javertim

They look pretty standard to me ... They're probably something like the old stereo clip-on mics that RadioShack used to put out, and I've had some truly wonderful results with those. However, you're most definately going to need a battery module to go with the mics. Especially if you're interested in recording loud rock concerts and such. May I point you in the direction of these: 1. http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/.../item/SP-SPSB-6 2. http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/.../item/SP-SPSB-2 3. http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/.../item/SP-SPSB-1 I have #1 with bass roll-off and it works wonderfully. #3 is pretty standard as far as battery modules go, but I prefer #1 because it's much more compact. I would certainly like to hear user opinions on #2, though. I wonder how a 12-volt mini car remote battery would work ... Hope that helps :-)

I know, I know -- AGC is "the enemy of live recorders," but I've found that a certain event that I frequently attend just works better with AGC because of its rather extreme dynamics. I find it much easier to "normalize" the volumes of this AGC recording once it's on the computer rather than the line-in recording made of the same event ... My question is as follows ... My older recordings using AGC were made on my Sony N-707, which as everyone knows lacks the "low sens" and "high sens" features. However, I now have a Sharp DR-77 which *does* have the high and low sensitivity options, and I was thinking about trying to record said event using my "old" method as well as the new one to see which I like better ... But is the "standard" AGC on my older N-707 more along the lines of the "high" or "low" sensitivity on my new unit, or is it in the middle of the two? I was thinking about using "low" as to reduce / eliminate the minor clipping that would occur with my old recordings, but if it's the same on the new model as it was on the old, I don't really see the point. Also, could I get some user opinions on AGC. Other than the fact that it compresses and reduces the natural dynamics of what you're recording, are there any other reasons to stay away from it? Just wondering ... Thanks! :-)

I would say go with Line-In, as long as you can run your mic through a battery module or a preamp. Set your recorder to a MANUAL recording level of somewhere between 20-28, depending exactly how loud it is and how far away you're sitting. I'd suggest trying out one of the lower numbers for the opening band and seeing what the meter is doing. If it's still really low, go ahead and turn it up further toward 28. :-)

Let's see ... I've gotten my best line-in results with my Sharp MD-DR77, Core-Sound Low-Cost Binaurals, and Sound Professionals' SPSB-6 battery module. I usually set my manual recording level at 27-30/30, depending on where I'm sitting. I'm generally not a big fan of adjusting levels while I'm recording. Not only is it inconvenient, but it also dispenses of the event's true dynamics. Consequently, I usually do lessen the dynamic range by means of "enveloping" once I have recorded into the computer, but I'd rather have the option to do this rather than the master being permanently fixed in such a way. I would imagine my mics have an SPL of around 105-115, but I'm not sure. I have used them to record events that are semi-loud and haven't achieved clipping, so I'm leaning more toward 115. I am very impressed with the Core-sound mics, and I especially like the way they are mounted atop the clip. Their way, you clip them on and they point *ahead* rather than up. I would not buy a pair of cardioids that weren't mounted this way, and have always wondered how one would effectively mount a pair of cards that naturally point "up" (care to share, Shermy? :-)). I've been looking at the MicMadness MM-HLSO-MICRO mics for a while, now. They're somewhat pricey and I would undoubtedly have to sell off some older equipment to purchase them, but they seem to be quite remarkable (at least by the description -- an SPL of 130 *without* a battery module). About applause in the middle of a song, I would use the "envelope tool" (time to play "guess which effects tool is Tim's favorite" ;-)). It may be a pain, but all you have to do is minutely select only the clap peaks and envelope them down to a suitable level. Try this once and make sure that the drop in dB level isn't too noticeable. If you just do one individual clap at a time, you really shouldn't have any problems whatsoever. Like I said before, it's much better to use the envelope tool to decrease these areas than simply cutting the sound down by a certain dB level, as the former is a continuous change (such as a fade in or fade out), whereas the latter will present you with a noticeable, abrubt drop in volume. :-) Tim

No problem at all, man. I'll only learn more -- and I have A LOT to learn. I had always wondered the same thing, really. Because, once, I used a non-powered mic and recorded via mic-in and got a little distortion here and there, and another time I did the same thing but with a battery box and got a lot more distortion. So, I don't think using a battery box will prevent distortion and clipping unless you manipulate the levels. Can anyone tell me if that's the case? And, just to keep everyone updated, I just got some new MD>PC hardware that records WONDERFULLY, and so I recorded one whole MD into the computer to run some tests. Well, I used Cool Edit (now Adobe Audition) to master the files. What I found out was that if I envelope the applause and screaming at the end of songs down to a comfortably audible level, it drastically reduces the audio's dynamics. And I always reduce screaming anyway. So, after reducing that (and I would definately use the envelope tool rather than just lowering the dB level, as the latter creates a notable "drop" or "seam"), I just normalized the whole file to 100%, and everything was fine. Didn't need to use a compression tool or anything. :-)

Thank you everyone for your help. I just have one more question before I make my final decision. Below, I have linked a product that I found at CompUSA today: http://www.compusa.com/products/product_in...0994&pfp=SEARCH Now, it looks like all I need to do is find a MD deck that has Coaxial output capabilities. I can use the equipment browser to do this. I'm hoping this product is suitable for what I want to do and that it will, indeed, allow me to make a digital computer recording of my minidisc material. Can anyone give me some input as to this inquiry? I'm still getting used to the way audio works, exactly. Thanks again! :-)

The past few events I have recorded have had extreme dynamics. I'm talking about loud music that equals that of a rock concert, coupled with dialogue that is on the "soft" side. Therefore, they have been quite difficult recordings to make. Well, not difficult to make, really, but difficult to master in the final stage. Now, I'll be making many more of these types of recordings in the future, and I was wondering if anyone could offer input as to what set-up would be best for me. So far, I've gotten my best results using my Sharp DR77, either my standard SoundPro or Core-Sound binaurals, my SoundPro battery module with bass-roll off, and feeding this into the *line-in* on my recorder. I've set the manual level (never use the automatic gain) at 28-30, depending on my proximity to the sound source. I've come out with some really clear, wonderfully distortion-free recordings -- the best I've ever made. However, for my purposes, I still find that the dynamics at hand are a problem. Even when mastering in Cool-Edit or Audacity, I find it tedious and difficult to "equalize" the volume so as to boost the quieter stuff and limit the loud. But, lately, I've been thinking about trying to go back to *mic-in* recording. I was thinking, if I run my mics through the battery module and set the manual recording levels at, say 10-15, I could turn out with a pretty good recording. But if I am able to turn out a distortion-free recording this way, would there be any sound quality change from the line-in? I know that the mic preamp can sometimes add a bit of noise, but I'm still unsure. Some people have told me that mic-in recordings provide better, more ambient sound, others have proclaimed that line-in works best. Also, if anyone could lend me any suggestions as to my mastering problems, that would be wonderful. Basically, I just want to boost the low-volume sections and limit the loud stuff (as explained above), and I am hoping to accomplish this in a few steps. I have attempted just to "envelope boost" all the low stuff, but this is an extremely tedious process and I know there has to be something simpler out there. Compression provides a weird effect sometimes, but maybe that's the best place to look. Or perhaps I'm not even looking in the right place at all. Help! ;-) Thank you to those who were willing to read this hideously long post, and extra thanks to those who can offer thier most keen of insight. :-)

All right. Thanks for all the help, guys. However, I have one more question. I just realized that my Sharp MD-DR77 has a "line out," and I always thought it just had phones-out capabilities. Therefore, could I just run a cable from my portable's line out / headphones jack into the "digital in" on the soundcard? I don't have a digital in on my current soundcard, so the suggestions therein should prove most helpful, but if I can just use my portable's line-out for real-time digital transfer, that would save me a lot of money as I wouldn't have to buy a standalone deck. Thanks again! :-)

Basically, I don't have a maximum budget ... I just want to find some options and see what the price-range is. I am a college student, so a combination under $500 would be nice, but I may be able to save up a little more than that. Still, I'd rather know the the full extent of what this could end up costing. Also, I have a friend who said he used to run his portable MD player into his stereo and then run the stereo into the computer. He told me that the connection of the player to the stereo created a "digital out" that he was able to use to record into the computer. The only thing is, he hasn't had this setup for a while and isn't quite sure how to get it to work again. Basially, I'm just looking for a way to get a more exact version of the recording in my computer, as it is on the MD itself. I feel that no matter where I set the levels on both my player and my computer's line in, I end up with a computer recording that has some minor clipping on the louder parts. Now, minor distortion on the computer version isn't too terrible, but it is very annoying when I've gone out of my way to make a crystal-clear recording that DOESN'T have clipping. And I'm not quite sure why this topic was moved, as I was essentially replying to a pinned topic in the "Live Recording" forum anyway. Tim

The pinned topic at the top about uploading without Hi-MD suggests getting a MD deck with digital out and a soundcard with digital in. Well, I've done a few searches of these boards as well as online (Minidisco, CompUsa, eBay, etc.) and haven't been able to find anything. Can anyone point me in the direction of some hardware? Thanks. :-)

Minidisco offers both 2-Night and 1-Night Air shipping, so I was assuming them.

So, I've finally saved up enough money to buy either ... The "quick response" bit refers to the fact that I'm going to need my recorder by THIS weekend (Sunday, 1/16/05), and I'm not quite sure which one to get just yet. Let me explain what I'm going to need ... Currently I own both a Sony-N707 and Sharp-MT877, and I use either one depending on the situtation. For loud shows, I prefer to the Sharp. The reason being is that I record via the line-in for loud shows, and the Sony has that annoying habit of making a new track when the signal is too low, and the Sharp does not. As many of you know, it is quite easy to get the occassional "too low" signal when recording via line in. I prefer to use the Sony for shows that aren't as loud. For these shows, I generally use my Core-Sound Low-Sens cardiod microphones ... So, bascially, my question is as follows: Does the Sony MZ-NH900 follow in the older Sony recorders' footsteps by making a new track when the signal isn't high enough, or can you select to turn this feature off (I've looked online for the answer to this question but have not been able to find it)? I would love to have the extra recording capacity per disc as available with HI-MD recorders as well as the MD>Computer USB recording features ... But then I sort of like what I read about the Sharp MD-DR77, too. Any user experiences / reviews and suggestions are INCREDIBLY welcome, but I need a reply soon, because I do need to make my decision before Thursday afternoon. Thanks! :-)

I purchased a Sharp MT877 from eBay a couple weeks ago. Since the model was released in the UK, mainly, I had to go out and buy an AC Adaptor that would fit the charging cradle ... Well, now I'm trying to charge the unit's NiMH battery -- Only nothing's happening. Unfortunately, my unit didn't come with a manual, so I am unsure if I have to press any series of buttons to initiate the charging process. If anyone can render any aid whatsoever, I would be very appreciative. Thanks! :-)

Just a quick question about rechargables, as I am new still pretty new to this ... I have just purchased a used (although in excellent condition) Sharp MT877, which takes the NiMH gumstick battery (but also has the really nifty screw-on AA module). Anyway, just yesterday, I ordered a new NiMH from Radio Shack in the hopes of getting more battery life out of it, and not *having* to use to the AA module as often. Here is a link to the product that I ordered: http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?cata...t%5Fid=960-2102 I just wanted to make sure that battery is safe to recharge in my Sharp unit. I most certainly don't want to harm the unit itself. Also, when I purchased my Sharp, it didn't come with the manual ... But I have read online that there is a "battery drain" feature with the MT877 so that you can drain the NiMH before rechargin, therefore getting more life from the battery itself. Does anyone know how to activate such a feature? I haven't been able to find anything online that tells me *how* to do it. Thanks! :-) Tim

Hello, I've been having a problem when recording analog from my minidisc to the line-in on the back of my computer. I never really had problems before, because I've always used the mic-in on my recorder, therefore resulting in a much higher / louder signal. However, in my quest to reduce clipping and other distortion, I have begun to use the line-in on my recorder along with a bass-roll-off battery box. As most of you know, this produces a much lower signal, and the minidisc itself is basically unlistenable unless you are somewhere very quiet (or have a good pair of headphones with a volume adjustment on them). But this is not the problem ... I've always made CDs of my past recordings, and have done this by recording via a mini jack from the headphones/line-out of my recorder to the line-in on the back of my computer. However, because of the lower signal, only one side of the stereo is recording (I believe it's the left size), and the other side does not record. I have turned my recorder's volume all the way up to the max, along with the line-in setting on my computer, but still only one side is recording in ... Like I said, this was never a problem (and still isn't) when I try to record mic-in recordings into my computer. For some reason, my pc is only allowing one side due to the amplification. I've even tried doing test recordings ... Whistling, then screaming into the mic while recording via line-in on the minidisc. What results, when recording to the pc, is a one-sided recording during the whistling -- But then the pc picks up both sides for the screaming. So, has anyone had this problem before and subsequently found a solution? Any advice at all would be very much appreciated. :-) Tim

Edited to add: I apologize if this is in the wrong forum ... I do believe it is. Sorry :-( Hello, I've been playing around with some different Mic-Minidisc combinations lately, and I've pretty much been favoring the Low Cost Core-Sound Cardioid (with Low Sensitivity) microphone along with my Sony MZ-N707. I've been recording with the manual volume setting at the max as to get the most from the low sensitivity mics. The sound that results is very round, although it does have a little bit of extra hiss, which I assume is because the mics are specialized "low sensitivity" versions (anyone familiar with these) ... But this is nothing that a simple filter cannot fix, for the ease of just plugging a good set of cardioids straight into my mic input with no distortion even at the loudest segments is wonderfully convenient. That's right, I don't have to use a battery box, etc. Anyway, the real problem I'm having is not with the recorder of the mics themselves ... At least I don't think it is. What I'm doing is recording into my computer via a standard "silver" connecting cable (MD Player headphones > Computer Line In), using Cool Edit's recording feature. The un-adjusted sound that comes in is great -- just as it sounds when played back on the minidisc itself. But when I try to Normalize (or even just raise the overall sound by even 6 dB), I get a bit of clipping / distortion on the peaks. Now, isn't the point of Normalizing to get the maximum amount of sound while stearing clear of clipping? At least that's what I thought ... Now, time for my specifics: My volume setting for "Computer Line In" (via the standard volume control on my computer) has been set at half to below half for these tests (as I'm trying to figure out what's going on). The first time I tried to Normalize, I had the % set at the standard 100, but even 90% is producing the clipping ... Heck even, as said before, a simple "raise of 6 dB" is producing it. And yet there doesn't seem to be ANY clipping at all on the original MD recording. So what's going on? Do I need a better connection cable? Better Software (I have Cool Edit v. 2.00)? Any ideas? Thanks! :-) P.S.: My sound-source sample was just my television set, but I plan to record louder theatrical shows in the future. However, it must be noted that while recording my television (with volume at full blast), the levels never even made it half-way (still not too savvy with the technical markers, here).

Hrm ... well, that's no good. I mean, I know I'm testing at my house and it's going to be a lot quieter THERE than in a live situation, but I still don't want to take the chance of not getting everything. Do you know of any way to make sure the Line-In recording is constantly getting a signal? I mean, I know I could constantly tap the mic or something like that, but I would prefer to find a hands-off way that will not effect the recording quality. Yet again, my gratitude. :-) Tim Edited to Note: The tracks are sometimes being added in DURING the recorded sound. Therefore, I obviously have a signal, right? I mean, if I playback and the track occurs right in the middle of some test-recorded music, that would most certainly mean there was not a loss of signal at the track break ... Or am I missing something?

Just to note ... I tried it and you do, indeed, use the FWD (+volume) and BACK (-volume) buttons to adjust the recording volume. Okay, so this is great ... Everything seems to be working fine ... Except for ONE thing. My recorder is automatically adding tracks in, and it is not set up to do so (I've checked all my settings). What happens is, I will record via Line-In, with pleanty of signal, and every 15-20 seconds, a new track begins. Now, this is not a huge problem because it doesn't affect the "through play" of the recording, but what if I want to add my own tracks? And what happens if the recorder adds TOO many tracks to the minidisc? Will the recorder stop at some point because of too many? Thanks Again! You guys are WONDERFUL! :-) Tim

Okay, everything makes sense! :-) Just one more question ... And this is something that I am not able to locate in the manual ... When I set the recorder to MANUAL-Recording-Volume, do I just turn the regular volume control all the way up? Is that how you adjust the levels. Also, when I put the recorder on "hold," this means I will not be able to accidentally turn the volume down during recording, correct? I have tried doing tests like this, but I notice that I am not getting a "skip" or "break" as mentioned in other posts, in relation to turning the recording volume up and down. Thanks! :-) Tim

Thanks for the advice! :-) I have always plugged my Battery box into the MIC input jack. However, even when I did this with my older, MUCH cheaper mic from Radio Shack, I got a lot less clipping ... So I just don't understand why the SP Mic / Battery Module combo ($130) is performing sub-par to my old Mic ($30) that ran on a button-cell battery. Also, Is there any way to set up my recorder to default to Manual-Recording-Volume as opposed to "Auto"? Additionally, does the AVLS setting really play a big factor in the recording process? I mean, would I do better to turn them on or keep them off? Thanks Again! Tim P.S.: As always, more advice is welcome! :-)

Specifications: MD Recorder – Sony Net MD MZ-N707 Microphone #1 (old mic) – Radio Shack Stereo tie-clip mic Microphone #2 (new mic) – Sound Professionals BMC-3 (low sensitivity) (Link to new mic: http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/...d/item/SP-BMC-3) Battery Module – Sound Professionals SPSB-6 (with bass roll-off) (Link to battery module: http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/.../item/SP-SPSB-6) My Problem(s): *** Both scenarios were recorded via the “Mic” jack on my MD recorder *** Before this past weekend, I have been using an old Radio Shack mic, as listed above. This one ran on a simple button-cell battery (you know, the kind of battery one usually purchases for a watch), and therefore didn’t provide much power on its own. However, when recording at loud situations with the recorder on Auto-Recording-Volume and with the AVLS *on*, I would only get a fairly minimal amount of clipping during the loudest sections. However, just this past weekend, I decided to give my newly purchased SP BMC-3 mic a “test drive,” along with my SP-SPSB-6 battery module. Mind you, I was recording the exact same event with the same recorder settings, although, of course, my battery module was set to a certain bass roll-off level – I believe it was at 69Hz (or 95Hz at the most). I used the same blank media (the Sony Gold minidiscs), and everything was generally very much the same as with the first scenario. But then, when listening later, I discovered that with my new mic and battery box, the recording had come out with a LOT more clipping than it had with the same event recorded with the Radio Shack mic and button-battery support. Even certain “dialogue” elements (without the heavy music) came out with a bit of overload. So, here’s the dilemma ... I am one of those who believe that technology and cost are very much related, so obviously I am doing something wrong here. A friend who is also an amateur recorder suggested that I switch my recorder to MANUAL-Recording-Volume and turn that all the way up. He also suggested that, along with this setting, I should switch the battery module’s bass roll-off up as far as it can go (which would be 888Hz). Is this good advice? I have tried doing this in practice, but nothing at home will ever really imitate a live event setting. Also, I have been experimenting with recording via “Line In.” When I have tried doing this at home, cranking the stereo up VERY loud on a Metal channel, the recorded sound comes out rather low, with only 3-5 volume bars lit up on my recorder/player. However, after importing this sound into my computer and adjusting the dB there, I have come out with a very clear recording. The only problem I would have with Line-In recording would be that the kind of events I like to record mixes loud music with interspersed dialogue, and I don’t know if my mic, via Line-In, would pick up the dialogue. Additionally, I’m not sure if my Net MD model (the MZ-N707) supports mic-via-Line-In recording, or if the Line-In is supposed to be only for a digital signal. Any advice / support would be very welcome ... I have been recording for almost 2 years now, but I am still learning. I would like to get better at recording as I go along. Thanks! :-) Tim