A440

What happens when you connect the unit via USB and play back with SonicStage? It stops partway through the track? That sounds like a faulty disc. If I were you, I would just play it back in realtime--using the Play button on the unit--and record out of the headphone jack, into the computer, with Audacity. It won't be perfect fidelity, but you'll have the track. Formatting the disc as MD means you'd only have SP, LP2 and LP4 recording, and the fault will still be somewhere on the disc. Once you get the music off the disc, I'd suggest just using it for playback rather than any new recording.

Going WAY back to your original problem, were the tracks on the MD titled by SonicStage when it tried to upload them? Probably with a time and date stamp, like 2006-11-01 etc.? That would indicate the old SonicStage tagged the tracks as uploaded, so you would probably have to use the realtime method. But if you're feeling brave, you could just test uploading a track again: Put track marks around a brief bit of applause and try uploading that with the newer SonicStage. If you lose it, no big deal. But if it uploads, you could just upload the whole disc again and save a lot of realtime. Dex's advice is a little out of date but it still works. http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=6330 Option 1, the analogue method, is now automated with Marcnet's MD Recorder function--it starts each track on the MD as a separate recording. Yes, you need two cords. The USB controls the unit, playing the tracks one by one, and the male-to-male cable carries the playback out of the headphone jack and into your computer. You can find the male-to-male miniplug cable at just about any place that sells electronics. Option 2 needs only the USB, and will give higher fidelity than the analog method. But unless you are very lucky in the kind of soundcard installed with your computer, you will need Total Recorder, about $18, which records the sound as it is going into the soundcard. The Standard version has all the features you need. http://www.highcriteria.com/ Agreed that this can be extremely confusing. With any luck, however, you now have a less restrictive SonicStage for your newer recordings and uploading those should go smoothly from the start.

What you're missing is that many people (though not me) have old decks and car units that only play SP, and they want to get the best sound quality out of them. Sony does seem weirdly stubborn about SP. Now that it can be uploaded, why not make it downloadable too--or at least a better quality version than the LP2 "fake SP"?

With your old recordings, you should upload them, convert them to .wav, and store them. That removes DRM. You can also store them as .oma files without DRM (after converting with DRM removed) if you prefer. It's a fairly simple procedure. Most of the restrictions you are reading about have been removed by recent versions of SonicStage. The Backup Tool backs up the entire Library so that you have an emergency copy if you have serious computer troubles. It gives you a collection of .oma files, which are still only playable on your computer or an ATRAC device, and .mp3 files. It takes a long time, and it's not for single file conversion. But if you save the backup on a hard drive, you should be able to restore it to a new computer and SonicStage installation if your computer dies. It does this through some sort of online verification. I keep a backup, but I frankly hope I never have to rely on it. Just to emphasize what raintheory pointed out. There are two kinds of conversions: lossless and lossy. A lossless conversion--to .wav, .flac and some other formats--keeps all the information that was in the converted file. There is no quality loss, no matter how many LOSSLESS conversions you do. But most of the formats that people use for portable music are lossy: .mp3, .ogg, .wma, ATRAC. Each of those takes the original information and throws some away to shrink the file. They all make different choices about what to throw away, and some of them (like high-bitrate .mp3 or .ogg) are virtually impossible to distinguish from the original file. But each conversion preserves less information, so the more LOSSY conversions you do, the worse the quality gets.

Unfortunately, no. So-called SP transferred via SonicStage is LP2 in an SP wrapper. The only way to get SP is to record in realtime.

They do two different things, and SonicStage has to be installed for Hi-MD Renderer to work. SonicStage 4.2 uploads the tracks from MD to computer and is very reliable. Trashed uploads pretty much disappeared with some of the later 3.x versions. That's not to say it's impossible for it to happen, but no one has been mentioning trashed uploads here lately. Once the tracks are uploaded and in SonicStage's My Library on the PC, Hi-MD Renderer can convert them to other file formats: .mp3, .ogg, etc. With SonicStage, you first have to convert to .wav, which takes a lot of disc space, and then use another program to convert to the other formats. Back in the prehistoric era of Hi-MD, Sony didn't offer a way to convert .oma files uploaded onto the computer to something portable and unencrypted, like .wav. Hi-MD Renderer solved that problem, and for all we know, forced Sony to provide the same functionality. Soon, Sony offered .wav converter as a separate program to be used with the early SonicStages, and then the routine for .wav conversion was built into later SonicStages. But Hi-MD Renderer is still good to have around when you don't want to multiply the size of your files by a factor of 10 to make .wav files--for instance, if you have an interview that will sound fine in .mp3. Hi-MD Renderer is also good in the event of a problem with uploading, because of its MD Recorder function. That can automate recording in realtime: it plays each track, controlling the unit via USB, and records each track as a separate file out of the headphone jack, into the PC. For NetMD users, that's still the only way to get tracks onto the computer. For Hi-MD users, it's usually unnecessary. It's also worth pointing out that Marcnet is one guy, not a corporation, and if you do get a lot of use out of Hi-MD Renderer, you could send him a donation via Paypal.

This is not, well, accurate. It's an urban myth. http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/usa.asp From the webpage: "Nearly every country that imports goods requires them to be marked with the name of their country of origin, not a town or city, and it would have taken some circuitous (and probably expensive) routing to get goods marked "Made in USA" into other countries without anyone's noticing that they had originated in Japan. America, especially, Japan's largest market by far, would certainly have noticed the incongruity of goods marked "Made in USA" being imported into the USA."

There are no new restrictions in SonicStage 4.2. It improves computer (not MD) playback of compressed files and is said to load more quickly. http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=17734 If you prefer to use the 3.4 that comes with the RH1, you shouldn't have any problems with it. Nor should you have any problems with a clean installation of 4.2. But no Sony program is fail-safe.

There's no NH710. If you mean the RH710, it doesn't have a mic jack--just line-in.

Only Hi-MD units, the ones with an H in the model number, upload to PC. On NetMD units the USB transfer is only one-way: from PC to MD. The only unit that uploads NetMD recordings is the MZ-RH1. Otherwise, as noted above, record in realtime. Hi-MD Renderer has an MD Recorder function that automates the process a bit: it controls the unit via the USB and records (in realtime) from headphone out to your computer's line-in.

Hi-MD records, uploads and stores a lot. Don't bother with NetMD or "legacy MD." There aren't a lot of Hi-MD units to choose from, but all of those that record have the same recording quality. There's the newest, top-of-the-line unit: the MZ-RH1 . Advantages: coolest-looking, lighted display and if you want to record with Manual Volume rather than automatic gain, you can make that the default setting and start with one-touch recording. All Hi-MD formats upload to both Mac and PC. (It also uploads legacy MD formats to PC, but that doesn't matter to you.) Disadvantage: runs on a rechargeable gumstick battery--either you'll have to buy a spare and keep it charged, or recharge the one in the unit after a long session, or get an outboard USB battery pack. (Gomadic makes one for the Motorola Razr V3 that is compatible.) It's untested for sturdiness, but there seem to be very few complaints in its first half-year. Price: $330-$350 in the US. And then there's the first-generation unit from 2004: MZ-NH700. Disadvantages: Plastic-looking, not Mac compatible, unlighted display, menus to get to Manual Volume. Advantages: Definitely sturdy. Runs a very long time on an AA battery. A weak rechargeable comes with the unit, but you can record for the full length of a Hi-MD disc--90 minutes in PCM (.wav) quality, nearly 8 hours in excellent Hi-SP compression--with one Duracell. AA batteries are easy to find, too. Price: $180 from http://www.minidiscaccess.com http://www.minidiscaccess.com/item.html?PRID=1553220 With the money you save, you could get the RM-MC40ELK remote, which is backlighted and shows recording level. Note: do not use the software disc that comes with the NH-700. Download the later version of SonicStage from Downloads here or from Sony. There are other RH units that record, from 2005, but they are not well-loved: the RH10 (expensive display, many malfunctions) and the RH910. There's also the NH900, but its Pause and Stop are on the same button, and that's just not a good idea. Dust may well be a problem. You'll need to concoct your own dustproof case. The NH700 comes with a leatherette case but it's open on the sides, and it covers the holes for mic and line input. The MZ-RH1 has only a cloth bag. When recording anything louder than speech or quiet acoustic music, Mic-in will overload. You will need to use Line-in with a battery module, like this one: http://www.microphonemadness.com/products/mmcbmminminc.htm Incidentally, if you are new to minidisc recording, you will love the minidisc's killer app: Track marking, silent and gapless, which you can apply during recording or playback (and remove during playback, too). Where are you in West Africa? There's some great music to record there.

Just find the spot in the room where it sounds best when you listen with eyes closed. Too close to the stage, and the PA may be aimed over your head. Too far away, and people talking, bar glasses clinking, etc., could be distracting. Near the sound booth is always my first guess because, presumably, the person at the sound board is trying to mix optimum sound at that spot.

I have no idea if they're any good, but Sony does make what it calls "zoom" mics, You can Google them. Note that they are mono when they zoom, so you'll need a mono-to-stereo adapter. Shotguns are also called hypercardioids, because they have the narrowest, straight-ahead pickup pattern. I don't think you have to go too crazy on this, and probably bringing a big parabolic gizmo to class would make your professor a bit nervous. If you can hear the lecture, your mic should be able to hear it as well.

Yes, you need to re-rip. At least your sound quality will be better.

Professional electronics stores sell lavalier microphone clips. You'd have to see what's available where you live, and test what fits the mics. I use these Sennheiser MZQ2EW with my old Sound Professionals BMC-2, and they're a tight fit around the thinner end of the mic. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...oughType=search I don't know if Greenmachine's mics are fatter--or cylindrical rather than tapered--but there are other clips around, too. I use these clips--Audio-Technica AT8420--with my Church Audio mics by putting the wire under the holder and then twisting a wire (a trash-bag tie, actually) around the mic to hold it in. They should hold just about any small mic. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...egoryNavigation

There's no delay in scrolling through the menus, but on the included RM-MC38EL remote or using the unit itself, you have to click through songs one by one. With the RM-MC40ELK remote, you can turn a wheel to look more rapidly through the songs, and just click to start whichever one you want immediately. Take a look at the extensive review from MDFreak to see all the menus. http://www.mdcenter.nl/redirect.php?file=h...h1/index_en.php There are lots of handheld microphones. Look at http://www.soundprofessionals.com . If you hold a microphone in your hand then you do have to worry about handling noise and not having a free hand, which is why I prefer little ones with clips, but that's up to you. Also, some handhelds are no better than small mics. Tiny microphones can still pick up excellent sound, as you can hear in a lot of the Gallery recordings. The kind of mics that just sit on the unit are not good--they will pick up every noise from the unit. The RH1 has a big bump on the side for its Record button, making it easy to feel where it is in your pocket, and you can pause, stop, change level, etc., with the remote. Because the RH1 holds your previous recording settings--no menus to go through like the MZ-N707 if, like me, you have one basic recording setting (Hi-SP/Low Mic Sensitivity/Manual Level)--the one-push start to recording is a big advantage. Or, as above, you can start on Record/Pause, check your levels and settings, put it in your pocket and use the remote to un-Pause and start recording.

Maybe I'm a little slow, but I never saw the point of the 2d-generation units like the RH910. The change from the NH generation was that the RH could play mp3 files directly--but until the RH1, mp3 playback sounded dull because of a high-frequency cutoff. And in the meantime, the ability to record in realtime to old MD formats was removed. To me, the best quality/price ratio is still the NH700. It's a little fatter on one end, and a lot more convenient, because it takes an AA battery rather than a gumstick. It has a mic jack (along with line-in) and records as well as any other Hi-MD. And it stands up to a lot of use. You can find it here: http://www.minidiscaccess.com/item.html?PRID=1553220 or even cheaper on eBay.

http://s24.quicksharing.com/

Sony software is so illogical that there is no "why?" It should work. But you may have to be content with the mp3 workaround. Use the highest-bitrate mp3 you can--at least 192--so you get the best sound possible through the multiple conversions.

Maybe you already tried this, but.... Did you highlight the file once it was in My Library? Usually once you highlight the files you want to convert, the Convert to .wav option becomes usable. Probably the .wav converter isn't compatible because it was necessary for early versions of SonicStage but not current ones. The capability has been built in for some time. And the old standalone program predates the current SonicStage, so it may not recognize the later software.

The remote that came with the NH1 will work with the RH1. As others have said, the big improvement of the RH1 over the NH1 is that it will upload old minidisc recordings. If that's important to you, it's the only unit that does it. Also, the RH1 doesn't need a charging cradle. And instead of the proprietary USB connection on the NH1, it has a conventional mini-USB , so you can always replace the cord.

OK, one by one: The player makes a little ratchety sound for a moment when you start the disc. Then it's quieter than the MZN707. But if you separate the mic from the unit--even with the MZN707--and put the unit in a pocket or something, I have never had problems with noise from the unit. The many photos of mics that sit right on the unit, without a cord, are misleading--they will always give you noise. It takes 10-12 seconds to scan through a newly inserted disc, depending on how much (or probably how many tracks) the disc holds. Recording start is right after you push the button, as it has always been, through it takes the display a little longer to catch up, as it has always been. The RH1 does have to write a table of contects to the disc after recording, and yes, that takes some seconds--again, depending on how much you have recorded. That's just how minidisc recording works. Think of how many MB of data it is saving, and it's pretty fast. Mac functionality is more limited than PC, but improving. You can't upload old minidisc formats (SP, LP2 or LP4) to a Mac from the RH1, so you won't be able to upload your old discs--they will upload to a PC. You can upload Hi-MD recordings. You can download mp3s and play them directly. Here's a full explanation. http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=16424 Playback is just fine on the RH1--I doubt you could tell any difference between the RH1 and the Nano. But lots of other things that are cheaper and more convenient also do playback. (And you need both the unit and the remote for the full display of artist name and track title, which is inconvenient.) That's why a lot of us save our RH1s for recording--not because there's any problem with the sound. No radio. Minidiscs are reusable. So if for some reason the media are no longer made--and remember, you can still buy Sony Betamax tapes--you can always upload what's on your discs and reuse them. Supposedly a million times, which should last you for a while. The unit doesn't come with a mic, although you can buy a package called the MZ-M200 that bundles the RH1 with a Sony DS70P mic, which is fairly big and doesn't pick up low bass. There are better mics for the price. Here are the mics I use for concert recording: http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-BMC-2 They are about the size of pencil erasers. Extremely portable. For most music recording I use them with this and record through Line-in, because that can handle loud sounds better. http://www.microphonemadness.com/products/mmcbmminminc.htm It's the size of a car-alarm remote. Also extremely portable. Both of the companies in those links offer many other mic choices, including a lot of tiny ones. The recording guts of Hi-MD units are all the same, so listen to any of the Hi-MD recordings in the Live Recordings section--my album or others. What you'll get will be as good as your mics, your mic placement and your level settings. I think the quality is amazing for something you can put in your pocket.

If you're asking about "Convert automatically and transfer," I think that means that if you try and convert a file that's not already ATRAC (or .mp3 for MZ-RH* units) then it won't ask you each time what you want to do--it will just convert to ATRAC. What happens if you throw all your mp3s into one folder and import the folder into SonicStage?

The only Menu choices with the RM-MC40ELK on the RH1 are: Speed Control Title Input Option (AVLS, Beep, Backlight, Quick Mode, Disc Mode, Contrast, Jog Dial)

All the remotes have a Pause button. The best is the RM-MC40ELK, which is not only backlit but also shows a recording-level display--though if you light up the backlight while recording you'll get a glitch of static. Here's the whole list of EL remotes. See what you can find on Ebay. http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showt...uide+MD+remotes