WaywardTraveller

I checked the minidisc.org Equipment browser and it doesn't specify the amps on the RH10/910...but it doesn't make sense to me for the NH900 to have a HD digital amp and the RH10/910 - 2nd-gen units - to have non-HD, "inferior" amps to a 1st-gen? Or am I missing something? peace WaywardTraveller

Audiocubes has been the only place where I see I can order it, but as much as I'm addicted to the idea of getting a nice shiny silver RH910, I can't justify paying over USD300 for it...anyone know where I might be able to get one in NA? If I ask a place like minidisc-canada.com does anyone know if they're good at getting stuff like this? peace WaywardTraveller

Right now it's: Fugazi (all studio albums and Furniture EP) Sonic Youth (almost every studio album) Gang Of Four (Entertainment!, Yellow EP, Brief History of the Twentieth Century) Wire (Behind The Curtain) Husker Du (Everything Falls Apart) Underworld (2nd Toughest In The Infants, Dubnobasswithmyheadman, Beaucoup Fish) all of it recorded and listened to on my new and trusty NH700 in ATRAC3 132kbps (which still kicks serious ass, especially when the source is CD ) peace WaywardTraveller

I just stumbled on to this thread now for the first time...what a nice idea, and thanks for the birthday wishes people Happy Birthday watcher666! peace WaywardTraveller

I heard of at least one other person on these forums complaining about losing dots on the OLED display. It's a shame, cos it's such a beautiful unit otherwise. I DID drop the unit on at least one occasion, so I'd accept responsibility for the broken battery latch but as for the other stuff, it wasn't what I expect from a 2nd-gen Hi-MD unit. However, the NH700 I replaced it with has worked flawlessly, and seems pretty solid. Flimsy battery latch, yes, but that seems par for the course peace WaywardTraveller

Oh, man...sorry to hear about that. I knew there was a reason why I never charge batteries with the unit; I use my BC-7HT and it works like a charm. Sometimes the batteries get hot, but when i use them in the units they cool down and I've never had the battery-expansion problem others have reported. [touches wood] peace WaywardTraveller

I have to agree with people's opinions here re: the RH10. I was so happy when I got it - the organic-luminiscent screen was superb for nighttime listening/recording, and since I definitely prefer ATRAC over MP3 any day of the week, the poor handling of native MP3 playback didn't bother me. What DID bother me was the shoddy workmanship. The Menu button started to loosen and it became VERY difficult to hold it down long enough to enter the Menu functions - the slightest shift would switch it back to the Play options, which infuriated me at times. THEN the unit display started to lose dots, then lines, which would literally burn out. THEN the battery latch broke much easier than one would expect the metal to do; THEN, finally, it was stolen in Mongolia, which wasn't the end of the world - the thief got a doorstop (he took the unit, the MD inside, and the earbuds, but not a recharger or cable of any kind). In a sense, I was kind of relieved to be rid of it. peace WaywardTraveller

Have you set your Menu options from Simple to Advanced? I don't know if this will help, since I don't use the remote for titling tracks or groups...but give it a try. And the RM-40ELK IS the best remote for your RH10 (if you can find it) - just remember to disconnect it if you make live recordings or you might hear some static in the background. peace WaywardTraveller

Since we're on the topic, I have to agree with this. First, as a thorough anti-capitalist I'm happy to screw over corporations whenever and wherever possible; second, since corporations don't give a damn about individuals, how immoral can it be when you beat them at their very own rules? Then again, whether it's FutileShop, Best Lie or Circuit Shitty, I'd never buy from those places anyways unless it was absolutely necessary. Stick it to da Man! peace WaywardTraveller

Hello, I read a review a little while back from some guy who argues that the NH1 and RH1 have the best Hi-MD playback out of all Hi-MD units, adding that the Rh10/RH910 pale in comparison to both. I will be in Beijing before too long and, since my Rh10 was stolen in Mongolia (grr), I will be able to get an NH1 for about CAD250 or so. However, I bought an NH700 in Mongolia (yes, they have them in Ulaan Baatar - even NH1s, even though they're priced way too high ) as a replacement, and the only difference I am aware of is that the amps are analog, as compared to digital amps on the NH900 and everything above that. So...any thoughts? Has anyone compared units? Say, the RH10/910 vs. the NH1/RH1 vis-a-vis playback? peace WaywardTraveller

Owning one of each, as far as I know the RH10 and RH910 are exactly the same unit; the only differences are the display, some cosmetics as a result (i.e. different graphics), and slightly better battery power for the 910 (because of the less-fancy display?). In terms of durability, though, I would definitely agree with everyone here and suggest the 910. The RH10 is great, but I find that some of the unit buttons (notably the MENU button) have loosened a bit. They still work all right, but I find I have to hold the RH10 perfectly level and push down ssquarely on the button and hold it to enter the menu. peace WaywardTraveller

Thanks to everyone who posted for the wealth of information and good ideas! I know I have to tinker more with this, but I find that setting a Low mic sensitivity on my RH910/RH10 makes my recordings sound a bit too muffled; setting it to High and walking down the street usually means I have to lower my manual rec level to 12-14 at some points (judging from the input meter)! As a result, I usually set my mic sensitivity to High and adjust the recording level accordingly so that either way I catch some of the more ambient sounds. Any thoughts/opinions? I have a 24-MD carrier which I am gonna cram full of Hi-MDs, so I look forward to recording exclusively in PCM (except for spoken-word journals, which I do in Hi-LP with more than satisfactory results). Another question: can I assume that MIC AGC is useful/relevant only if REC LEVEL is set to auto (AGC)? peace WaywardTraveller

But in addition to this...for those of you who've seen Blade 3: when Blade is taken in by the undergroun dorganization that helps him take down the other vampires...did anyone notice a minidisc unit connected to one of the computers?? I'm not 100% sure of this, but it looks too much like a MD unit to just pass by! I wonder how many other spots are out there? peace WaywardTraveller

I'm going to China in a month to backpack around various different places for between 1 and 2 years (including various different climates, from SE Asia to the Himalayas). I'd like to do a fair amount of field recordings - souqs/markets, street performers, quiet/more ambient sounds, etc. etc...I should be pretty much prepared for anything that presents itself!! I'd also like them to be secret - not because I'm a spy or anything, but because I'd like to catch an immersive experience of people at their most natural instead of pointing mics in their face and watching them eye me with suspicion. I already have a pair of the Sound Professionals' SP-TFB-2 in-ear binaurals and they work fine...except that when I ordered them I didn't know much about mics and didn't get windscreens or anything like that, and I don't even know if they're the high- or low-sensitivity model. I also have a fair bit of trouble keeping them from slipping out of my ears sometimes... I don't know much about the terminology or technology, so I thought I'd ask you experts. I'm ideally looking for a setup which will allow me to record to the line-in, as the quality is supposed to be better (but I understand I'd need a battery-powered preamp or something?), but I'd settle for a mic setup if the mic quality/portability/secrecy factor was right. I'm not sure if I need anything for bass-rolloff (I don't plan on recording loud concerts or anything). It needs to be something portable, i.e. something that can be carried in a pocket or inside vest pocket as I walk through a market, street, or stand before a street musician or something. I was looking at the SP-HMC-1 (http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/category.cgi?category=search&item=SP-HMC-1&type=store) and it looks promising, but I'm worried the headphones would get mushed during backpacking. I also saw the SP-BMC-2 (http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-BMC-2) with the "Croakie" option (which would work very well for portability), which also looks good. Any suggestions would be massively appreciated. Edit: for what it's worth, I will most likely be recording with one of the following: MZRH10/RH910, NH600 with line-in, maybe an NH900. peace WaywardTraveller

Here's my opinion: minidisc will almost certainly be only a niche-market, unless something extraordinary happens. I don't think this "something extraordinary" is impossible; I mean hey, Family Guy came back after getting banned, so you never know. But think of it this way; think of all the minidiscs out there; think of the fact that Sony people read this site and take at least some of our ideas seriously; MD isn't like portable CD players or iPods, but there are still a lot of units and users out there - enough to warrant supporting them for some time yet. oh...yeah, I got fooled too. peace WaywardTraveller

I agree. Personally, I see myself using the different discs for different purposes. the long cases are great for backup/archiving of computer data and/or albums, as there's lots of space to write on and space for inserting more paper. And even though the crystal blue discs look nicer, I DO get annoyed at the teeny tiny labels the crystal blue discs have. . Not that I'm lookin' for a Hello Kitty Hi-MD, but I do wish there was a little more diversity... peace WaywardTraveller

yeah...especially since DAT machines are, I hear, on the out. then again, for how many years have people been saying the same thing about MD? Just because it might remain forever a niche/music enthusiast market (whatever you wanna call it) doesn't mean it's going to die instantly. peace WaywardTraveller

Although it's truly sexy and my first Hi-MD-freak impulse would be to buy it as soon as it came out, rationally I have some reservations. First, since I'm still backpacking, the LIP-4WM battery is about as impractical as it gets for me! Although the side-display seems friendlier to those recording while carrying the unit in a waist-pouch/case, I couldn't just nix the gumstick batteries/chargers I already have. Moreover, I'd really really like to see the SonicStage restrictions dropped altogether, i.e. I'd like to do whatever the hell I want to with my existing MD/HiMD recordings whether they were optically recorded, transferred with SonicStage or burned on to disc with sunlight and my magnifying glass whilst twirling said minidisc on my pinky at an inhuman speed! Having said that, I heartily congratulate Sony on making a killer 3rd-generation unit - feeling like Sony hasn't deserted us/let us down makes me feel better about dedicating my own time and money to them. peace WaywardTraveller

In Australia, Minidisc Australia still has a solid deal going on Hi-MD 1GB packages - 5 for $24.75AUD or 20 for $90AUD: http://www.minidisc.com.au/default.php?cPath=2_48 If the link doesn't work, simply use the left-hand menu and browse to Blank Media\Hi-MD Blanks. Unfortunately, last I heard they don't ship outside Australia/New Zealand. peace WaywardTraveller

Well shut mah mouth...I just tried it and I was completely wrong - I had no idea the 1st-gen units could record in all the legacy modes, incluidng mono. I stand utterly corrected, with a reminder to read manuals next time. But to get back on topic...can I assume that the RH1 is capable of uploading all legacy recordings to PC including tracks recorded with SonicStage (previous versions)? Sorry if this has already been answered, but I don't recall reading it. peace WaywardTraveller

Through both reading all these pages (whew!) and experience with almost every Hi-MD unit to date, my understanding is that mono is supported via playback only with Hi-MD. Despite what some people have said here, with Hi-MD (the RH1 seems to be no exception) you cannot record in the NetMD modes from the unit itself (you need SonicStage to convert to ATRAC3 modes). As far as I have read here, all legacy MD recordings (thus including mono) should be uploadable, even if they're converted to 256kbps or PCM. Too bad it's not backpacker-friendly...what a sexeh beast this new machine is! I'll just have to wait until the ramblin's done.. peace WaywardTraveller

Yeah, I was using in-ear binaurals and a T-mic (the DS70P). And now that you mention it, I DID notice that a lot (but not all) of the noise went away when I touched my RH10 to move it while recording...your explanation makes perfect sense. Thanks for the helpful info. peace WaywardTraveller

When I record with my RH10 using the AC adaptor I seem to get this loud EM hum that predominates on the recordings. As a result, I have to record using battery power (which works fine). Is there anything that can be done to get rid of the hum, or should I resign myself to using batteries whenever making recordings? peace WaywardTraveller

At the Best Buy in Toronto (Eglinton/Laird) I saw an NE410 on clearance. Bad News? It was an opened model and comes with NO accessories whatsoever. The Good News? It was $30. peace WaywardTraveller

Ok, so I had to let you all in on a great deal my friend showed me. I don't normally buy stuff from Best Lie (aka Best Buy), but this was TOO GOOD to pass up. This is a slide-out MD storage case which is being sold at Best Buy for the low, low price of CAD$1.95 plus tax! Yes, no typo - $1.95 Canadian! I've attached some pics so you can get a sense of the dimensions. I'm in Toronto, and I found these at the Best Buy at Eglinton/Laird. I scooped three, but there were a couple left - they might have them at other stores as well. Here's the box so you know what you're looking for: [attachmentid=1539] Here's the unit with the drawer out. The dividers are not removable, so dimensions are fixed at 5 MDs per section. The frontmost panel pulls out slightly (i.e. angled towards you) to allow for easier browsing. [attachmentid=1540] In the pic below you can see a grey button in the lower-right of the front panel; press this and the spring-release will automatically push the drawer out not so fast that your MDs go flying, but just fast enough to make you feel really cool. [attachmentid=1541] This pic shows the drawer fully closed, with my hand beside it for a sense of scale. [attachmentid=1542] BTW...each box has little rubber feet, so they're perfectly stackable. Anyways, these units are pretty sweet, and the price is definitely right - scoop some now before they're gone - I don't know if BB will re-order them! peace WaywardTraveller