mics etc.

Cheers

Ray

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16 Jan 00 - 04:14 PM (#163935)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: GutBucketeer

I'm confused on what features I should look for for recording at workshops, sessions, etc.

It sounds like the most desirable feature is manually adjustable recording levels while the recording is going on. Is there anything else I should look for???

Do the Sony portables have manually adjustable volume levels. Their ads describe automatic amplitude adjustment.

Can anyone give me insights on experience/comparisons between the:

Sony MZR37 Sharp MD702, MD702b, and MD722 AIWA AM-F70

Their descriptions are unclear regarding manual overides of automatic features, weather you can make adjustments during a recording session, etc.

Thanks.

JAB

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16 Jan 00 - 04:55 PM (#163945)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: bseed(charleskratz)

I think the way I will go is a tabletop (component) recorder with an inexpensive mixer and the mikes I have with my 4 track tape recorder. The mixer will hook up to the audio inputs on the recorder, making up for its lack of mike inputs, and will also give me more flexibility in balance, etc., on input. I think I can also get a component recorder with digital output.

BTW, Circuit City carries a Sony two-slot CD player/recorder which could probably also be used with a mixer as a kind of portable studio for sessions and jams. I haven't checked the specs, but I assume it might offer high-speed dubbing as well as straight copying. I think it was in the mid-$3C range. Another possible advantage is that it might record without compression. Its footprint was about the same as a VCR, but it was only about 2.5 to 3 inches high.

One related question: what's a good multi-track music editing software program for Macintosh? One that I can afford, that is.

--seed

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17 Jan 00 - 07:08 PM (#164398)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: bseed(charleskratz)

refresh

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18 Jan 00 - 04:43 AM (#164539)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: AKS

I started another thread on experiences of easy-to-handle recording of rehearsals and sessions, but I'll put something here about the microphone 'setting' I'm referring to:

Two AKG C562 Boundary Layer mics (shape of round plate 16 cm in diameter, circa 0,5 cm thick) connected to a recorder (started with c-cass, now we use a minidisc) on top of a table and players around it. The mic should work, but not as effectively, when attached to a conventional stand. And, being omnidirectional, it can be installed on the wall, even on the ceiling as well. The mic is designed for phantom powering so an external battery supply is needed.

It is suggested that for maximum sensitivity, the 'installation' surface be at least one square meter of flat space, but our table hardly ever is that wide. We really haven't paid that much attention (eg we use autolevel rec) to the quality of the recording, our aim rather being to check whether 'the arr' works or not. And for that it serves - especially with minidisc now - more than well; different instruments and voices can be located quite nicely in stereo playback.

The drawback is the price: here in Finland C562 + batt supply is some 700 €, though I'd guess it's not that much ev'rywhere (the reason we've been able to use those two mics is that I and a couple of other band members work at the University of Joensuu and we have 'the kind permission' to do that).

Look at http://www.akg-acoustics.com for further details, check also 'discreet acoustics' section for other models of BL mics by AKG. Sennheiser also makes BL mics, of others I don't know, does anybody?

reg's AKS

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29 May 00 - 10:05 PM (#235637)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: dick greenhaus

I've ben using the Sharp 702 for a year or so; am very satisfied. It works extremely well with a Sony "tee" mike; stereo sound is excellent for field recording. If you wish to limit your usage to live field recording, it doesn't really matter if the format becomes obsolete; you can always transfer to a CD. Just stock up on blank Mini-disks.

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30 May 00 - 12:08 AM (#235684)
Subject: RE: BS: Minidisc recorders
From: MK

I do all of my home recordings on a digital 8 track that uses data mini disks as the storage medium. I'm very pleased with the results and defy anyone with normal human ears to tell me it isn't on par with CD quality.

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03 Dec 04 - 04:23 PM (#1346693)
Subject: RE: Minidisc recorders
From: black walnut

I'm on the hunt for a minidisc too. My understanding is that Sharps have live recording volume control, but the Sonys don't. The Sharps are supposed to be more user friendly. But the Sharps aren't available in Canada. Not even by special order. What the heck???? I've tried the big box stores, the small independent stores, and the internet!

~b.w.

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03 Dec 04 - 04:39 PM (#1346704)
Subject: RE: Minidisc recorders
From: Clinton Hammond

My Sony MZ-N707 allows for manual recording level adjustment, so I don't know what yer on about...

I suggest you maybe read sone of the online manuals a little closer BW...

Sony Hi-dens MD recorders... I can't say it often enough....

:-)

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03 Dec 04 - 05:26 PM (#1346736)
Subject: RE: Minidisc recorders
From: George Seto - [e-mail]

Black Walnut, there is Manual Record Level Control available. You have to switch it from Automatic to Manual at the start of recording.

First you hold the Pause down while you start the recording. Then you can locate the Record Level control. It's not as easy as if there were a separate control knob for it, but it IS there.

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