BJ

There are a few tips for transferring MP3 to MD, and I think there's a way to do it through the Real player, though I haven't tried it. Also, if you're not too entrenched in Sonic Stage 2.0, maybe you can dig up a copy of Open MG to install--the 505 might feel more comfortable with that. Anyone else? If you feel like fiddling, you can always burn your MP3s onto compact disc and record off your CD player. That's not exactly a time saver, though.

For the best sound, a realtime copy via optical cable is for you. I copy all my MDs that way (usually letting it run overnight while I sleep), then plug the N10 into my computer and type in the titles in Sonic Stage (or Simple Burner will do it too). In Sonic Stage, double click on the first MD track, title it, hit the Tab key to go to the next track, title it, etc. When you're done with the last track, hit "Enter" and it'll write to the TOC. It just takes a minute to title a 20-track disc.

If Sony insists on frustrating its loyal users like this (constantly), I say let's all take the money we WERE going to spend on the Hi-MD machines and pay some programmers to crack Sonic Stage/Open MG. Let's get rid of all these closed gates. And while they're at it, maybe the programmers can make them a little more intuitive and easier to deal with. Sorry, Batlbot, I don't have any useful information for you. You'd think Sonic Stage would accept its own tracks...

If you have a lot of MP3s already, MD is more of an investment (you have to have Sonic Stage re-encode your MP3s to Sony's ATRAC format, and as squaredcircle said, that gets messy). The portability is pretty cool, and the MD discs are nigh invulnerable (I've had one on my dashboard for a month, in the sun, and it played fine this afternoon). Also, consider a Panasonic CD/MP3 player--good battery life, nicely built and will play a 10-hour MP3 disc without blinking. If you want something smaller, they do make 3" CD/MP3 players. It's a weird compromise, but boy are they cute. Can't vouch for the battery life, though.

In the meantime, you could always pick up a pair of amplified speakers to plug into your portable. That's what my girlfriend and I always take camping, anyway. Handy!

Yeah, it always boils down to whatever appeals to you and your music-listening habits. If your music collection resides on your computer, it makes more sense to buy an iPod. I own originals of all the music I listen to, so I'm more interested in the stand-alone MD, since my PC is for word processing and graphics. I don't even have any video games installed (I know, blasphemy, but that's what my Gameboy is for). ruecker48, I'd vote for the MZ-N10 for skating. It's smaller & lighter, you can edit/delete tracks whenever you want, you don't even need to own a PC to record on it, and it'll probably be a little more resilient if you wipe out. But you know, the choice is up to you. And the iPod is still a top-notch product.

There's one at the Target in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. And if there's one here, there's probably a few on the moon as well. It's calling to me....

Yeah, I'm kinda trapped between the impatience and the model I really want (the '900). I was disappointed to find that the 600 doesn't have any input except the USB port. However, in its favor, it IS a Hi-MD unit, and I sure could use the extra storage (a gigabyte for three bucks??), and I could get a jump on a few mix discs I have in mind. I just fell into an N10, though, and the 600 looks like a cemet block next to it. Eh. If I stay undecided long enough, I won't have to worry about it. :cool:

It does depend on my whereabouts. At home, no more than 10/30 (on a Sony). Usually more like 5--I've got some bad tinnitus, so anything too loud really screws me up. Out and about (outside walking or at the gym to drown out the constant barrage of Bon Jovi/Scorpions/Aerosmith) I'll go as high as 15. I'm using some old Radio Shack Pro25s (made by Koss). And I do like the Scorpions & Aerosmith, but when you hear "Rock Me Like a Hurricane" three times during a 90-minute workout, it's time to throw on the 'phones.

Cool...I'll have to track one down. Right now I just use one of those little frosted flip-top boxes some of the Sony & Fuji blanks come in. I even have two boxes neatly taped butt-to-butt (with the tops on each end) to hold 10 MDs. Um, cos I'm cheap. Also, some of the nylon carry cases for Gameboy Color/Pocket/Advance work pretty slick.

Hm. Just in NetMD mode? I always record in realtime with the optical cable--are you saying the Hi-MDs won't record normal SP/LP2 that way? Disturbing if true... :whatever:

All right, I'm gonna get this thread going again because it's a good question. I'd say Sony's MZ-R30 is pretty popular, primarily because it was built like a tank. They still fetch quite a bit on eBay. I got the chance to fiddle with my brother's, and it's a great machine. It's bulky, and sports an older version of ATRAC, but it doesn't seem to break easily. My brother's is missing half of its screws and looks like it's been skateboarded on, but it still hums away like nothing's wrong. Sharp's MD-MS702MK was pretty popular as well. The MK series was after Sharp quietly fixed the UTOC error that plagued the 702 series--a widespread error, but not one I encountered on my older 702. Also built like a brick and feature packed, with a very intuitive interface and the ability to adjust recording levels on the fly. The only problem I ever ran across with the 702 was with Sharp's ATRAC, which seemed to introduce compression artifacts more often than I'd like. Next?

Sorry guys. Can't really afford even such a great price, but I'd be kicking myself forever if I didn't jump on it. I always considered the N10 out of my league, but I had dreams....yes....dreams.... :happy: And I certainly will use the feedback forum. Bland10000's been nothing but superb so far! Thanks, man! Hey, Kurisu...is there a donation cup for the forum? I'm sure some of us would chip in a buck or two for upgrades. I mean...here we all are, using the forum and all. Why not?

Yeah, the 505 runs off the same AC adapter, but it lacks that little square hole in the bottom that connects with the 707's cradle. If you're feeling bold, you can also do the hack on the 505 to get a few extra features.

I've been using these mics for a couple years and haven't had any problems with sound quality...but then, I've nothing to compare them to, as I haven't used anything else. My brother and I both recorded the same show, me on the homebrew mics and him on a Sony cardioid (sorry, don't know the model number) and while there was a difference in sound quality, it wasn't very drastic at all (both on LP2, btw). I use as many tricks as possible to get my machine in. I have a pair of Hanes briefs that I sewed a pocket into. That carries the MD unit, and I stash blanks in my wallet, boot (inside the sock in case they ask me to remove my footwear), pocket, etc so I know I'll have one if a couple are taken away (haven't had any confiscated yet, though). The homebrew binaurals are tiny enough to stash anywhere and look like a pair of earbuds. I wear a large belt buckle (for metal detectors) and a bum bag containing earplugs, the concert tickets, band-aids and other junk. Once inside, I hit the restroom and gear up. I usually wear a flannel shirt with a breast pocket to stash my MZ-R900. Last time I tried wearing a baseball cap; I sewed the soft part of two Velcro dots to the front of the hat (they looked like little black eyes) and glued the hook parts to the back of each mic. Once mounted on top of the hat, they didn't move. I ran the cord out the back of the hat. Security guys have seen me fiddling with the machine, but usually ignore it. Once I was asked if it recorded (I said yes, but only because the artist allows bootlegging), and I could easily have said no. I agree with A440--usually security is looking for drugs/cameras/weapons. I think even food carry-ins are considered more of a priority than recording equipment. Other junk: Once I switch discs, I slide the copy protect tab over and put the used discs in my shirt pocket with the MD so I don't jumble up my blanks and my recordings. I try to set the initial recording level so the crowd noise before the show hits about the first or second bar on the level meter; this usually works, but try it at your risk. A440 is right: LP4 is not for music, but LP2 is perfect for a crowd recording of a live show--it's not like you're starting out with the best sound anyway. ALC will work just fine, but if there's a sudden loud passage (or sudden soft passage), you'll notice as the machine lowers/raises the record volume by increments. For light, I wear one of those silly LED flashing pendants. Festive for shows, they also have the option to set them always on--perfect for reading your LCD screen. I'm tired and can't remember anything else right now. Last concert I went to was spoken word--Mr Henry Rollins talked for almost 4 hours straight. Luckily I recorded in LP4 mode and got every word clear as a bell. If it was his band, however, I'd have used LP2 for better fidelity. Last conscious thought of the evening. 'bye!

That's the one--thank you! Sometimes I think knowledge leaks out of my brain when I sleep.

I'm pretty sure only the 707 will sit in its charging stand. Otherwise, you're looking for an LP unit with a rechargable battery...and probably one that's easy to use. Sony's MZ-R900 would do it, but it runs about $US100 on ebay. Another 707 would be your best bet if you can find a deal on one. Possibly the MZ-N505? It's more within your price range, uses the same AC adapter and will charge a Ni-MH battery like the one Minidisco offers. Otherwise, check out the MZ-R700 and MZ-R500 to see what the prices will be on ebay. The R500 will probably be the cheapest LP player/recorder you'll find (keep in mind the 500 and 505 do not have microphone input). My girlfriend has an R500 and loves it.

That sounds so psycho, I'm gonna have to try it. And I read thru the instructions, and it does all boil down to one MD--you essentially have two MDs with four albums (one album per stereo channel) that you then record onto one MD (two albums per stereo channel). It's the audio equivalent of getting eggs, bacon, pancakes and coffee, throwing them all into a blender and drinking the final product. Some dude did that...who was that? He released a 4-LP album where you were supposed to play all four records at the same time so the music mashed together a different way each listen. Maybe I'll try this with 4 Aphex Twin albums. Or maybe four different albums (like, Jethro Tull, the Prodigy, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Johnny Cash).

I'm not sure you can clone a TOC on the 707 (I believe the 707 writes to the TOC immediately upon any change, so you can't fool it). You may need to hunt down a Sony deck or the Sharp MD-MS702 (popular for cloning, and oh so easy). There are different procedures for Sony and for Sharp machines, but it's nice to have a clone-friendly unit around just in case--sometimes it's very easy to erase a favorite disc. Good luck!

Okay, for some reason I can't wrap my brain around this one, but it sounds like your R900 is feeling frisky. First of all, fill an MD with music you really don't care about. This is what you'll experiment with. Second, don't reuse the 3 MDs you've erased. The music is still there--you're going to need to experiment a little with TOC cloning to get them readable again. Now, just adding track marks shouldn't erase anything, nor should erasing a track while it's playing. The only thing I can think of is that it's erasing as you title the disc (in EDIT mode while the machine is stopped, Disc Title and Disc Erase are right next to each other, and it's easy to bump the jog dial as you push it in, so the R900 switches from Title to Erase before you can catch it). If it wipes the disc while you title tracks, while it's playing or while you add track marks (basically, whenever the R900 feels a need to write to the UTOC), then something is definitely wrong--it's doing something to corrupt the TOC as it writes. I can't help more than that--let me know if you have any luck.

If you can't wait for Hi-MD (and you might want to if you read the specs), I'd suggest a Sony MZ-R900. It has respectable battery life, and if you find one with its AA battery case included, your battery life is phenomenal. It's a solid unit with an all-aluminum case, decent microphone input and a lot of extra features (and it's an MDLP unit, so you can fit 5 1/2 hours of conversation on one disc). I've recorded a few concerts on mine and they all turn out great. The Sharp units let you adjust the recording level without stopping the recording, but that's their big advantage. The R900 should be a little cheaper these days on eBay. It also lets you set it to "Auto" record volume, where it adjusts the recording level by itself, depending on the amount of noise you're picking up. If you're using it for conversation, that's a good press-record-and-forget feature. To finish my big ol' plug for the R900, I'm gonna mention the unit my brother bought off eBay. It looks like it was used as a hockey puck for a few games. He keeps the battery door shut with a piece of electrical tape. The thing looks totally shot, but it still works beautifully and he uses it all the time. I'd say that's a good travelling unit. :happy:

So battery wise...does this mean we can't laugh at the iPod users any more? :cool: This one's an ouch (and my head is still spinning from reading the chart), but already these machines do more than I thought they would. I'm still in it for an NH900. Besides, I still remember being happy my Sharp MD-MS702 could play 6 WHOLE HOURS on one charge!! I guess it's nothing new.

That's why I keep my Sharp MD-MS702 around. Cloning is so simple on that machine. Otherwise, if you have access to a Sony deck, there's a writeup on that as well. Whatever you do, don't give up and alter that MD--there's always hope!

The MZ-R900 from Sony might fit the bill. The pitch control may not be as fine as you need (and it's only operable through the remote control, so make sure you have it), and I did notice that my 900 gives a very slight pause during the very first cycle of a Repeat-1 function--but for every subsequent repeat there is no pause. Weird. You might want to stick with the older technology for that, but the 900 definitely has portability and a good battery life. Solid, too, and these days probably pretty cheap. Anybody know about the Hi-MDs?

...and even then, you'll only be able to do the quick upload on recordings made on Hi-MD equipment. Your old recordings will still need to be transferred in realtime.