wheron

What you need is the Sony MDS-E10 deck... unfortunately, out-of-production. I have one, but I'm not ready to part with it yet. Read this review to make your mouth water: http://www.audiotstation.com/forum/showthr...&threadid=12019 There are two which are currently for auction at Ebay. Good luck!

I have decided to auction seven unopened Hi-MD 1GB media minidiscs on Ebay (item number 5719460642). The link is as follows: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=5719460642 The opening bid of $60 is what I paid for them last May. Auction ends Sunday, September 12. There is a "Buy it now" option for $100. Insurance mandatory since - for the moment - they would be impossible to replace. Shipping at cost.

I tried it, and you are correct. Very odd... but I'm glad you are right and I was wrong. Thanks for setting the record straight.

A friend sent me the address for an article which addresses gapless performance of mp3 players. He gives minidisc credit for it's ability to play without inserting a gap... but I guess he hasn't tried Hi-MD yet Here's the address: http://www.pretentiousname.com/mp3players/...dex.html#player

Thanks for your help. I used CD copy in SS and the playback of the tracks from my computer hard drive is, indeed, gapless. Unfortunately, when I transfer the files to my new MZ-NH900, the gaps reappear. It seems the player only loads one track at a time, and must pause to load the next track after the previous track has finished. Yet another nail in the Hi-MD coffin, I'm afraid. My hopes for using the new medium for efficiently archiving a lot of my CDs is "out the window".

I tried ripping each individual track as a separate wave file, then converting the group as an album using Sonic Stage, but the result still has gaps between tracks. :whatever:

I have been using Simple Burner 2 to transfer some opera recordings from CD to MD. When playing back the MD recording, there is an annoying pause between each track, where there is no pause in the original CD. It seems as if the player stops after every track to upload the next track. This didn't used to happen when I transferred the same CDs directly to the recorder, without using the computer interface. Is there any way to avoid these pauses with Simple Burner 2?

Regarding the Archos AV320, the highest setting for mp3 recording is setting 8 (192kbit/s CBR), but I would record as a wave file if I intended to edit (and there is always something to edit). Of course, if you are transfering recordings to the Archos, you can use any bitrate, up to 320. You are correct about the 60 GB - the HDD was upgraded. But upgraded units are available on Ebay.

I have my HN-900 pre-ordered from Minidisco, so I hope you won't accuse me of heresy, but my Archos AV300 works very nicely for recording live concerts. Besides being a terrific mp3 and avi player, it records using an external mike, saving the files as either wave or mp3 (with a wide selection of sampling and bitrates). Once I get home, my computer sees it as an external hard drive, so uploading the wave file into Audition for editing is a snap. Admittedly, its larger and heavier than a minidisk recorder: 4.4x3.2x1.2 inches and 12.5 ounces, but in reality, its the size and bulk of a boxed juice drink. Recording time is 8 hours on a full charge of the internal battery. And with 60 GB, there's room for a roadtrip's worth of recordings. Given the crippled nature of the HI-MD at present, the Archos is worth considering.

The new Japanese Hi-MD models have just been added to Ebay, for immediate purchase: MZ-EH1 $339.99 MZ-NH3D $389.99 MZ-NH1 $469.99 Shipped to the US for $35 + $8 for insurance. Delivery in 2-5 days. On Ebay, search for "Hi-MD", then go to latest postings.

The software I use is CoolEdit Pro (recently renamed Audition, after it was bought by Adobe), but I don't know if its available for Mac. Perhaps you should ask other Mac users on this board what they recommend for audio editors. Once you get the hang of it, its a quick and simple task to prepare the files for burning. Good luck, and nice chatting with you!

My recorder is a Sharp MT77, and it too has a volume adjustment from 1 to 30. I usually set the volume to 17, unless there is something unusual about my seating in the theater (like being in the first row, next to the percussion section). At this setting, the music will not overmodulate, although applause and my wife's coughing will <g>. After moving the recording to my PC, I attenuate the applause and coughs, then normalize the file to 90%. If the voices sound too distant, I use dynamic range processing (2:1, -20db) to bring them closer. Finally, I may use hiss or noise reduction, but very sparingly, since the cure can be worse than the disease <g>. The result has a good S/N ratio, with balanced applause (like a broadcast recording). My advice is to try recording a non-critical performance, using a setting of 12-13. Check out the levels on the VU display during intermission, and adjust the volume accordingly. When you get home, play with the file on the computer.

I've been making minidisk recordings of live opera for about two years, and I urge you to consider NOT using ALC, as it kills the dynamic range of the music. These issues, including applause and bravos, are best dealt with as you edit on the computer, before burning to disk. Set the record volume to the midpoint, and you'll be surprised how much more natural your recordings will sound.