Leland

I suggest you direct your question to Chris Carfagno at SoundProfessionals. He has lots of experience and loves to support his customers (as you are using a soundprofessionals mic). I suspect if he recommends a battery box, and you buy it and find it does not solve the problem, he would take it back. You could ask this in advance to make sure.

Don't hold your breath. I have never seen a feature added after launch. The only possibility would be as a plug in for SonicStage. There is the sound effects menu, which currently only has a "vocals cancellation" feature (for karaoke, I guess). If Sony published the specs for these plug in's it would be cool to have people write tools to do things, such as the one you want. Otherwise, it sounds like the N1 it is!

Me, don't get me (meaning me, Leland, not you, Me) wrong. I don't love SonicStage or OpenMG Jukebox. They are slow and buggy. They are usable and I really like NetMD for the fast download speed. But it is sad that the software isn't simply killer. I really like Sony gear in general. I have lots of Sony stuff and think their designs are good, their user interfaces are good and even like the quality. That said, they need to write better software! It is a real weakness of theirs.

Yes, they do show you in the manual. It seems to require removal of only one small external screw. I started to try to remove it, but lacked a good quality jewelers screwdriver and could tell I was going to scratch something, so I let my curiosity subside.

Me, I just searched my C drive and all 4535 *.omg files were in the folder I had specified when installing the database. I don't use RealPlayer. Regarding the comments made by Aidix, perhaps you are right, although I might contest a few of your points (the practicallity of having WAV's on any portable player as a primary format vs. MD in SP mode and carrying discs...) but I won't. I agree with several of them also. Perhaps for me it was different for two reasons. As you can see, I have a ton of history with MD and I like it. Secondly, NetMD was a convenience for me based on my CD collection, not a MP3 collection. I buy any CD I really like, and only collect a few MP3's of odd or old stuff. That said, I wouldn't try to convince anyone: they have to convince themselves! I only give my opinion

Yup. That's pitch. That is relatively easier to do, since you can scale pitch with speed and keep everything constant. Kind of like pressing your thumb on a phonograph album to slow it down. On the N10, Sony has tried to make it so the music doesn't go higher or lower when the speed is increased or decreased respectively. This is done using digital tricks, but introduces some artifacts. This was the concern of the original poster. He would prefer what you have to what is on the N10. Thanks for clarifying, now I know it wasn't just poor listening skills making me think it sounded choppy and robotic. It does!

Does the pitch change with the R700? With the N10, the pitch is kept constant, which results in the choppiness. It could just be my impression of it also, but I didn't think it sounded great when I just tried it.

The 2x download speed of the N10 is great. The overall feature upgrade and the form factor is outstanding. I looked at the N1 and waited, then jumped for the N10. Biggest issue is battery life. That depends on how you plan to use it. The built in battery is very good, but will not last as long as the N1. If you plan to go on long trips, you will need the battery pack and a charger. I have travelled up to a week without a recharge. The look and feel of the N10 is superior. Perhaps the best advice is for you to wait until you can compare them side by side.

It sounds as you describe, choppy and robotic. Based on your post, you would not like it at more than say 5% plus or minus, which is the minimum change.

I think the forums seem dead because Mystyler's post rate has dramatically declined He must be having a good holiday!

Just a guess, but the cycle in Japan for recorders is usually in the fall, so that might be done. The cycle in the US and Europe seems to be spring. In recent years, due to differences in the geographic markets, the available models in different countries has become diverse. These could be springtime new models for the US and Europe. Could E mean Europe? For instance, virtually none of the AA battery only models has ever been marketed in Japan. The N505 and N707 are not available there. So far, in Japan, the only N models have been the N1 and the N10 (I speak only of Sony here). I suspect these will be updates to the US and European models that will have some of the features of the N10, but not others. The built-in LIon battery for instance might give way to a single AA with a bump, etc. There might be less focus on the extremely small size, which plays best in Japan. Who knows, perhaps the N10 will be a Japan only product and that is why it comes with Japanese only software, unlike the N1. Very interesting!

I have a suspision about this. I experienced the described problem, but only when my unit was in "Quick" power mode. When set to "Normal" power mode, there was no degradation in battery power. Any one with an N10 who can try this might help claify the source of the rumour. It might be a feature of "quick" mode. If it does turn out to be a known problem, it can be handled by the warranty.

If you are recording very loud music, the battery box might be your only option in the long run. There is a Do it Youself Battery box description on the following page. I did it once: that means it is VERY easy. Click the link then look on the topics on the left frame of the page. http://home.earthlink.net/~gottapes/micdiyers/main.htm Regards

That last post was me (not Me) not logged in.

Since I live in Tokyo, I see 'em all over the place. All sizes, all ages. Everyone in Japan knows about MD, almost nobody would use a casette anymore. The dissapointment about those missing out in the US and elsewhere is amplified by seeing an entire society that is NOT missing out.

For the small difference in price, get the N707 over the N505 as the mic input on the N707 will come in handy one day, even if you think you will usually record from boards.

While Me makes a good point, I wouldn't steer you away so quickly. The copyright restriction is irritating, but how many copies do you need? You can restore them from a backup anyway, so I don't worry about it. For copying to a portable format at high speed, the N707 is excellent value for money. HDD players are cool, but the benefit of the minidisc over these is 1. Size, 2. Battery life. 3. Better sound quality then MP3, if source is ripped from CD to ATRAC3.

Virtally all portable MD units have resume play as the default play mode/ Sony's certainly do. The home decks do not. Regarding PDM, the only real beneficial use for this in my experience is in combination with the bookmark feature of the new units (N10 and E10). On a long LP2 disc, it is nice to be able to mark favorite tracks and then have PDM remember this. Otherwise, I never remembered to use it for anything in the 2 years I had it on my R900.

For interviews, I expect it is outstanding. My personal experience is as follows: I have two mic's. One is the SoundProfessionals stereo pair that mount to your eyeglasses in a pair of croakies. These are pretty high quality custom made little mics that do a great job. They run about $100. More relevant, I also have a small stereo tie pin mic that I bought for about $20. I think it is from Panasonic. I have used it like this: Clip it to my shirt. Put my MD recorder in my pocket, recording. Walk around Tokyo shopping to record ambient sounds, transactions made, jokes with my friend etc. Or, walking around the park with my kids to catch our conversations (really fun as they are completely candid, whereas video cameras intimidate at times). Or, run on the landing upstairs in high sensitivity to record conversations at the dinner table at the holidays. Or, Hang my MD recorder in a tree in the woods, leave it there for an hour, come back and find some great recordings of birds. The quality of all these recordings is remarkable. (please, no comments on the ethics of my clandistine recordings! I only do it with my family!) That is why I expect the setups I have seen Japanese reporters use probably give good results. Here is my advice, based on the other posts, as sound quality is dependant on how you wish to use the recordings in the future and what your personal tastes are: First of all, you cannot go wrong with using MD as a recording format. The simplicity, portability, quality, and length of recording time available make it excellent, and it has a well established track record as a result. Then, get a low cost condensor mic, as suggested in the first reply, although the tiepin mic I have does not need batteries, it uses the plug in power from the MD player. Ditto for the Sound Professionals mics. Don't spend too much. Try it. For $20, if you don't like it too much, it is always handy to carry as a back up. I always have mine in case I have some urge to make an ambient recording with my MD recorder and have not prepared. Then try something a little more upscale. Also, buy from a vendor that has a good variety and a good return policy. Then you can try one, take it back and trade up, try again. Also, make sure you look through the minidisc.org accessory browser on microphones. I am sure you will find lots of good advice there. The folks at the Sound Professionals and Core Sound both are very helpful giving advice. They are referenced on the accessory browser. Enjoy.

Very sexy unit, but I wouldn't get one. This is based on a comparison to my son's E909, very similar to your E900. The downsides I see are: nonstandard output plug, requires (supplied) adapter, which is a bit of a hassle. Biggest downside, no external battery or charging option without having AC adapter and cradle, so not good for trips. I also wouldn't get one as I have an N10, so it would be pretty hard to justify. If you just use it daily from home, or short trips, so you can keep the charge topped up and you use the same headphones all the time, or use the remote all the time, then the above is not an issue. In that case, compared to any other unit ever made, it really is sweet. Small, sleek. Beautiful. No doubt, reaching the end of what can be done with the format. Not much bigger than the MD. If the charging is not a problem for you, the built in battery is very convenient. In your case, it is largely an emotional decision, as the E900 is already pretty small, light, good battery, etc. Do you need group mode? That would be new, I think.

In Japan, it is very common to see reporters using MD's when you watch the news and see them recording interviews or statements made by politicians. They often use small stereo "bow tie" mics plugged into the mic input of a small recorder, then shove the entire recorder, mic and all, into the face of the yakking politician.

Lustral, that is excellent! Not quite 60 hours, but a great testament to the improvements since the MZ-1. I used to get about 45 minutes, then switch to my second battery (which weighed more than my N10 does now) to get another 45 minutes. In my own tests, I have noted a huge difference between just letting it play, vs. switching discs, moving to and fro tracks, and of course especially editing (as this is really brief recording). Thanks for the effort!

You are doing well, Lustral. Remember, your committment is 60 Hours. Not a minute less.

Hey, Dave. Tell everyone how cool the N10 is! I got mine FIRST!!! (because I live in Tokyo) People need to appreciate how cool this unit is. The ergonomics are superlative. I though the R900 was the ultimate. I was even happy to sit out one years new product cycle. Then I discovered NetMD. Now, I think the N10 is the penultimate. (Just in case. Since I was wrong the last time, I want to hedge my bets)

As I understand it, you have to look at the adapter as a kind of resistor that reduces the voltage. It is rated to handle a certain amount of amperage. If you overload it, it will overheat (sounds like resistance, right). Say you double the voltage. If the resistance is basically constant, then the current is doubled. If the design is not capable of handling that much current, it causes a problem. Anyway, my limited, laymans understanding. I melted one once. Really melted. Luckily I was around and could smell it before it caught fire. I was doing something extreme though. I am overdriving an adapter at the moment for my wireless ethernet router/switch. It works fine. Just a little warm.