Cheapest Route To Music Recording On Md

[dmorris]

I've been borrowing an mz-r90 from a friend for a while, for recording live music. Basically to get ideas down wherever I happen to be with my guitar. It is the most useful tool in the universe for me.

I'd like to get my own, and I'm having trouble figuring out what the right model is (like many other folks here, I'm swimming in model #'s) (and mz-90's seem tough to find). I want the chepeast way to basically get the functionality of the rz90... so things I care about are:

mic/line in

headphone/line out

Things I _don't_ care about that seem to affect MD price are:

fancy lcd

remote control

mp3 capability

digital downloading

battery life (within reason)

..etc...

Things that would be nice include:

digital (USB) uploading or at least digital (spdif-like) out... I would prefer not to spend an hour uploading an hour of music and would _prefer_ digital quality transfer, but I don't _really_ mind if it saves me $100.

Any recommendations? I'm looking at an N710 right now... is that on the right track? Should I be looking at non-Sony models? Is there a place to get an MZR90 that I'm missing? I'd like to spend somewhere between $100 and $150. Does sound quality vary much among models? To my surprise, it seems like sound quality and sampling rate are actually pretty constant among MD recorders...

Thanks...

-Dan

[atrain]

rh910 would be my recomendation.

latest [2nd] gen of himd, digital uploads from mic recordings, takes 1 gig discs so much longer recording time. 170ish on froogle, far cheaper than the model it replaces.

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=rh910&...=Search+Froogle

my other main recommendation is the sony rh710, similar to the one above but on import only

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=rh710&...=Search+Froogle

anyway stay away from models with a 'D' designation like dh710 as this indicates a downloader with only usb input.

[A440]

If you want your friend to be able to play back your recordings on his R90, then you should get a first-generation Hi-MD unit introduced last year: any of the MZ-NH series except the NH600. They will record in the old minidisc mode (SP), which is what the R90 was using. Unfortunately, if you record in SP you can't upload. I am quite fond of my NHF-800.

This year's RH models only record in the Hi-MD modes (PCM, Hi-SP, Hi-LP). Those are the only modes that upload.

In other words, when recording you can either be compatible with older MD models (which play SP) or you can upload (with PCM, Hi-SP or Hi-LP) but not both.