deadwing

Hi all, I've not been using my Sony MZ-NH1 for a while- I'd even unistalled sonicstage, so when I had need to record on my Hi-MD unit tonight, I re-installed the program (v4.3) on my Vista machine (It had run fine on there previously). After rebooting, I opened SonicStage, connected my recorder- the drive was found but instead of the red light on the front of the unit flashing and the recording on the disc appearing in the right panel, I just get a message "Cannot use this disc as an audio disc because it was initialised by a program other than SonicStage Click on properties on the device/media panel and initialise the disc to use it as an audio disc" I never saw this before- all I'm trying to do is transfer the atrac files onto my PC so I can convert/combine them into WAV format Anyone got any ideas why this is happening? SORTED IT.. Needed to be opeing SonicStage as Administrator... all ok now!!!

Cheers Bob.. trouble with that is the word 'solder'.. not something I've ever been able to master, I'm afraid!!

Hi all, I've been using one of Greenmachine's excellent battery boxes for alost three years now. I've noticed recently that the socket for the mic seems to have 'loosened' or become a little wider and the mic plug does not 'click in' like it used to. A live recording I made on Wednesday had some slight and very brief dropouts on the left chanel only and that is all I can think it is that caused this (all plugs are clean). Is there anything I can do to the socket or am I looking at a new box?

You know, I've just posted an identical question myself!! Did you get anywhere? I first noticed this when I recorded several bands on Saturday over a 7 hour period, some came out just fine, but a few had left channel only. Same thing happened to me the following night - support band recorded fine, main act, left channel only. I've now cleaned the lead from the batt box to the recorder, also cleaned the jack from the mic into the batt box and I'm recording again tomorrow and will see how it goes. Was also considering whether I could pop the lead into the MIC socket (with the batt box also in the loop) and record from there but I guess I might get distortion (Though that is only a guess!!)

Been recording with my Sony MZ-NH1 Hi MD in both stealth and open taping modes at all manner of gigs for about 3 years now. I use one of Greenmachines battery boxes, recording via the line in with manual recording levels and get great results. The last couple of recordings I've made 'something' is happening to make the recording come out only on the left channel - the thing is, it's not happening ALL the time so it's hard to pin down. I tend not to touch the recorder when it's in rec mode, so it's not that that is causing it- I've also tried my mics recording onto another unit through the battery box and those recordings work just fine. I've tried to recreate the 'one channel only' problem by recording onto the MD recorder at home and I've found that I can replicate it. It seems to come from the line in socket. If I stick the mics through the MIC socket, no problem at all, line in, I get an intermittent and seemingly random failure on the right channel. I guess in the three years I've had it, that socket has taken a bit of a hammering, so what I'm wondering is, would I still get the same results using the mics through the batt. box into the MIC input? If so, would I need to reduce the recording levels at all? I'm making a recording of one of my favourite bands on Tuesday (4th) so I'd love to get some feed baack before then. Cheers folks

I saw those but they said 'currently out of stock' I got a 3 pack from a company called K K Electronics on Amazon Marketplace for £9.99, they arrived the day after I ordered them too! I take it there is no physical difference between these 2nd gen blue discs and the original ones? I've formatted all three of the new onws so I assume they'll be ok in my MZ-NH1? Hope so, they are going to get some 'hammer' over the next 3 days!!!

Tried Trafford Centre and Cheshire Oaks.. neither had them

Anyone know of anywhere that is still selling H-MD discs- preferrably around the Manchester/ North West region. I suddenly have a need for s or 4 extra blanks for this weekend and couldn't trust an on line purchase at this stage!!!

No, I don't have the original discs- I only work with 2 Hi-MD's as I only use the recorder for live music - get home from a show, transfer to my HDD then erase the disc for the next use... What an absolute pain..talk about overkill!!! I'll just keep the DVD in the hope then...but won't hold my breath

So, I assume the recordings I've already backed up to DVD are totally useless then?

Here's the situation- I had a failing hard drive so I backed up everything I wanted to keep onto DVD - this included my library of Hi-MD recordings I'd made over a couple of years. I've needed to go back to one of these and, using Sound Forge, imported the file I want but then when I try to do 'anything' with it, I get some 'digital rights' message on my screen telling me I can't do anything with the file??? So, am I unable to do anything at all with these files? Luckily I've got WAV files stored of most of these but there is one where the wav file was corrupt and need to go back to the source recording

A while ago, I recorded a performance onto my MZ-NH1 in Hi-MD mode. After playing it back once, I then started to transfer it to my PC via USB and SonicStage. At that point 'something' must have happened, the transfer stopped and the disc would not read-it just displayed an error message. The thing was, I could still 'see' all the files on the disc and could drag them all onto my HDD, but there is no program for conversion/playback that I could try. That all happened over a year ago now, and I'm wondering if there has been any 'developments' with software to handle the raw .oma file ? Many Thanks

A bit embarrasing really...I have just two Hi-MD's...and that is plenty!! I only use the unit for live recording-record it to disc, transfer to PC, wipe it clean and start all over again!! How many record/wipe/record cycles do these things last??

Well there you go..you know..that had never even occurred to me!! I wondered why a brand new Duracell had run flat on me after only 4 or 5 shows spread out over two or three months...hadn't occurred to me that the battery was draining with the mic plugged in..DOH!!

I'm about 18 months down the line on my 'stealth recording' career and this place has been an absolute godsend. From positioning mics a few inches apart (You can't believe how sceptical I was about that at first!!)to using a battery box/line in instead of attenuator/mic in, the help advice and even hardware I've got from here has turned my recordings from 'ok' to 'wow' ('wow' is not only my description but also that of the people I've shared my recordings with!!). Case in point I recorded a band in a club on Friday- this band always played loud and have a real 'wall of noise' type of sound. I've recorded them 3 times before-all prior ot me getting Greenmachines battery box and some nice good quality lapel mics- and there was always some distortion and lack of clarity on those recordings. On Friday I was close up to the stage (about 10 feet) when the band started playing and they hit this really heavy chord that I thought would have sent the reocrding into severe brickwalling, but no...no sign of any distortion anywhere. In fact the whole recording sounded far better on playback than the show did 'live'!!! What's the point of this post? Well, two fold really- partly as a thanks to all the helpful folks on here and parlty as as a help to anyone new to concert recording who reads this. My complete recording set up only cost me just over £100-ok I did get the MZ-NH1 for an absolute steal of Amazon, but the mics and battery box are giving me results I never dreamed would be possible... ..Now, if we could only come up with a device to stop people talking at gigs when they stand next to you .... :-)

An interesting thread as I have just encountered exactly the same thing since I started using the battery box!! I was worried at first as I thought there may be a 99 track limit on it and then it would start recording over the oldest ones, so this has set my mind at rest somewhat! Hadn't realised SonicStage had a combine feature (that'll be handy down the line!!) - I just opened the first 'track' (in .wav format) into Soundforge and the dropped each subsequent one in after the next- slightly time consuming but there are absolutely no gaps whatsover (Checked the 'joints' in Soundforge with a VERY fine tooth comb!!). I just uploaded a track into my live recording folder-a good example of how Greenmachines Battery Boxes can help give outstanding results

Yeah, that's it, I've found a little cardboard box (an ink cartridge box actually!!) that is just big enough for it and I'd left the battery only plugged into it (No mic, I'd diconnected that)..It could have just been a didgy battery I guess!! I'll check before leaving home next time!!!

..would you expect a Duracell batery to last?? Reason I'm asking is that I got one Greenmachines excellent battery boxes back in June and I nearly had a disaster recording a concert last week when I got no volume at all on the support band- checked the battery and it was flat as a pancake!! Didn't have a spare with me, so I went with REALLY low mic volume in the mic input and it came out not too bad, but I know how great it would have sounded with the box in fully working order!! I've left the battery plugged into the box connectors ever since I got the box- does that drain it even when there is no other connection?

For some reason, recordings I've made this week have started splitting at seemingly random points-one 100 minute recording split itself into 18 sections, several just a few seconds long. I haven;t changed any settings (AFAIK!!)- anyone any idea why this might be happening and if so, how do I stop it?

I was thinking the same thing myself, but would that cause that kind of sound 'shifting'? I could understand it if the equipment was on the floor say, but at lapel level, and with the mics pointing upwards, would it make a considerable difference, especially when I'm in a spot where there wasn't many people in front of me? Having listened to it all the way through today,t didn't happen that much on this recording-would shielding the mics help maybe? The pair I'm using came with little foam pads around the end, but the got lost on the first show.

A few weeks ago I posted a thread called 'Why The Difference?' which highlighted differences I was getting in recordings. Thanks to the suggestions in there, I invested in one of Greenmachine's battery boxes. Tonight, I got the first chance to use it. On receiving the battery box, my immediate worry was that the 9v battery could be prone to becoming disconnected during a recording, but that was easily overcome with an empty cardboard box my ink cartridges come in-perfect size and easy access for the cables! That out of the way I set about recording the support band-as I was in stealth mode, I had to be careful, but I settled on a level of 18/30. Had I recorded at this level with the attenuator, then I'd have got a mass of distortion, but a trip to the loo at the break indicated that it was just about right-if anything a little low, but nothing that couldn't be boosted post recording. The main band played a bit louder if anything, the bass player using some really heavy bass pedals and the drummer had a two bass-drum set up that was pretty loud too. After the set, I played it back via my car stereo and it was pretty good- easily the best recording I've made in this building. I tweaked the volume a little and raised the mids and highs just a tad post recording, but the sample below is pretty much how it came off the disc. The sample is actually a quite intense instrumental bit, so this really would have loads of distortion using the attenuator method http://homepage.ntlworld.com/barneystorm/ACT_SAMPLE.mp3 So, there you have it- Greenmachine, thanks a ton for the battery box, I can now record with confidence! The only thing I now have to solve is the occasional 'shifting' sound I get- I mount the mics on my lapels and I'm wondering whether people walking in front of me or even me lifting a drink to my mouth may be causing this..anyone any thoughts?

It is just the clip I'm after - bulldog clip would do it, but it might be a bit of a giveaway on my lapel!!!!

Came to check my mics tonight and one of lapel clips has come off the mic and I I can't find it anywhere- does anyone know (preferrably in the UK) who sells these things?

Thanks for that- one of GreenMachines battery boxes is heading my way as I type!! Just as a matter of interest- you say you now record via line in and levels 16 to 22/30 - what kind of music/venues are you using those settings in? I tend to go to loud rock shows, most of which are in medium/large clubs (350-1000 people).

danke schon..mein deutsh ist nicht zu gut!!