KJ_Palmer

Yes, thanks for the pics blueraja. Seems like the rH10 is actually tougher than a lot of us thought at first. I've pretty much kept it under wraps since I bought it 3 or 4 months months back, for fear of spoiling that lovely shiny finish. I feel more confident now about talking it out and about a bit more now...

In principle, yes you can copy MD discs that way. However note - the RH10 can only record in Hi-SP (256k), Hi-LP (64k) and PCM through the line in (ie. not the NetMD formats - SP/LP2/4, mono), so as long as your original is in a HiMD format, yes, you can make a corresponding copy like that. Otherwise you'll have a different format disc from the original. It is transcoding/recompressing data, and in analogue too, so don't expect perfect copies. Though you'd get a pretty good copy if you simulate a 'line out' on the NH600D by turning the volume right up and turning any sound settings off, and using a good stereo cable. The European RH10 has a volume cap (which can be removed), but apart from that all RH10 models are functionally the same....

I love the MX550 by Sennheiser. As has been mentioned, they aren't big on bass (ie. Senn earbuds in general aren't), despite their claims, but they give me the crisp clear sound I'm after on the move... They're also low on impedence and high on senstivity, so go plenty loud enough. You'll probably need to use decent foam pads (not the supplied ones) to keep them falling out though...

^^No, unfortunately the USB port on the old NetMD units is one-way traffic only - from PC to MD, not the other way around. If you have an optical input on your sound card you could use the optical out on the JE780 or JB980 to record 'losslessly' to Wav etc. via some recording software on your PC. Or you could record analogue via line in but that's about it for your options..

My favourites are The Doors - The Doors (first album) The Stranglers - No More Heroes

Hi. I've just tried powering my RH10, with the NimH gumstick removed and an AA battery placed in the 'sidecar'... . Well.. it certainly works, as you rightly say the same as in earlier units. At the risk of stating the obvious, maybe your 'side car' isn't screwed in properly, or the battery is flat - or perhaps a combination of the two... anyway, it should work for you, too... (I tried an alkaline and a NiMH rechargeable AA - both were fine)...

The only tweaking that can be done for the US/World model would be to tweak the Custom 6-band EQ settings. These can be very useful in raising the effective volume, without impairing sound quality. I normally raise each band by 1 or 2 notches, but you need to experiment to suit your taste. Also try using some efficent, low impedence earbuds (eg. MX550) instead of the stock Sonys. There are also some portable headphone amplifiers, but really this is overkill for 'normal headphones', and you risk damaging your hearing (further)...

Units: Portables: MZ-RH10, NH900, NHF800, N910, B10, Decks: MDS-JB980, MXD-D400, MDS-S50. Sheldf unit: CMT-M333NT. Daily Use: Portable listening (usually NHF800) to and from work. usually listen to deck in the evening. Recording and playback of own music practice sessions (MZ-B10) and radio (via JB980 deck/external timer). Favourite use: Personal music listening with high quality headphones (sometimes needing line out feed into headphone amplifier) and pitch/speed control to practice recording self (particularly for difficult musical passages). Concert recording, when permitted. Professional use: Recording seminars/interviews for work using Hi-MD for data transfer between different PCs/laptops. Alternatives: CD player or cassette player. Both highly inadequate or inconvenient compared to minidisc units Request: Hi-MD decks and quality shelf units please, as well as metal bodied portables with line out . Summary: MD is definetely the best, most flexible and convenient system ever invented for music recording and editing. Please keep it alive, there are many enthusiastic existing users who will stay with the format, and as the membership of this and other MD forums shows , many others who will switch to MD having discovered the inadequacies (for them) of other formats..

The Grado SR80 is my usual home phone of choice. Costing possibly about £80-90 new. When out and about I'm happy with with my Sennheiser MX550 (£20) or PX200 (£30). I think none of these phones are on the bassy side (especially the Senns), so if bass is what you're after you probably need to look elsewhere (maybe the Sony range)...

^ Nope, not any more, but you at least have to give it a try to establish that you can't...

I used 48k a little on my first Hi-MD recordings, just to hear what it sounded like, and also on some of the few ATRAC CD's I've created... Mostly Baroque Classical, but also some rock.. I thought it was OK, at first, quite listenable, until I started mixing bitrates on the same disk (48 with 64 and 256k and even a couple of PCM) It was only then, with different tracks played back to back in shuffle mode) indoors and with good headphones that I fully realised how awfully tinny and unmusical it was - literally feels like the musical life force had been sucked dry... 64k was hardly any better, but 256k was great and PCM magnificent. In a noisy backround with stock buds 48k probably sounds not too bad, and for speech obviously it would be perfect, but I haven't used 48k since then...

The Euro/UK NH600 can certainly be hacked - I've done mine.. as to whether it increases the volume significantly I've also no idea, though it seems more than loud enough with my big Sennheiser and Grado headphones.. I'm sure I read someone here (at MDCF) who'd done one of those fancy graphs confirming that their hacked NH700 was indeed giving the 'full 5mW' output, but I couldnt seem to find the thread/post on a cursory search. (I'd imagine that the 700 and 600 would have similar/identical circuitry).. Perhaps that person could step forward... (or was it dex ...)

Great news! - I suppose the unit must have taken a jolt somehow dislodging the ribbon cable... Good job the owner couldn't be arsed to take a look him/herself... Just goes to show its worthwhile taking a risk and delving in sometimes. You've certainly got one of the best MD decks ever there, and it should last a very long time. Definitely need some pictures please!

Well, OK, then the RH10...

Even transferring from one 'lossy' compression codec (eg. ATRAC) to another (eg. MP3) at the same bitrate brings in extra artifacts. This is known as transcoding and should be avoided where possible. My advice would be to hang on to the lossless or high bitrate source (eg. wav files or original CD or Hi-SP), archive that somewhere and use it for coding down to the portable format/bitrate of your choice... It all depends how feasible/convenient it is for you though, of course...

You should record only once at the highest bitrate you require, otherwise you will introduce further artifacts in your final version due to recompression. You may not be able to detect the artifacts of course, but they will be there, so why take the risk.. You should drain NiMH batteries as much as possible before recharging them, to avoid the "memory" affect assocated with these batteries..

They're all excellent recorders, but somewhat old-hat. They've all long since been superceded by the Hi-MD units, which you may care to look at... The Hi-MD recorders are far more powerful and add a host of new exciting features to the standard NetMD facilities... I'd suggest something like the RH910 would be an excellent starter model...

Welcome back! I certainly missed this place while it was off line. Another big thanks to Chris and the team for bringing back our sanity...

My NH600 has quite often flown several feet acroos the room from its perch on top of my PC tower, due to me tripping over the USB cable. It's still working fine, a great sturdy unit.

Recently seen: Crash The Descent Red-Eye and ahem.. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory... All worth checking out (IMO)... support your local cinema!

I've still got both RH10 and NH900... The RH10 sounds slightly better to me direct through the headphones, but the NH900 has that handy line out function, great for amped listening and though a stereo and so I'm not letting go of that either... And of course, if you want legacy formats, the 900 is a must. As is the RH10 for MP3, and a great display.... Er, so I'm keeping both... Have fun deciding...

Yes - it really looks totally flimsy, and for a long while I've been expecting it to drop off (pardon the expression). Yes, the cracks are showing, but still it's there, and I think the 'hinge' region of the plastic's just fine. I even just bent it right back and it just wont give. I haven't had a look at the 710 but I'm pretty sure they're the same material. I can't swear that it will never come off.. but still looks good to me... I wouldn't worry too much, Doom (apt name eh?) - the worse that can happen is that you'll get a bit of fluff in the socket. The supposedly more solid USB shutter on my RH10 keeps popping open, which is more annoying...

They look like they could or should break, and if you fiddled around with it bending it back and forth enough, it probably would. But... the USB flap on my NH600, which has had almost daily use for well over a year (ie. the USB has been plugged in and out almost every day), shows no sign at all of breaking... so I'd say, no, given a reasonable amount of care...

Yes, the NH1 has mono recording, as does the NH900 and 700. Note that you can only use old style (80/74/60 minute) discs for mono or the other 'legacy' formats (SP or LP2/4) - not the 1GB discs. Oh.. and you cant upload via usb with mono.. that's the whole point, the legacy formats aren't fully supported any more.. you may as well use Hi-LP to save space - doesn't really have to be mono, does it...?

No, sorry. Stupidly Sony got rid of the 'legacy' formats for recording on the 2nd generation Hi-MD recorders, including mono mode. You can still record using a mono mic, but you'll need to use a mono-stereo adapter if you want the sound in both ears... (or just use a stereo mic)...