Mz-nh700 - You Get What You Pay For

[stweb]

I've bought a MZ-NH700 Hi-MD recorder to use for recording bird calls. It's the cheapest Sony Hi-MD that can do the job (microphone input, manual recording level, PCM uncompressed recording mode). It seems to work fine though I have a few nags:

1. ERGONOMICS. It seems to be built for left-handed people with all the sockets on the right hand side of the unit. Unfortunately, the important NAVI/MENU button is there too so it's almost impossible to operate the unit with only one hand.

2. OPERATION. Most of my recording work will be using manual gain. Unfortunately the unit defaults to auto gain every time you stop recording. I have to use the NAVI/MENU button everytime I start recording again to select manual gain.

3. FORMAT. The PCM recording mode writes Open MG format files. They are almost the same as WAV but one has to download a free conversion tool from Sony. This should be on the CD supplied with the unit.

4. TRANSFER. Transfer speeds are quite slow, much slower than transferring a WAV file from a removable USB storage device.

5. BATTERY. The supplied battery is only a 700mAh NiMH rechargeable. I would have liked a battery with a more capacity.

I'm sure Sony will resolve some of these little annoyances in second generation and future models. Meanwhile, I think it's the lowest cost high quality digital sound recording device and will do the job.

[The Low Volta]

3. FORMAT. The PCM recording mode writes Open MG format files. They are almost the same as WAV but one has to download a free conversion tool from Sony. This should be on the CD supplied with the unit.

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hm, don't know what version of SonicStage you are currently using, but I do hope you have upgraded from the version supplied on the disc (2.0 I believe)... definitely upgrade to SS2.3 at least (as all versions prior to this are unstable and are known to trash recordings)

if you can (but always make sure you back-up your music library first, using the SS-back-up tool) upgrade to SS3.1 (available from Connect or here on MDCF) as it is even more stable and has the wav-converter built in...so you can automatically save as wav when uploading recordings

greetings, Volta

[sushi]

1. ERGONOMICS. It seems to be built for left-handed people with all the sockets on the right hand side of the unit. Unfortunately, the important NAVI/MENU button is there too so it's almost impossible to operate the unit with only one hand.

Welcome to the world of Minidisc.

2. OPERATION. Most of my recording work will be using manual gain. Unfortunately the unit defaults to auto gain every time you stop recording. I have to use the NAVI/MENU button everytime I start recording again to select manual gain.

Welcome to the world of Minidisc.

3. FORMAT. The PCM recording mode writes Open MG format files. They are almost the same as WAV but one has to download a free conversion tool from Sony. This should be on the CD supplied with the unit.

Welcome to the world of Minidisc.

4. TRANSFER. Transfer speeds are quite slow, much slower than transferring a WAV file from a removable USB storage device.

Welcome to the world of Minidisc.

5. BATTERY. The supplied battery is only a 700mAh NiMH rechargeable. I would have liked a battery with a more capacity.

Welcome to the world of Minidisc.

Minidisc is a world of left-handed people who have to change the recording level manually and then slowly transfer thier recording in a format that nobody else can use before the battery runs out. Welcome.

[Breepee2]

sushi, so true... MD-units are still marketed with a backward 90-ies view of the DAP market...

[A440]

Some of stweb's complaints are lessened (transfer speed) or eliminated (wav conversion) with SonicStage 3.1 . When you buy a year-old unit, it's always a good idea to look for a software update. Of course, what really should be eliminated is all the DRM garbage and SonicStage itself.

Another gripe, the battery life, disappears completely when you use either a standard AA alkaline battery, available anywhere, or a better rechargeable one. That's why I got the NHF800 (same unit basically plus FM)--to be able to use ordinary batteries. I use Duracells or 2700 mAh rechargeable Evereadys and have plenty of recording time.

The Manual Volume idiocy and goofy ergonomics? Well, that's Sony for you. Previous generation MD's actually had a record button slider that could be operated with one thumb, but apparently that was too user-friendly for Sony. While griping, let's not forget the barely readable display.

On the other hand, it is a palm-sized PCM recorder with editing capability--not bad for $200.

[stweb]

Upgrading my software today.

You can get it from Sony although this is a live update program. On the other hand, the simpler installer package on MDCF is a huge download.

The MZ NH-700 uses a single AA battery so there's no problem upgrading to a better battery - I just thought it was a bit cheap of Sony to supply a 700mAh battery.

Thanks to all for the helpful advice.

[dex Otaku]

1. ERGONOMICS. It seems to be built for left-handed people with all the sockets on the right hand side of the unit. Unfortunately, the important NAVI/MENU button is there too so it's almost impossible to operate the unit with only one hand.

As someone who does almost everything with his right hand [nerve damage to the left; I type using a dvorak right-hand keyboard] I think I can put my opinion in here with good reason: I have an NH700, and I use it quite regularly for recording, and I use it exclusively with my right hand without difficulty.

I dislike the tiny-ness of the buttons et al, but otherwise find the controls just fine to use.

2. OPERATION. Most of my recording work will be using manual gain. Unfortunately the unit defaults to auto gain every time you stop recording. I have to use the NAVI/MENU button everytime I start recording again to select manual gain.

All Sony models that lack switches or the sliding record button [i.e. all models since about what, 1999?] are this way.

I also find this lack-of-feature quite annoying. I'd like to see a return to actual switches on the units for things like AGC et al, myself.

3. FORMAT. The PCM recording mode writes Open MG format files. They are almost the same as WAV but one has to download a free conversion tool from Sony. This should be on the CD supplied with the unit.

Sonicstage 3.x has this built-in. As with basically all hardware that includes software, my rule is: set the disc that came in the package aside, and download the newest version.

HiMD was conceived this way, and there are many reference sources out there that can give this information [basically DRM-related issues] before you purchase your equipment.

Don't take this too personally, but IMO if one doesn't learn about what they're buying before they do so, I would go so far as to say they basically have no right whatsoever to complain about it.

On the other hand, Sony are now infamous for their rather marginally truthful [if not outright false] advertising.

4. TRANSFER. Transfer speeds are quite slow, much slower than transferring a WAV file from a removable USB storage device.

Magneto-optical media are not known for their speediness. There are limits to how fast MO and DWDD/MO discs can be written to or read from, and those limits are further strained by making equipment not only portable but with the requirement of low-power consumption.

MO media is quite durable and relatively [especially compared to various flash formats] inexpensive, though. It's a trade-off, to be sure.

Compared to having to dump tapes by analogue means, though, this is a huge step up. If you've been recording long enough to remember how long things used to take, it seems well worth the trouble considering the price of the equipment and media [and the quality of what you can do with them].

5. BATTERY. The supplied battery is only a 700mAh NiMH rechargeable. I would have liked a battery with a more capacity.

The included battery with basically all Sony portables is and should be considered no more than a courtesy. What you purchased was not a complete recording rig, and no one would try to pretend it was such.

If you want high-capacity batteries, go buy them from your local electronics retailer.

Consider that for less than $300 you have purchased a portable recording device that will consistently, for the life of the unit, outperform equipment that cost in excess of a few thousand dollars only ten years ago.

If what you wanted was something faster and simpler, there are a variety of flash-based recorders out there that also do an excellent job. Most of them cost more than your NH700, though.

[stweb]

I am satisfied with my MZ NH-700 and I didn't see any need to spend more for my applications. Re my posting I think it's worth pointing out a few practicalities people need to think about rather than rambling on about technical specs and forgetting about the user between the device and the data. Flash and HDD recorders are way overpriced today. Hi-MD is the way to go. Hi-MD units are no doubt getting better and I suppose alternatives like HDD recorders will become more price competitive. Viva consumerism?