KJ_Palmer

That's a nice looking rack, could do with one like that myself. Did you make it yourself? All my discs are just in plastic boxes and cheap racks.

Yes you can, if the disc is formatted to Hi-MD, and of course you're recording in Hi-MD mode. Or you can transfer PCM tracks 'as is' from Sonicstage in Hi-MD transfer mode. You get approximately 29 minutes of PCM on an '80min' standard MD.

Well, the N707 has ATRAC Type-R, the ultimate codec for SP recordings. Not sure what version of ATRAC the R70, but it'll be an earlier version, not Type-R. ATRAC4.5 (which the R70 may have) preceded Type-R and was considered almost as good, and the differences in live recordings may well be negligible. If the mic-pre-amps are similar in both machines, which seems likely, the results should be almost the same. Only Hi-MD recorders, using PCM format are likely to beat the N707 and R70 for recording quality.

That sounds like a good idea for an 'alternative Hi-MD deck', and there have been very good things said about the DACMagic. I was toying with doing something similar as well, though as I have all my tracks in Sonicstage now at 352kbps I don't really need the RH1 stage. Hope it goes well!

Yes, this is possible. You need to have Sonicstage installed though and play tracks from there, as the RH1's controls become inoperable with USB attached. The playback in Hi-MD mode will be through the PC's soundcard, and you can feed the optical out into a DAC or Hi-Fi etc. I'm pretty sure it will all be int he digital domain, so the optical signal should be clean. Perhaps someone more techy will confirm this. I tried this once with an external soundcard attached to my laptop, and all seemed fine.

I had one of these, bought second hand on ebay, but in excellent physical condition. Don't wish to put you off, but my own experiences with the MZ-2P weren't all that great. It seemed to be extremely finicky with my SP discs. Some it would play OK, others it would completely refuse to. It might have been the 80 min discs that were a particular problem, or the fact that they were recorded using a newer ATRAC codec, but anyway I gave up in the end. Maybe it was just the particular unit I had that was dodgy, though it might be worth thinking about getting a deck with optical out instead, I've never had any problems with those.

I'll answer, if I may. Type-S is a playback only enhancement for MDLP. Your JB940 does indeed have LP2, buit not Type-S, therefore does not benefit from the playback improvement that newer Type-S machines like the JB980 or 780 offer. The recordings themselves aren't affected by Type-S, just playback.

Some users have complained about the jog lever failing, but I have a feeling it could last at least 10 or more years if that's your usage. That's pretty much all I use my RH1 for - SP uploading and a few transfers to MD, and I never touch that jog lever. Otherwise it stays in it case in a drawer, and looks brand-new. My NH700 gets the bulk of portable player duties, and it also does a fantastic job of that. Only time will tell of course...

Tottenham Court Road is hi-fi heaven in London, and still (apparently) amply stocked with MD supplies. Otherwise known to locals as TCR, TBR... As to MD, I've just realised I can't ever do without mine, especially the MZ-B10 for me. Nothing else in the MP3, Wav etc recorder world comes close in handiness, features, quality size, battery life, value for money than this magic little box. In fact I've just ordered another MZ-B10 on Amazon...

For a deck I'd suggest the MDS-JB980, if you can get one, or the slightly lower spec MDS-JE780. Mine's been going over 6 years and is an absolute work-horse, and great sounding too. You'll want the ATRAC Type-S for playing your MDLP discs - older and non-Sony MDLP decks don't have Type-S and the difference is noticeable through a good home setup. I suppose the prices are as new/unused units are getting scarcer, and Hi-MD customers are a captive market. Sadly there may be few completely new users, though a few do seem to pop up here!

Depends on how much is a 'bit' more, though the logical one-step-up recorder would be the MZ-NH700, or if you want a radio then the NHF800. You can also add a radio remote to the NH700 later which will 'upgrade' it to the NHF800. With the NH700/NHF800 you'll get a mic input, (possibly) slightly better build quality, er I think that's about it for 'extra' features. The NH900 may also be worth looking at for its 'line out' and digital amp. Then there's the RH710, the 2nd generation equivalent of the NH600, which adds 'native' MP3 playback (through Sonicstage), but not much else. Or the RH10 and RH910, which have fancy displays and mic inputs (but no line out). Personally I think the 1st gen Hi-MDs sound better. Lastly there's the creme de la menthe of MD recorders, the MZ-RH1 (Mac version is called M200), which does all of the above, and can upload everything (that's unprotected). This, plus maybe the 2nd generation MDs are the only ones you're likely to find new/in unused condition, but will have a hefty price tag. There are rare playback/photo etc variants, but I;ll leave that to someone else. Hope that helps...

Yes indeed they would, just like this one here. As mentioned you can use it to connect your headphone out to your PC's line in. You can record the sound from your MD with free software like Audacity. Turn any sound EQ settings off, and turn the sound up near to max on your MD, and start recording...

Hi, the first 5 on your list (N1 - NF610) are NetMD units, which means you're still stuck with one-way transfer ie. from and not back to a PC. You'd probably want a Hi-MD recorder (look for an'H' in the model). The NH1 and NH600 will transfer Hi-MD recordings back to a PC, but not your original format ATRAC recordings. The NH600 is nice for playback and line-in recordings, but lacks a mic input so you'd need an external battery box/mic pre-amp for live recordings. I'd actually recommend the NH700 (or NHF800 with radio) which has a mic input but still uses just AA batteries. Of course there's the 'ultimate' MD recorder, the RH1 which will transfer even your original recordings back to a PC.

Great, glad you like it m0rt. Let us know how you get on in Sierra Leone - you could post us an interesting recording the Gallery!

You can divide tracks in ATRAC or PCM format in SS4.3. It's under the Edit menu at the top. You can access this when playback is stopped, you get a 'rehearsal' short playback section to position the divide point quite accurately and end up with 2 tracks ending and beginning at the split point. You can also combine tracks in a similar way, but that's about it for editing in SS.

Hopefully we're sorted with an RH10...

Hi, I can let you have an MZ-RH10 for cheap, if that's any good. Really cheaply if you can arrange a pick up in the Barnet or Central London area (I hate post offices). Anyway, PM me with an offer...

Yes, I do. I've also got enough players, decks and of course MD compilations to outlast me (hopefully later rather than sooner). I've also 'got into' other formats and players (mp3, wav and flac), but this is really for a 'just in case' scenario and for backups. For everyday use and general recording purposes I can't see anything ousting my MD collection.

Yes, and some of those old recordings are fantastic. I love rummaging through second-hand cassettes. Another good reason for hanging on to old equipment...

I actually bought a couple of 'musicassettes', ie. pre-recorded tapes on Saturday at a second hand stall. Vivaldi Concertos, from the mid 1980's. Got home , stuck them in the Sony bookshelf, expecting the worst - but no! They're very crisp and clear, no apparent wobbling or tape stretching. Anyway, next step is recording them to MD, and possibly uploading to SS...

There's some battery box (module) etc recommendations at this thread. These are for recording loud sounds through a line inut, eg. live amplified music and aren't really suited for 'general' everyday recording. For that you'd be better off with a recorder with a built in mic input, and would spare you the hassle of extra batteries, wires etc. In this case it would be the RH1. If you can find one, though I'd recommend the MZ-NH700, which is much cheaper and has the same features as the NH600 plus built in mic input.

About 500 standard and 60 Hi-MD, mostly recorded on. About half of the standards are LP2, the rest in SP. Mostly 352kbps for the Hi-MDs, the others atHi=SP. Nothing in PCM as it takes too much disc space.

Well, Yorkshire pudding is part of the staple diet over here in the the UK (or maybe only England). Delicious with Sunday roast and gravy. My mum makes the best YP this side of Barnsley, though I a veggie I have to do without the roast. "Toad in the hole" is a variant, with a sausage encased on the middle. Delicious, you should try that recipe...

I've also got 'a few' MD units tucked away, so with any luck I'll always be able to play my MD collection. The original CDs are converted to Wav, MP3 and about half (at the moment) to FLAC as well, though, so there should always be something to play them on. It's getting to be a nightmare having to convert everything several times, but worthwhile in the end to safeguard the music collection. At least the MDs should be safe from the terrorists...

The NH600 doesn't have mic in so wouldn't be much good for recording lectures. If it's the downloader model (NH600D) it won't have a line/optical in either (though the plain NH600 does). However, the 600 is reported by some users to be a very good player, so why not get one for playback/uploading and just use your NH700 for the recording duities? As you say, the R91 would be good for recording and playback, but you'd be stuck with real-time copying for sharing or loading. If you could also find a cheap remote for the NH600 (any Sony remotes made after about the year 2000 will work) you could save wear and tear on the jog dial, which seems to be the NH600's only weak point. You can use your NH700's accessories - AC adapter and remote with an NH600. Or look for a cheap 700 on ebay - about a year back I picked up several ones in perfect working order very cheaply. Not sure what the second hand market's like now though. Good luck!