The Low Volta

euh sorry, but first (Net)MD is IMHO obsolete... too little storage space and no option for lossless (PCM) recording so I won't consider this an alternative for anything anymore... and secondly: perhaps portable player is only one option, but honestly it is the only option Sony chose for HiMD!! HiMD only offers portables, a few overpriced mini/midi-hifi's and absolutely no car-decks as far as I know. So maybe if they had launched HiMD seriously in all those markets, it could have worked...but they didn't/won't and even if they would I guess it would be much too late now besides, "no competitor" is a bit strong IMHO... I do all that stuff you describe now and for most things a HiMD really isn't necessary: - portable player: HiMD for now (but I'm looking for a decent replacement and there is a lot of choice) - home hifi: well, a good home hifi of course and a great invention that carries lossless audio called 'CD' - car audio: a car deck with aux-in combined with the portable player (so now it's still a HiMD, but it could easily be replaced) ...but... - portable recorder: HiMD and I really see no alternative within the same price range + audio quality hope my argument is clear(er) now... but of course this is only my opinion and you may differ.

just to get this straight... it wasn't really the forum-section you posted this in that confused me, but the title of your thread: "Hi-MD to PC via optical link?" but as I have never owned a deck with optical out I'm afraid I can't be of any assistance... sorry

uhm... I don't think there's any HiMD model with optical out (certainly not the portable models!) so I'm afraid you were informed incorrectly to get your recordings digitally to PC, just record in any of the HiMD-formats and use the USB->PC connection and get the tracks with SonicStage

good luck on upgrading tricia... I'm pretty confident it will go smoothly (it has for me and I've done every upgrade since 2.0) and if it does fail somewhere along the line... we're still here to help you through that as well see you around

hi, as far as I understand it: - there is no 'new' NH1... it is 1st gen (released in 2004) and those do not support MP3 but there will be an RH1 soon (which will support MP3) - all HiMD's "support" MP3, but 1st gen only by recoding to ATRAC while 2nd gen really supports the format without conversion - in data mode, all HiMD's can 'carry' MP3's... but then they can't be played on the machine (it simply functions like a removable drive) so i'm afraid you must have been misinformed (unless I'm really mistaken, but I doubt that)

congrats to hunterbin...he/she's n°33,000 and congrats to the forum (and its mods/admin) as well!!

I'm not really sad ... I think HiMD (at least the RH1) has quite a few years to go as there still aren't any good (well, not acceptable in price and/or quality) alternatives for recording so indeed HiMD will last some more years. But even if it ends, I won't be 'devastated' as long as there is a decent alternative. I like the format, no I love the format, but only for what it lets me do, not for the format itself! for me: technology = only technology = a tool to do stuff ≠ an end in itself ≠ 'a reason to live' so if solid state recorders improve in quality and reliability and at the same time drop in price, I can't really see a major reason to mourn the inevitable demise of (Hi)MD well, have you read the first post of the "Defying Expectations, Third Generation Hi-MD Unit Surfaces"-thread? it (as far as I can tell from the descriptions so far)... - has the ability to remember all rec-settings (like manual etc...) - is overall better designed for recording (OLED meters on the side, big rec button,...) - has a metal body - is pretty compact but doesn't use a proprietary battery etc and it does have the AA-addon - might record in 352kbps (nice for the times PCM is overkill but you still want good quality) - MAC ability (did surface before I know, but on a model that was actually just the RH10 but a bit more expensive so how many of us really bought that?) - ... (I'm probably forgetting some more) so, it comes pretty close to what I want... just gimme timestamp and I would be even more excited what would be needed to make this a good player (><recorder)? a whole lot! this is clearly only intended as a recorder...which is exactly what makes it so good IMHO, it focuses on one task and tries to do that one very good in stead of those semi-player/semi-recorders like the NH1/RH10 (and all their relatives)

I must say I couldn't agree more with dex! But still I'd just like to add... if the RH1 really turns out to be what the first rumours promise it to be featurewise and if they perhaps have reintroduced the imestamp feature (which doesn't seem probable from the early descriptions and Sony's way of doing stuff) it comes pretty close to my 'ultimate HiMD recorder' (which is what I expect HiMD to be... it just isn't competitive as a player anymore) for a 'player' I will gradually start looking for other options

if you worry about 'high quality'... you really should consider HiSP no seriously, as poe already mentioned (hey I'm really parroting in this thread ) you shouldn't be blinded by numbers/names/settings or bitrates... let your ears do the discerning! So just use what sounds good to your ears. Honestly, I really doubt your ears can discern between A3+@128(high quality) and A3@132 in the setting and with the phones you normally use your HiMD, heck first try to ABX test those two in a good setting and see if you can get significant results (with winABX you can get a publishable outpufile IIRC, so you can always show us the results)

yes, but as has also been said already: isn't 132 (LP2) close enough? (only 4 kbps difference you know)

ok...now it's clear to me too. and I agree the gen-thing is quite subjective! I would love some more changes (and thus a REAL new gen) but I do think there have been a few good changes made...but really for me the one major reason to talk of the RH1 as a new gen is that I would only consider this one model for an upgrade and not even one of the 2nd gen's... besides, I'm afraid this could be the last gen ever... it looks like the 'ultimate-recorder' that Sony might support for a few years till the HD/flash-technology has overcome its child-diseases and takes its place in the semi-pro and amateur recording niche... so perhaps we will agree pretty soon on the whole gen thing as we might be forced to accept that it is the last gen

maybe you think I'm saying the same thing... but 1) I didn't call NH700 2nd gen and as far as I have noticed, noone did except ou in your first post. The standard idea seems to be: NH600D/600/700/800/900/1 = 1st gen, RH710D/710/910/10/DH10P = 2nd gen, MZ10/100 = gen 2+1/2 (or even 3 according to some ppl) 2) I do think the RH1 is a separate gen, as I think the additional features for recording are major enough to speak of a another gen so while I am saying that it is kinda rediculous to state every minor change as a generation, I'm definitely not saying what you're saying I'm afraid

simply because (Net)MD as a technology is pretty much obsoleted by the advent of HiMD and Sony is the only producer of HiMD-portables (onkyo makes decks, but that's not really the main focus of most users here)

one can fight over what makes a generation (1st gen were all released at the same time, same specs/features,...) but this would definitely be 3rd gen for me: - it actually remembers recording settings! this alone is a giant leap forward (and definitely something 1st and 2nd gen couldn't) - it might (hasn't been confirmed of course) record in the added bitrates (like 352) which 1st and 2nd gen can't - it is released almost a year after 2nd gen - ... (there will probably be some more reasons I don't know yet or I temporarily forgot) PS: NH700 2nd gen as it can record from mic? I think that is very strange reasoning (there have always been downloaders/players and recorders within one generation) and if you are using that idea of one added major feature as a basis of separating generations you'd get NH600 = gen 1, NH700/800 = gen 2 (mic), NH900/1= gen 3 (line out), RH710D = gen 4 (MP3-support), RH910/10 = gen 5 (MP3+mic), DH10P = gen 6 (or is a camera no major feature ), M10/100 = gen 7 (mac compatability)... (and I'm obviously forgetting the Japanese player only models here) so that'd make the RH1 what? gen 8? but of course this kind of reasoning would be pretty daft

as you are having software problems now... perhaps it could be a good time to upgrade to SS3.4

the mic preamp of the HiMD is more than sufficient in most cases (for quiter->mid-loud sounds)... often the mics will produce more self noise than the preamp as has been tested/proven here on these forums... (I believe by dex or mrsoul IIRC) (for loud noises just add the batt-box and use line in)... this will still be one of the best (if not the best) options for mid-budget/semi-pro recording out there IMHO (and I'm definitely buying one )

I was a PC-using-thunderbird adept... but then I got my 12" powerbook and as I installed everything I kinda automatically switched to mail 2.0.7 but I'm quite disappointed... I miss the integrated RSS reader, the labels for messages, the excellent spam-filter, the fact that it signals for new messages even when those messages are immediately directed to a local folder... so with those things combined... I guess I'm migrating to thunderbird again in a few days (I'll still give mail a go this week... but I can't really see things getting much better honestly) but all this being thorn between two options could actually be futile in a week or so as the department we're working together with is switching to Micro$oft exchange server and they kinda expect us (even though we're all on mac) to follow... this would mean I'll have to use 'Entourage'. I'm sorry, I have nothing against PC, but I won't use Micro$oft stuff if here is a good alternative and I do have a thing against using Micro$oft stuff on a MAC!! That thing (as outlook) is bloated on PC already... I dread to see what they have done to it on a mac... excuse me while I go and enjoy my last moments of freedom

- omnidirectional refers to the pickup pattern of the mic: not-unidirectional but omni- = it picks up sound from all directions - binaural is actually a specific way of positioning mics = to resemble the pickup pattern of your 'two ears' and this is often done by placing two omni mics (or a separable stereo mic ) close to (or even in) your ears (with your head in between to create a left and right stereo effect) in short, greenmachine offers very small omni stereo mics which are very good for stealth binaural recording

get well soon ... we're all lloking forward for some more live stuff

sorry... I was plugging greenmachine's mics again, then I saw I already did here in this thread he just shouldn't make 'em that good, now I can't shut up about them

a german site already offered price info (can't recall exactly, but was about €340 IIRC) but as you have a Japanese Sony connection... how about you scoring a big news-scoop here on MDCF with some more pics?? I understand if you can't...no problem, but you can't blame me for trying I'm ever so anxious and I haven't got any Japanese connections...let alone at Sony

it has nothing to do with the hack as far as I know, this is a hardware defect IMHO I would take it in under warranty and either ask for a full reparation (no costs of course) or an exchange for a new one...whichever you trust more (I had my NH900 repaired perfectly before in Belgium, so no problems there) but if you would love to get the RH1 later you could always ask for a refund now...

all info is here (it's still in German, but it's pretty straightforward) he takes paypall and if you mail him with further enquiries on the email-address you can find on that site I'm sure he'll provide further info as well *edited so the link points to greenmachine's pricing page again

please search these forums first before opening threads...those things have been addressed before!! but for now, just follow the link "uncapped thanks to MDCF" in my signature

creative stuff I guess and a good effort... but please just check SonicStage 3.4... it requires/gives much much much less restrictions, DRM and copyright stuff as before