Need help\advice\info with Sony minidisk player

[nork]

I have an MZ-NE410 and now an MZ-N10

As much as i have these units, i dont really know much. I have used Sonic Stage to put music on the minidisks and play them. Thats about all i know.

I am trying to learn as much as i can in a short time as possible, so maybe you dont mind helping me a bit?

What is the big difference between the 2 units i have? I believe its the fact that the N10 will record and the other wont? If so, what can i record with the N10? Can my wife use it to record at a seminar? Thats what i am hoping it can do. If so, what else do i need? And what other types of recording can i do with this N10?

What about the built-in battery with the N10, how long will it last, is it replaceable with a generic battery? Where do i get them?

So far i have used sonicstage to convert mp3's to attrac. Is there any special settings i should use beside standard? Can one do a better job making an atrac song from an mp3 using sonicstage or simple burner?

Any other info that you can give me to help me along?

I know that i should simply read the manual but time is so valuable to me that i have a hard time doing that. I was hoping that i might be able to absord things a bit better this way.

thanks very much for any info you are willing to give me.

[Skradgee]

Read up, guy. You'll find good information about your equipment here if you don't want to read the manual...

http://www.minidisc.org/equipment_browser.html

[nork]

thanks, i didnt know that info was there until today.

I guess i should have pointed out that i dont have a written manual. Only what i have downloaded.

I was basically looking for quick replies and hints to help me get started. Also, sometimes users can give you tips and info that you wont find on the manuals.

thanks

[nork]

okay, i have come up with a few questions.

I have the NE410 and the N10.

Well, with the NE410 i was able to put tracks on a minidisk. Now and again the battery issue would come up, all i had to do was change batteries, even adding back the original. It seems there is a fast drain that the player notices but when the battery sits for a bit its usable again.

Then i used the N10 and it was much better, no battery messages, made a minidisk with some blues on it.

My question is:

I have noticed there is a thread on replacing the expensive rechargable battery on the NI0. Then i thought of the battery drain when making a disk so i am wondering if i can turn off the built in battery while making a minidisk? Probably not, but i thought i would ask. I am thinking that i dont want to keep draining the battery and end up using the battery up. So maybe i should go back to using regular standard batteries in my NE410 to make minidisks and save the rechargeable in the N10 just for playing. That way maybe i can get away from having to replace the battery?

Does this all make sense is what i am asking?

The other question is how do make a minidisk of mp3's in my N10. I cant seem to do it in

sonic so maybe MD simple burner?

I would like to be able to make a minidisk with mp3's from the NE410 because of the battery situation, but i dont think thats possible, right?

thanks for the help!! I do appreciate it. I just dont have time for the pdf manual, its even hard to see, gives me a headache.

[greenmachine]

I'd use the NE410 to do the 'donkey work' like putting songs onto MDs via USB. If you happen to have a power adaptor, use it as often as possible to avoid battery drain/wear. Battery life should be pretty good with a conditioned/new NiMH rechargeable battery. Mp3s can't be transferred without conversion to Atrac, which carries quality loss. The latest versions of SonicStage should be able to perform this conversion/transfer internally.

Li-Ion batteries (which the N10 uses) are underlying the aging process - even if you don't use it, performance will decrease with time - no matter if you use it or not. A replacement battery is propably very expensive. Enjoy it as long as it lasts.

[nork]

greenmachine, thanks for the info.

I have been mislead a bit. The Sony MZ-N10 mentions something about mp3's. So i was under the impression i could put mp3's onto a minidisk and play them in my N10. But i found out thats not true and others felt Sony was misleading with that. Sonic still converts mp3 to atrac and there is no getting around that. Not a big deal anyway.

Now here is where i could use some info. I got the black plastic attachment for the N10, in which you can put a battery.

Can i use a standard alkaline battery in it or does it have to be a rechargeable? Can i use any rechargeable or does it have to be a certain type?

If i use the black plastic attachment with a battery in it, can i turn the internal battery off and save it and just use the juice from the black attachment?

You can see i am a bit confused about the usage of that black attachment. Maybe it only starts working when the internal battery gets drained and the internal battery has to be on at all times. But then why is there a switch on the back of the N10 to turn the battery off?

thanks for the help.

[atrain]

standard alkaline is fine. don't think you should turn the other battery off, the unit will draw power from both sources iirc.

[greenmachine]

Alkaline works, although a high capacity NiMH usually performs better (longer battery life because of better high/peak current handling, rechargeable) and thus is recommended.

[nork]

Thanks for the info, the more info i can get the better off i will be.