dex Otaku

This [the original thread] should definitely be moved into and pinned in the HiMD info forum.

The biggest differences between 2.2 and 2.3 that I've noticed so far: * 2.3 hasn't destroyed any of the uploads I've done so far * 2.3 lets you change track numbers on tracks already in your library There are no skins available for SS that I know of - however, you can edit the skin it comes with with GiMP, Photoshop, or whatever you prefer. Go digging around in the SS folder and you'll find a whole hierarchy of folders containing images for the normal SS skin. If you're going to mess with it, make sure you back up the original first. Also, pretty much all you can change about the skin is the colours &c. - the layout is fixed.

None of the HiMD units have backlights in their displays. The remotes for the NH900 and NH1 do, though. Simply put, backlights require two things: 1) power. i.e. making battery life shorter 2) space. Putting the backlight into the unit's case might increase the overall size of the unit by a few mm. I think it's sort of a stupid ovesight on Sony's part, myself. I mean, $10 watches have had indiglo backlights for over ten years now, you'd think they'd find a way to stick it in there, but then - the added circuitry involved might also cause electrical interference hell for the audio circuits. Moral of the story: carry a mini maglight.

See also here: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=7486 This is a review of the NH700. The only real differences between the 700 and 800 are: * the 800 has the VPT acoustic engine [which works poorly by all reports I've seen] * the 800 comes with a radio tuner remote

There is also a semi-review of the NH700 I put in the reviews forum. The only differences between the 700 and 800 are: * The 800 has the VPT acoustic engine [for virtual surround &c., which apparently works very poorly and is a waste to have anyway] * The 800 comes with the radio tuner remote See here: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=7486

Only one user has reported trying SS and VPC, and their finding were that performance was absolutely dismal [to the point of being unusable, I would say].

I have found the same. The AGC on the newer models doesn't really look [or test] as AGC, actually. It's more of a soft-knee compressor starting at about -12dBFS with a limiter starting somewhere around -6dBFS. As long as the source you're recording isn't extremely loud [or you're too close to it] this permits a very natural-sounding dynamic range while ensuring that most louder sounds are recorded undistorted. Transients too fast for the compression/limiting are an exception, and this is what the Loud Music setting is supposed to be for - though my own admittedly rather unscientific testing found no real difference between the two modes. This applies when you're using the 'low sens' setting for mic gain. In the 'high sens' mode, you end up with recordings that sound more as you'd expect AGC to sound [i.e. with pumping background noise &c.].

The mic input on almost all sound cards is monaural. This means you won't be getting a stereo signal wehn you record through it. Mic inputs also have a higher-gain preamp than line inputs, which has higher potential of overloading an distortion if you plug a line-level signal into it. If your mic input works, that's probably because it's selected as the active recording source in the windows mixer. Switching to the line in will probably fix your problem, lessen the chances of distorted recordings, and give you stereo. To switch to the line input: * Open the windows volume control [double click on the little speaker in your system tray (by the clock) if it's there] * Go to the 'Options' menu and click 'Properties' * Make sure the 'Mixer Device' at the top is the sound card you want to record from [if you have more than one sound card, they will all show up in this lis] * Click on 'Recording' under 'Adjust volume for' * Click OK You will be back at the volume control. This particular view of it is useful because it lets you do two things: switch between recording sources, and set the recording levels for those sources. Under each source there will either be 'Select' or 'Mute'. In the case of it being 'Select', make sure only the line-in is checked. In the case that it reads 'Mute', mute all inputs except the line-in. You should now be able to record from the line input. You can use the slider on its strip in the recording volume control to set the levels to ensure that you get distortion-free recordings. Please note that for $11.95USD you can purchase Total Recorder, which will let you record digitally in real time while playing the HiMD over USB. [This is what method 1.2 in those instructions was about]. This is the method I use to back up recordings. Making WAV files a bit smaller: CD-quality audio takes up roughly 10MB per minute of recording. Higher bit depths [24 rather than 16] and sampling rates [96 vs. 44.1kHz] will increase the amount of space needed for a given time to be recorded. If you're not going to be getting into any fancy editing, make sure that the recording settings in Audacity are set for 16-bit, 44.1kHz. As for decreasing the amount of space it takes, there are a variety of ways to do this, but none of them work in real time [i.e. while making the original recording] without being lossy [i.e. recording directly to mp3]. For backup and storage of WAV files you can use lossless formats like FLAC and Monkey's Audio. I prefer FLAC, but Monkey's has a great user-friendly frontend for managing their files that most people would find much easier to use. Lossless formats usually compress audio at around 2:1, meaning it takes half the space to store the same thing. They do, however, require that your player software, editor, or hardware support their format in order to play them natively. In the case of software, this is not such a big issue, as players like Winamp and Foobar2000 have plugins for most of the available formats. iTunes and SonicStage will not, as their development systems are closed. [Note that iTunes does have the option of using Apple's own lossless format - which of course can't be played by anything else - but then, if you use iTunes as your primary player, that's fine.] Those of us who use lossless compression are accustomed to the fact that if we wish to edit the audio at a later time, we simply have to decompress it back to PCM WAV before doing so. I recommend something like the following: * record your audio to your computer in CD-quality format [uncompressed PCM, 16 bit, 44.1kHz] * edit as needed * write your audio CDs using your finished product * compress the finished product with something lossless like Monkey's Audio [APE format] * back up those APE files to CD-R or DVD-R [the same way you would back up any data] The last part is of crucial importance. CD Audio is NOT a precise system, and was never made to be precise, really. There is no way to actually ensure that what you're getting off the disc is exactly what you put there in the first place, if you have to go back and rip it later to make more copies. Data CDs, on the other hand, generally have more robust error-correction, and are laid out so that any one file can be read from the disc with absolute bit precision. Backing up to your audio to a Data CD [or DVD] means that when you take those files off later to make more copies, you are getting from the disc exactly what you put there. This may seem like a lot of work, and may seem totally daunting, but really - it's not much different from anything else. When you're gardening, there are certain procedures to follow, an order to doing things that makes the most sense and ensures that what you plant actually grows. At any rate, Cheers.

Another source within Sony confirmed this? WOO HOOOOOOooooo! P.S. for the 'net fogeys out there: @wheeeee!

I just recently got O. It's an amazing album.

It's like a maze? You didn't spot the link at the bottom of the www.protools.com frontpage for "protools free"? Or.. ah.. the digidesign site. Right. Go to protools.com instead.

A Lush compilation, consisting of their albums Spooky, Split, and Lovelife. [MD80 formatted as HiMD, HiSP-encoded tracks]

Protools is widely regarded [and has been since the early 90s] as the best audio editing software there is. I'm not sure what the version is, but if you go to the Protools website it's still there for download. edit: Mac and PC versions of Protools free are "based on version 5.0.1". The Mac version requires Mac OS 9.x. The PC version requires Win98/ME.

I didn't include my PC. Or any of the ones before it. I do remember paying almost $350CAD for my first 16-bit sound card, though.

Over the years, I've probably spent somewhere on the order of about $2-3,000 on audio equipment. Though I must point out that usually I manage somehow to get other people to buy it -for- me rather than paying for it myself. Half of it is that I like bartering. That other half is that I usually need the equipment to do a job for the person who's paying for it, so it all evens out in the end.

Thanks for this. I've never heard of Krystal AE before - but I've already dl'd it and look forward to putting it through its paces. A lot of people use Audacity as well, which is open-source.

Protools was updated. The free version is simply an old version that they released for free.

I haven't seen Vegas 5 yet. Vegas was, to my knowledge, made for DVD authoring [in partnership wiith DVD Architect]. Vegas 4's video editing options are similar to Adobe Premiere's in how the timeline functions. It's actually quite decent and I've used it for a lot of simple editing tasks.

Please keep in mind that the torture tests I did do NOT: #1 - mean that SS is fixed. It suggests that it is, but what really needs to happen is for others to basically do similar testing. #2 - you will never lose tracks from problems unrelated to the known/assumed upload bug in SS [2.0 - 2.2 at least].

Welcome to the fora! Sorry you came because of this. 1 - You can't transfer from a disc that is write-protected 2 - The only recovery method I know of at the moment would be to call up Sony and ask if they could do it for you. They'll probably say they don't know how. 3 - upgrade to SS 2.3 if you haven't. 4 - if the recording was a long single track - in the future, either insert track marks manually while recording, or use the time mark feature built into the recorder. It's highly doubtful that it would work, but you could try simply running scandisk or diskdoctor on it. edit: see also: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showforum=90 and more specifically: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=7687 [esp. as regards the one long track thing] and http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=7436

I'm honestly not sure what to suggest.

Is your machine overclocked?

The first one you've linked to would still require an external preamp for every mic you're using, as it's for line-level signals only. The second might work, but - as it's a passive mixer [no preamps] the impedance would likely be badly mismatched for microphones. This would not likely affect things if all level controls are turned all the way up, but when used they will probably not behave as expected. I have seen Sony mixers over the years, but most of these were for low-budget video use, were mono, and signal-path quality wise couldn't even be considered prosumer gear. Here are some mixer recommendations.. please note that most mixers are not battery-operated, and will not fit in your pocket. They can also get fairly pricey - but this is an area where you definitely get what you pay for, in terms of signal path and build quality, among other things. http://www.mackie.com/products/dfx6/index.html http://www.behringer.com/02_products/prodi...FTOKEN=35469104 The Berhinger runs off batteries, and Sound Professionals sells it for $159USD. My experience with their products is that while I wouldn't use them for audiophile purist recordings, and their build quality is less durable than Mackie's stuff - for general purpose mixing, they're great as long as you remember to take care of them.

This depends on what you're transferring to you MD, but in the case of mp3s et al - have you tried converting within the SS library -before- downloading? Does it behave the same way whether you're using mp3s or ripping from a CD?

I'd still recommend going totally acoustic.