Minidisc for Interviews

[hdm]

Hi people I was wondering if youd help me out - Ive been conducting a series of interviews for a particular project and recording the results to audio tape (I have a thing for magentic tape, and Im a pretty lo-fi kind of person). Its proving pretty tricky to say the least.

So I want to indulge myself in a minidisc recorder for this purpose and I have strict budget of UK £30.

Here is what I ideally need from my minidisc:

3.5 microphone jack

USB port for up- and down-loading to/from PC

per-disk capacity of 2 hours or more

battery life of 2 hours or more

it will take a regular battery

preferably in BLACK!

Sound quality is less important.

Is there a particular model I should go for? I am looking on eBay and in local used stores in Manchester, UK.

Edited June 19, 2006 by HdM

[atrain]

you'll need a himd with a mic or line in

nh700 although it may push your budget a bit

[A440]

With minidisc, your choice is between low price and uploading capability. If you are content to use minidisc exactly like your cassette recorder--that is, as the endpoint of your recording, which would then have to be recorded into your computer in real time--then you can use any minidisc recorder that has a mic jack. Look in this list

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

for whatever model is available that has a mic jack (look under Inputs) and takes an AA battery. For black, you'd probably have to look for a MZ-N707 (black and red). Note: a Line-in jack is not a mic jack--it needs an amplified input.

With the older models, you would record the interviews on MD and then record them onto your computer out of the headphone jack. Even the older (NetMD) models that have USB jacks work that way, so don't be deceived by the presence of a USB jack. Hi-MD was introduced in 2004; regular MD or NetMD means you would be buying an older unit, which could be very used.

However, if you want to be able to upload your interviews then double your budget and, as atrain says, get the MZ-NH700. Takes an AA battery, has a mic jack, uploads. Think about the time saved and convenience, which in the end might be worth another £30.

You have another choice: a little flash memory recorder like the Iriver 7xx or 8xx series. They have built-in mics or will accept an outboard mic, and can just drag-and-drop the recordings onto your computer because they work like a USB drive. The Iriver T30 also has a built-in mic, but won't work with an outboard mic, only a line input. Those, too, are old units, but you might be able to find them unopened somewhere near your budget.

[hdm]

Ah, I assumed that the USB connector, on say the N710, would be for drag/dropping sound files.

Okay I am looking at the NH700 - is is just that one model, or are there others that will fit the bill? Also does the software allow me to drag and drop files both ways - is it as easy as that?

Will I be able to record to separate files using just the MD unit, rather than having to go to a PC and use the software?

Thanks for all your help.

A quick glance at the equipment browser for Sony shows these models seem to fit my bill so long as I can reach them with my meagre budget:

Sony MZ-RH10

Sony MZ-RH910

Sony MZ-M10

Sony MZ-M100

Sony MZ-NH1

Sony MZ-NH900

Sony MZ-NHF800

Sony MZ-NH700

Am I right?

[atrain]

dead on with that list, the n710 would be less.

[tommypeters]

Since you're in Europe you also have the MZ-NH600 (not MZ-NH600D) as a cheaper choice, but only if you have a self-powered microphone since the NH600 only has a line in and no mic in. I paid around £35 last year for mine.

[raintheory]

No drag and drop capabilities for any of the units at this time. You will need to use Sony's SonicStage software to upload the files (which can then be saved as .WAV files).

You can do various editing procedures on the unit itself though. Such as titling, track-marking, etc.

[hdm]

So, if on a particular day I am out and about (ie not hooked up to the PC at all) and I interviewed 6 different people I could designate 6 different tracks from the unit?

[A440]

Ah, you are used to cassettes.

Each time you Stop or Pause recording you get a new track. There is also a button on the MD unit--Track--that allows you to insert a new track mark as you record or as you play back. Track marks are silent and gapless. When recording a concert, for instance, I push the Track button during applause between songs.

You can set the MD unit to insert a track mark at regular intervals, like every five minutes--very useful for skipping through interviews. And you can set the unit to Group so that it starts a new group--a new folder--after each time you Stop. So if you have Interview A, divided automatically into 5 minute segments, and finish up and push Stop, and then record Interview B later that day, each one would be in a separate folder. And you can title any track or group either on the unit (which is slow) or from your computer.

The reason I recommend the NH700 is that it's the cheapest HI-MD with a mic input and it takes a AA battery. NHF800 is the same thing plus a radio in the remote. The others take a rechargeable battery, plus an awkward AA add-on, and cost more; they also have a variety of additional (but inessential) features. The M10 and M100 cost an extra $100 simply because they are Mac compatible--otherwise they're the RH10 and RH910. Unnecessary for a PC user.

Check Ebay for the NH700. After Sony introduced its 2005 (RH*) models it sold all its Australian NH models for low prices, and they are still around.

[hdm]

NH700 £45 bought and paid for. Lets hope it makes things a lot simpler on this piece of work. Thanks for all your help people, Im sure Ill be back in touch when she arrives.

As far as the software goes, would you recommend d/loading the latest vs using the CD? If so, where from?

Thanks again.

[raintheory]

You'll definitely want the newest version.

Here are the links: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=9586

[hdm]

Hi - my MD arrived today (NH700) and Im up and running thanks to all here. I have a couple of further questions, and Ive "glanced" at the manual but, no one likes to read them things. Technical Authors!

1. The mic-in is labelled "MIC (PLUG IN POWER)" - is that an instruction to advise use of AC power when recording through a mic? I saw one thing in the book about that then I couldnt find it again. How long will continuous recording using a mic last on battery power?

2. Ive not done it yet but it looks like you can drag-n-drop to/from PC (in Windows Explorer) in Hi-MD mode or am I reading that wrong?

[raintheory]

1. "Plug in power" simply means that your Hi-MD unit is powering the mics that you plug into the mic-in. In other words, you do not need powered mics or a pre-amp (since the Hi-MD is supplying power).

2. You can drag & drop regular files onto your Hi-MD with windows explorer, yes. However you must you SonicStage to transfer music to and from Hi-MD.

Hope this clears it up some.

Edited June 26, 2006 by raintheory

[hdm]

Thanks Rain.

Re: that second point. Can I then transfer any files to the MD (even WAVs etc) but to be playable on the unit the files have to be sonic-staged?

[greenmachine]

You can drag&drop any data onto it (like a usb stick, but in slow motion), but to be playable, you need to sonic-stage the files.

[A440]

Welcome to the MD cult.

Regarding your version question: Keep your CD in case you ever need to deal with Sony customer service, but don't use it. Anything before SonicStage 3.4 is bad news. Download the 3.4 installer from Downloads here, or go to Sony for the 4.0 Web installer.

As Dex Otaku has pointed out, with any new piece of electronic equipment it's always a better idea to get the latest driver from the manufacturer's website. Maybe it will have even fixed a bug or two...

If you want to be able to play back a sound file, you must use SonicStage to transfer it to or from your MD. Nowadays--after years of complaints that you can still read here or elsewhere--it works pretty well. Just make sure it's 3.4 at least. I have had absolutely zero problems with 3.4.

Edited June 26, 2006 by A440