jonmarcus

Thank you very much for such a quick and very useful reply Greenmachine. Much appreciated. I thought that was what Dex meant and did wonder whether it was just the actual acoustic sound level of the band that was drowning the faint signal coming through the headphones, and you have confirmed that. To be honest I only have Sennheiser PX200 headphones, which perhaps aren't the best for this purpose. I probably need to spend a bit more money! Many thanks also for you recording advice on mic placement etc... I have been getting pretty good results already with your mics and I do use the battery box to line in. I am not looking for amazing "studio" quality (particularly as recording drums is an art in itself) but rather just a reasonable quality recording which the band can use as a tool and for listening back to our playing critically.

Hi all Sorry if this sounds a dumb question. I have an MZ-NH900, Greenmachine's basic microphone and battery box, and a pair of headphones. I use the unit to try and make reasonable quality recordings of our band practices by placing the mics in the best location that the room set up allows . I generally try and get the band to play a bit (but without me playing drums because the unit is too far away from my kit) so I can look at the recording levels on the unit and try to set them so the peaks fall between the dashes (but it can be a bit trial and error to be honest). I should probably get one of the guys to play my drums while I check these levels but then this would mean their instrument will be missing. Anyhow my real reason for the post is to ask if someone can explain what Dex Otaku meant in his November 2005 "Guide to uploading md recordings" post (a long time ago I know!) when he said "Always check what's going in [monitor!] with headphones before starting your session, or if you are using in-ear mics as I often do, check with headphones before putting them in your ears, or even get someone else to check with headphones for you." I don't have in ear mics and with my "normal" headphones I could not seem to hear anything coming through them when I did a trial recording of the band. Did he mean to plug the mic into line in/mic in and then plug headphones into the line out socket of the unit, and then you should be able to hear what the recording should sound like through the headphones? Also, how would the in ear microphones work in this scenario and would anyone recommend them? Thanks

Thanks very much indeed A440. That was pretty much what I had hoped. Garbled Sony message indeed! It seems the message is referring to NetMD and/or versions up to SS3.2. I have NH900 and SS3.4 so this means unlimited uploads are possible from MD device if I want.

Hi Raintheory. Just stumbled across this post and as I've had a fairly similar issue I thought I would see if you could advise (I have put a separate post on this forum but as yet have not had a reply). I 've tried deleting certain tracks in My Library and also checked the box to delete them from my hard drive (to save disk space). The following message appears: "If you delete the tracks from the computer, you cannot restore them again. Tracks transferred to device/media cannot be transferred to the computer. Are you sure you want to delete the tracks?" What does this mean? I'm sure I have deleted previous tracks from both My Library and the hard disk without this message coming up (but can't be sure). For example - Does this mean that if I delete a track from the computer that I will not be able to import that track in the future from the same CD? Is this a DRM issue? I thought SS3.4 got rid of DRM problems. Also, it appears that the file in the All Users/Sonicstage/Packages directory that is roughly the same size as the file in My Library, and so presumably uses up the same amount of disk space again. In the interests of saving disk space I would be really grateful for any advice. Many thanks.

I've spent quite a lot of time going through this section but can't find the answer so hopefully someone can help. I 've tried deleting certain tracks in My Library and also checked the box to delete them from my hard drive (to save disk space). The message "If you delete the tracks from the computer, you cannot restore them again. Tracks transferred to device/media cannot be transferred to the computer. Are you sure you want to delete the tracks?" What does this mean? I'm sure I have deleted previous tracks from both My Library and the hard disk without this message coming up (but can't be sure). For example - Does this mean that if I delete a track from the computer that I will not be able to import that track in the future from the same CD? Is this a DRM issue? I thought SS3.4 got rid of DRM problems. Also, it appears that the file in the All Users/Sonicstage/Packages directory is roughly the same size as the file in My Library, and so presumably uses up the same amount of disk space again. This is something that I do not want and in the interests of saving disk space I would be really grateful if someone could advise me what I can do, if anything. Thanks.

OK. Thanks. Will upload everything. If I use Audacity for editing will I need a cue sheet to burn the CD using, say, Nero?Sorry if I sound a bit thick but this is my first experience of burning a CD from my own recording!

Thanks very much Dex. A great help (ditto all the others that have replied to this thread). I wasn't intending to keep the data on the disc for storage and agree that HiMd is best not used for this purpose. I was just paranoid about having to erase the data until I was absolutely sure that I didn't need it again! Because the trackmarks are all over the place at the moment on the recording I don't have specific tracks to name yet. Therefore, based on what you, Raintheory and Small Mics have said I think I'll add the marks in the appropriate place first/remove extraneous marks (i.e. to segregate the chat etc from the bits that I want to keep), but not delete anything, name them accordingly and then upload everything. I'll then back up as you say, convert the required tracks to WAV, and then use Audacity to do final editing. Thanks again! P.S. I know there are lots of programs out there for burning WAV files to CD but would you recommend any in particular?

Hi all I have just made my first live PCM recording on my MZ-NH900 of a band rehearsal and now want to upload via USB, and create a suitably edited WAV CD. Now the recording contains fairly lengthy periods of chat and silence as well as trackmarks at random points. (We just let it run rather than keep getting up and pressing pause or stop). I have listened to lots of the MD and want to pull out certain sections and ultimately make them into separate WAV tracks on a CD, and get rid of the talking in between. Please forgive me if the answer to my questions are on the forum but I have searched long and hard and have read the excellent pre SS 3.4 pinned thread "Guide to uploading md recordings.." - as updated November 2005). However, does this thread still apply to SS 3.4? I would particularly like to keep the original recording on the recorder, at least for a while until I have done what I want to do with the converted files. But the thread states "You can combine and split uploaded tracks in the SonicStage library, but only after deleting them from the original HiMD" . What I am not clear on is at what point I should combine/divide/delete track marks and tracks so that I can isolate the sections that I want to export to WAV and then burn. I assume it is still unadvisable to do this on the recorder? If so then should do I use SS 3.4. combine/divide option on the PC in the transfer window before uploading, or should I do this on the uploaded files before I convert to WAV? I am not too fussed about gaps for the purpose of this recording although I note Low Volta's reply on 2 May to mnmleung's thread stating that he doesn't use SS but instead exports to WAV and then does any editing in Audacity. In summary I guess what I am wanting to confirm is the order of steps that I should take. Many thanks

Hi Greenmachine. I am a relatively new member in the UK and I am very interested in purchasing one of your mics and probably a battery box too. It will be mainly for recording live gigs for my band and band rehearsals, as well as recording vocal ideas for songs. I don't want to spend much more than £80 for the mic. What are my options and how do you need to be paid? I have had a quick look at your website, but I don't speak German! Thanks

Thanks very much A440 and Volta. Your help is really appreciated. I will contact Greenmachine.

Thanks v much - really useful. Although I'm not doing professionally I will still consider the battery box idea. I'm in the UK and will look at Maplins website to see if they sell this otherwise I may have to ship from Microphone Madness. Also note your comments on the ECM 907. As I had never recorded before, and that was the reason I bought the MZ-NH900, the ECM 907 seemed a reasonable mid price option to start with but I would be grateful to hear your suggestions for an upgrade without having to shell out mega bucks. As for line in cable I did look at the Maplin site but not being a techy it wasn't easy to find (perhaps they don't sell it?) something that would be suitable. They just seemed to sell loads of different connectors and cables. Presumably most mixing desks would generally have the same standard jacks (left and right?)and so I would be looking for a 3.5mm jack splitting into 2 (left and right channel) phono connectors at the other end ? Also would you recommend I buy the line in cable with connectors direct from Sony/Phillips etc... Thanks

Just a quick question having read through much of the "Live Recording" section. I play drums in a large 14 piece jazz funk band and have the MZ-NH900. We often play gigs with a full mixing desk and I either have mics on all my drums or a mic on the bass drum plus a couple of overheads. We may also do gigs from time to time in smaller venues without amplication/mixing desk but this tends to be quite rare. My question is whether, for the bigger gigs, to record using line in from the mixing desk or to use my Sony ECM-MS907 digital microphone plus headphone attentuator to record the sound in the room. I guess using line in from the mixing desk would be less fiddly but I am keen to try the mic. Is the only real issue to consider the silent trackmarks that are created if you use line in? Also can someone recommend a good line in cable to use. Thanks

OK. Great - thanks.

Just recently installed SS 3.4 and have also been reading Dex Okatu's very useful guide on recording and uploading to SS etc... One query I have relates to the following extract from that guide: PRE-CONVERSION AND BURNING HINTS TO EASE THE PROCESS: You can combine and split uploaded tracks in the SonicStage library, but only after deleting them from the original HiMD. Note that combining tracks recorded via Line-In will leave the afore-mentioned repeated sections in the combined recording. I am confused as I thought that with SS 3.3 onwards there is the option to leave tracks on the HiMD? Also with SS.3.4 it is possible to make multiple uploads. So if you need to combine or split tracks in the SS library does this mean that the ability to make further uploads then disappears on the basis that the tracks have been deleted from the HiMD? (i.e. there is nothing left on the HiMD to upload again?)

Thanks v much. Eventually managed to download it and then installed. All seems OK.

I have Windows XP Service Pack 2 op system on my new machine and have recently installed (apparently successfully) Sonic stage V3.3. However, I went to the downloads section to install MD Simple Burner V2 and when I tried to open, an error message came up saying it was either corrupt or invalid. The file is zipped and I don't appear to have WinZip or similar on my machine so I realise that I will need to install this. However, even if I do install WinZip will I still be unable to download and install this program? Ironically downloading and installing SS was relatively easy. Alternatively does anyone know where else I can download the latest version of MD SB?

OK. Thanks. Will try. If however it does cause problems and I want v3.2 then I will come back and ask for the download link as you have sent to englebert if that's OK.

If I could ask this question too. I have raised the same issue under a different thread (oranges - "Getting started")and although someone replied saying they had experienced no problems with version 3.3, the question of where I can download version 3.0 or 3.2 is yet to be answered. I too have the MZ-NH900 and I think version 3.2 (and possibly 3.0) will be more than adequate for my needs. I have Windows XP Service pack 2 on a new relatively clean machine. Although I have not experienced installing version 3.3 from what I have read it seems more trouble than it is worth. For info, I do not have any version on my machine to uninstall as I was running version 2.0 on an old machine and this has been uninstalled on that machine. Thanks in anticipation.

Hi there. I love this format and really want to get more use out of it. Like oranges, I have the MZ NH-900 which I bought about a year ago, and it came with Sonicstage v 2.0. However, as yet for various reasons I have not been able to get the use out of it that I bought it for. My needs are similar to those of oranges in that I will want to make live recordings (mainly of my band and for recording song ideas)and then upload to sonicstage to then either convert to WAV for burning to CD, or create MP3's to share on web etc.... I also have a large cd collection and will use MD burner or sonicstage to transfer CD's onto disc for listening on the go. However, having read various horror stories about version 3.3 and noting various other discussions on this forum, it appears that version 3.0 or 3.2 would be the more sensible option. I was wondering what your thoughts are on this. Are there any reasons why I should go for 3.3 given its problems? Where can I download official versions of 3.0 or 3.2 as I could not see either of them on the downloads section? I am currently on temporary dial up connection for another 10 days or so and then hopefully get broadband. Presumably it is best to wait until then? Thanks.