Tourist

Sorry, I was being a little cryptic. You can record in realtime through any computer input (like your optical/USB) and a recording program like Audacity or whatever you're using in your eMac. That's what you're going to need to do with your recordings from the MZ-R55. It's recording, in realtime, but elsewhere on this site it is, rather confusingly, called uploading. http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=7070 Faster-than-realtime transfer--which makes sense, they're just digital files--was only enabled for Hi-MD. That goes through USB from Hi-MD players, and only for the Hi-MD formats. The program that does that is SonicStage, which only runs on PCs, not Macs. For previous players, and for the old MD formats, the USB transfer is only one way, from PC to MD, to use the MD as a portable music player.

That should play the recordings from the MZ-R55, which will be SP. Only Hi-MD recordings (PMC, Hi-SP, Hi-LP), not older MD (SP, LP2, LP4) are uploadable via USB, and then only to a PC, not a Mac. So the portable player will be of no use to you for this purpose.

Unfortunately, no. The only formats that can be uploaded faster than realtime are the Hi-MD formats. Your old MDs are in SP, which can't be uploaded.

You could always try a replacement cord, but again, a cord is not going to discriminate--it's going to be all staticky or not at all. How about listening through headphones if the speakers are poor? Also, check this out: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=7989

Wasn't there recently some sort of brouhaha with Creative where its advertised 24-bit wasn't really 24-bit? If you Google "sound card" "optical out" you should find a lot of choices. Also, for an exhaustive discussion: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=158

Do the albums sound the same played through the speakers as they do on the recording? If they do, then either they are worn, or there's dust in the grooves, or you need a new needle. You can probably still find an LP cleaner--a velvet-like cylinder that takes some liquid in the middle, you start the turntable and hold it against the grooves to brush off the dust--at a record store somewhere. There's nothing in the MD that would single out voices to be scratchy.

Maybe the Core Sounds are worth the $230--I haven't been lucky enough to try them-- but if I were you I'd start with something less pricey. You're not recording in a hushed auditorium, but in a noisy, dusty place, so you'd be fine starting with either basic binaurals or in-ear binaurals or, if you want to start one step up, those Audio Technica binaurals from Sound Pros (or their equivalents elsewhere). Your recordings will be extremely realistic with any of those. Where you're standing, how the mics are attached to you and whether you're rustling your photo gear are all likely to be more important factors in what you get out of your recordings than the nth degree of audiophile perfection in the mics. On a loud recording, the mic preamp will likely overload before your mics do, and an attenuator would take care of that. If the mics themselves do overload, you could add a Juice Box from Reactive or a battery module from Sound Pros/Microphone Madness later, or a preamp/battery box combo.

I can't afford the mics, but the wonderful ambient recordings at www.quietamerican.com are done with the DSM microphones here, where they also talk about how to record a 360-degree soundfield like a pipe organ (search for it on the page). Boy, does this guy like his CAPS and exclamation points!!!!!!!!! http://www.sonicstudios.com/multitrk.htm Basically it suggests using a pair of omnis and either a human or simulated head. If you already have any decent mic, see if your bass pedals overload the MD's mic preamp, because you might have to roll off the bass or attenuate the sound, in which case a mixer with EQ might help.

Are you sure you can't adjust it through the computer? It will depend on your soundcard, but have you looked at the options under the Volume Control (little speaker icon in taskbar) to see if you can boost Wave Playback or overall volume?

So, step by step: With a disc in, go to Menu/Rec Set/Time Mark Set Time Mark to On and increase the value to the max of 60 minutes.

The screw question is not a silly one--one bad part of the design of those units is that the screws invariably fall out sooner or later. If you go to a pharmacy and get a typical $2 eyeglasses repair kit, it is likely to include at least one screw that will fit the MD player (along with a screwdriver for it!). Try one and then go back and get more for whatever you need. *After you replace the screws, paint over them with clear nail polish to lock them in.* If the eyeglass kits sound like an expensive and wasteful solution, it is, but it's no worse than buying Sony parts. If you want to get screwed by Sony, here is the info from an email: "Thank you for contacting Sony's Direct Accessories and Parts Center (DAPC USA). Your question was: small replacement screws that hold together corners of lid--4 of them--on Minidisc player MZ-N707 The items you requested are listed below. Item 1 - screw for black model, 323444917 -- $1.84 ea. Item 2 - screw for silver & blue models, 323444919 -- $1.84 ea. You may place your order using the link below or call 1-800-488-7669. Shipping charges and local taxes will be added to your order at checkout." Sony Direct Accessories & Parts Center web site - http://www.sony.com/accessories That's $1.84 PER SCREW plus shipping. How to profit off a design flaw....

If you look at reviews on Cnet and Epinions, most people like it and some people despise it, apparently for the firmware. Its drawbacks compared to MD are size--not exactly able to tuck into a pocket--and, for recording, the lack of a mic-in jack, which means you always need to carry a battery box. No idea if it has editing features like MD, but if it does that would be great. And direct transfer without SonicStage is a definite plus. But if stealth is paramount, MD will be better.

Here's what Dex Otaku said about Sync: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showt...indpost&p=49800

Line-in will take either a standard stereo miniplug OR an optical plug. If you have a connector with a miniplug it will work.

Had it been working before and has it stopped now? A few typical solutions: Look in Add/Remove Programs for ffdshow codec pack and remove it if it's there. If that's not the problem, then uninstall whatever SonicStage version you have COMPLETELY according to this thread: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=8071 and reinstall SonicStage 3.0 with the installer. Perhaps that will fix things. Also, get Simple Burner here: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=5552 It will do a faster job of transferring CDs to MD.