KJ_Palmer

Yes, the DR420 certainly seems to be flavour of the month at the moment, and with good reason. The more I'm listening to my new one the more I'm liking it. It doesn't have any fancy features (no jog/shuttle etc.), but seems solid in a basic way and is CHEAPO. Moreover, the "Auvi" digital amp gives a sound which is up there (or I daresay maybe even surpasses?) with the best of the rest. Anyway, good to see you over here SBG (T-Board still down? :rasp: ).

I think the pricing on these is just about right. OK, the Sony's may be a little overpriced, but still I'd go for the N910 if price were no object, due to the full metal body, features and slimness. I'd stay away from the N710, though if you're in Europe. The DR420 is a little bit plasticky and quite chunky, but does have the much-hyped Auvi digital amp. To me it doesn't sound better than the Sonys, just different. It depends on the sound you like, though. I've always found the Sharps to be a bit bass-rich for my own liking.

Yes, I'll back up kurisu on that, Claire. I just bought the Sharp IM-DR420 from Richer Sounds, it's a great recorder, possibly the best budget recorder of the current MD generation. It's cheaper if you order it on the net, but I paid £140 for it at RS. If your guy likes the Sony sound, and you can afford about £200, the Sony MZ-N910 would be the best, but don't go for a cheaper recent Sony - the output are much weaker than earlier models. The trouble with Hi-MD is that it's not released until April - in the States. And we probably won't get it here until June at the earliest. Cheers

A battery module would generally be used for loud recording sutuations (eg. rock concerts) so as not to overload the recording levels. A pre-amp would be used where the recorder doesn't have one, or to by-pass the built in mic-pre-amp for better quality. As Sharps have quite good mic pre-amps built in, you probably won't need one initially, especially if your mic is a good one. Your cardioids, being uni-directional would be good for recording sounds at a distance. Experiment with the recording volume and you could be pleasantly surprised....

You should be able to turn the recording level up. Which recorder (make/model) do you have? Sharps can do it by using the volume controls, Sonys usually have to go through the menu.

Yes, that's just about right, mAjEsTiC. Think of Type S as exactly the same as Type R, but with better decoding (ie. playback) for MDLP tracks.

I don't think kurisu mistunderstood you. If you initially transfer your MD recordings digitally to lossless PCM you won't be losing anything (in theory). This could be any suitable format such as HiMD (PCM) or just good old CD/Wav. You don't need to use ATRAC at all, thus bypassing compression. You can then transfer your intact recordings to any future format OR make a HiMD backup. The point is that though minidisc media is relatively stable, it will detoriate after time, so if your recordings are so valuable to future generations you should arrange to have them backed up (losslessly) once in a while. And if you look after your HiMD equipment you should be able to play them back for decades to come.

The N710's mic input would work fine for what you want it for. The problem that "Guest" mentioned is this unit's headphone output for playback is the lowest of any MD portable (if you buy it in Europe). Many users don't find this to be a problem though. If you're looking for a louder unit in the budget range, I can recommend the Sharp MD-MT290.

The volume will be very low even at max rec level, but it should pick up something. You really need that pre-amp or your recordings will be very noisy (or get a recorder with a mic-in).

Yes, the MT290 includes a mic input jack. Great little recorder

I don't think I can help Jeremy. The CMT333NT won't copy protected CD's even in analogue mode internally - it won't even play non-redbook ones. The only hope is to use an analogue cable and go through line in with an external CD player. You could also try using a black felt marker around the CD rim, but this could ruin Kylie, and is not guaranteed to work anyway...

Actually, Type S is a decoder, not an encoder. It improves playback quality of MDLP recorded tracks, and has no effect on recording (encoding) quality. ATRAC3 is still used (as it always has been) for MDLP on Sony machines. Type R is still the best encoder for SP mode recordings - every MD unit ever made will play back Type R recordings, and benefit from its (relatively) superior encoding.

Unfortunately the JE480 does not have a timer recording facility. Only the mid-high end decks (JE780, JB980) can use a timer. On decks, the timer is an external device you plug in between the deck and the wall socket. Gives you maximum flexibility for timed recordings. Most bookshelf systems have a built in timer for recording, but usually only allow one program to record.

It's generally considered that Sony's ATRAC Type-R is the best at encoding, yet Sharp mic pre-amps are said to be superior to Sony's. I think this really only applies when large amounts of distortion are possible eg. at loud rock concerts. Classical should be fine with a Sony, except perhaps large symphonic works. I personally prefer Sony's signature sound over Sharp for classical as it seems more flat and neutral. Ideally then (IMO), you should probably use a high-end Sony recorder (eg. MZ-N910), maybe with a good external mic pre-amp and go through line in. Alternatively, the Sharp DR7 is thought to be (one of) the best live recorder in general (mostly for rock tapers I think), and might better the Sony for mic-in recording. As with all Sharps you can change levels easily "on the fly", though you'll possibly not need that feature.

Yes the recorder has to be on and in Record/Pause mode. This is based on current Sony MD units, but the Hi-MD are likely to very similar in operation. Yes, it might be worth waiting for the Sharps to come out as they're likely to have more user-friendly features. But, of course no announcements have been made yet...

1. Play the track 2. Press Edit/Enter 3. Press << or >> until you get to Erase 4. Press Edit/Enter 5. Press Edit/Enter again to confirm the erase (or the stop button to cancel).

That's synchro recording, where the recorder starts and stops recording in time with the source. Most current MD recorders have some variation of this, though Sony's only have it for digital sources. Most Sharps can addtionally synchro record with the microphone.

This is perhaps the one fly in the ointment of Sharp MD superiorty. The dreaded Sharp TOC error was a common problem with that generation (and earlier) of Sharps. Apparently there's nothing you can do about it once that happens, but I think you could still use it as a player. If you do, I would write-protect the disks you use. According to users Sharp seems to have fixed the problem after about the MT80 - I hope so, my MT80's is still going strong. You will certainly be fine with the current crop of Sharps.

I wouldn't worry. The low/mid-end ones (NH600, 700, 800) use only AA batteries (so NimH recheargeables would be OK). The higher-end ones use Li-Ion but (at least some) seem to have AA strap on battery packs. See Hi-MD units for tentative details.

No, I'm afraid not. The R500 is non NetMD, so you're stuck with real-time recording.

Yes, I believe all Sharps have "on-the-fly" level adjusting. I have the MD-MT290, MD80 and MT88 - you can't get much cheaper than that and they all have it...

You will be able to play any of your old SP disks on the new Hi-MD equipment. You can also reformat any standard MD disks to the new format, doubling the available data space (to over 300MB) for use with the new units, but you will not be able to play back the new format on your current MD equipment. It looks like you can record SP to standard minidiscs with the Hi-MD equipment, so you're not completely buggered. I guess we'll find out more when they arrive, or at least when Sony bring out proper specs...

Well, the MZ-N1 doesn't have an optical output, which is (I'm sure) what Berky was getting at. But it does have a stereo line output which could be used with the Acoustic Solutions system, just like most bookshelf or hi-fi systems.

Welcome Guest (why not register otherwise you'll be an eternal 'Guest'?). I hope the following helps. 1. The headphone cable is really the FM antenna for the radio, and there is a built in AM antenna inside the remote. So you could try re-orienting the remote or extending the headphone cord. For better FM reception (but mono) you could try using Mono (or Local) - I think you need to hold the Radio On button for a while. If you can get near a window this might also help. 2. Type S is a decoder built into the ATRAC chip which supposedly improves playback of MDLP recorded tracks compared to previous machines offering MDLP modes. 3. If you don't like earbuds you could try Sennheisser PX100 or PX200 over-ear phones. They'd be quite sensitive (ie. loud) with your 610.

None of the Sony decks I've had (eg. MDS-S50, JB980) seem to scroll continuously. My old Pioneer MJ-508 does, but I find it annoying after a while as you can't turn stop it scrolling without turning the text off. And it doesnt play/record MDLP.