What Audio Media Format Do You Use?

[dex Otaku]

The question could be clarified, but I honestly can't think of a better phrasing at the moment. The idea is to answer with the format you use most frequently, with a and obvious leaning towards portable use.

Note that under HiMD I included "whether with legacy or 1GB discs" - I myself mostly use MD80s, but have only ever written a MDLP-disc once, and for someone else. 1GB discs are nonexistant in stores where I live, and I can not afford to order them online [aside from being one of those strange people who has no credit cards and no means of online payment].

Go with the format you're using to create discs/compilations/whatever the most now. The idea is to say what's your -active- format, so if you have as part of your collection 300 MDs recorded in SP mode that you listen to regularly, but in the last year have only created HiMD-mode discs, your answer is HiMD.

[Ishiyoshi]

I used to employ strictly SP only; but have since adopted a significant mix of Hi-MD (PCM and Hi-SP) using both legacy and 1GB discs.

[KJ_Palmer]

I'm a Hi-SP man myself, but I occasionally like a bit of SP, PCM, or LP2 action. CD-R too, and sometimes LP4 or Hi-LP for vocal stuff...

[dex Otaku]

My main media are:

For portable listening - HiMD

For general storage/backup - DVD-R [knowing full well that these discs likely won't last]

For critical backup - DVD-RAM and CD-RW

For distribution - CD-R

For posterity's sake .. with MD/Hi-MD...

* The vast majority [likely 98%] of my portable listening collection is in HiSP [with the rest being MP3]

* I will occasionally [okay, rarely] hand an editing project back to someone else in LP2 from SS

* I will also on rare occasion make an actual SP-mode MD for someone who can only use that format

* now that I have an RH10 my short-term compilation discs are almost exclusively made up of MP3s; albums needing transcoding [from disc images] or ripping are likely to be HiSP, though single tracks I'm more likely to use MP3 with because tags between formats are handled properly by Fb2k

* I have never made a PCM copy of anything for portable listening

* I have only one album ripped [60s classics in mono, the CD itself is not of great fidelity] in LP2

* I have never used LP4 or HiLP 64 or 48kbps for other than testing purposes, and plan never to use any of them for other than testing purposes; they all sound like absolute garbage to me; SS's LP2 encoding is also garbage to me

[The Low Volta]

wow, posting right after dex sure makes life a heck lot easier

I can safely say: "exactly the same as dex, except for MP3's" (I have never used MP3, as I keep my music preferably in CD-format or (since only very recently) archive it as flac on DVD-R's and CD-R(W)'s and as I do not own a 2nd gen HiMD so I really have no reason now to start using it...)

I used to have a lot of CD's/CD-R's and used a panasonic PCDP for portable listening, but then I bought a NH900 for recording interviews and discovered the portable listening ease as well... ever since that moment I haven't touched my PCDP

I do still use the CD/DVD media types, but only for archival/distribution, not for my "own daily consumption"

[KrazyIvan]

I use a combination of SP and Hi-LP. I do have a lot of discs in LP2 though. I am all across the board in that respect. WAV on the computer, a little bit of MP3. For live recording it is SP mode for me.

[greenmachine]

My main media:

-For music at home: Computer harddisk, various formats with a predominance of MP3; sometimes CDs; sometimes older SP encoded MDs

-For portable playback: A MP3 player/recorder with interchangeable CF card

-For field recording: 1 GB Hi-MD, preferrably in PCM mode, which i save on HD as *.flac and reuse after uploading

I rarely use portable players though, so i'm not sure what to choose.

Volta: You'll get a reason to use mp3 as soon as you start to participate in the live recording archive/gallery

[Bananatree]

I use Old MD and HDD players, with one or two MDLP discs.

[atrain]

mdlp, about 180 discs, no recorder anymore but i still love to lusten to them.

cd/cdr sometimes i just like to cary around my walkman with cans through the line out & use an md remote.

vaio pocket, yet to even break the seal as i'm on holiday & the ups delivered last week. this will consume around 70% of my music listening.

most of my audio time is spent with a world band sony ICWS listening to news around the world though

[D-EJ915]

I use SP when dealing with MDs (unless I'm super-lazy)

I use Hi-SP when using my HD3.

I still use all of my stuff, I swap out my D-12 in and out of use every once in a while too

[Tiesto]

I rip my cds backup @ SP.

For the Internet radio shows I use lp2 or 132k.

The English lessons are @ 48k.

[Syrius]

Mostly SP or HiSp. Anything less would be... uncivilized.

[MZ-NH1]

When I first got my Hi-MD, 1gb disc hadn't come out yet! So I had to use 80 mins discs... as soon as 1GB came out I haven't stoped using it. In Hi-SP Mode...

[Damage]

HiMD with whatever native format, be hit HiSP or MP3. It works. I have plenty of media to go around (both MD and HiMD), so I don't need any flash based media.

[Mr_Bass_Man]

Well things are still developing having only recently acquired Hi-MD (NH900).

Also I have only just realised thanks to posts in this forum that Net-MD at "SP" is really only LP2 (I should have guessed anyway from the file sizes!) but I don't have any particular issues with sound quality of any of the formats at LP2 and above.

I can do digital recordings from my CD player to my deck via coax, so if I really MUST have quality for archiving purposes from CD source then I guess I will use SP.

If the source isn't of the highest quality anyway (eg MP3) then going to anything "higher" than LP2 is more than likely a waste of time (OK I understand about compressing-the-already-compressed!)

[betamaxDATminidisc]

You see my signature

I've never used MP3 and WMA.

Also never LP4 for MD and LP 32KHz for DAT in mode LP.

- Live recording: Sony DAT 48KHz and Hi-MD mode PCM

- Recording from tuner radio: Sony deck SP mode

- Recording from tuner DAB: Sony DAT 48 or 44,1 (*1) and Hi-MD mode PCM

- Recording from TV with RCA Audio stereo OUT: Sharp 2 portables SP mode

- Copy from CD or digital audio: Sony DAT 44,1KHz from CD and MD software/recorded (*2)

- Copy from K7 or LP or Stereo 8-track or reel analog audio: Philips DCC and Sharp 2 portables SP mode

- Download file audio from CD or Internet for SS (*3)/SB (*3)/BJ (but request and test only): Sharp NetMD LP2 mode (BJ is Beat Jam)

- Upload/Download file data: Hi-MD with Winzozz M$ and Linux, I'll buy iMac mini with LaCie mini HDD from 2006

- I use all media recorded or software (new and used, LP4 and LP 32KHz included) in all portables and decks for playback

- Lessons and language speak: All Microcassette (mono) portables also create 4-channel with speed 2.4 mode only and brand 3 cassettes are identical

Channel front A Sony mono

Channel front B Olympus mono

Channel back C-D Aiwa stereo

(*1) Depend receiving protection piracy, like DRM or SCMS, I use cable RCA analog or optical digital.

(*2) It must be CD, MD, DCC (All 3 software) and DAT (rare software) from copy of first generation (SCMS). Depend all media recorded for digital audio without protection.

(*3) But Sharp NetMD run SS/SB and Sony Hi-MD run well BJ with MDLP mode only!

Edited July 15, 2005 by betamaxDATminidisc