cfairfowl

I wouldn’t buy a car unit unless – and here’s the rub, (now pay attention SONY) I could slide it out of a tray in the car and use it indoors too. Be really nice that - two units for the price of one (how many people use the car players while indoors)? All that money tied up doing nothing for hours and hours just sitting there waiting to be stolen………. I know I know I am being silly – the human race doesn’t have the technology yet to produce a combined in-car/HiFi HiMD unit. Be really nice though........... I would buy a professional or high grade unit like my MDS JB940 and MDS E10 units, I record loads of live stuff off the wireless – sorry radio and my NH-700 in it’s (home made) timer cradle has recorded literally hundreds of hours of programs direct from DAB that I would have otherwise missed. I just love HiMD, facilitating the recording of many programs or one program up to 7hrs and 50minutes in HiSP on one little convenient disc, edit and dump onto reformatted MD80 discs – brilliant. A high grade or professional unit with timer switch (of course) I would buy immediately.

Sparky191, thiis reply was sent to MD MAX in error and it was for you old boy – sorry, it was late and I had just come back off my hols. You seem to think building this cradle was a waste of time! your opinion is welcome of course but you seem to have missed the point – MD CONVENIENCE and SIMPLICITY, once the timer is programmed all you have to do is pop a HiMD into the Walkman drop Walkman into the cradle and forget about it. I have a PC, Laptop, ROLAND Edirol UA-25 and a Lacie USB2 HHD connected to a DAB Radio tuner but NO "Convenient" TIMER operation with it, most recording software allows only one recording operation and normally you need to leave the machine on too. I use HDD for recording (when I am in doors and want to use that facility) most of the time I'm out when recordings are made - hence TIMER recording. Unlike yourself I am not a programmer so you will appreciate my difficulty in DIY customised software. In order to get 7hrs:55mins and automatic recording is not that easy, I like the cradle system - it uses HiMDs, it's portable, editing is easy etc, etc. Oh and I hate those f***ing MP3s - I would rather be deaf - come to think of it, people who use them and say how great they sound must be deaf - tone deaf at least. I also use a Studer A807 Mk. 2 connected to a Revox B760 FM tuner – (timer controlled) Sony MDS E10, Sony MDS JB940 and two DAB tuners all timer controlled, the cradle was a bit of fun and I wanted to be able to record longer programs at the higher quality end of HiMD and stick with the MD and HiMD format. This was an interesting little project that cost less than 150 pounds and works very well – I am well pleased with it but can also appreciate you feel it’s a complete waste of space. Chris.

Yes - Tricky and the whole thing must not be able to move about, trial and error will be required. CF.

Yes and a bit of trial and error. Good luck..............

Be Careful, I have one of these and it does not work very well at all, you have to turn-up the volume right up to gat any sound and you get a load of noise. Try and listen to one prior to parting with you Hard Earned. Cheers............CF

My Sony MDS JB940 could be coming up for sale soon (I am upgrading to a Professional deck). it is in v-good condition and in full working order - has original box, user manual and remote control. I have owned it from new and still use it every day to record radio 4 using a timer. email me for more details.......Cheers.

If you put your receiver on a timer and set it to wsitch off at a pre-determined time - receiver will swith off, the signal to the MD is cut - the MD machine will go into pause mode, after five minutes it will shut off completely. Music will be saved safely. CF

I have designed and built my own HiMD MZ NH-700 Walkman cradle that allows Timer recording operation. If you are interested email me. cbfairfowl@btinternet.com I sent some pictures etc. to the forum but there seems to be little enthusiasm for this sort of thing.

Now it appears that anything goes; the current music database systems commonly in use here are far lower in audible quality than cassette tape or vinyl. Commercial radio here is virtually unlistenable as a result. ←

Michael1980 "Just to make sure, does FreeView offer all the same radio channels as Sky (and same bitrate)?" No, but the ones I want are on freeview with higher bitrate.

Your raising this issue has prompted me to investigate the possibility of getting free view in my area. I have been toying with the idea for a while so I have a guy coming to check the signal level for me. If the signal is good I will buy the Sony VTXD800 freeview box (it has optical digital output) I can plug this into my MZ NH-700 and I will be interested to how Bob Harris sounds. DAB wirele sucks for all except BBC Radio 3.

I agree with me, Him! That chap! You know the guy with the ammunition case stuck in his HiFi. Second hand record shops are a fantastic source of music, if they don’t have what you want they normally know a chap does. I have bought some hard to get stuff from ebay too. I also use my local library and lets not forget the Radio (yes, yes I know I am always banging on about the radio). Long live Whispering Bob Harris.

A simple method of getting it to record for you whilst you are busy doing other things i.e. a timer switch of some kind. This could be done simply (I think) when it receives a signal optical or analogue it starts recording until the signal is cut. Also an optical output would be good so you can feed it through a good quality DAC unit.

Because I record shed loads of stuff off of the wireless I have used and reused my MDs hundreds of times and have had no trouble with any make. Sony, Maxell, TDK, Emtech.....Even reformatting them for HiMD I have had no trouble with any of them. If you look after them they should be reliable. I am paranoid about dust getting into them and keep them covered up all the time and don’t leave the machine open.

I have used a SMALL pair of active loudspeakers with my MD and pocket FM radio. Take the MD with you to the retailer and ask if you can try them out.

Cut a small hole in your T-shirt or get/make a small extension lead.

I Have used GP AA, AAA and 9v batteries and I think they are better than all others I have used. I would assume their gumsticks are of similar quality.

Sorry to be boring but where is the TIMER FUNCTION SWITCH?

But can you pause, play, pause, and play again when recoring optically. Does it shut down completely after being in pause mode for 5 minutes?

quote=Hey, I have Sky, but no digital out. How can I get a new box with optical out, do I have to buy it? Take a look and take your pick........... http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/dsat_rx.htm

Jadeclaw "" DAB @ 128k sounds better than FM at my place. Between a rock and a hard place! I too could not get a clean hiss free FM signal so DAB is the better option for me. For all it’s faults I have enjoyed thousands of hours of excellent programming form both FM and DAB but the most important ingredient in this is my “Fantastic” MiniDisc machines, without them I would have missed thousands of hours of my favourite programs. I would say people should not be put off listening to the wireless it has a lot to offer and by utilising the MD machines you can cherry pick what you want to listen too and when.

The tuners are excellent but the bit rate is too low in this country to benefit from them. The public have been hood winked into DAB with all the bollocks about “CD” quality. CD is 70’s technology 44kHz 16bit. Broadcaster have been forced to use the slogan crystal clear and not CD quality because they infringed trading standards, what a joke, the UK has the lowest bit rate on DAB in Europe even Estonia uses 254kbps for music. I prefer Radio 3 DAB because of the low noise and it is “OK” at 192kbps (where I live I could never get a clean FM signal so DAB suits me better) as for the other stations some you can’t get unless you use DAB but you are better of using FM, Satellite or Freeview. If I knew then what I know now I would have gone for the Satellite option (Sky) and used a digital output. Before you part with your money check out your options, a Freeview box will give better digital radio than a DAB tuner and it will be a lot cheaper. Check to see if you will get the stations you want. http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/links.htm http://www.bbc.co.uk/digital/radio/

I use HiSP for BBC Radio 3 from a DAB radio tuner using the opt. output from tuner and opt. in on my NH700. This is as good as you are likely to get from radio (DAB or FM) using MD or DAT, I have used both and don’t use DAT anymore the lowest common denominator is the wireless. I also do similar from a second DAB tuner for BBC radio 4 and due to the low bit rate LP2 or even LP4 is more than adequate for spoken word. I don’t bother using HiSP for whispering Bob Harris (BBC Radio 2) as again the bit rate is so low the sound quality is crap from DAB, FM is probably better for all but Radio 3 and if you can use satellite (or freeview)** with an opt output you will notice an improvement. ** not all DAB radio stations are available on Freeview.

Yes I got my MZ NH-700 as soon as it was available at my local dealer (Oct. 2004). I got 1 1G disc with it and had to wait until Feb. 2005 to get more 1G Discs. I am over the moon with it. I will upgrade to a later model with HD amp. A.S.A.P.