mrsoul

Dex- That would be too easy. I actually deleted everything off the PC. I keep the SS folders empty most of the time. I have a fast trigger finger when it comes to cleaning out the recycle bin as well

When I went to the Y this AM with my MZ-S1, I found out that I had made a copy of the raw ATRAC files of the 12-29-04 show. I really can't tell much difference on the vocals or the mix from the normalized version. There might be a touch too much vocal, but I have listened to that 12-29 almost everyday and I still think it's a solid recording. As you listen more to the band, John, you may begin to have a better idea of how they sound. That's funny you mention the "To Know You Is To Love You". Derek replied to a "Ask Derek" email thing on his website that I sent in about that question, here's the text: Question: Who’s version of “To Know You Is To Love You” do you prefer? B.B. King or Stevie Wonder? Just curious since I hear a little of both in your performance, which is one of my favorite dTb covers. Answer (Derek): I first heard the BB version and that's what we learned it from. Later on I heard a live Stevie version and loved it. I think the way we play it is somewhere in the middle. I try to play like BB and the band is leaning towards the Stevie track. You can find that on the main www.derektrucks.com page. Okay, back to the discussion... Here's what I was thinking, since I no longer have the ATRAC3plus files on the PC and only these ATRAC3 LP2 files on the standard MD, there really isn't any way to salvage other than Line out on the NH900 into the PC input. Like I said, there really is little difference, so I think it would be an exercise in futility. But, if you (John, Craftech) want to listen, then PM your address and I will drop that in the mail. Am I missing a trick in another way to clone a MD? The ATRAC 3 files were "converted" by Sonic Stage before I converted the ATRAC3plus to WAV. Anybody know what SS does to the ATRAC3plus when converting to ATRAC3?

I have found the FM transmitters to be a weak link for MD in the car. I have made the mistake of buying 2 of them. I decided that I had had enough, I got a AIWA deck with a miniplug AUX on the front and I am in heaven. The FM transmitters sound tinny and you have to tune them constantly. I just wanted some way to listen to the shows I recorded on the way home (sometimes a few hours since I live in the middle of nowhere) and I can track the PCM files for better uploading later. I would avoid the FM transmitters but the tape deck adapter route works really well when I am in the family minivan with the MD.

Dex- Just so I am clear in my understanding, Unity gain of 18/30 means there is no amplification of the input? Or am I wrong in that assumption? Thanks for expounding on that briefly if you have time.

I am interested in the reply to that question as well. I am thinking about a different set of mics and a preamp box with adjustable gain. I understand I want the highest signal to the NH900 but do I set the levels high on the NH900 or the preamp output? Looking forward to continuation of this thread.

Off the Archive? I would go for 4-01-04. It was my Sharp DR7 from the Midas board on an AKG audience mic source. It's been downloaded over 8,000 times from the Archive. http://www.archive.org/audio/etree-details...m=browsePopular This is the last unofficial SBD to make it out (they quit the soundboards after they signed with Columbia House records) ... http://www.archive.org/audio/etree-details-db.php?id=4641 (11-16-02) The 12-29-04 really ain't bad, it is thin on the bass side (AT822 bass filter) and the vocals are a little "hot" at time. But, give the "Live at Georgia Theatre" a spin if you have the 9.99 for the album download. Which is a great price for a Live 2 CD download.

I like to use the Line In because I have found the mic in to: 1. clip and distort too easily with loud bands 2. add "noise" to the recording I always use manual settings. That's why I got the 40ELK remote, to set and monitor the recording levels in the dark. I listened to this show several times on a road trip in the last 24 hours and I find it very enjoyable for my standard: for this band and for this type of recording. I probably could have converted the raw WAV to FLAC instead of using CEP to normalize due to the loud volume of the band during most of the show but I listened to the first track I normalized to compare and went with the louder volume. The one problem was that was a instrumental track and I probably should have listened to an instrumental track and a track with vocals to judge first. Oh well, like I said, I am enjoying this one regardless. It's not perfect, like Dex stated, but it is a good recording and the performance was fantastic in my book. I can't say enough that you should listen to their "Live at Georgia Theatre" which you can sample at iTunes and I think Connect. It's very well mixed soundboard and audience matrix mix. I was at that show on the front row as well (I hear a few of my comments in the audience too). It should be noted that Derek is in a transition stage from small clubs and dives to larger theatre settings. I also find his soundstage mix to be in a transition as well. Mike's vocals are probably the weakest link at times due to the heavy instrumental leanings of the band. Still, it's not bad in my book. Thanks for the feedback and I have enjoyed the discussion. This is a work in progress for me. I know I should look into a preamp with phantom power mics to get more depth; but, for now with 2 kids and a wife at home, it's the best thing going and relatively low hassle at the show. Just throw up the mic on the stand and straight into the line in. I do have a shock mount that I got from www.shockmount.com to help cut down on any movement of the stand interferring with the recording and I think it has proved to be well worth the $25. I also have some Giant Squid Audio clip on cardioids that I use for stealth that I once used in place of the AT822 and any movement with those or wind would ruin the sound. I have had good comments from the Derek lists and from friends, it does serve a purpose: the listener does get a good idea of what is going on with the band and the crowd. When I want to crank up some Live Derek, I pull out the Live CD. When I want to listen to a particular show to relive those few hours of fun, I put on my recording. I have made some very poor recordings of Derek that I refuse to post because of too much crowd, wind noise, mic problems,etc. I only post to the archive what I consider to be worth sharing with others who enjoy the band and the energy captured therein. Your mileage may vary and that's fine with me. But, get the official soundboard and see what you think.

Man, this has really got me examining this recording. The 12-29-04 sounds much better than "leaves much to be desired". I am listening right now and I hear all the instruments: if you can hear the congas, the flute, drums, and Derek's guitar all clearly during the louder parts, then that's pretty good. I am listening on cheap monitor speakers from an mp3 source and can hear the instruments well and Mike is in a loud falsetto. Granted, Mike's vocals do get up there but the levels are not distorted. I have listened to this show on my Polk Audios at home and it sounds solid to me. Not my best but definitely better than "leaves a lot to be desired". I would be interested in the comments of other board members here at MDCF: Dex, Chris, and others, etc. If I have not deleted the raw OMG files, I will give them a listen when I get home but I think I deleted them last night. Oh well, I know this sounds good enough for my enjoyment. It's kinda like my guitar playing. If it makes me happy, then it makes me happy... Thanks and have a great weekend. Mark

Thanks for the feedback: 1. I found the vocals to be "hot" standing there in person, Mike does get too loud at times and I think it could be improved as well. 2. The mic is 10 feet in the air, not 10 feet from the band. The mics were directly in front of the board. It was probably about 25 to 35 feet from the stage. 3. I haven't made up my mind about the normalizing, it does give it more volume and I have wondered about that at times. The highest the levels went was well below distortion levels. Most of my comparisons after normalization don't illustrate a big change in the mix, just the volume of the sound. If you like the band, check out their Live CD "Live at the Georgia Theatre". I take your comments seriously. But, you can only capture what you get some times due to crowd noise and how loud the sound guy is pushing the mix. I know the AT822 isn't perfect but it does a good job to me. I have had others tell me they liked the sound quality. I guess it's what you normally look for in a live amateur capture. Thanks again and I will take the time next recording to listen to the WAV raw instead of normalizing (which was up to 95 of 100 using Cool Edit Pro)

If you are using the a mic that has a battery power (you put a battery into the mic), then go line in. If you are using a mic without a battery, avoid going mic in for loud music, get a battery box. The loud SPL (sound pressure level) will cause distortion in the MD preamp mic inputs. I rarely use the mic in on my MD, just for some outdoor sounds that are quiet that I don't mind a little extra noise (from the preamp). For loud music, you always want to use the line In. You should avoid using an external battery pack or preamp with most powered mics. The Audio Technica 822 is what I use and I go straight line in with just the AA and I get great results with loud rock. I usually normalize a little with Cool Edit Pro and I am very happy 9/10. Since the Rode is a powered mic (9v), I would definitely say go Line In for music shows that have any volume whatsoever.

I thought the same as well but when I added a new dry cell AA during a recording on New year's eve, the battery level meter DID increase. It found the new battery WITHOUT me powering off or even pausing, it just rolled along recording and then added 2 bars on the meter with the new battery. That's good to know in my book.

I have posted 2 new recordings of the Derek Trucks Band on the Live Music Archive from 12-29-04 The Visulite Theatre, Charlotte, NC 12-31-04 The Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA Both of these were recorded using an AT822 line-in to NH900 with the bass filter active. No problems with the Sonic Stage transfer. You may be interested to know that I used Hi-SP for the 2nd set on New Year's Eve (thought I might need more time but it wasn't needed anyway). It still sounds pretty good to me. Man, the transfer time for Hi-SP to PC is nothing compared to PCM upload time. These were all normalized with Cool Edit Pro after conversion with the Sony WAV converter tool. Of note, I did add a new dry cell AA during the 2nd set and the battery meter DID go up after the new battery was added. This was the first time I noticed that happen. Good to know it pulls from both at the same time and updates the meter accordingly. I had previously thought the recorder had to power cycle to update the power meter. I think these recordings turned out really well. The 12-29-04 is especially good. The 12-31 has a lot of party noises, as is expected on NYE. Still the NH900 shines as usual. Enjoy! Happy New Year!

What version of SS are you using? What bit rate were the files recorded? PCM? Hi-SP? How large were the files you were attempting to upload? I have had problems uploading large PCM files (crashes SS) but usually have no problems if I track them and upload the smaller files individually.

I have really been putting some thought into trying a new rig (can't leave good enough alone). Right now I use the AT822 powered stereo mic and I go line in with very good results. Anybody have thoughts as to what the benefits would be to use some Auri type mics with an adjustable preamp like the Boost box instead of the AT822 solo? I usually have good results normalizing the files after transfer to get a very good sound level. Would that be the only benefit, a track with a higher level? Also, wondering how I would set the line in level on my NH900, if I had a preamp between the MD and the mics. Would I set it at 15/30 and adjust on the preamp first or go 30/30 first and then adjust down? With the AT822 going line in, I just keep it at 30/30. Just thinking about tax return time and what I might be able to spend without getting too much flack from the spouse. I should say that I am more interested in your opinion regarding the difference between a mic like the AT822 vs stereo minis and a preamp. I have really had good results with the AT822 and I am just exploring possible upgrades in the $400 range. Happy Holidays

I'll chime in with my results w/ the NH900: solid recorder (other than that lame AGC setting as Kurisu points out) with great battery life recording, especially using the AA/gumstick combo. I really like this MD and I am getting used to SS and have had great results with the uploads (as long as I track long PCM tracks BEFORE uploading). I would recommend the NH900 to anyone looking for a recorder, if you want it for listening as the primary use, go for the MZ-NH1 or the NH800. Looking forward to more improvements in 2005. Took the family up to Ohio in the frozen snow for Christmas and the drive from SC was great due to the limited MD change now that I can put 10+ hours in Hi-LP on one standard MD. I had a great time scrolling along and that 40ELK remote makes life simple and exciting!!! Get the upgrade remote and a better battery and you just might have the best MD around these days (for now at least, still have my fingers crossed for a Sharp Hi-MD). Happy 2005 to you from snowed-in in Ohio.

Thanks, mine has been set on low since I got my NH900 so I guess I never noticed the difference. Thankfully, it does save the setting. Thanks for the double check and making me check.

Congratulations on the job well done. I think cardioids usually take away some of the bass but I like what they produce, especially in terms of cutting out crowd noise/chatter. I don't think the mic sens will be active if you are using manual recording levels. It's only active when you are using AGC just like the normal/loud music setting. I have used the WAV converter without problems on the last 3 shows without any problems. I am still keeping the HMDR program up to date as a backup and on the rare chance I ever get a digital signal feed down the line. Marcnet has made a great program that still serves a good purpose. Post a sample of this recording sometime, I know there are a few of us who would like to hear it.

Thanks Kurisu! for your work in saving the forum and the MD.org site from the worm making its rounds on phpBB sites. You are due our thanks and support! Merry Christmas to everyone involved with minidisc.org and this great community here! Happy 2005 to you all!

Connect.com in the US is downloading "Version 2.3" now. Just thought everyone should know and I think that is what Weaves was trying to say in the post above :thumbsup2:

You are so very right. See corrected edit.

I'm there with you on the initial go with the joystick on the S1 but I really like it now when I am jogging or working out. It only makes sense if you hold it in your left hand with the band around your hand and the MD. It's a PIA otherwise. But, look you get a Type R compatible MD with optical input that takes NetMD like a champ for less than $70. I got mine for $79. I can't complain, it works well for what I wanted it for. I leave the thrills and jog dial fun for the NH900 :grin: (Corrected edit)

Welcome to the forum. I would recommend that when using a Net MD always use the AC power for transfers. Hi-MD solves that problem with USB power but you are out of luck on the NetMD. It's why I use my NH900 to record stuff for my MZ-S1, I don't have to hassle with the cord, just the USB. Too much drain on the batteries when transferring, I guess. I have seen the battery level go way down when transferring and then back up when just playing on the same set of batteries. You are not the only one experiencing this poor power design.

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for the info. I have NOT seen that message or had that problem on my NH900. I wonder if it was a bad sector on the 80 min MD? Help me understand, were you connected to Sonic Stage when this happened or just recording analog, etc?

Stay away from the Real Player in my opinion. What MD are you using? What version of Sonic Stage?

If you DO NOT have a Hi-MD, then you CANNOT play through Sonic Stage, NET MD only play through the headphone/line out when connected to Sonic Stage. Sorry but true. :whistle: To get digital transfer, get a MD deck with optical out and a soundcard with optical in. Otherwise, there are analog to USB coverters but that again is not what you want. The only way to get digital out of your Net MD is to use a MD deck with optical out. That is why I owned a MD deck before I got my Hi-MD.