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Questions on the MZ-RH1

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imonacan

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Hello All,

I just recently joined the forums after reading with great interest over the last several weeks. I am happy to see so many people interested in the Hi-MD format.

I primarily use the minidisc for nature recording (birds frogs, forest sounds ect) . I currently use a Sony MZ-NF810 and have had good results on my recordings, but feel I could be doing better. I have done my homework and read the reviews on the MZ-RH1, and feel this could be the ideal field recorder for me, but have a few questions that I hope others that own this unit can answer.

First, what I like about the MZ-NF810:

Great battery life in the field and the ability to charge this from my vehicle in remote locations with the 12v car charger. The sound quality is very good and the unit is very durable, portable and field worthy.

The improvements I am looking for:

The ability to adjust my recording levels without pausing my recordings. A display window that I can use in low light and totaldarkness recording situations. Peak level indicators that are usable (and understandable).

My questions about the MZ-RH1 are:

1) How is the lithium battery life on a night (or days) worth of recording ? Is another one or two spare batteries needed ?

2) Is there an option for a 12V car charger for this unit?

3) Does the unit have an attachment spot for a wriststrap loop ? I know this seems minor, but it is huge in the field. I currently use the MZ-NF810 with a detachable neck lanyard. I have headphones for monitoring my recordings and an external mic from a hand held parabolic dish , plugged in. Dropping the recorder is not an option ! I Have had the MZ-NF810 slip out of my pocket and into the mud, before I used the neck lanyard. Lucky that this is a tough little machine, and just got a little blemished on the case. I am hoping the MZ-RH1 is as tough, if need be.

4) Just wondering what the carry case looks like that is supplied. I could not find any pictures of it.

5) Finally, I am interested to hear about the improvements in the new version of the Sonicstage software, which was a joke for the MZ-NF810. I use Cool Edit V2.1 for my recordings, and have had no trouble in moving my tracks from MD to my PC in wav form.

Thanks for anyone taking the time to read this and answer these questions !

Best Regards to All,

Bill Ruscher

Rochester, NY

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The unit has no wriststrap or, as far as i can tell, anywhere to attach one . The unit comes with a typical Sony "bag" with draw strings on top. I have never found these useful going all the way back to the cassette players I hae owned that came with them. Maybe you will. Can't answer the other questions..

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The improvements I am looking for:

The ability to adjust my recording levels without pausing my recordings. A display window that I can use in low light and totaldarkness recording situations. Peak level indicators that are usable (and understandable).

My questions about the MZ-RH1 are:

1) How is the lithium battery life on a night (or days) worth of recording ? Is another one or two spare batteries needed ?

2) Is there an option for a 12V car charger for this unit?

3) Does the unit have an attachment spot for a wriststrap loop ? I know this seems minor, but it is huge in the field. I currently use the MZ-NF810 with a detachable neck lanyard. I have headphones for monitoring my recordings and an external mic from a hand held parabolic dish , plugged in. Dropping the recorder is not an option ! I Have had the MZ-NF810 slip out of my pocket and into the mud, before I used the neck lanyard. Lucky that this is a tough little machine, and just got a little blemished on the case. I am hoping the MZ-RH1 is as tough, if need be.

4) Just wondering what the carry case looks like that is supplied. I could not find any pictures of it.

5) Finally, I am interested to hear about the improvements in the new version of the Sonicstage software, which was a joke for the MZ-NF810. I use Cool Edit V2.1 for my recordings, and have had no trouble in moving my tracks from MD to my PC in wav form.

Thanks for anyone taking the time to read this and answer these questions !

Best Regards to All,

Bill Ruscher

Rochester, NY

Hello, Bill. Yes, the RH1 lets you change manual recording levels on the fly. You also do not have to re-enter the Menu to re-set it to Manual recording from one session to the next...it remembers your last settings. Monitoring recording levels in low light and/or total darkness is also a thing of beauty. The display is crisp, clear and bright. As for your numbered questions:

1. The manual says recording battery life using a Hi-MD disc is 6 hrs. (PCM mode) / 9 hrs. (Hi-SP mode) / 10.5 hrs. (Hi-LP mode). Battery life is similar with regular MD. Those are the specs in the book...I have never had the occasion to record that length in one session, but I'm guessing you could come fairly close to those numbers. I also have two spare batteries which I bought from a Chinese eBay seller for $18 each though I don't know what the going rate today is. There are some threads here about them...other than slightly different markings, they seem to perform and recharge identically to the original.

2. There is no car charger available specifically for the RH1 that I know of, but I have used my Motorola RAZR's car charger with success. (Similarly, there are several threads here, including one I started in the Product Reviews & Pictorials board, concerning AA-powered portable chargers which work very well with the RH1. )

3. & 4. No wrist strap option, or location to attach one. The pouch that comes with the RH1 is just a flimsy little grey fabric bag with a draw-string closure. Not padded nor very protective, but I suppose you could use the drawstring for a wrist lanyard or use a longer string for a neck lanyard. For protective purposes, you'd be better off taking it with you to your local big box store, or even a Ritz Camera shop, and finding a basic little padded camera pouch. As for durability, I have dropped mine once or twice without any harm except that the battery door opened and the battery came out...this is IMHO a design weakness, since the door is kind of flimsy and does NOT secure very well, and once it's open there's nothing keeping the battery inside.

5. Sonic Stage has always worked fine for me, but the current version does seem a bit quicker, and automatically converts to .wav instead of having to run the separate Wave Converter tool. It has always been reliable for me, never botched a transfer or wiped out my recordings.

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