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Everything posted by Deanage
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Where the hell is the optical in?! If it's basically the same as the 600/D then the optical in should be between the USB port and the headphone jack. (late edit) It does say Hi-MD storage, and it has a "download" button instead of REC. What the...?
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Wow. there's a lot of (justified) abuse towards SS in that article. I wonder if any of those posters realise that you don't have to use SS, or a computer, to use MD...
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Try telling that to the MP3/iTunes kids. I cannot believe that some people actually PAY money for compressed audio when uncompressed has been available since, what, 1984? Isn't the whole point of technological advancement to make things better? Sorry about that; technological regression just gets on my nerves. It just reeks of corporate nonchalance.
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True. I bought my ZEN 20Gb around Xmas and I'm starting to move towards the Hi-MD unit more and more each day. There's nothing wrong with the ZEN; it's a great device but I miss the versatility (and sound quality/signature) of Hi-MD more and more each day. Hey darkangel, is the software any good?
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Nice post steve_s I 100% agree about the sound quality; I use the Hi-MD for classical and reference stuff and all my non-essential stuff gets loaded to the 20Gb ZEN. It's second only to a really good CD walkman and the size of the Hi-MD units make CD walkmans look like behemoths! I'm yet to hear a HDD player that can match Hi-MD for pure sonic quality (using the same bit rate; 1411Kbps). Maybe it's because of the storage medium; hard drives were invented to store data, MO was invented as a medium to playback music from. Each has their strengths and weaknesses.
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I recorded all my MD stuff to PC using line in on the soundcard (plug the cable into your headphone socket on the walkman). I also have an Audigy and MZNH600. It worked fine when I did it. Looks like you need a deck for optical out, sorry (anyone know of a walkman with opt' out?)
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Question about Quality: Real time recording vs. SonicStage
Deanage replied to danielbb90's topic in Minidisc
The only 2 reasons I can see why real-time optical recording would be better than USB is that you can use a dedicated CD deck for slightly better sound quality and the CD isn't spinning at "super speed", thus reducing the chances of getting errors (although you would presume the chances of that happening with today's optical drives is miniscule). I use real-time because I gave up on SS a long time ago (don't have 3.4 yet), and my first MD walkman was an MZG-755 (pre Net-MD). Old habits die hard, I guess. Oh! Also, If you have a CD deck capable of holding multiple CD's, you don't have to swap them all the time. Just program the songs you want, hit record and walk away. -
Too right! That was one of the things that drew me to MD/Hi-MD. For batteries, it doesn't get more convenient than AA's (not to mention how long they last. My best is 20hrs using Energizer MAX [AUS market] using just PCM and MDR-F1 cans). You would like the nav' scroll on the Creative Zen's. Up is up, down is down; none of this clockwise/counter-clockwise arthritis-inducing crap. Speaking of the ZEN, IMHO it's an great size (20Gb version is the same size as a deck of cards). I don't know why Sony don't make their players more more rectangular, that way they can put more stuff that the typical Hi-MD user (prosumer) wants in them. TOSLINK out? Space for 2 AA's so you can record PCM w/out AC adaptor? A bigger screen [monochrome to save battery life]? Bigger, less fiddly buttons? (my hands are huge). I'm expecting a reply from someone saying "they don't make it rectangular so that it looks different!" True. I don't have a comeback for that. I just find the ZEN easier to hold than the square walkmans IMHO. (Mind you, the only reason why I got it is because you can use the software as a virtual Hi-MD recorder and I got sick of carting 12 Hi-MD's around. I just use Hi-MD for classical now). My wish list for future (likely to happen?) models: -A Blu-Ray version with 15 or 20Gb discs (same physical dimensions as current MD's), but with backward compatibility for Hi-MD's and NetMD's -AA battery support! -TOSLINK out -SACD/DVD-A recording and playback (chance of happening 1:983296982765239876). -How about some on-board flash memory to use as a record and playback buffer? You could also have a "timeshift" sort of thing, which will record audio from mic just in case you miss the start of your recording (of course, you can turn this on/off in the menu). Should be really cheap to implement; 8Mb should get you about 40secs in PCM. -9 band EQ. -A bigger screen. Can be monochrome; leave the photos and movies for every other player (and PSP), and leave MD to do what it does best: audio. -Bigger buttons for freaks with big hands like mine Phew! Anyone else care to add something? Should be interesting...
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Sony Sees Weak LCD Prices, Better Music Service
Deanage replied to Ishiyoshi's question in PlayStation
Absolute gold! Well written Come to think of it, DRM on Hi-MD is kinda pointless. Your friend wants a copy of your new CD. Can't copy the CD? Just buy a Hi-MD and copy it to that (provided that you and said friend have Hi-MD walkmans, etc). If said friend has iPod, MuVo, whatever, just get them to bring it over and copy there and then (possibly the reason why you can't just plug & play with the new Creative gear like you could with the old gear. Record companies don't seem to like easy copying...). -
Sony's Digital Rights Mania finally lands them in court
Deanage replied to Christopher's topic in News
I see your point here. However, I can't agree with the Creative products not having a recording feature because of piracy. iPod, yes, because Apple have iTunes music downloads. Creative don't sell music downloads so why should they care what people do with their music? My friend has a 20Gb Zen Touch (awesome playback device, except for the skittish touch pad), and he's had no trouble playing dodgy P2P aquired music on it. Maybe the technology isn't mature enough to make a portable HD recorder cheap enough for Joe consumer. -
Sony's Digital Rights Mania finally lands them in court
Deanage replied to Christopher's topic in News
Excellent response. No really, it is. I'm more worried about Blu-Ray pushing up the costs of the PS3 for Sony and the end-user. Do you really want to go and buy your movie collection all over again on Blu-Ray? Will it even be the huge leap forward from DVD like DVD was from VHS or will it be used only by home theatre junkies, much like how DVD-A/SACD is used by audiophiles? If Sony uses a game-lock feature they'd better expect to get owned by Microsoft. Sure, someone will develop a crack/mod chip but if Joe average, who knows nothing about what's inside his PS3 (he just wants to go home and play it, not muck about getting chips installed), can't sell or buy 2nd hand games then do you think he'll want to keep it? How are you going to be able to hire out games from the video store? The end of "try before you buy" = end of PS3*. *(I'm sure a few fanboys will stay on but fanboys can't keep a mega expensive business like game hardware/software development [or electronics] profitable. Dreamcast? MD in Australia?) -
Believe what you like. Just don't rely on a computer to tell you what sounds good and what doesn't. Why the hell do you have ears if you aren't going to use them? Believe what you like. I'm wasting my time. Languish in sub-standard "music" if you like.
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Yeah, the post wasn't meant to be taken as gospel. It's just meant as a dig at iPods and it's less than stellar reputation for reliabilty. I'll be the first one to admit that SS is shite. I f*ckn hate SS (MediaSource forever! if only it worked with Hi-MD). I just haven't had a good experience with iPods.
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Provided that you used a data compressor (i.e. Winzip), and not an audio compressor. Also, chopping half the info out from a song (like most lossless compressors seem to do) is a fair deal more than a few bits. If it was "it's compressed down to 1300kbps", then I wouldn't bother arguing, as you would need SERIOUS ear training and a playback system to make the gods jealous, but how often are you going to get a bitrate that high?
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You compress, you lose quality, therefore it's no longer 1:1. DUH! Also, NO I am NOT imagining there is a difference. I KNOW there is a difference because there IS a difference i.e. the bitrates between lossless and uncompressed are different, usually by about 50%. For a DAP, it's negligible but it's there. Use as many computer programs as you want to determine SQ; all they can do is spit out numbers and graphs at you. How else are you going to determine Sound Quality; by using a spec sheet? Heaven forbid if you actually use your ears!
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So that's why the lossless file sizes are usually half the original size? Bit for bit? Bit for every SECOND bit. If it were bit for bit, it would also be the same 1441kbps playback rate, and if this were the case then the audio is uncompressed. So how is the playback device going to decompress the data? It can't, so it uses data reduction to acheive a smaller file size. You are able to retreive the original data with data reduction (aka Winzip), but you can't retreive data lost via compression (unless it's a Winzip file, and you're not playing that back on any DAP soon). Not mm'kay. You lose important audio information. Would ANY compressor include information above 20KHz? Even though humans can't hear the information above 20KhZ (more like 17KHz really, but I digress), it influences what you can hear. That's why it's important. If the "compressed" file had every sample that the uncompressed file has then it wouldn't be compressed! How are you going to reduce the file size without removing samples? Reduce the bitrate so you get a pitiful SNR? Then that defeats the purpose of a lossless compression; enjoying a NEAR-identical sounding music track with only half the storage needed and and minimal unwanted distortion. 1:1? It goes IN at 1441Kbps, it comes OUT at 1441Kbps. THAT'S 1:1, which is uncompressed. Anything below 1441Kbps is COMPRESSED and thus, loses data and integrity. To reduce the file size, you have to ditch data, and thus, valuable audio information. Why would it be called lossless COMPRESSION if it was the same, 1:1, as uncompressed audio. Lossless. Look at that word. LOSS-LESS. If there was no difference, it would be LOSE-NOTHING. PLEASE, stop trying to tell me that lossless and uncompressed are the same when they are not. Wrap your head around it. (It's really [firetrucking] hard to be nice about this). For veezhun: Yes, I have and I can tell the difference. Listen for sibilance, attack on notes and all the usual culprits. Using high quality playback gear is a no-brainer too.
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That's it, she's going to Dr Phil.
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Lossless compression is an oxymoron; you remove data from an audio track you are removing quality; that's an unavoidable fact. Believe it or not but there IS an audible difference between "lossless" compression and uncompressed; you just have to know what to listen for. When you find the differences they stick out like the dog's proverbial so to avoid noticing the differences, don't have them there in the first place! Excactly the same quality? Not on a decent playback system.
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Lossless is still compressed though. If I'm parting with my hard-earned cash I will not accept any substitute for quality, nor should I have to. I'm also yet to see a DAP that supports FLAC (in Australia). Many support WAV though.
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Not to mention paying for a new (proprietry) battery in 6 months at ludicrous prices (or paying for an extended battery replacement warranty which shouldn't exist), and having to get the unit fixed 'cos it died, AGAIN. Then getting your PC repaired because iTunes screwed it up.
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You should set up a website that offers uncompressed WAV downloads. Yeah, the file size is about 10 times bigger than your average MP3 but the people who will be downloading the WAV files won't care because they're there for the quality. You'd have my business.
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Sony's Digital Rights Mania finally lands them in court
Deanage replied to Christopher's topic in News
I really can't see this happening; Sony have got WAY too much to lose in the next-gen console wars (XBOX 360/ PS3/ Nintendo Revolution). Yes, Sony is ahead of the competition (and will continue to be in Japan), but as for the rest of the world Microsoft is going to prove to be a real headache for Sony, especially if Sony don't release their PS3 soon and at a good price. They've already said the PS3 will be expensive (in Australia at least, where all technology is expensive and decades behind [OMG electricity! ]). Should they ditch the Blu-Ray drive to keep costs down as it will probably be irrelevant for those without a HD TV? -
Creative used to have an "MD Centre". I don't know if they still do though. I had no idea how to use it; I think it was more of a "copy your recordings from your MD to PC" rather than a track transfer tool.
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Hell yeah. The only way I find out about new artists now is by buying movie/game/anime soundtracks. I found Lamb and Sven Vath via the soundtrack to "One Perfect Day" (Aussie film where some guy walks around with an MD walkman recording stuff with a mic and there's a story somewhere too. I only saw the ad and that was enough to make me get the soundtrack).