A440

OK, Dex, I should have said "control it from a computer." But you and I both know that what people are looking for isn't real-time recording, it's the magic upload. And with SP-only units, that isn't possible. Gimme my wrist back.

Plug in a mic to the red mic jack. Push Record. What exactly is the problem you are having? Is the write-protect tab on the MD open? Are you getting an error message? Please explain.

Dbpoweramp file converter is in Downloads, a very good program.

It depends on volume and mic sensitivity, but you may not need to turn the attenuator down that far. For anything but the kind of megabass that makes your eardrums feel like they're imploding, I leave mine on max and just watch the levels on the MD. Just putting the headphone volume control between mic and MD does some attenuation anyway. You can also get noise when you turn the volume knob on the attenuator, so best to just set it and leave it alone, at whatever level you decide to use. Glad it's helping you.

Radio Shack doesn't call it an attenuator, they call it a headphone volume control. http://www.radioshack.com/sm-gold-plated-v...pi-2102975.html

It's important to know exactly what model your unit is. If it is an early model then it has no USB port and there's no way to connect to a computer. (MZ-Rxx or MZ-Rxxx) If it is a NetMD (MZ-Nxxx) then you can use Hi-MDRenderer to help you record into your computer in real time. Until the R1 comes out there is no way to directly upload SP files to the computer.

What MD unit do you have?

I think that one-line display is actually the equivalent of a two-line display since it's twice as long.

Koss makes a model called "The Plug" for under $20 but the ones I tried sounded horrible, like listening to music underwater. Supposedly they have been improved (look for purple ones). The cheapest decent canalphone may be the Sennheiser CX300, around $50. But I've got Shures--E3 and E4, cheap from Ebay--and boy are they worth it.

Better quality doing what? Recording from a CD to Hi-MD? I would think you'd get the same or better quality via SonicStage/SimpleBurner. PCM via SonicStage should essentially just transfer the .wav file. Hi-SP or Hi-LP compression will either be compressed in your computer or on the unit; I'd guess that the computer compression has the chance to be better because there's more processing power in your computer. But whether it actually is....well, try it. I doubt you (or I) would notice any difference, if indeed there is one.

Roamer is right--you could look for the MZ-NH600 (but NOT the NH600D which has no line-in). Second generation was mostly about cutting costs, not about improving things. The only new capability was playing mp3s without converting them to ATRAC first--but they have poor sound quality when played back as mp3s, so it's not much of a feature. To play back mp3s, second generation eliminated realtime recording in the old MD-compatible formats: SP, LP2 and LP4. A bad tradeoff. Here's the NH700 for 70 GBP plus shipping. http://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-MZ-NH700-Silver-H...1QQcmdZViewItem

Everything usually goes through SonicStage (or, from CDs, through SimpleBurner using parts of SonicStage) to get to MD. Realplayer can also transfer music to NetMD once it has some Sony drivers installed, but I've never used it. It may need SonicStage installed anyway--I'm not sure. The real question is: What kind of downloaded music? MP3s (with a few annoying exceptions) can be converted and transferred to MD via SonicStage. Files bought from online music stores, like iTunes or Napster, may be a lot trickier. Windows Media (.wma) files or iTunes files (.mp4) may or may not be convertible depending on what kind of digital rights restrictions they include. Some can be converted, but some just can't unless you want to play them through your computer in real time and record them (with Total Recorder) to .wav files. .flac or .ogg or most other files can be converted to .wav or .mp3 with dbpoweramp (from Downloads) and sent to MD via SonicStage. Maybe before getting the MD you should install SonicStage and see how it likes your files. Advantages of NetMD over Hi-MD? Realplayer support Disadvantages? Much lower disc capacity, lack of uploading, age of unit, LP4 sound quality... but if you want a NetMD, by all means go for it.

The less SonicStage in my life, the better. By uploading I just mean moving the SP data off the MD to the PC in a usable form--as you say, decoding to .wav. Do you have a way to do this that's faster than real-time? I think a lot of people here would be interested.

In a second-generation recorder, you can only record in Hi-MD modes (Hi-SP, Hi-LP, PCM) with a microphone. It won't play back in an older MD unit. If you used the disc in an older MD player, you may have to format the disc to Hi-MD, through MENU/EDIT/FORMAT. Then use MENU/REC SET/RECORD MODE and choose Hi-SP or Hi-LP. Then plug the mic into the red jack and push the Record button.

RH710 has no microphone input, just line-in and USB. RH900 has some extra features but two annoying ones: the latch that holds the battery opens too easily (you have to tape it shut) and the Pause and Stop are both on the same button (two sides of it), which makes it more difficult to operate without looking at it. Get the NH700. It does everything you want for the best price. Second generation didn't improve playback or recording--it just added direct mp3 playback (which sounds bad).

You have a way of uploading SP now? Or just an SP deck with optical out?

Let's hope those battery life numbers are some approximation of reality. They claim 9 hours of Hi-SP recording. That leaves very little margin of error on recording a 1GB disc. So it will definitely mean getting an extra battery and keeping it charged. Or somehow finding a higher-capacity battery that fits the slot. If they're aiming this in any way at the pro market, or at anyone else who is depending on the unit to make a crucial live recording, then not having an external battery attachment is extremely stupid.

I use the RM-MC40ELK with MZ-NHF800. It's fully compatible. No blips for me. There is a short bit of very quiet static when you view its display or change the recording level while recording--audible with mic-in and quiet music, but not usually with loud music or line-in recording. I try to check the display during applause, when the static doesn't matter. I briefly had the RM-MC38EL and it was also compatible. The advantage of the MC40ELK is that is has visible recording level meters that you can watch as you adjust the level, if that's what you need it for.

Etronics gets decidedly mixed reviews. For instance: http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/22/220.html Donutman, got any friends in the US? You can get the NHF-800 new on Ebay (US) for $150, and the NH700 cheaper. I think I saw the NH700 for 67.50 GBP recently, too. Those are new units, probably bought during the Australian closeout. Or if you want to move away from MD, there are plenty of flash and HD players to choose from.

If you buy the screws from Sony, they'll cost you $4 each plus shipping. However, if you go to your local pharmacy and buy an eyeglasses repair kit (a little clear cylinder with parts and a tiny screwdriver, about $2) you will find one or two screws that fit. A couple of kits are the cheapest way to get the screws. Alternately, go to an eyeglasses store and see if they'll give/sell you some. Once you've installed them, lock them in by brushing a tiny bit of clear nail polish above each one. But upgrading is the way to go. Here's another vote for NH700--pretty much the Hi-MD version of your MZ-N707. It's invaluable to be able to just pop in another AA battery and not have to worry about the outboard pod. Look on Ebay: there are sometimes Buy It Nows for $125 shipped. I'm dubious about Giant Squid because their sound samples sound just awful--no bass, all midrange. I suggest SoundPro BMC-2s and Microphone Madness Mini Battery Module http://www.microphonemadness.com/products/mmcbmminminc.htm or, while you save up for the module, the Radio Shack headphone volume control (my avatar), just $7. Mic-->RSHVC-->Mic-In, turn the RS volume knob to max.

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I assume the question is about portable MD players, not just portable mp3 players. Here's the smallest Hi-MD http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_MZ-EH1.html and for others, just look in the Browser tab. It depends what kind of MD you want to play: regular MD players can be a bit smaller, but you don't get the extra capacity of Hi-MD.

That's what I told Paris Hilton, but she never listens.

I hope some recording-studio expert like Dex or Ozpeter chimes in, but in the meantime: Cardioids are used to reject sound coming from unwanted directions. People may be using them on stage to prevent feedback. But I don't see a reason to use them for recording when your didj or djembe are easily going to overpower any audience noise. You don't want to isolate the instrument from the ambience, especially in a drum group. What I'd suggest is a pair of good omnis, perhaps a notch or two up in quality from the basic Soundpro BMC-2's, and a battery module to let them withstand more SPL. The mics will be a pair on a long cord--you can separate them. If you're really undecided about cardioid versus omni you could get the SoundPro CMC-4 http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/...=specifications which have interchangeable elements. You might also call Soundpros or Core Sound and ask them specifically about recording such loud instruments. There are XLR to mini-stereo adapters, so if you have some XLR mics the easiest thing to do is to try them. If you do have mono instrument mics available, another possibility would be to run them through a mixer, which would allow you to adjust the level of each mic/instrument separately. I've sent email to Core Sound at this address: No z on moskowitz. moskowit(at)core-sound.com

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