KJ_Palmer

Meaning - I might do. Ordered a transformer from Amazon, now I'll need some HiMD discs, and do some higher rate Hi-MD compilations. For portability I'm currently using 132kbps, probably want to up that to at least 256kbps for the deck. Item marked as dispatched Thurs 25/10/12. No estimated delivery date but maybe by the weekend, or early next week..

Ok, watch this space!

Indeed a shame about the optical out, but in any case I was planning to use it as the end-point of my system, with speakers directly attached to the Onk's terminals. Hopefully the amp side is good enough to use in this way. There's at least one Tape Loop (not sure if the Dock in/out is a line in/out?), and optical in so that should be enough connectivity for my putative setup.

Thanks everyone! Looking forward to receiving it, not without a little trepidation... Been holding out for a Hi-MD system or deck for a long time, and this seemed to good to miss, coming from Germany, a little nearer home than usual. I'll mostly use it for Hi-MD playback, perhaps in conjunction with my Onkyo DAB/FM/CD system. In a way for purity I'd have preferred just the Onkyo 105 or 133 deck, but it's nice to have extra features. May try recording the odd CD direct to Hi-MD, but I'll probably continue to use Sonicstage for bulk CD transfers. Not sure if the radio would even work here, but no big deal - probably won't bother with it anyway, and have other means to do timed radio recordings. Think the manual's in Japanese only, so won't be much help to me Thanks for the links Stephen, I'll probably pop into Maplins tomorrow and see if they have something off the shelf.

Got it! Now to look for a UK transformer...

Hardly surprising as it's also not a fair 'like to like' comparison, as 'lossless' is just that - CD quality with no data reduction, whereas MD SP is about 80% data reduced. Still, enjoy your new phone!

Price seems to be an important factor in MD's 'downfall'. It certainly delayed my entry into the MD world, until 2000 when I could finally afford one, having hankered after one for a long time. By this time home CD recorders, pocket sized CD players and even the early MP3 players were becoming established. The 'quality' issue wasn't really a factor (for laypeople me), as the term 'CD qualty' was rife and many believed that digital was digital - in fact some still do. Ditto the capacity - 80 mins was the same as a CD, most people's portable digital music carrier, amd MD players were smaller than a CD player. The Ipod and similar higher capacity 'MP3' players changed all that and by the time MDLP came along in 2000 the death knell was already ringing... Sad.

I've always hated touchscreens. Give me proper buttons anyday!

Is it a European RH710? If not I don't believe there's any need to attempt the hack.

Your RH1 definitely should work when plugged into a PC without the battery installed, in fact that's the only way I used mine - solely as an uploading machine. Sadly I'm not technical enough to tell you whether yours is a dead duck or not, though...

I've asked myself that question many times. I've, er, still got my trusty JE640 and D40, no plans to sell them. Might also look at an Onkyo HiMD deck in the future...

Just sold my MDS-JB980 (UK edition) to Clive (rowdy1234). Superb transaction, very easy going and prompt (well, immediate) in payment. Would not hesitate in any future dealings with Clive, and would highly recommend him to others. Thanks!

Sent PM...

I'd think the 'extract' part is the main problem as the original poster doesn't have any MD equipment. They'd want the 'full service' if I understand correctly, probably involving mailing/collecting the MDs and safely converitng the audio to some open format. There'd be some risk involved as the recordings would be especially valuable.

Welcome! What exactly are you trying to record? If it's any sort of 'live' recording (music performance, voice, nature sounds etc) you almost certainly will need a microphone. The 'plug-in-power' type is the most usual for MD, and a decent one can be picked up quite cheaply (eg. you can try Maplins or similar if you're in the UK). If it's recording from an external player like a CD, tape, radio etc. you can use a stereo (analogue) cable or optical digital cable if your source has an optical output. You can also transfer audio files from a PC (or Mac) via USB link using Sonicstage software. But we'll need more information about what you're trying to record first.

Great MD collection! I only ever 'collected' one pre-recorded MD as nothing I ever really wanted was ever released on MD. Naxos (the classical label) started an interesting MD releases programme but this was rather limited and soon pulled, sadly.

If you're in the UK (judging by your user name), try the Pound shops - you can get a similar set, perfectly good, for (you guessed it) £1.

Top right, long white strip with the word Search...

Exact Audio Copy. Many audio fans swear by it, though it can tell a while to set it up optimally on your PC. You can get it here: http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/

That's great - part of the joy of the MD experience is the collectability (if that's a word) of the units, as well as the discs!

The best approach might be to 'normalise' your FLAC files to 0dB, then you won't need to worry about clipping, and setting output and recording levels - just use zero gain output and set digital recording level=0 on your MD. I use Audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ for normalisation and other audio file tweaking. The batch mode works pretty well for a large number of files, and it will handle FLAC as long as you set the right otuput parameters,.

No indeed, the M10 doesn't have an AA recharging facility Stephen (unlike some MD portables), although you can set the type of AA to alkaline/NiMH to use with the unit, in recognition of the different characteristics of each type. Perhaps it's to cut costs, or possible interference from the extra circuitry - to be fair other digital recorders (eg. my Tascam and Edirol) have exactly the same setup with the AA/NiMH firmware switch and no recharging.

Well, my RH910 still works perfectly after 5+ years, but then it's not been my my most heavily used MD unit, or even close. That's my trusty NHF800 which has had almost daily outside use since day one of Hi-MD. So I'd certainly recommend that as a workhorse, or the NH700 which is basically the same but without the radio remote. The RH910/RH10 seem troublingly flimsy, which is a shame as they're certainly much better in the looks department than the NH700/800, no battery hump and have potentially the best built in displays of any portable MD. Perhaps a case of style over substance, especially with the bits falling off / display failing horror stories. In truth I'd rather use/abuse my NHF800 daily, and drag the 910 out occasionally or just to show off. As for the RH1, I never even considered that for portable use. Like you, strictly for uploading duties only.

There's a useful comparison of the 'rival' Sony "Business" recorders, the MZ-B10 and B100 here: I have both units, and the newer B10 just about pips the B100 for me. The B10 has a proper speed control (called digital pitch control where the pitch doesn't rise or lower with speed - so no chipmunk effects), and the volume seems just a tad higher (from the speaker), useful for music practice. Also the ATRAC Type-S and longer battery life of the B10 are winners. On the other hand, the B100 does have a sturdier (mostly metal) casing, only uses 1 AA battery, wired remote, built in stereo mic and generally a higher quality 'feel' about it. You can also title your tracks on the B100, which you can't do on the B10 (though the B10 will display title information done elsewhere).

The Stop 'n' Clear method should work for the JE440, as it appears to be essentially the same as the JE640 (apart from the odd bell/whistle), they even share the same manual. Not so sure about the JB930,as this seems to belong to the previous (non-MDLP) generation with no mention (that I can find) of disabling Demo mode. I suspect this 'feature' was brought in possibly by popular demand with the introduction of new-fangled MDLP capable decks, but I may be wrong...