bobbyo

LULZ They have the BBB seal of approval on their webpage, so do you think maybe, just maybe, that's why their info is in there?

LOL - I think a lot of people just think minidisc is a generic term that is thrown around for any sub-CD disc. Asking at Best Buy (salesperson roughly 20) resulted in puzzled looks, and me ultimately being shown those small dvds. Thank God I can easily find HI-MDs here.

If it affects all electronics, maybe you live at an extremely high/low altitude that adversely affects stuff?

He's probably already got a thread somewhere for signs of appreciation, but I couldn't find it. Obviously feel free to move if necessary. I have to say dealing with greenmachine was probably the best informal transaction I've ever had on the Internet. Thanks a million.

Well I tried ordering the box from microphone madness, but it took them ca. two weeks to realise they had not posted my parcel, then another week to get around to refunding my money. I'm a little disappointed.

Thanks again, both of you. You raise an important issue that I was still curious about. When the batteries are getting ready to die, how will I know it (so I can prevent that from happening in the middle of an important recording)?

Sorry, another question. If you're setting the levels manually, is there any need at all for an attenuator? It's purpose is to lessen a signal that's too strong before it hits the preamp, but isn't that also done via manual levels?

Thank you for all the great tips. Box from MM should be on its way shortly.

I've only recorded two shows with them so far, but they seem (at least in my opinion) to sound much better through earbuds than through larger, over-the-ear headphones. They also sound alright through normal speakers, but I guess that's not so much the point of binaural recordings. I haven't tried a comparative test but I'll do so when I get a chance. Compared to the mics I used before they seem to sound a bit more realistic, but I'm also using entirely different equipment now. Another question: If I'm recording a source that isn't particularly of high SPL, should I even bother bringing the battery box along? Will it also improve such recordings?

Thanks for your responses everyone. The price on the box from microphone madness certainly is more welcoming, not to mention the fact that shipping is half that of soundprofessionals (to Europe, which will in turn save on customs charges if they decide to levy them). To answer your questions, I'm currently using these with standard sensitivity, so obviously I'm making binaural recordings at ear level. The other taper was using WM-61As (http://www.panasonic.com/industrial/components/pdf/em06_wm61_a_b_dne.pdf) and some battery box (I don't know which one). I have no idea where he was standing or where his mics were placed, but in his recording the vocals are much more pronounced/clear than in mine (though there seems to be more reverb in his). While this is likely a matter of positioning in the venue, upon more careful listening I've noticed a few moments in my recording where it seems to distort, although the sound was not all-too loud (I was using an attenuator). I have not yet done any editing to the audio, so maybe something could be saved by doing that.

Hello again, I've just upgraded my recording gear and was optimistic about the results I would get... but after hearing another taper's recording of the same show I'm a little disappointed... so I'm looking to buy a battery box and had a few questions (I'm using the MZ-RH1 and mainly record live music): 1.) 9v vs. 12v: I'm assuming 12v is optimal but will it really make a difference? 2.) Bass roll-off: Do I really need it? 3.) Anything else I should note when making the purchase? Right now the winner seems to be this guy here,but I'd appreciate any help/recommendations.

Interesting topic. I'm really new to MD, so I don't yet feel remarkably loyal to the format. Until now I've been using a rather dated player to make some live recordings and aside from having to change tapes midway I am rather pleased. I am, at the moment, trying to decide whether or not I should purchase the nh600 or maybe nh700 (the money I'd save on the nh600 would go directly to purchase a battery module). Anyway, after reading through this thread I'm still stumped. Is there a good, cost-efficient alternative (at most about the cost of the nh700~120€+shipping) to MD that still records at a decent, comparable bit-rate and won't force me to juggle memory cards in the middle? Thanks for your help.

Other than being able to make (apparently worse quality) recordings without a battery module, is there any advantage to having a mic-in port on your MD recorder? In other words, should I bother buying one with mic in?

Hi backlight19, Your unit is pretty old, so it lacks USB connectivity. Therefore, the only way to transfer files is analog and in real time. This means you'll need a male-male 3.5mm stereo connector. Connect it to the line out of minidisc player and the line in on your soundcard. I'm not too familiar with the mac, but I think Garageband probably allows you to record from your line in, and it's packaged with macs. If it can't you can use the freeware program Audacity to record and do some mild editing. Once you've saved/mastered your wavs, you can use toast to burn it to disc. I hope this has answered your questions.

I don't know. I had the issue with my R55 (which I love).

Thanks for your reply, but my hopes were to use the discs without having to purchase new equipment. Anyway, I've found that if you set a track point immediately after beginning to record, the player can then access the area. Otherwise, it begins after 7 minutes. Strange, huh? As for the other audio, I can't access it, but will live

Thank you so much.

I understand how to get to the compression settings and how to change things, but I don't understand how I decide to set them. I used to settings that were suggested to that guy, and my resulting file had absolutely no dynamics left over whatsoever. Does anyone maybe have a link to a good tutorial for editing live recordings in terms of applying compression and equalising the 900hz areas? Thanks

Hi again, I've recently done a few recordings using 80 min mds on my (very old) md player. While it appears to be recording, the first 6 minutes are apparently inaccessible to me. Up until now, I'd only used the 74s so I never had the problem before. So does the recorder actually record to the first 6 minutes, but cannot play them? Is there some way to 'trick' it into playing the first part? Thanks again.

First of all, thank you both. @MDfred1: My MD has a Line-Out, just my laptop has only mic-in. I've checked to make sure it is indeed mono by recording using audacity and monitoring the channels. After recording, the left (or maybe right it was?) is cloned to both channels, so it's almost unnoticable, but it still isn't the best solution. @raintheory: Thank you for the suggestion, I will be looking into it.

Hello everyone (first-time poster), This is a really great forum, I've been lurking here for a few months trying to learn the ins and outs of MD recording. Here's for my pretty simple (if not to say stupid) question: I've got a somewhat dated MD recorder (cannot complain about quality though ) that doesn't support the whole NetMD technology, so I'm kind of stuck transferring the audio from MD -> PC by analogue means. Unfortunately in this case, I've got a laptop (ie: no line-in) which means one of two things for me: 1.) I transfer via mic-in which leaves me with a mono recording with an audible hiss in the background (I'm guessing from the mic-in amp?), or 2.) I transfer via my tv card using composite red/white (cinch?) cables, thus allowing me to capture both channels. Unfortunately this method leaves me with a recording that seems somehow "stripped" (when I load the finished track in Winamp, for instance, it only shows the first few bars in the visual equaliser thing). There is also an audible "tinniness" to it, as if it were 64 kbs mp3 or so. Thus my question: What alternatives do I have, or rather what is a cost-effective way to get my (relatively decent) recordings onto my PC in a form that is still enjoyable? I have thought about searching for a cinch -> mono klinke adapter, transferring each channel separately via mic-in, then putting the file back together but it seems kind of time-consuming. I've also put thought into acquiring an external sound card with a line-in, but even older models seem to still be a rather expensive solution (upwards of 50 EUR). Thanks in advance for any advice in this matter. -bobbyo