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MZ-1 -vs- MZ-RH1

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The MZ-1's battery is almost as large as the RH1. Quite a change in size, capacity, and function over the years.

:lol: Yep, the MZ-1's recgargeable battery is actually thicker than the MZ-R1. It's also about as long as the RH1. Feels like it might weigh more than the RH1 as well... :rolleyes:

Times change - Size Changes - Format changes yet the colours end up the same! :P

Black base

White text

Some red text

And The silver buttons too. I was noticing the similarities as well. :)

Edited by raintheory
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  • 2 weeks later...

What is that massive thing next to the new RH1?

Is it the new Hi-MD deck we've all been waiting for??? :D :D :D

That's big progress in 10 years!

Although the screen on the old one looks larger than on the RH1.

The screen's the only let-down on the MZ-RH1 for me, I'd have loved a decent sized screen on the top-surface. A black/white OLED thing would have looked killer.

The other day when a 2GB Pro Duo memory stick I ordered arrived I looked at it and compared it to a 1.4MB floppy disc.

Incredible!

Edited by batfastad
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I was thinking a couple of days ago about the changes we have seen in recent years.

It doesn't seem that long ago that I downloaded my first mp3 (Woke up this morning by the Alabama Three IIRC). Using a 56k modem this took something like 20 minutes. I then recorded it in real time to my R55 and I remember feeling pretty clever about the whole thing.

Earlier this week I downloaded about three hours of podcasts in less time than that mp3 took, imported them into SonicStage and transferred them to my RH1 in less than 5 minutes.

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Hi,

I am new to the MD forum but long time user of the cool MD. I own a MZ-1 and a MDS-JE510.

Yep, somewhat... The MZ-1 aside from being the first MD recorder is also the only portable with an optical out.

You'd have to keep in mind however that the ATRAC codec is dated and the unit only works with SP/MONO.

I like to add, the MZ-1 is a STEREO unit, not mono. I bought this unit shortly it was released in Germany about

1992-93 and used it extensively at home, in the car and on the go. I still have the unit today and never had any

trouble with it. Works great like a charm. The only annoyance is the build in SCMS. Even tho SONY did not spec. the

unit outside normal temperature ranges, it works just fine in my car at -20C and +40C or even more.

Too bad that SONY is discontinuing the MD legacy. They had something really good in there hands, just did not

understand the concept of customer support.

Edited by KCT
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I bought an MZ-1 in the week they first hit the shops in the UK, and wrote an article for one of the pro sound magazines right away pointing up the professional potential for the device. I must have the article here somewhere... I'll post it for a laugh if I come across it. Must tidy up... the MZ-1 sits unused in the cupboard these days but I can't quite bring myself to part with it.

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:lol: Yep, the MZ-1's recgargeable battery is actually thicker than the MZ-R1. It's also about as long as the RH1.

For sure, the BP-MZ1 battery is a BRICK! lol.

Yep, somewhat... The MZ-1 aside from being the first MD recorder is also the only portable with an optical out.

This is an all too common misconception among MD users. There are more portables that have optical output than just the MZ-1. The nearly identical MZ-2P is also a portable* with an optical output. There was a Sharp model with optical output as well, IIRC. I don't get why people always say the MZ-1 was the only one to have optical out, it wasn't. It's rare, yes, but it wasn't just one unit that had it.

*Neither the 1 or the 2P are really that "portable" compared to most other MD units, lol.

But you're right, the optical output isn't really that special considering it's an ATRAC 1.0 unit :(

I like to add, the MZ-1 is a STEREO unit, not mono.

Yes I believe the MZ-1 could only record in stereo but it should still be able to playback mono-SP format discs, recorded on other units--it's part of the MD specification I think--there's a handful of other old MD machines that can't record mono as well; however, I believe all can playback mono.

Another note: Shouldn't it say 1992 v. 2006? Because technically the MZ-1 (and MD itself) was released when it was still 1992, IIRC.

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nice thread! i have 2 mz-1's and bought my first on in may 1992. I also have 3 phillips DCC 900 machines (anyone remember those??)

the MZ-1 is a joy to have. i paid a little over $1,000.00 dollars (US) for it and the store only had one. the store owner was shocked that this young black guy (i was around 20 years old then) could afford and even knew about such a device! i bought another one shortly thereafter. i actually had 3 units but one of them, the transport stopped reading discs. also, it would take a 60 minute MD and act like it was a 74 minute MD. at the time, the 60 and early 74 minute MDs were the EXACT same disc, but the 60 minute MD was coded to only show enuff storage space for 60 minutes.i still have a couple 60 minute MDs that still work after alal thee years...

anyway, i have had a few other MD drives over the years but i still use my mz-1 in the studio. i have MD headunits in both of my cars and i have the wx-5900 md japaaneese headunit http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_WX-5900MD.html . that thing is beautiful and matches my VW blue interior well. i still use the MZ'nh1 (gold). its tiny but i still love the MZ-1

MD will be around until I am dead... DCC is still living as long as i have media and machines... :-)

nice thread.....

Edited by marctronixx
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TO keep the thread going, i just snapped some quick photos of the MD units i have left and a shot of one of the DCC decks i have.

i also h ave the original sampler disk that came with the MZ-1. also, notice the 60 minute and 74 minute MDs.. anything different between them besides the design? ;-)

post-7581-1153361413_thumb.jpg

post-7581-1153361431_thumb.jpg

post-7581-1153361446_thumb.jpg

post-7581-1153361463_thumb.jpg

post-7581-1153361481_thumb.jpg

post-7581-1153361498_thumb.jpg

Edited by marctronixx
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  • 3 weeks later...

I think the MZ-1 gets too much coverage and flak for being big :)

Only a year later, with Sony's next model, the MZ-R2, they made the first (IMO) desirable (and pocketable) MiniDisc portable. I got on the train with the follow-up model, the MZ-R3. Anyhoo, the MZ-1 was rush-released (at least that was the consensus at the time) to steal some thunder from Philips' DCC release (the two were one or two months apart in release dates in late-ish 1992). Of course Sony's ATRAC at the time was given lots of criticism for sounding worse than Philips' Precision Adaptive Sub-band Coding (PASC), but hey, they weren't using tapes.

marctronixx, nice pics. I have memories of TDK's DCCs blanks, too. They were nice.

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