rubadubdub

Yes Freeview is higher (BBC7 is stereo). I'm only really interested in recording BBC4, BBC7 and perhaps BBC2. I've used a computer based Freeview receiver (Nebula) for years to record channels but really would like a non-PC method, preferably direct to MiniDisc. I hope Pure (superb products & support) will support Freeview radio stations in future. Perhaps one day the BBC will get additional frequencies for DAB so they can use decent bitrates - I'll never forget when BBC DAB was first started in Britain with 192kbps and no compression (sounded superb) - then they started more channels, put a woman in charge and it all went lo-fidelity.

I've been looking for a timer solution to record DAB onto Hi-MD and was hoping the sychro feature on the Pure radios would work but the current HiMD MiniDisc records timeout after 5 minutes. I'm not sure how the original poster manages to record programmes. Looks as though my prayers have been answered though as Pure have just released a DAB radio that records onto flash cards! Shame though that DAB bitrates in the UK are so poor compared to Freeview. Guess we wouldn't need to even do this if the BBC got their act together and gave us decent quality MP3s of the radio programmes - perhaps one day it will happen. Pure Evoke-3

I pretty much always use CDEX with LAME. Tried VBRFIX but it didn't help. Tested VBR MP3s and they will convert and transfer if I specify an ATRAC less than 132kbps but are just transferred if set to 132kbps or higher (my VBR MP3s are all listed as 128kbps in Sonicstage). I don't want to use anything less than ATRAC 132kbps. Anyway to force SonicStage to recognise these VBR files as higher than 128kbps? I really don't want to reencode them.

How do you do the copy bit? I've done the pre-convert before but doing a copy in Sonic Stage simply copies the MP3 as before.

Sorry, I posted the same problem in the HiMD forum and it was moved here so I'll comment in this thread. My VBRs are all encoded using LAME and apparently it doesn't, or at least didn't used to, write the VBR header information correctly. Described here LAME VBR header problems Thanks bug80 for the info.

Oh, just noticed exact same problem in this forum. Might as well move this discussion to Sonicstage VBR problems

But I don't want to have to convert my VBRs to non-VBR mp3s before copying them to the Minidisc as I'll be loosing sound quality. If I force a convert before copying to the Minidisc and then do a transfer, the mp3 still gets copied as it is, not the converted ATRAC one. I'll do some more testing as I think this is a serious flaw.

I'm having problems copying VBR MP3 files to my MZ-RH10 with Sonicstage 3.1. Haven't tried any earlier versions but with this one if it is a VBR file Sonicstage doesn't detect the average VBR of the whole MP3 file. I don't know how it detects it but it is usually specified as 128kbps. All the MP3 files I transfer to my Minidisc I want to convert to ATRAC 132kbps (due to MP3 sound quality issues and storage space) and I've set this in the transfer settings. But Sonicstage doesn't convert an MP3 that it has detected as having a lower bitrate than 132kbps. My VBR MP3 files tend to have an average of 192 kbps (as shown in winamp) but it detects mine as having 128kbps and transfers them unconverted. I've quite a lot of older MP3s in VBR (these days I only ever use non-VBR 192kbps). Is this a known issue or should I log the problem with Sony?

You would think the transcode would reduce quality. I've done some more testing and the differences are substantial with my HD600 headphones, the MP3 sounds duller. I'll check the EQ but I'm sure I have it set to "Normal". I'm actually pleased with the ATRAC 132kbps quality and will probably stick to that anyway due to the reduced storage required (my MP3s are mostly 192kbps).

Got my RH10 from Amazon. Really nice machine. Last Minidisc player I had was an MZ-R30 so the differences are pretty radical for me. Main thing is sound quality is great with my Sennheiser HD600 headphones which the volume hack made usuable. There's seems to be some bass enhancement though even on the Normal equaliser - which I assume is flat. The look of the unit is slightly cheap looking but I guess they had to cut costs some how, unlike the metal R30 case. OLED display is superb. Using Sonicstage is just great and easy for copying my MP3s. Sound quality appears to be better though if they are converted to ATRAC during the transfer. I abandoned Minidisc a few years ago but now I'm back with it's great storage capability and sound quality. I much prefer this over an IPOD.

Down to "usually dispatched within 24 hours." on Amazon.co.uk.

Anyone have a supplier with a MZ-RH10 in stock. All places I've tried don't have them in stock and have no idea when they are getting them in. Tried, cheapelectricals.co.uk, www.ogormans.co.uk, qed.com