Archivist

I've noticed that my NH900 is VERY mechanically noisy, more so than my NH1. Definitely more noisy than my Sharp DR480 and old-school Sony MZ-R55. Plugging a mic directly into the NH900 pretty much dooms any recording to be full of whirring and chugging, so it's a good job I primarily use binaurals.

Isn't this the case with computers in general? I have long noticed that burning CDs or transferring data takes longer when the same amount of data is in a number of small files.

"Make sure things are well grounded." Silly question, but how do you do this?

I can still buy Sony Color Collection packs from local stores, and they suit me fine for my recording needs. Unfortunately I can't seem to find Hi-MD's anywhere - should have stocked up when I had the chance, but then, I didn't have a Hi-MD recorder at the time!

What if you don't have access to a computer? What if Sonicstage messes with your computer so much that it is impossible to use? What if you don't want to put a rootkit-infested CD into your computer? There could be any number of reasons why you might not be using a computer at that time. A possibly unique case that is true for me: I want to copy someone's CD to WAV, but I am unable to take the CD with me. The owner does have a CD player with optical out, so the only way I'll get a WAV copy is a real-time optical recording. Thank heaven that Hi-MD has optical in!

I have no idea. I took mine to an authorized repair centre listed on Sony's website, along with the invoice. That was all they needed for warranty work, no need for a seller-authorization.

I bought a couple of NH900's from Minidisc Australia. One of them is perfect, the other had a strange button issue - pressing Stop would make the unit skip forward tracks, and pressing Stop when the unit was stopped would start it up again. I emailed them and got a reply very quickly; their service is really, really excellent. I was able to send mine back, and they sent out a replacement. Unfortunately, that had the same problem but in a more minor way. It seems that this is a known fault in NH900's. I decided that I would handle this myself, so I have sent it to a local Sony repair centre. All I needed was a copy of the invoice from minidisc.com.au. It is currently being serviced and I'm waiting to hear progress reports. ~Archivist~

Google for "lavalier clip" or similar. Apart from that, I've seen some backyard-jobs done with mini-electrical clips and solder or black electrical tape.

Hi Isabel, Let me see if I can understand this. You want to use the audio metronome on your keyboard, record the music that you play, but not have the metronome sound in the background. Is that right? Do a test with your recorder. Plug your headphones into the recorder and get the metronome going while you record. Can you hear the metronome? If not, then you will have music without beats. If you can hear the metronome through the headphones (plugges into the recorder), then you are out of luck. Hope this helps.

While you can combine tracks, be aware that some people, myself included, have had trouble combining tracks recorded in WAV. My first WAV recording was auto-trackmarked every five minutes, and when I went to combine them, some of the tracks refused to do so. I asked around here, and while there are no explanations, it seems to be common enough to be known. ~Archivist~

Yeah, exactly. I've been everywhere (Dick Smith, Tandy, Jaycar in the City), and no one has the appropriate converter. It's not even listed in DS's store catalogue. That's why I'm either going to have to order one over the net, or maybe three so I'll always have backups. ~Archivist~

No, Dick Smith and Tandy have nothing suitable. I had to order something like that from Sound Professionals. Soldering iron is probably your best bet, if you have the skills. Hey, would it be hard to make a mono-in -> dual mono-out converter cable? I have a mono mic that I want to plug into my Hi-MD, and I haven't been able to find a mono->dual mono converter in the shops, either.

Dex, are there particular external preamps and professional mics you would recommend for low-level ambient recording? What should I be looking for when searching for this kind of equipment? What would you say is the price range of this kind of equipment? ~Archivist~

Just ensure that you set your mic levels correctly. Dial the setting up and down until your most strident double or triple stop barely redlines. Also, experiment with the distance of the mics from your violin. I personally like the Sony mic preamp a lot. While it is very sensitive at upper levels, the sound quality is good and clear, with very little noise (I have a NH1, a NH900, and an old MZ-R55). When correctly adjusted, they are fine.

3rd gen wishlist: - unit defaults to previous Rec Volume setting after ejecting disc, like Sharp - unlimited uploads from analogue and digitally recorded material - MUCH longer battery life for recording - backwards compatibility with legacy MD record modes - ability to upload legacy MD recordings - true drag-and-drop functionality with the unit - probably not possible due to Hi-MD file structure? ~Archivist~

Good thinking! I have used headphone extension cords, and I also use a right-angle plug adaptor from Sound Professionals. Just about all extension cords use a straight plug, which protrudes a lot from the side of the unit. SoundProf makes a little extension cable with a right-angle plug on the mic side, which minimizes the amount of protrusion. Tangent: is it just me, or does the NH900 make much louder whirring noises than the older Sony's and Sharp DR480? ~Archivist~

And this unit is NOT Hi-MD ... why??? Argh!

This is the land of pure speculation. We can not know of why these companies have not made Hi-MD portables without direct knowledge, which is not easy to come by. But the question: why have we seen a complete lack of Hi-MD portables, players or recorders, from any company other than Sony? Sharp has pulled out of the MD market in a number of countries. Panasonic hasn't made a decent MD portable for a while, unless you count the journalist's model from 2004. JVC? Who? With companies like Onkyo making decks and bookshelf systems and releasing them regularly, you'd hope that there would be some portables, but we have yet to see anything. Most are speculating that the increase in mp3 player popularity has been seen as writing on the wall by other companies, who are pulling out of the MD market altogether. What are your thoughts on this matter? (My secret wish is that Sharp will surprise us all with a small but robust range of Hi-MD players and recorders, like a Hi-MD version of the DR77! We can all dream...) ~Archivist~

Personally I'd love it if more companies made Hi-MD media. We wouldn't have to rely on Sony's production rates to get more of the things. I currently only have six Hi-MD's, four of which are still wrapped. I want more but I have yet to find a place that sells them around here. Illogical conspiracy theory: Hi-MD was deliberately castrated by other levels of Sony management who were planning to axe the division/product line anyway. Hi-MD usage was given a lot of restrictions under the guise of 'copyright protection', and blank media was never licenced to other companies for production. This would help prevent the spread and profitability of Hi-MD, making it easier to axe in future fiscal years. This is illogical because it stands to reason that a company would want all of their divisions to do well, and would not sabotage its own workings. Just a few weird ramblings...

I own that little device, and I'm quite pleased with my purchase. It doesn't transfer very fast, but I'm not fussed about that. I bought it as a relatively cost-effective photo storage solution; I already had a Hi-MD recorder, I needed a PSD, and I figured I'd leverage my resources. Here is my setup: I have three 1GB cards which I use with my Canon S70. When a card is relatively full in the field (310+ shots at max resolution superfine jpeg), I transfer the data to a 1GB Hi-MD while I use another card. It drains the batteries of the device in about two transfers, so I keep four rechargeable AAA's spare, too. The drawbacks of the device are the speed of transfer (slow) and the fact that there is less useable space on a Hi-MD than there is on a 1GB CF card. If I fill a CF card to max capacity, there will be just a bit too much data to go on a Hi-MD. So on my 7mp S70, I shoot until there are about five shots left, and then I transfer. Oh, and the other drawback is that there is no provision for an external power source. Apart from those issues, the transfer is reliable, the media is robust, and there is the added geeky coolness of using a Hi-MD device. ~Archivist~

Yikes! I've had this problem with a PCM recording, too. It was my first live recording with Hi-MD, and I am used to using auto trackmarking with my Sharp DR480 so I applied same to the NH1. The first few tracks combined, but around track 7 it would no longer combine, in exactly the same way you mentioned. Reading this thread made me try connecting my NH900 to the transformer, but still no dice. My new plan is to use trackmarking only for recordings that I do not plan to divide, and record all concerts and gigs 'straight'. Folks, would you rather do your editing (dividing) in the unit, or in Sonicstage? I am thinking that I'd rather use the unit, but if there are more benefits to using Sonicstage I might rethink that position.

I have a NH1, NH900, Sharp DR480 and Sony MZ-R55 (old school!). For the kind of trip you are planning, I would go for a RH10 or NH900. The capability for direct uploading and external battery pack make it much more versatile than the others. The NH1 is superb but has a proprietary Li battery and no external AA sidecar. The DR480 (DR7) is wonderful, with fantastic recording quality and extremely long battery life, plus a slew of recording features not found in Sony recorders, but does not upload. If Sharp made a Hi-MD version of the DR480 but with OLED screen, NO ONE would buy Sony Hi-MD recorders. Here's hoping! If you plan to upload your recordings and archive/distribute them on CD, a RH10 or NH900 would be your best bet. Be sure to carry at least two spare AA's and one gumstick as backup. ~Archivist~

You'll find that the BMC-12's are very robust as well. I've had mine for over a year and they have been pulled and jerked in a mosh pit (silly) as well as being hooked to anything and everything at regular intervals, and they are still working fine. I fully agree with using your head as a baffle between the mics. Placing the mics at the temple level of glasses creates a particular kind of stereo effect, but sliding them back on the arms until they are nearly on your ears gives a nearly-true 'binaural' effect. This effect will be most prominent with headphones. The shape of your head and shoulders provides much of the 3D effect you have with normal hearing, what with sounds bouncing off them. Pro-grade binaural mics are mounted inside the ears of a computer-designed dummy-head which mimics a 'generic' human head. I have heard of people making their own with mannequin heads from clothing stores, and using prosthetic ears to help mimic the shape of a person's head! Practically speaking, you will get the best binaural effect from placing the mics as close to your ears as possible. I still get very decent stereo from clipping them to the corners of my jacket lapels. You might like to experiment with them at home, playing something on a stereo and moving the mics from one position to another, and noting the difference in the recording. ~Archivist~

How common is battery swelling, and is this more common in particular battery models? Yikes.

But my question would be: what is the maximum recording time (is there some kind of cut-off mark) and what is the battery life when recording? Can it really record 'in unit' or is this some kind of line-in through the dock? I'm all for a HDD-based recorder the size of an iPod, but it had better be good! I guess we'll see how the Video iPod fares when people start to get them. ~Archivist~