A440

As I've posted elsewhere, I had SonicStage destroy an irreplaceable live Hi-MD recording. Sony Customer Support in the US eventually led me to Sony Media Services, where I found the following. http://www.sonymediaservices.com/news2.html "New Media Services The Sony Media Services staff is constantly developing new techniques to support obsolete, current and future recording media formats. Recent support capability developments include XDCAM Pro Optical Disc failure analysis and recovery. Hi-MD recovery support is also being developed. Please contact us directly for specific support not listed in our “Current Service Price List” link. " OK, how long has Hi-MD been on the market? And how many bad versions of SonicStage have people survived? They're still working on data recovery two years later?

NO. It's not even close. The 45-hour mode is the old MD mode LP4 and it is noticeably compressed, only really good for speech. You can put CD-quality sound on a Hi-MD--it's called PCM--but you will only get 90 minutes of music on a Hi-MD. You can put nearly eight hours of very good, but still not CD-quality, sound on a 1GB disc as Hi-SP. There is usually a tradeoff between file size and sound quality. Beyond a certain point, you can't shrink a file--which means throwing out information--and maintain the sound quality. Some sonic information has to go. 2) Yes, SonicStage transfers files considerably faster than realtime. How fast depends on your computer and which Hi-MD unit you use. 3) Even quicker than SonicStage is SimpleBurner. SonicStage has to be installed as well as Simple Burner. With Simple Burner, you put a CD in the drive, it gets track information online and (using parts of SonicStage) transfers the CD to MD without leaving a copy on your computer.

Great that you have a usable copy now. The problem must have been a defect in the original disc. You can remove track marks on the unit. Put playback in Pause, click back and it will show Mark 10, Mark 9, etc. Pushing the track button will remove the track mark. There used to be a bug in older SonicStage versions that wouldn't let you upload tracks with (erased) track marks within them, but it has been fixed--I have had no problems with this procedure. Or once you upload from the copied disc, you can Combine tracks with SonicStage. You're right, Total Recorder doesn't work with old MD formats. I should have read the post more closely.

Try getting DirectX from Microsoft before you mess with your entire operating system. It has the media codecs. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.mspx

Thanks for pointing out that center problem, KG. I didn't know that about the Nady. I have used separated stereo pairs and cheap little one-point stereo mics for speech recording. I like the depth of stereo, but I know that the pros who do mixing of speech and music or ambient sound prefer mono for its clarity (never a phase problem) and flexibility. With every mic and every room, you need to experiment with placement. You will hear very clear differences, guaranteed. I often use my BMC-2 for speech recording by clipping them to the subject's shirt collar, each pointed toward the speaker's mouth, and that usually turns out well. (For concerts I point them outward or forward instead.) I have also used a basic clip-on lapel mic, which works fine. For recording my own speech, after much experimenting with mic placement, I found that the best results were with a pair of binaural mics both dangling off one side of my glasses next to my right cheek. It looks ridiculous while recording, but the sound is excellent. Lately I tried my new gooseneck cardioids in various positions: pointed at the chin from below, directly at my mouth, up above pointing down toward my forehead, etc. The best position for them was with the mics pointed directly at my eyes a few inches in front of me--no P popping from the mouth, no exaggerated lows like below the chin, less room echo from pointing at forehead. So do your own experiments with the Nady. And if it sounds odd, get a modest lapel mic.

You have them both installed on the same machine? Choose one, uninstall the other--and you may have to uninstall both and start again, since one uninstall may damage the other installation. I have had trouble with SonicStage if--despite being offered the choice of another location--it is not installed in its default directories. I suggest trying an install using all the defaults.

About attaching the mics to the headrests, or to any part of the car: You've got to isolate them from vibration somehow. Put your ear to the headrest with the car on (not while you're driving) and you'll hear what the mic will pick up. Maybe if you bunched something soft under them, or had the mics hanging free--rear view mirror?--you could cut down the vibration from the car. You'd have to experiment. Unless you're worried about the kids mishandling the mic, there's nothing wrong with using a stereo mic for interviews--they'll only sound better. If you do use a mono mic, make sure it has a stereo plug (like your headphone plug). A mono plug will only send sound to the left channel. Seems like Micro Sound has a mono lapel mic that, if specs are trustworthy, will do the job. The only way to get sound clips off the MZ-N707 is to record them out of the headphone jack in realtime. Unless you want to invest in the MZ-RH1 to upload them.

Is your car really your best stereo? You'd get a much better recording via a direct line connection (headphone jack, amplifier out) from a home radio. Do you hear the car when you have the stereo on? If you do, then the mic will too. And vibration through the stick shift will also probably come through the mics. Stereo separation should be OK, because you can separate the mics as far as your ears. You shouldn't plug it directly into the MD unit, despite the photo, because it will pick up the sound of the MD motor. As I said, I'm very disappointed with the mics I have mounted on the same kind of gooseneck, because the mount transmits a lot of vibration. You'd want to separate the mics from the vibration of the car--preferably with a mic on a cord and placed on something soft, or in what's called a shock mount. Also, I wouldn't want to be driving near you when you decide you have to record a song and start groping for the MD unit. Keep your eyes on the road, OK? And one more thing: I've seen those micro-sound listings on Ebay through the years. I'd love to know if anyone has tried any of their mics, especially since the prices are so low.

Record the faulty track to your computer in realtime. You can just record it out of the headphone jack with Audacity. http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/windows Or you can buy TotalRecorder for $18, play the track back with SonicStage (from My Library or through the unit connected by USB), and record it digitally from the soundcard as it plays back. http://www.totalrecorder.com/index.htm

You are unlikely to find any Hi-MD under $50. The advantage of Hi-MD is that it can record in PCM, the same quality as a CD, and those recordings can be uploaded to a PC (and, for some more expensive models, to a Mac). So I would recommend saving up for a while and getting the NH700, which takes an AA. Anything that is not a Hi-MD records compressed sound and will not upload. That doesn't mean you can't get good recordings--you can, as good as higher-quality mp3. But to get them to a computer, you'll have to record them from the headphone jack in realtime into your computer. If you are desperate for a recorder right now and only have $50 to spend, look for the most recent model you can find. There is information on all models at http://www.minidisc.org under the Browser tab. Be sure to look under Connectors. Note that some lower-end models, like those with a 4 or a 5 as the first digit in the model number (MZ-N505 for instance) do not have microphone jacks, only line-in (which needs an amplified source, like a mixer output) or USB (MZ-N420, which will not record live). MZ-N707 and MZ-R700 have mic jacks and take an AA battery; many others have outboard AA battery connections. All models that are not Hi-MD are old. They will be used or, if you're lucky, set aside on a shelf for some years. Use common sense about sellers, and check any pictures to see if paint around the buttons and controls is worn away--a sign that the unit may be on its last legs.

For stealthy concert recording, I almost always use the Sound Professionals BMC-2 because they are small, mounted on thin wires and clear-sounding. For less stealthy concert recording, I also have what are probably old Sound Professionals CMC-8 with binaural elements--you can unscrew the capsules and replace them with cardioid if you want. I bought them on Ebay so I can't guarantee their model number. Richer bass but bulkier, definitely more visible. They also have slighlty lower noise, which doesn't matter much for the loud music I record, and I think they are slightly more sensitive than the BMC-2, so you have to use slightly lower volume on Manual Volume. The low noise makes them good for podcasting. I also have one each of the Sound Professionals budget single point binaural and cardioid mics that they were adding as a free bonus to orders of MD recorders. They are decent, nothing special, and sound nearly mono, but would be fine for recording lectures or non-broadcast interviews. Another pair of mics I have is an old Church Audio binaural set, apparently using different elements from the ones Church Audio uses now. (www.church-audio.ca). A little bulkier than the Sound Professionals, and I had to rig my own clips, but they sound as good as the BMC-2s. I'm experimenting now with a set of Microphone Madness FGSD-1 cardioid mics with premium Sennheiser capsules that I picked up on eBay at a low price. The gooseneck mount is useless when plugged in directly. It picks up vibration from a computer or a minidisc unit, and it doesn't stay upright because the plug rotates in the jack. However, connected to an extension cord and placed in a holder, they may prove useful. They sound good with voice, and have low noise. To use them at a concert, you would need a taper-friendly band--let's just say they are quite obvious. I have a Microphone Madness cardioid MM-LAPEL-2 mono mic that I had hoped would be good for speech. It's very disappointing. Noisy and shallow sounding when clipped to a collar or lapel. The BMC-2s capture speech better. Loud music-->Mic-->Mic-in is almost guaranteed to overload the built-in preamp in the MD unit and will be unlistenable. With all mics for recording loud music, I use a Microphone Madness Classic Mini battery module and run through Line-in. On a budget, you could also use a $7 Radio Shack Headphone Volume Control (pictured as my avatar) turned up to maximum and run through Mic-in, but the battery module sounds better. Look in the Gallery (link at upper right) for albums of minidisc recordings. I listed the mics I used, and so did many other people. There are plenty of alternatives. Also, look through this topic. Some people have posted their recordings here as well.

The MZ-N707 is a NetMD unit. With a PC (not a Mac), you can transfer songs to it through a USB-to-mini-USB cable faster than realtime with SonicStage (Sony's music library software) or Simple Burner (which also needs SonicStage installed, but will read a CD in your computer and transfer it to MD without also putting it in your music library on your PC). The cable, if you didn't get one with the unit, is a standard cable used with a lot of digital cameras and PDAs. The port is under a rubber gasket on the upper right. The transfer will be in LP2, which is good for portable use and lets you put 2 albums (148 minutes on a 74-minute disc, 160 minutes on an 80-minute disc) on a minidisc. You can also use LP4, and get quadruple the minutes (4 x 74 or 4 x 80), but quality suffers. If you are a stickler for sound quality and don't mind using one MD per CD, then yes, you can record in realtime and in higher SP quality through the optical in. The line-in of the MZ-N707 is also an optical in, so you don't need to use the deck unless that's more convenient. You can find various portable CDs with optical out, like the Sony D-EJ725 (though I don't recommend that model--for some reason my used one only plays the first 10 tracks of a CD and doesn't see the rest). There's no particular rhyme or reason that connects model numbers to optical out--you just have to check the features list. Google around for a list of CDs with optical out. Or run out of the computer with your Edirol. SonicStage and SimpleBurner will give you an option for transferring in SP via the USB connection. However, that is not real SP--it is LP2 padded out to SP size, to be compatible with the oldest, SP-only units. The sound quality is LP2, which is the best you can get with NetMD transfers.

I've got a lot of BMC-2 recordings posted in my album in the Gallery (link at upper right). As far as I know, the BMC-2 and the TFB-2 are the same microphones in different mounts. Both are very stealthy. The BMC-2 are the size of a pencil eraser. You can also look at things like Croakie mounts (for eyeglasses) at http://www.microphonemadness.com if you're really worried about getting caught, or get some extra-small deluxe mics from Sound Professionals or elsewhere and sew them into a baseball cap or something. But I have to say, I've been going to shows in New York City for years, waiting until the lights are low and clipping the BMC-2 to the collar of a dark shirt, and ushers either don't see or don't care. King Ghidora is right that the more you are willing to spend the better the quality is--the BMC-2 are definitely starter mics, affordable and convenient but probably not the ultimate in sound quality. You might look through the Gallery albums for other choices. Many of the albums include information on mics and settings. KG is also right that trying the mics out is the best test of all. Sound Pros gives you 30 days, and any decent seller should have a return policy that gives you some time. There's a Canadian company called Church Audio (www.church-audio.ca) that makes solid mics for minidisc, selling them on eBay. I have a good pair from them, but it's an older model they don't make any more. At the moment, I think they end up being more expensive and/or larger than the Sound Professionals mics, but you might take a look. http://search.stores.ebay.ca/CHURCH-AUDIO_...2daudioQQsofpZ0

You'll probably want to use the battery module in that situation, recording mic-->Battery Module-->Line-in, using Manual Volume at about 20/30. (The good thing about the RH1 is that you can set that once and use it all the time.) They're omni mics, so it won't make a huge amount of difference which way you point them, but if you point them toward the stage you will still get plenty of audience sound. The applause is the most lifelike sound I get on my concert recordings, and that's the setup I'm using. You could also experiment just going mic-->Mic-in, but I would expect that it would be too loud. As for your eventual sound project, with any hi-fi recording device whether it's a minidisc, computer, flash recorder, etc., the key is microphone quality and microphone placement. One tricky thing with minidisc will be to sync the sound with the image and/or sound from your camera--something that's easier when it's all together on one recording. You know those clapper boards they use when they announce Take One! Action! Something like that--or a handclap, or a fingersnap--will provide a nice crisp spike on the audio waveform that can help you sync up.

That's after uploading through SS and converting to .wav , right? Sounds good if you have the hard drive space. Does it take a lot of processing time?

Hasn't 4.3, with its Vista compatibility, been giving some XP people more trouble than 4.2? Thanks to Avrin, I used the attached installer link to get 4.2 online from Sony--upgraded from 3.4, and it works. Remove .txt from the filename to use the .exe file. SonicStage4.2Installer.exe.txt

I have gotten very good speech audio with the BMC-2 into mic-in and also, putting it close to the person speaking, through a battery module and line-in. Whether you even need a battery module will depend on how loud things get. But you'll probably save enough on shipping everything together that if you don't need the battery module you can send it back within the 30 days.

The USB cord from most PDAs or digital cameras--USB to mini-USB--will work just fine. I use different ones all the time. A generic 3V adapter should also work, but to be sure, check the little symbols under DC IN 3V on the unit and make sure the polarity is correct. You don't really need an AC adapter for everyday use. Recording should always be done on battery, because the AC adapter adds buzz. When uploading, the unit is powered by the USB. I suppose you could use AC for playback at home, but alkaline batteries (or better rechargeables than the one supplied) last so long that the inconvenience isn't worth it, at least to me. My basic recording kit is the Sound Professionals BMC-2 mics: http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-BMC-2 If you're in Europe, the way to go for inexpensive mics is our own greenmachine's mics: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=14388 But there are a lot of varieties of mics to choose from, as you will see at http://www.soundprofessionals.com I prefer omnidirectional (also called binaural) mics to cardioid (directional) mics, particularly in the low price range, because they sound more natural. Cheaper cardioids also lack bass response. I use the BMC-2 with the Microphone Madness Classic Mini Battery Module: http://www.microphonemadness.com/products/mmcbmminminc.htm You need the battery module with any amplified music so that you can record through the Line-in jack and not overload the preamp at the Mic-In jack.

Same recommendations, MZ-RH1 if you can afford it and MZ-NH700 if not. The RH1 copies and uploads files faster, and will hold manual recording settings from the previous session (the NH700 has to be re-set each time, about 5 clicks--just a minor annoyance). And of course the RH1 is the only unit that uploads old MD recordings if you have them. The advantage of the NH700 is that it takes a regular AA battery, rather than the special rechargeable gumstick battery in the RH1.

Maybe I'm lucky or the stuff I'm recording is just too loud, but I don't get a lot of unwanted track marks. Now and then, I do eliminate track marks on the unit, and sometimes even place new ones, and I have had no trouble uploading them with SS since about version 3.2. I do feel that they fixed that bug. Even when tracks with erased track marks within them wouldn't upload, they were always intact on the disc, so you could do realtime recording if necessary. What I don't do is put track marks around, say, unwanted applause and then delete the track and join the ones around the gap: that is, take tracks 1-2-3, erase 2, and join 1 and 3. I'm still scared of that bug. ------------------------------------------------- My ruined disc was the result of adding and removing a song with SonicStage. I still don't trust the interaction between computer and MD. As for Sony's responsibility: If you impose a system of encryption, and you have the only key, then I think you have a responsibility to provide some way to apply that key if things go wrong. As it stands now, Sony has the key and is withholding it. How about if I went over to Sony's house, broke something, and refused to try to fix it even if I might be able to? As they say, "I'm sorry, we do not provide that service." Sony could license its encryption to a trusted vendor or subsidiary, or have unencryption through Sony repair centers for a fee, or do it a certain number of times for free per customer per year as a reward to regular users, or any number of solutions--even without making the encryption key public, which is really what it should do. I have two VAIO computers, 4 or 5 minidisc recorders, a Sony TV, countless blank Sony CDs and DVDs and Hi-MDs, and who knows how much other Sony equipment. I think Sony has enough of my money so that it can provide a little customer service every so often. I may want to ask one of MDCF's European members to send the disc to Sony Austria. PM me if that's a possibility.

What exactly do you mean by all-around use? The best, if your budget can handle it, is the MZ-RH1. For about $100 less, the MZ-NH700 will do everything the RH1 does (including recording in SP, LP2 or LP4) EXCEPT upload those recordings to computer. It will upload recordings in Hi-MD formats (Hi-SP, Hi-LP, PCM) but not the old formats.

Yes, it's a tradeoff. And when Sony gives up on its idiot encryption we'll all be better off. But in the meantime, get the music off the disc before anything goes wrong. I have now been to the top level of Sony USA customer support about a disc corrupted by SonicStage and as far as Sony is concerned, once a disc is ruined it's not their problem. Don't let it happen to you.

The N910 will be two years newer.

In Audacity under Effect, Equalization allows you to set your own curve. Push around the blue line with your cursor. Cool Edit must also have EQ--I don't have it loaded in this computer, but it's probably more fine-tuned.

That recorder is not made for microphone recording. It has a (white) line-in jack, which expects an amplified signal, like the output of a CD player. It does not have a (red) mic-in jack, which amplifies the much lower signal from a microphone with a built-in preamplifier. You can buy a separate preamplifier, but it would probably be cheaper to simply get another MD recorder with a microphone jack. None of the units beginning with a 5 (like MZ-N505, etc.) has a mic jack . Look at the models here (there's a column called Connectors with each unit listed) to make sure any unit you are considering has a mic jack. http://www.minidisc.org/equipment_browser.html