A440

Unlike all the other MD and Hi-MD units, the RH1 remembers when you've set Manual, returns to the level you've set, and lets you change the level manually without going back to the menu and REC SET.

Here's a MZ-NHF800 for $200 on U.S. Ebay. Maybe they'd ship to Canada. http://cgi.ebay.com/Sony-MZ-NHF800-Mini-di...1QQcmdZViewItem

The specs for it are here: http://www.pczocker.de/sony-icdux-schwarz-...gok4898ego1cu65 Frequency response is 40-20000 Hz, not ideal (20-20000) but surprising in a voice recorder. However, we have no idea whether the built-in mics are made to record voice, which would mean they would have a strong bias toward the midrange--no highs or lows. Also, I can't figure out from the recording times what kind of bitrate it is using. It might be good enough for voice and not for music. I wouldn't trust it, but I'd be curious to see someone try to record music with it.

This is pretty baffling. You've got the mic-->battery box working in other line-ins. You've got other devices working into the RH1's line-in. You have the level all the way up at 30 and you're not getting a good signal. How about mic into mic-in? How about mic and battery box into mic-in (which should be strong enough to distort--don't worry, it doesn't damage anything)? Seems like you've tried all the combos, and as Guitarfxr says, there's nothing different about the RH1 line-in. It should work the same as any other recording device's line-in. You're sure you have all the controls correct? That you're raising Record Level and not Volume? (Volume is output volume.) While the theory says that the battery box doesn't amplify, my experience says it does--enough of a boost to work with line-in. You ought to contact Greenmachine. But from what you say, the thing should be working. How about putting Line-in on Automatic level? Then do you get something? It'll sound awful for music,, but you'll know that the jack is working. If Automatic works, that would suggest you're setting Manual controls incorrectly somehow.

For £100 you should be able to get superb sound. For big (home) phones get the best Grado SR in your budget. (I have SR125, fantastic clear highs and lows). For little in-ear phones look at the Shure SE series, or see if you can find Shure E4 or E4c (not E4G, for gamers). Unfortunately you folks in the UK get ripped off on electronics prices. If you have a friend visiting the US, you can get much better value, especially with the weak dollar now.

The mp3 problem was never fixed, and if you search RH10 and doggie you'll find many people were dissatisfied with this model (the PC version of the M100) despite the pretty display. For Mac compatibility, get the RH1 or M200 (same unit bundled with a microphone). http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...p;Q=*&bhs=t

Wish I could help you with the mechanical problem, but I have no idea. For transcoding, it may not be the easiest, but I can give you a two-step process that will work. Get Media Coder (free converter software) and convert the flac to wav, then use SonicStage to do the Atrac Lossless. The flac-to-wave conversion is fast--all you need is drive space. http://mediacoder.sourceforge.net/

Not a SonicStage problem, but if you have an AMD processor SP3 is not good. For instance: http://www.crn.com/software/207800165

It's in the first post, and now it's here too: http://www.geocities.com/greenmachine_audio/de-over.html Bestellen is the price list. You can probably figure out what Mikrophone is.

The most important difference is that the RH710 does not have a mic jack with a preamp behind it--only a line-in jack. The NH700 has both mic-in and line-in. For some reason Sony changed its numbering convention: all previous 7xx units--MZ-N707, MZ-R700, MZ-R70--had mic jacks. Also, if you already have older MD units and need compatibility, the NH700 will record (but NOT upload) in the older formats: SP, LP2 and LP4. The RH710 will not record in the legacy formats. If you're playing prerecorded music: The RH710 will play back mp3s that have been transferred through SonicStage without any conversion (but with slightly crippled playback). The NH700 only plays Sony formats, .oma, so all other files including mp3 need to be converted via SonicStage. I use my NH700 constantly and am quite fond of it. I've never had the RH710.

It's probably easiest to see what's available--since there aren't many--and then plug those model numbers into the browser.

Every deck newer than yours is backwards compatible. All you need to look for is MDLP, because the earliest decks only played SP. This has information on all the models. http://www.minidisc.org/equipment_browser.html

Kenwood and Panasonic never bothered with Hi-MD. Only Onkyo. Its models are at: http://www.minidisc.org/part_Hi-MD_Onkyo.html

The only downside of the older MD solution is that the old units may be very very used. Buying on Ebay, look for a sharp photo and look for wear around the buttons, which would give you some idea if the unit has been used heavily. Along with the units mentioned, I was also very fond of my MZ-N707. That also has the LP modes, LP2 and LP4, but with those (especially LP4) you do hear a degradation of the music. Many people also like the MZ-R900, though you have to tape it shut to keep the battery latch from opening in your pocket. For the Hi-MD route, which would allow you to upload your new recordings (but not play them back on older MD equipment) you could also get the MZ-NH700, which shows up on Ebay. It won't upload older MD recordings, just its own, and only to PC. Also, beyond MD, look at little flash recorders with built-in mics. Edirol R09, Zoom H2, Tascam DR-1, Olympus LS-10. I know it's confusing, but you can start with this: http://www.wingfieldaudio.com/portable-recorder-reviews.html You are looking to play back through conventional equipment. For MD playback, you'll have to connect headphone out to Aux In. Same with the flash recorders, but they also give you the option of uploading to computer and burning to CD. Old MD won't do that; Hi-MD will do that with its own recordings.

Lose the ill temper. This is an entirely user-generated, member-friendly board--nothing to do with Sony. Every member can download. You may have to sign in a second time, I'm not sure. Or there may be a problem with your cookies or javascript settings. Or the file may have mysteriously disappeared from the board, which happens sometimes. You can also try the Rapidshare download of 4.2 that Avrin stashed. http://rapidshare.com/files/40270494/SOASS...204-UN.exe.html 4.2 is the best version unless you have Vista, which means your only choice is 4.3. More information and choices at this thread: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=18671

Yes, Mikami, that's a thriving market that certainly means minidiscs are rolling off the assembly line. One in stock. Four used and new. On Amazon in Japan, the world stronghold for minidiscs. I'm sure Sony calls up the minidisc factory every month or so and says, "Hey, back to work! Somebody in Kyoto ordered a blue MZ-N920 on Amazon! Start up the production line!" How could I have been so mistaken?

That should work. The one in my signature is the Radio Shack version, and I've tried also tried a Maplin VC-1 from England, but any headphone volume control should work. The Shure might even be better made.

The attenuator, for anyone new to this, is a Radio Shack Headphone Volume Control, about $8. Mic-->RSHVC (at max volume)-->Mic-in. It does work. But I get better results with Mic-->battery box-->Line-in. It gives more power to the mic, which gives it more dynamic range, so the mic doesn't overload, and there's no mic preamp to overload either. I have managed to overload the line-in setup recently with the subwoofer at a techno show, but it wasn't easy.

Try http://www.atraclife.com

How does the band sound in the room? Is there one place where it's actually balanced? Guitarfxr's method will let you tweak the balance. But if by some miracle there is a place in the room that just sounds magically good, you could get away with a stereo omni microphone via battery box and line-in. The thing to do would be to consult a real musicians' store, like http://www.samash.com/, http://www.guitarcenter.com, http://www.zzounds.com or http://www.sweetwater.com or even www.soundprofessionals.com, who make a powered omni mic--basically mics mounted in the battery box. Call those stores up and talk to someone knowledgeable. They can also sell you the mixer and multiple-mics setup. And in the meantime, try the Sony mic. It's not awful--though a LOUD band might overload it--but you can get more fidelity.

When I import to SonicStage, I just name the Group I'm importing, leaving the individual tracks untitled. Then the Untitled-s are in order when they arrive. But when you name them, SonicStage does go alphabetical. There's still an option: One of the headers in SonicStage is Date Imported, which is actually date and time. Click on the header, and it will re-order the tracks as they were imported. The validation thing is a huge pain. It has to do with SonicStage's pointless anti-piracy protection, validating online that your computer is still the same one that had the old files. At your first chance, you should take copy protection off the files in your SonicStage library. I don't know if SonicStage had File Conversion Tool--see if it does, and if it does, run it. File Conversion Tool (under Tools, or separately in the SonicStage group under Programs) will remove the encryption that ties the uploaded files to one computer--it will give you ATRAC files that can be played in any SonicStage. When you start it, File Conversion Tool closes SonicStage and opens itself, checks the database of songs and gives you the amount of time for conversion with a checkbox that says Add Copy Protection. Uncheck that, of course, and it gives you a different amount of time. Run it, and you will have portable ATRAC files. Then you can store the files anywhere--CD, DVD--and do what you need to do with your system. So if SonicStage does get silly later, the files won't be destroyed with it. SonicStage 4.2, the best version, is still supposed to be comptible with Windows ME. Here is a thread with links to installers. Don't get 4.3 from Sony, which is only useful for Vista. http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=18671

With SonicStage 4.3, the Vista-compatible version. http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=9586 Note that Sonicstage 4.0, the first link, is not compatible with Vista. And I don't think the old SimpleBurner program is Vista-compatible either, but I don't remember.

Ozpeter, I think it's worth discussing other gadgets on this forum--maybe with a new heading, though I don't know if a moderator is around to make one. The reason is perspective: We have the minidisc habit--track marking and stealth and outboard mics for me, maybe other aspects for other people. I don't want to read posts that go: Minidisc forever, everything else sucks. I want to know how other MD users feel about the new options. I'm curious about what's the best next step for those of us who realize that even our cherished little gadgets are going to wear out eventually, or the successor to Vista will permanently break SonicStage, or whatever. People on this forum are more likely to have HI-MD units to make real A-B comparisons. And, well, Taperssection drives me a little nuts. Those people who are carrying suitcases full of high-end equipment to jam-band shows are just not me. ------------- BTW, the specs for mp3 recording on the Olympus LS-10 show that even at 320 kbps, the bass response only goes down to 50Hz. Hence meager bass. I don't know if that's standard for mp3--could it possibly be?--or if that's Olympus's choice.

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/...sp?product=1350 2GB built in--plus SD slot! 2 AA batteries. 5" x 2" (just have to make sure you don't grab the TV remote instead). Built-in mics and speakers too. I wish one of these new little recorders would skip the mics, and who needs dinky speakers? Still no track mark button, as far as I can tell. Wish someone would learn THAT from minidisc.

Your link to the MZ-N920 is down. Maybe someone bought the last one. I would think these are old stock. Here in the US, the RH-1 (or MZ-M200, more of a profit margin) seems to be the last unit available. And one by one, stores are no longer carrying them--a pattern that leaves me to believe that they were also selling off old stock. I just looked up MZ-RH1 on Amazon, which has a zillion retailers. None. There are 12 MZ-M200s available, including refurbs and used. But this is nothing like what you would see if stores were being regularly stocked and resupplied. Maybe Sony is still making them for sale only in Japan. That would be nice. But here, when J&R www.jr.com and Best Buy don't have something, that means it's no longer available. Those places carry every gadget they can get. Also, when something is out of stock, electronics websites generally say "awaiting availability." It's the default. I think that people may be awaiting MD units for a long, long time.