My new MDS-JE320 (woohoo, it was FREE!)

[anodes]

Hey all,

I've browsed the forum a bit already and have read the reviews on selected MD player/recorders ya'll have done here, so I'll just start out w/simple questions.

I got my new MDS-JE320 new @ a yardsale here in Sedona, AZ, the guy gave it to my g/f for FREE! Can't beat the price and it came w/9-74min and 2-60 min MDs, NIW (new in wrapper).

I take it the JE320 is Sony's bottom of the line recorder and have no problem w/that considering the price. Some comments were made to the effect that "it's beats any tape deck out there". That's fine w/me as I'm a High-Power shooter and wouldn't need to waste big$ on ultra-high quality sound, anyway.

I intend to hook it up to the l/r stereo outs of my Dish Network 301 and start off by recording satellite radio OTA (off the air), both Dish Network and Sirius channels. Then use the MDs for playback on a portable for my bike trip commute to work a few miles away.

So, any discussion on or about:

MDS-JE320,

cheap portable players to buy,

cheap portable player/recorders to buy,

MD cameras to buy,

any other equipment that is cool and "MUST HAVE" stuff that uses the MD media

would be GREATLY appreciated! For the record, "cheap" is used in a way that means, "I have money and I'm not afraid to use it, but don't really need to have the newest, coolest, smallest hightech shit out there just to impress anyone but myself". Simple enough?

It's also worth pointing out that I'm thinking this (my MD portable) would be a great "hiking buddy" as I regularly take long excursions in the Grand Canyon National Park back-country. A recharging solar panel and NiCads would be no problem, though wieght of the unit (portable) would be a consideration.

Thanks and looking forward to opinions, good and bad, from lots of folks!

anodes.

[anodes]

Surely w/>47K Members and 40 views SOMEBODY has a freaking opinion?

anodes.

Edited November 6, 2006 by anodes

[raintheory]

This truly is a great find IMO. I for one enjoy the older units (the JE320 is pre-MDLP if I recall correctly) just as much as some of the newer ones. I suppose it helps that I have plenty of pre-MDLP recordings as it is that will actually playback on these units.

The unit will work great for recording satellite radio, the only downfall would be the recording time (usually 80min for SP Stereo, 160min for MONO). However any portable you pick up will have no problem playing back the discs you record with it.

eBay is probably the best place to keep an eye out for cheap second-hand MD units. Though with anything on eBay there is always a risk (personally I have purchased quite a bit of MD related things on eBay and never been burned).

You may even be able to find some prerecorded albums on ebay for your unit!

Edited November 6, 2006 by raintheory

[anodes]

rt, Thanks for the response! I had to look up your terminology "pre-mdlp" and that opened a whole new can o'worms for me to digest: http://www.audiotstation.com/forum/showthr...age=1&pp=10

I already figured that my player was out moded when it came to the HiMD format and was going to look for a portable that was more capable. Yet I still need a further explaination when it comes to terms like "mdlp"? Just trying to use this free gear as a starting point for what I now see is a whole realm of gadgetry I've been saving money on by not buying into!

So much the better not to be surrounded by "legacy", "pre-legacy" and other types of hardware that have been superceded by newer and more capable gear. And as I said, if all my JE-320 is good for is a hotshot "tapedeck", you still can't beat the price!

anodes.

[raintheory]

Here is a good FAQ on MDLP: http://www.minidisc.org/mdlpfaq.html

There really is a wealth of info from the main page here at http://www.minidisc.org

Basically you're unit will play Standard SP & MONO formats. MDLP units include the addition of LP2 & LP4 (160min & 320min respectively) which provide longer recording time at reduced quality.

In regards to what portable to look into... Do you plan to mainly use it for playback? Or do you plan to do any actual recording via microphone or line-in?

Edited November 6, 2006 by raintheory

[Christopher]

Welcome, anodes. What is your price range for a portable unit?

[anodes]

rt, I would want to be able to have the fullest capability range possible, so line in and condenser mic would be ideal.

k, Thanks for the welcome. I would have no prob going to $200. But would want to consider a lightwieght MP3 player for my back country hiking at that point? After all, an MP3 player would have the advantage of zero wieght in media...

anodes.

{edit}

btw, I kinda figured that LP sood for Long Play...

Edited November 7, 2006 by anodes

[A440]

Your deck is, in essence, a better version of a cassette recorder, with minidiscs as 74-minute or 80-minute cassettes.

Minidisc has come a long way since then. Unfortunately, while newer units are backwards compatible--that is, they will play any minidisc new or old--a unit like yours will only play in the original minidisc format, SP. Not the others: LP2, LP4, Hi-SP, Hi-LP and PCM.

The portable units are palm-sized.

For a minidisc recorder, you can't beat the price of the MZ-NH700, which can still be found (on Ebay or elsewhere) for $160. It has microphone and line-in jacks so it can record in realtime. You would still need to buy a mic--you wouldn't want a built-in mic anyway because it would pick up the whir of the disc. You could actually record in SP on that unit if you wanted to use 74-minute or 80-minute (a.k.a. legacy) MDs.

The smallest coolest minidisc unit around is the MZ-RH1, about $330. It can upload recordings made on your deck (or on other pre-Hi-MD units) to your computer, the only unit that does that.

For a portable minidisc player, you'd be fine with the NH600D. It is a Hi-MD downloader--that is, its only input is USB from your computer. It takes 1GB discs, which hold nearly 8 hours of music in very good Hi-SP compressed format and nearly 32 hours in Hi-LP, which would sound OK if you're hiking around outdoors. Everything--mp3, CDs, etc.--needs to be converted to the minidisc format, .oma , which can be done through SonicStage on a PC as it transfers the music to the disc.

The 1GB discs will not play in your deck. But discs recorded in your deck will play on the NH600D. You can find the NH600D for under $100 on Ebay.

But at this point, I wouldn't really recommend MD as a portable player. You can find a 1GB flash unit like the 1GB red iRiver T30 (refurbished on Ebay) or the 1GB Creative Zen Nano Plus (I saw it new for $70 at Staples, of all places) and pack a whole lot of mp3s on there with very little weight or size.

[rayzray]

i have a couple of those decks;; they still run fine; use them as spares.

anyways; seems i read somewheres where you can ADD a digital out on some of these older decks; it seemed easy; but was not interested to do that since i own so many other decks.

i had read it on the other forums/boards (what ever they are); but since i don't go there anymore; you're on your own to find the info.

that would be a great option to transfer in digital (at real time tho)..!!

Edited November 7, 2006 by rayzray