Danngor Posted December 19, 2004 Report Share Posted December 19, 2004 Hi, Dan here. I play in 4 groups, and want to record rehearsals and live club gigs. My specific needs are a recorder, stereo mics (wireless, maybe?), and a wireless remote to pause and not have to record a bunch of talk and nonsense. Just the music, please! lol. I know the Hi-MD players give you greatly extended recording time -- is that in full bandwidth stereo? The system doesn't have to be very small, but MD is small by nature. I'm looking for a functional system that isn't too fragile, as it'll get bounced around from studio to gig, not a demo-quality recording studio. Upload to my desktop for tweaking good tracks would of course be necessary, as well. Any and all help, is greatly appreciated! Happy holidays, and keep rocking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txgitarman Posted December 20, 2004 Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 Hi Dan. I'm using MD to record my band practices and gigs. I am going to start running a feed off the mixing board into the line in on my new MZ-S1 that I bought. But, I have so far plugged a stereo lapel mic into a Sharp MT15 (don't buy this model) that I bought on eBay. I clipped the mic to my mic stand over a monitor in the front center of the band and set the recording level. I think you'll find that it is way easier to just record everything letting it run and then go back in afterwards and divide the tracks and delete the bits you don't want. Otherwise, I think you'll spend to much time and attention trying to remember to start and stop the thing. Heck, even letting it run, I forgot to record half a set last weekend! If you just want to listen to your MD's on the unit or don't mind recording them onto your computer with an analog line cable with an 1/8" mini jack on each end, any of the original minidiscs or the MDLP or Net MD models will work for you so long as they have a line in or mic in jack. You'll have to do some searching on the equipment browser and read posts to figure out what models to find on eBay. Be careful of older Sharps and the UTOC error! Most of the models you find in stores now in the US don't have either inputs. Only the most expensive Hi-MD models have a microphone input. For a low cost and extra durable option see if you can find one of the sports models MZ-S1 by Sony. They've been discontinued so they are going fast but you can find them Cheap! I Only problem is you can't use a mic without a pre-amp with that model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danngor Posted December 22, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 I went ahead and bid on and won, a Sharp MD-722; it was a good deal at $36, I think, and has a mic sensitivity preamp. Any thoughts on this unit? Now I need to get the stereo mic to go along with it, and am looking for suggestions. Thanks again for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txgitarman Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 There is a lot of good info on choosing a microphone for your MD. Sony has several electronic condenser mics (ECM) that have "plug-in power". The unit sends a small electrical charge through the mic jack to power the mic. I've read this can cause a small amount of interference if you plug in a mic that isn't made for plug-in power but I can't confirm that. You can also use a mic without plug-in power in connection with a small pre-amp. You'd go into the line-in if you went with that. From what I've been able read I think those mic-pres are as big as another MD player, so I'd be inclined to just buy a mic made with plug-in power. I bought the Sony ECM-CS10, which is a small lapel stereo mic that I bought for $49 at Frye's. soundprofessionals.com is a site that I see a lot of references too. I find that the CS-10 tends to emphasize the high-end a lot but that could just be mic placement. I'm the lead singer and rhythm guitar in my band. I attached the stereo mic to my microphone stand at front center stage. It is positioned over my onstage monitor so it picks up sound from the monitor mix. It is also positioned low so that it picks up sound from the guitar amps and the kick drum nearby. At the last practice, I got better results from creating a separate mix on the mixing board using line-in. Unfortunately, my dying Sharp MT15 ate that recording! I suggest you do some searching of the archives and ask questions about specific units once you have narrowed to a few options. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A440 Posted December 22, 2004 Report Share Posted December 22, 2004 You're not going to be able to upload with that Sharp--all you can do is record via analog (headphone jack to line-in on your computer) in real time. But for $36, it's a great intro to minidisc. There's no wireless remote for a portable MD unit, and while you probably could get wireless mics, you're limiting sound quality and maxing out your budget if you do. You can do better than Sony mics. It looks like the CS-10 is for business meetings, though it does go down to 50 Hz--it might be equalized to emphasize upper frequencies. Go to www.soundprofessionals.com www.microphonemadness.com or www.reactivesounds.com or www.minidisco.com and look at the microphones available. Even the cheaper ones sound surprisingly good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danngor Posted December 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2004 Thanks very much! I am going to try the binaural stereo mic setup from Sound pro's. They're on clearance for $39.00! A long extension cable for the mics, and I can use the wired remote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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