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sagom

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Hi there,

am new to this forum and need help deciding which MD to buy.

I currently have a SHARP MD-DR470 and had a Sharp before than as well. I use the MD to record musicals mainly. I have had my current MD for more than 3 years but it is now starting to play up and sometimes stops recording after one track (have it set to auto tracking every 3 minutes), even though the battery is full, the mic works and the disc is empty. I think it is normal that after 3 years of quite heavy usage it is starting to play up, so I want to get a new md.

I really like the Sharps as from what I've been told they have the best sound quality, but then it looks like they have stopped producing them. :(

So anyone have any tips on what is the best to use. I need it to have a mic socket and to be able to set recording levels. At the moment I have to transfer the audios in real-time onto my PC and then edit them/set tracks with Wavelab or Soundforge, so something where I can get the audio uploaded quicker would be brilliant, as I believe that is possible with a HiMD. It will still need to be able to play my old MDs as well though, especially as most of mine are recorded in LP4.

I should probably also mention that I am based in the UK. If there is anything else you need to know to help me, just let me know.

Ta,

Sabrina

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Welcome, Sabrina.

Hi-MD will do everything you need: mic-in, level setting, uploading.

If you have the money, the ideal choice for you would be the MZ-RH1, which is about $300 in the US. It is the only unit that will upload the old MD recordings from your Sharp. It also has great sound quality and slightly better controls (it is the only Sony that allows you to make Manual Volume the default setting). Since everything is so incredibly expensive in England, you might be able to put together a better price by importing one from http://www.soundprofessionals.com , http://www.mindisco.com , or other American retailers.

http://www.minidisco.com/Sony-MZ-RH1

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/...tem/SONY-MZ-RH1

On a lower budget, around $180, you could get the MZ-NH700. It will NOT upload your old MD recordings, but it will upload recordings made in the new Hi-MD formats: PCM (which is CD quality), Hi-SP (about the same as SP) or Hi-LP (about the same as LP2). Its advantage is that it takes a regular AA battery, which makes a small bulge in the back but is easy to replace. The MZ-RH1 takes a rechargeable gumstick battery, which will easily last you through a musical and much more. But if you were ever doing a lot of recording, you'd have to buy a second battery and keep it charged.

Other mic-in models are the MZ-NHF800, which is exactly the same as the MZ-NH700 plus an FM radio in the remote. (The FM remote also works with the NH700, so I believe the units themselves are identical.) If you see one for a good price, get it.

There's also the MZ-NH900, which has a gumstick battery and other non-essential tweaks; its big drawback (for me) is that the Pause and Stop are the same button, too easy to mess up. Some people also had problems with the buttons not working. The NH models will record in the old minidisc formats (SP, LP2, LP4) but will not upload them.

Also mic-in, the RH910 and RH10 will not record in the old minidisc formats--just PCM, Hi-SP and Hi-LP. People were very unhappy with the RH10, which had button problems and was also expensive because it has a big fancy display.

Grab the MZ-RH1 if you can, and say goodbye to realtime transfers.

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Hello there,

I am in the UK., I've had the RH1 for a while, my main use is for recording my compositions and live gigs. I jumped from Sharp MD to Hi-MD and it has been better than I expected. I even listen to cds I put onto MD. Which sound great. I would personally recommend the RH1 over the other ones if you are after longer recording time,higher recording quality and fast upload times.

Cheers,

James

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Certainly the MZ-RH1 is the ultimate MD unit to have, though if you're looking for something cheaper, and don't need to upload your old recordings, something like the older Sony MZ-RH700 Hi-MD recorder can still be found on ebay for bargain prices, often unused and by people 'upgrading' to ipods etc...

A couple of weeks ago I picked up an RH700 for £30, second hand but it works perfectly.

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