dex Otaku

What version of SS are you using? I've said already, and I'll assert this since -every- mp3 in my personal collection is VBR: SS 2.1 decodes them just fine.

By analogue means, in real time.

space taken = sampling rate * bit depth * number of channels * length in seconds For 80 min MDs using SP mono, that would be 160 minutes = 9600 seconds 44,100 * 16 * 1 * 9600 = 6773760000 bits /8 = 846720000 bytes /1024 = 826875 kB /1024 = 807.5 MB per [full] mono MD *200 = 161500 MB = 158GB Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, there.

It would be nice, but as has been mentioned before making the players compatible with a new bitrate would likely require a recall to add it to the hardware codec. Yes! Yesyesyesyes! I hate how they don't give you a total size in MB on the library side - they give time.. and then on the HiMD side they have MB free, but not time left [which they could estimate switchably per bitrate or something].. This drives me nuts.

If enough customers pressure them to, they might. I started a thread for a SonicStage wishlist/bugfix list here. Please put your $0.02 in!

I have no experience with OpenMG jukebox, nor with most features of NetMD as opposed to HiMD which I am now using. SonicStage might work differently though. We need an expert on the differences, here, which I'm not. Kurisu? Anyone?

Funny thing is I used to be able to check bandwidth usage over USB right in the XP device manager.. but that doesn't seem to be there any more. Anyone know of a USB bandwidth monitor proggy?

If you're using SonicStage you can write ATRAC3 / ATRAC3+ CDs, yes. They are data CDs in the same way that MP3-CDs are. I'm not sure what happens to the DRM info when you do this, though, as I haven't tested it myself. Hopefully it's possible to re-import the tracks from CD at a later date and still be able to write them to MD without restrictions being imposed. I'm assuming that as long as the same computer [correction - same install of SS] is used, this should be possible.

I think it would be fairer to HiSP to test it by the same method as SP - as encoded by hardware. HiSP vs. SS HiSP would be another thing altogether. edit: This is assuming that while SS's encoder is opined thus far to be inferior, its decoder [since there are no decks with which to transfer a hardware decode] is up to snuff. Not sure where to stand on that, yet. I guess the question is - does playing HiMDs via USB get decoded by SS or by the player?

They arent't commonly available yet in most places worldwide. This is what happens when you buy into a format that is only 1-2 months old, though. We just have to wait for them.

Standard 80 minute MDs, reformatted to HiMD mode, hold 291MB of data. 1GB HiMD discs hold just short of 1GB.

I haven't used 1.5 so I can't attest to this myself, but consensus among other users I've heard opinions from was that SS 1.5 is terrible compared to 2.x. Unless you have a really good reason to stick with 1.5, I'd suggest upgrading.

Thank you. This is more correct. It's not there's there's less data loss, it's that there's likely to be less perceptual or perceived loss. I think it would be interesting to do a real ABx comparison between HiSP and SP. If I had the equipment to make the test files, I'd do so. [i have nothing with an optical digital out]

Due to substantial differences in how the two encoders work, I'd say that 256kbps atrac3+ is likely to be less lossy than 292k atrac. I do have issues with HiSP as encoded by SonicStage vs. by the encoder on the recorders themselves, but hopefully this will improve with time. It's worth noting that atrac SP was originally developed in the early 1990s, whereas atrac3+ was developed in the last couple of years. Atrac has been improved over the years, yes, but there's only so much you can improve once the data format and decoder are frozen [i.e. upon the initial release of MD, in 1992-93].

I can't confirm it re: optical in [as I have no way to test this] but my experience with test recordings made via analogue line-in are that HiSP sounds better as encoded by the recorder itself than it does from SonicStage. The same goes for every bitrate I've tried, actually. SonicStage appears to be optimised for speed, not quality. Mind you - the differences between SS's HiSP and the recorders' HiSP are so small as to be unnoticable to the vast majority of users. LP2, on the other hand, has a rather stark contrast between SS and my NH700.

Just so you know.. I don't know if you typed it in error or if you're mistaken about how bass rolloff works, but gonig from 69Hz cutoff to 96Hz cutoff means you're recording -less-, not more bass.

Does this happen with -all- mp3's or just some? And does SonicStage play the mp3s if you import them [without converting]?

The NHF800 and NH700 are almost identical. I've found that with the 700 you can starting recording by pressing rec+play or rec+pause as well. That way you don't end up with those 2-second tracks while trying to switch to manual record levels. After a couple of weeks of trying to do this awkward 3-finger rec+play+pause thing [that worked but isn't great sincethe buttons are so small and close together] I was pleasantly surprised to find out about the rec+pause thing. I just remember [for manual rec levels] that it's menu for 2 secs, 5 pushes down, enter, 1 push down, enter, and it's on. I've done this in very dark places several times now and not missed on it once, thankfully. The 3-line remote for the NH1 also works with all other Hi-MD models. I don't know if it has the track mark button but it does at least have backlit record level meters.

Sounds like the OpenMG modules might be missing or something. Have you installed servicepacks up to the current generations in XP Pro?

Greg, I'm with Gerry on this, re: microphones.. Most shows are in mono through PA systems. Stereo might be handy to you if what you're looking for is a feeling of immersion when you listen. Crowd ambience et al play a big part in feeling like you're there again. I have a pair of those in-ear binaurals from Sound Professionals and while I haven't used them to record a show indoors yet they sound quite decent with anything I've tried them with. The thing about [true + earworn] binaurals is that they're not meant for playback over speakers, though. The recordings you get with something like the SP-TFB-2 mics can sound great over speakers as well but the stereo image is a bit strange compared to normal stereo recordings. The kind of mics that you can wear pinned to your glasses or shirt/jacket are probably better for bootlegging, IMO. Mic placement in that instance for reasonable stereo imaging [for playback over speakers] has more to do with distance between the mics [small phase delays give separation] and the direction they're pointing [both forward rather than out as with binaurals, as pointing out means everything is in a completely different phase angle]. For recording ambient sounds [nature sounds etc.] I prefer the earworn binaural method as the stereo field is often pretty diffuse anyway - and with surround-sound/matrix decoding you can get some really interesting results on playback. For instance: the back channel with surround is made up of signals that are 180 degrees out of phase - meaning that with the binaurals, which are pointing in almost the exact opposite direction from each other, anything directly to your side ends up predominantly in the rear channel. Clip-on omnis are great for general-purpose recording. You can use them like binauarals, or as a stereo pair [like a440 suggests], or even as dual-mono mics, or just using one for very close pickup of sounds like for foley use. They are also great as replacements for lapel mics in interview situations. Where they lack is in situations where you really need a directional mic that can reject sources other than your subject. For a starter rig though, you should be able to get plenty of good use out of something like Reactive's Auris stereo mics. BTW - the real treat in making stereo recordings with pairs like this comes when you have the chance to set up for an acoustic gig, like at a small coffeehouse or something, where the crowd ambience is likely to be a bit more subdued and the instruments and vocalists are relying only on their own sound, without reinforcement. Catching an array of instruments set across a small stage from front row can sound pretty fantastic.

Woo. Kind of cool. And yes, it should switch to batteries, Spare Tire. It's all just precautionary for those of us who are paranoid about losing data.

How do you mean bypass? Do you want to rip the MDs directly at high-speed? Because without actual broadcast-level [i.e. $3-4,000 last time I saw a price on the drives] equipment, this isn't possible.

What I'd suggest doing is running windows update. If you are running XP without SP1 or SP2 installed, and have never installed JET or DAC [or is it ADC?] [data access components] then you'll likely be having trouble running anything that depends on thigs like access databases [which SonicStage does]. These updates are stated in SonicStage's install requirements. Update your windows. Things are likely to start working when you do.

Changing the SS [software] codec would be relatively simple. Changing the hardware codec in all the players/recorders would not.

Riven: information on how to get stuff from HiMD to your PC is in the HiMD forum. It's not a straightforward process [yet], but there are ways to make it work if you're willing to put some effort in.