A440

Go into Menu/Options/Menu Mode and set to Advanced. Put in a disc, press REC(Track) and Pause (ll) at same time. Go into Rec Set and turn Time Mark off. Push stop, continue through Rec Set menu to SYNC, and set Sync Off. That should put you back in control of tracks.

Kurisu, I still have not installed SP2 and here's why. I found this on www.slsknet.org, the website for Soulseek, the best indie-music file-sharing client. http://faq.slsknet.org/index.php?sid=32157...=576&artlang=en The gist of it is this: "Service Pack 2 contains a number of bug fixes and new features. One of those new "features" is a capping on the number of concurrent half-open TCP connections. Windows XP SP2 is [missing word here: limiting?] severely the number of ongoing connections you can make to the Internet in a given laps of time (maximum 10 half-open TCP connections). SoulSeek, like any P2P software, rely heavily on ongoing connections to connect to the SoulSeek Distributed Network and to initiate File transfers. The software will seems to "hang" while it's actually Windows XP delaying the connection. The bad news is that this capping setting CANNOT be changed. Microsoft just didn't provide any registry entries nor configuration file to do this. To restore pre-SP2 behavior (= no limit), you must patch a system file." Given that Sony and Microsoft have also been playing patch-the-software games with SonicStage and security updates, and that SP2 also flummoxes a whole variety of other programs, I am going to try and get along without SP2 and have my computer actually continue to work.

Your problem is the fact that your microphone cuts off the lower bass tones, and for an organ recording that's a shame. For your budget you should be able to get a fantastic microphone, and you should definitely look beyond Sony--even the ECM 957 only goes down to 50Hz, which is an octave above the bottom note of a piano and more above the lowest sub-bass tones of a church organ. Some other reputable manufacturers are Audio Technica, AKG, Shure, Schoeps and (probably out of your price range) Earthworks and Rode. Look at www.soundprofessionals.com to start--they do ship to Europe, and they have a mic called a 907 that has far better specs than Sony. But if you're not concerned with stealth, then you should also look at pro audio stores near you if there are any. You want a wide frequency response --20 to 20,000 Hz -- and a high signal-to-noise ratio. Do some Google searching, like [ Sony ECM 957 specs] , to compare. You have a one-point stereo mic, but you might also consider getting a pair of mics that you can separate, which will give you a rounder, more natural sound. If you want to look at specs for extremely expensive pro microphones, try www.oade.com

I think this is getting a little confusing for newbies, so I hope this simplifies. The mic-in and line-in jacks on Hi-MDs will do realtime recording, just as before. SonicStage, which started with the NetMD generation (MZ-Nxxx) of MDs, is for faster-than-realtime file transfer, so you can put a CD in your computer (or select some mp3 files on your hard drive), and have them imported and coverted into the minidisc format ATRAC in your computer, then transferred to MD as a digital file rather than a realtime recording.

What version of SonicStooge are you using? If you're using the one from the disc that came with your MD, you should upgrade to 2.3 from www.connect.com or http://esupport.sony.com/perl/swu-download...SVAL=ALLOS%255D Unfortunately, that's a web installer, so I hope you're not on dialup. If you're lucky, it will upgrade automatically from whatever you have installed and leave your Library alone. But of course, there is a chance that it will trash your songs. Still, it shouldn't be that hard to redo 80 songs, and it's worth it: you should get a much less crash-prone and faster SS.

I actually played flute for many years, and if I had it to do over again I would choose another instrument. The flute's advantages are that it's portable, intuitive and does really discipline your breathing. But it has a very limited timbral range--basically a sine wave that you can vary slightly with vibrato or breath--and if you're playing classical music, there's not much of a repertory. How about violin? The learning curve is steeper, but the repertory and expressive possibilities are exponentially larger, not to mention the countless traditions--from Cajun to Arabic to gypsy--that have their own fiddle styles. And if you're looking for a wind instrument for improvising, saxophone is king for good reasons: flexibility and gutsiness.

While I drool over the Edirol, I note that you were looking for something under $100. Creative often sells its own Extigy refurbished on Ebay for something like $70, and it's got optical in/out and lots of other input-outputs. Here's one listed: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...ssPageName=WDVW The Philips Aurilium was designed as an answer to the Extigy, check those out too.

I loved my MZ-R700 too, but as a recorder. MDmp3 wants a player to download to, so it has to be NetMD (MZ-Nxxx) or Hi-MD (MZ-NHxxx). And while you could probably find a used MZ-N707 on Ebay for about $100, I think it's worth it to get a Hi-MD, because Sony stole the Ipod's dial to scroll through what's on the disc and that's a huge improvement. There's no shuffle like on the iPod, though, and if you want to put together a custom playlist you'll have to do it on Soundtage before you leave home. Try www.jr.com, you can get a MZ-NH600 for $160 US. 256MB is barely enough, and who knows what the sound quality is like on those little MP3 players. A 1G Hi-MD disc will hold maybe two dozen albums in Hi-LP, which is good enough for mobile use, and your basic 80-minute disc should hold 8-10 albums. Soundstage 2.3 does a fast transfer if the mp3s are already on the computer. I don't have an iPod to compare it to for sound, but I like the sound I get, and I love the idea of removable storage and replaceable batteries. But whatever player you get, MD or not, upgrade the headphones. I love my E3s too, in oh-so-subtle gray, but they are a splurge at $120. Sennheiser PX100 phones are $40, and MX-400 buds are only $15. There's more music in the MD than the included phones will ever reveal. And gee, even in Canadian dollars, those prices at Best Buy.ca for blank MDs are sky-high. Order some across the border or on Ebay.

Gerry-- Sony finally caught up with Sharp on being able to change levels while recording--I think with the MZ-N9xx and beyond. You can change Recording Volume on both Line and Mic as it's recording, if you have Rec Volume set to Manual.

What I called the stick is the pointing stick in the middle of the dial, the thing with >ENT on it. Here's the sequence. Push REC and PAUSE (ll), and the recording-level meter should appear. Then: Menu, REC SET , REC Volume, Manual. Then pushing the stick left or right will change recording volume while recording. It reads REC and 13(or whatever)/30. Un-PAUSE to start recording. Your volume setting can still be adjusted while recording by pushing left or right, but I suggest leaving it fairly low and not fiddling with it. (Incidentally, pushing the stick up and down is playback volume, useless.) But remember: every time you press STOP it reverts to AGC, and there's no recording-level control. Maybe that's why you had no control when you tried. You have to go through the whole ridiculous process again to return to Manual. Incidentally, I went to a louder show and did Manual, Low Sens, Volume at 11 and still got distortion. I may go back to High Sens, Volume at 12, and my Radio Shack attenuator. Not as theoretically pure, but it works.

Is there a fresh battery in your MS907? Possibly the one that came with it is weak or dead. And are you sure it's plugged into the Mic (red) jack and not the Line-in (white) jack? Also, make sure you're not adjusting playback volume (moving the stick vertically) rather than recording volume (moving the stick horizontally, and it will say REC; you have to do it while Record is on). Otherwise, something may be awry, and you should take the mic and MD back to the dealer and ask the same question. With High Sensitivity and something that close and loud, you should be worrying about distortion, not low volume. And no, there's no default to manual. Another classic Sony interface.

Mrsoul-- I just did a test, and Mic Sensitivity is still active in Manual Volume. The Standard/Loud setting doesn't matter because it's supposed to fine-tune AGC, so it is irrelevant in Manual Volume. But Mic Sensitivity still makes a huge difference to manual or automatic, and it's definitely there.

You're not going to be able to upload with that Sharp--all you can do is record via analog (headphone jack to line-in on your computer) in real time. But for $36, it's a great intro to minidisc. There's no wireless remote for a portable MD unit, and while you probably could get wireless mics, you're limiting sound quality and maxing out your budget if you do. You can do better than Sony mics. It looks like the CS-10 is for business meetings, though it does go down to 50 Hz--it might be equalized to emphasize upper frequencies. Go to www.soundprofessionals.com www.microphonemadness.com or www.reactivesounds.com or www.minidisco.com and look at the microphones available. Even the cheaper ones sound surprisingly good.

Perhaps it is an ATRAC artifact, bagpipes do have all kinds of overtones. Are you recording at the highest possible bitrate--SP in regular MD, PCM in HI-MD. Other possibilities: Is that closed room quiet? Does it have a heater, water runninng nearby, etc.? Sometimes a mic will pick up those sounds even if your ears unconsciously tune them out. Ruling that out, if it's a constant sound I'd guess it comes from the electronics--either your mic or the MD's preamp. What do you get if you record with no sound in the room? Is the whoosh/hiss still there? Or is it the MD responding to the sound level? Can you borrow a different mic and see if you still get the same problem? It could be a noisy mic, though I doubt that if it's from Sound Pros. If you also get the same problem with different mics, then bypassing the preamp by using a battery box to line-in might also help. And by the way, bagpipes sound strange anyway...

I've never used an R37, but it's supposed to be one of the most forgiving MDs ever made. Have you tried setting the record volume to Manual and using a low number? Or setting the Radio Shack volume control lower as you record? I still have distortion problems with my NHF800, even on Low Sensitivity, so try changing settings before you make the new investment.

Only tracks recorded in Hi-MD formats (PCM, Hi-SP, Hi-LP) can be uploaded. If they were recorded on a NetMD or previous recorder (SP, LP, LP2, LP4), they can't be uploaded. The only way to get tracks recorded before Hi-MD to the computer is to record them in realtime, and then you can do what you want with them. It's all here: http://forums.minidisc.org/viewtopic.php?t=7073 Also take a look at the other Sticky notes at the top of this forum. Hi-MD tracks recorded via mic are now virtually free for you to burn, etc.: upload them via Soundstage and then use Sony's wav. converter or MarcNet's HiMDRender to turn them into .wav files. If they were recorded via line-in, then use HiMDRender. It's all here: http://forums.minidisc.org/viewtopic.php?p=32073 By the way, upgrade to SonicStage 2.3, it's a big improvement over anything previous.

sschweg-- There's a whole other line below what your screen shows, with Find, Batch Mode and GO RENDER. Is all of the window on your screen? Maybe it's a display problem, try moving the window around.

Good for you for backing things up. What kind of blank MDs were you using? I've had problems (though not the one you describe) with Hi-Space and Memorex MDs, no problems with TDK, Sony or Maxell. Also, is it possible your battery was running low? The unit senses when it is, and it writes a TOC before shutting down. Maybe there was some glitch there. When I record concerts, I often put in track marks during the applause, and I've gone much higher than 35 without a TOC save. There should be room for hundreds of tracks, too. So I'm crossing my fingers that your problem was a bad MD blank.

You might want to look at this thread. http://forums.minidisc.org/viewtopic.php?t=6509

Is the record-protect tab (upper right corner) fully closed? If there's any gap there at all the MD might seem to be protected.

It always depends on what you want to record. But the general idea is that you want to get as much signal as you can without overloading. The more signal you get, the more it overwhelms the tiny bit of noise from the mic, the built-in mic preamp, etc. So if that water fountain sounds clear but not distorted--larger than life--just turn down your playback volume. If it is overloading, or if it's picking up too much detail for you, switch (under Rec Set/Mic Sens) to Low Sensitivity, and see if you prefer that. The sensitivity doesn't have to match your mic--it can compensate for it instead. I prefer hi-sensitivity mics because they're more flexible. You can lower them to Low Sensitivity via the settings, but you can't turn a low-sens mic into a high-sensitivity one--low sensitivity would just make it even lower. I just recorded a fairly loud club show with the following setup, and it sounds superb at Hi-SP. Sound Pro BMC-2 (which probably have the same mic elements as yours, also high sensitivity)---->mic jack at Low Sensitivity, Manual Volume at 11/30. That would be too low for everyday sounds, but it's good for amplified ones. AGC is designed to keep the signal relatively unchanging: boosting quiet sounds, muting low ones. But you can often hear it trying to keep up. Experiment a little with Manual Volume. You can change the settings with the stick while you're recording, and you should find one you like. If the level meters are moving up and down, and they're not peaked constantly or way down at the halfway mark, you're probably getting a good recording.

Your solution is the right one--an extension cord. They're a standard connection, and you should be able to pick one up at any Radio Shack or other electronics store.

A battery box is not a preamp, though they can be combined. Here's some info: http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/...gory=batteryfaq Those battery boxes and preamps are about the size of your MD player. Personally, for live music recordings I've had no need for a preamp, but I don't know what I may have been missing. If you're seeking pro-quality sound, it's probably worth the extra $100 for you to have one.

For mic recordings, if you have separate tracks on the MD then you'll be able to upload fairly quickly via USB to separate tracks even with Sonic Stage. SS 2.3 will show you the lengths of the tracks so you can choose. (It still lacks a checklist feature so you could transfer, say, tracks, 1, 4 and 7--dumb Sony--but you can highlight upload a bunch of adjacent tracks with Shift.) Or you can upload the whole MD and the tracks show up as separate files. Then you can use Sony's own Wav Converter to turn them into .wav files you can edit. Hi-MD Renderer will also go track by track, and while it's still beta software, it's very reliable at this point. Enjoy your magic bullet.

How are you planning to use it? It would be ideal for interviews where you could sit it on a table and point it at your subject, using the directionality to lessen background noise. My (completely unfounded) guess is that it was an earlier version of Sony's ECM-MS907, though the 907 doesn't have as much bass response, only down to 100 Hz. For similar specs at the same price you might want to look at this mic: http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/...gold/item/ATR25 I don't know if that is a powered mic, though, which is useful for loud situations. Sound Professionals also has an improved "knockoff" of Sony's ECM-MS907, but it'll cost you: http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/...em/SP-ECM-MS907