A440

If you have Soundforge, that's a professional editing program that will certainly do what you need. It's probably called Normalize. Audacity, which is free, also has Normalize (and Amplify if you want to choose your own level of amplification). Upload, convert to .wav, open the file with Audacity, highlight the entire track and look under Effect for Normalize.

I can confirm that the RM-MC39LT that came with my MZ-NHF800 also works on the AM/FM/TV/Weather bands with my (Australian) NH700. Seems like it just needs power from the unit. Tried plugging it into my NH-600D, but the remote jack doesn't fit. Someone should try one with the MZ-NH900 and the MZ-RH*** units.

If you just wanted a music player, I'd suggest getting just an mp3 player--Ipod, Iriver, Creative, etc. But since you want to record, then minidisc is exactly what you need. You want a Hi-MD with a microphone jack. The cheapest around is the MZ-NH700, which you can get from Minidisc Access for $150. (Scroll down the page.) The fanciest will be the RH1, due soon. http://www.minidiscaccess.com/generic76.html To record your band, you'd send the mixer output to Line-In. To record lectures, you need a mic. The DS70P that's bundled by Minidisc Access would be fine for that, but you could get a better pair of mics--SoundProfessionals BMC-2 if you're in the US, Greenmachine's mics if you're elsewhere--and also use them to record music. http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-BMC-2 http://greenmachine-audio.95mb.com/de-mic.html

It's probably too late for tonight's concert, but BH Photo west of Madison Square Garden http://www.bhphotovideo.com has mic clips. Squeeze this over the tapered end of the BMC-2. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...oughType=search Or try one of these: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...t.y=8&Submit=Go

AT899 is a mono mic, and it seems to be made primarily for public speakers since it has (according to this page http://www.equipmentemporium.com/at899_lavalier.htm ) a boost in the midrange. For music get stereo omnis. The spatial information you get by separating two mics just six inches makes music far more listenable than a mono mic. Sound Pros has an omni pair with AT capsules. I have a pair of mystery mics that seem to be the same as old SoundPro SP-CMC-8 with omni (not cardioid) capsules, and they sound great. They're a little bigger and heavier than some smaller omnis--like a big jellybean instead of a Jelly Baby--but they are warmer and richer sounding. The basic BMC-2 (don't forget to add clips) are pretty good too. http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-CMC-8

Sennheiser makes professional quality, professionally priced mics for performers and recording studios. What model numbers are available to you? Check and see that they are stereo (not mono), full-range frequency response (20-20,000 Hz) and have a reasonably flat response curve--that is, that they are not specially designed for voice or drums or horns. Outside the USA, where I am guessing you are, you would probably do better with greenmachine's small stereo omni mics. http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=14388

If I were considering this, I'd skip the "bundle" and get the recorder for $150 plus a better microphone and some Hi-MDs. And come on, 74-minute MDs? Not even 80?

Drums are loud, so you will probably also need a battery module like this one: http://www.microphonemadness.com/products/mmcbmminminc.htm to record via Line-in and bypass the built-in preamp. As Volta says, get the best omnis within your budget.

SS 3.4 doesn't need SP2. I'm running it quite nicely with SP1.

Susan/Grace-- Getting bad recordings through your soundcard may just be a result of whatever settings you are using for recording. Look at Settings/Control Panel/Sounds and Audio Devices, and look through the various tabs to make sure, for instance, that the volume on the mic input is turned up, that you're not running anything extra through the "mixer" (like MIDI), etc. Also look at your recording application, whether its wavpad or Audacity. It should have settings for the recording bitrate, and they might be really low. If you're recording in mp3, change them to 192 kbps or better; in .wav, you want a sampling rate of 44.1 khz (that's CD quality). Of course, it's also possible that your soundcard is not so hot, but see if fiddling with settings helps you. The good thing about that MS907 for voice is that you can get a true mono recording out of it, which may be better for hypnotherapy recordings if you're mixing voice with music. Take a look at its manual or instruction page, since that mic has different settings too.

If not the RH1 then save some money and get the NH700, a 2004 model. All Hi-MD's have the same recording quality, and those without a D in the model number all have line-in and optical recording. The NH700 also uses an AA battery (easily replaceable). You can find them for about $125 unopened on Ebay. With the money you save get a battery module: http://www.microphonemadness.com/products/mmcbmminminc.htm Record with the battery module through Line-in and forget about clipping worries. The NH700 (like every other Hi-MD) has Auto Gain Control, but for loud sounds you need either a battery module (through line in) or an attenuator (Radio Shack Headphone Volume Control, through Mic-in) to prevent preamp overload. The 2005 models (RH10, RH910) add mediocre-sounding MP3 playback and subtract realtime recording in old MD modes (SP, LP2, LP4). The 2004 models will record in SP/LP2/LP4 if you want to play back those discs on your old MD. But until the RH1 arrives, only the newer formats (Hi-SP, Hi-LP, PCM) will upload to your computer.

I suggest you borrow a recorder from a friend for the May 23 shows and wait for the RH1. The NHF800 is only PC-compatible. The current Mac-compatible models, M100 and M10, are very limited in their compatibility. You need to record PCM, which gives you a maximum of 90 minutes per disc, if you want to upload to your Mac. The RH1--still not on the market in English-speaking countries--is supposed to have more options for Mac users. For microphones, look at this thread: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=14388

RH1 has been announced but is not on sale yet in the US. The HD Digital Amp gets mixed reviews. Some people prefer it, some people think it is harsh. If you are not recording, look for the NH600D. It's a downloader, taking music from your computer via USB. It doesn't have the HD amp, but it will sound fine with your headphones, and it takes a regular AA battery, which is convenient. You can probably find one for under $100 on Ebay. The NH600 (no D), if you can find it, will also do Line-in recording--realtime recording from a stereo or other amplified source--but not mic recording. The DH10P is expensive because it's also a camera. The RH1 will be expensive because it has some advanced recording features. I am very fond of minidisc, but if you only want a music player, I don't think minidisc is the best format. Its advantages are all on the recording side, which is why Sony finally got wise and concentrated on recording with the RH1. It's a very expensive gadget if you just want a music player. For just a player (which can also record in a pinch) get a little 1GB flash player like the Iriver 799 or 899.

Greenmachine is right about the NH700 or NHF800. You can find them for $125 to $150 on Ebay, and the AA battery is a huge advantage. If you don't have older MD recordings to upload, you're paying for extra features in the RH1 that you don't need. By the way, look at Greenmachine's own mics, too. http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=14388

Looks like you already asked the appropriate questions. An omni mic should pick up pretty much what you hear. So if you're having trouble hearing the lecture the mic won't improve things. A cardioid/directional mic, like the Sony ECM719, would reject some of the room noise, echoes, etc. Your best best is to move closer to the lecturer. Just about any mic will work fine for speech. I haven't checked lately, but Giant Squid used to have pretty awful-sounding samples of its music recordings. Voice is a lot easier to record.

The ECM 719 will not give you deep realistic bass or the clearest highs because its frequency response is 100-15,000 Hz, not 20-20,000 Hz like your ears or your prospective MD recorder. It's also directional/cardioid, which is a matter of taste. Look at Sound Professionals for mics. I prefer omni/binaurals because they sound more natural and give you better sound quality for the price. I've made some fine recordings with the BMC-2, but if you have a little more to spend then try the ones with Audio-Technica capsules or get the CMC-4 with omni capsules (they're listed under cardioids but have interchangeable screw-in capsules). Although I still like the attenuator for some occasions, for seriously loud music get a battery module like this one, which will make your mics perform better and eliminate some background noise: http://www.microphonemadness.com/products/mmcbmminminc.htm Your budget should work like this: $300 for RH1 $100 for mics $50 for battery module and the rest for discs. Listen to the live recordings in the Gallery and to hear how it works in real life.

Before this latest insult from Windows, I've had that activation tool screw up on my (genuine) copy of XP Pro, though luckily the (user) support forums had a fix. Can't wait until MS starts tattooing legitimate users as thieves. What did they do, hire the old SonicStage team?

High sensitivity raises the gain of the mic preamp to pick up quieter sounds (as well as more mic self-noise). Low sensitivity lowers the gain of the mic preamp. I know the MZ-R900 has a High/Low switch. I wouldn't get anything older than that at this point unless you are absolutely sure they are new. Also, the other models mentioned (except S1) record only at SP--74 or 80 minutes maximum per disc. MZ-R900 also records LP2 (146 or 160 minutes) and LP 4 (292 or 320 minutes). S1 has no mic input at all.

I've bought a lot of things at the BHPhoto store in New York City. They are a long-established business with a huge mail-order department, and I would think they know how to pack. The question is whether shipping to India will add a lot to the price, whether there are customs fees to India, and whether your own UPS carriers will treat it well. Personally, I'd hope to have a friend pick it up in New York and bring it back, perhaps even try it while still in the US to make sure it's working. It takes the suspense away. But BHPhoto are highly professional all around.

It helps if you understand what you're doing. You have mp3 files, which are compressed. You are converting them to .wav to get rid of whatever SonicStage doesn't like about the mp3 files, which might be something as simple as the tagging. But you're using .wav, rather than one more round of compression, to keep as much quality as possible in the files, so you're not degrading (compressing) them any further. Once SonicStage can handle them again, you can put them back on the MD in any compression you want. You can use Hi-SP or Hi-LP and fit lots of music on the disc. It's under Tools/Options/Transfer/Hi-MD.

If you are recording through Line-In there is, unfortunately, no way to defeat this. And the MZ-N505 only has Line-In recording. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it's one of Sony's built-in user-unfriendly annoyances.

Low Volta knows: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showt...915entry83915

Sorry, javertim is right. Guess I've been using my Hi-MD too long.... Anything after R909 has that feature, including MZ-N707. None of the earlier models you list will change volume during recording unless it is on Pause. BUT: To change volume while recording, you have to first have the recorder set to Manual Volume. I don't have my MZ-N707 with me but the sequence is something like: Start Record and Pause (or press REC and PAUSE simultaneously so the display blinks). Then: Menu/REC SET/REC VOLUME and switch to Manual. Whenever you push STOP it defaults back to Auto Gain Control, and then you can't adjust the level until you re-set it to Manual through the menus.

If you can afford the RH1, you might as well get it. Sony has finally decided that minidisc is for recording, and it seems the RH1 is geared primarily for recording instead of trying to compete with Ipods and other mp3 players. So it will probably provide the best features for recording and perhaps a more durable case. One thing the RH1 does, which seems simple but was never implemented by Sony before, is to retain your settings from your previous recording instead of defaulting back to Automatic Gain Control, useless for music. It's a small convenience--you don't have to click through six menu options--but it suggests that Sony has finally started to think about real recording conditions. It has also un-crippled the mp3 playback. Perhaps there are other recording quality improvements as well. The discs themselves are very reliable. The question is whether minidisc players will be around to play them in a decade, and no one can say. (Remember floppy discs?) Some people are still using models made in the mid-1990's, while others are having trouble with models introduced two years ago like the NH1. I have been using my MZ-NHF800, bought in August 2004, almost daily and have had no problems with it, and it has been dropped a few times. For recordings I care about, I upload and burn to CD (though CD coatings will also degrade through the years--never use ultra-cheap ones). I find MDs are too small to label adequately, and so I might as well reuse them. The RH1 display is actually two lines: the one line is twice as long. Apparently track titles with the RH1 are only displayed on the remote, something I'm not happy about. Look at the review, which has photos of all the displays, and see if they provide enough information for you, and decide whether you want to be regularly using the remote. Files on MD are listed as Group (like an album), and you can search by group; then there are track numbers within the group. Once you have titled everything, you could always search the disc via your computer/USB/MD hookup, with SonicStage. You can probably find the RH910 by itself for under $200, and blank Hi-MD's are about $7 each, so I don't think the Sony offer is any great bargain. Do you have a friend in the US? Compare RH910 offers on http://www.jr.com , http://www.bhphoto.com , and maybe search with Froogle (part of Google). The MS907 is a good mic but with limited bass response. If you're strumming an acoustic guitar and singing, it would be fine, while full-band recordings could come out tinny. Search for MS907 on these forums and you should find more information on that particular mic. Look at http://www.soundprofessionals.com or http://www.microphonemadness.com or http://www.samash.com for other microphone options. Are you going to want small mics or large ones? A pair you can separate, for better stereo imaging, or a one-point mic you can just point at the music? Are you recording music with a broad frequency range (20-20,000 Hz) or a narrower one (like a solo instrument or voice)? Do you want a directional (cardioid) mic to isolate the sound of the musicians, or an omnidirectional (also called binaural) pair of mics to get the full ambient sound of the performance space (which I personally prefer). For me, the best one-size-fits-all mic is a pair of (separate) omnis with 20-20,000 Hz frequency response that can be placed wherever you want them. But your needs may be different. The RH1 is not out yet in the U.S. or Europe, which means none of us except mdfreak has had a chance to get our hands on it. So take the next few weeks to do some mic research. Do you know other musicians who are happy with their mic setup? That would be your best guide.

If you put the MZ-N707 in PAUSE while recording, you can change the mic level. I think that is the same for all the models you list. But all of those models are at least 4-5 years old, some of them as much as 10 years old. You should look at Hi-MD models, which have numbers MZ-NH*** or MZ-RH***. What area are you in?