MD recorder for live (rock) concert recordings

[shale211]

Hi, after several days of Googling, weeks of puzzling and a couple of trips to the local electronics hub, I've come to the decision that I want to get an MD recorder to record a series of concerts that I'll be attending. These are rock concerts, mostly in small to mid-sized indoor venues.

After reading through several threads in this section, it seems like the MZ-RH1 is the most well-regarded model when it comes to live recording. But I've read on some sites that the Sharp models have 'cleaner' recording because Sony models have noisier engines and the recording mic picks up the scratching noises. This information is really old, about 2 or 3 years old. Is this still true? Then again, my friend said that live concert venues are noisy enough and the MD player's noise (apparently made by the player itself, and also scratching noises when writing on the MD) will probably be drowned out anyway. Any information/ideas/opinions about this?

The MZ-RH1 sounds great but it also looks rather pricey, from what I've seen on sites and even Rakuten. Are there other models (any brand is fine) that can provide similar recording quality, preferably at a lower price?

(The MZ-RH1 looks really nice, though. I'm tempted to skip half my meals till I save up enough money to get one, but that's not really healthy.)

And lastly, what sort of microphones should I consider? The concerts are going to be loud and all of them are free-standing, so I'll probably be moving around quite a lot (like jumping, or getting pushed, or... well, anything could happen). So I'm thinking that the mic shouldn't be too bulky, but I want a rather decent recording. Also, will all this movement affect the recording? I read somewhere (again, this info may be outdated) that moving the MD player while it is recording could cause skips or disrupt the recordings. If it's still true, any advice on how I could prevent that?

It's kinda sad that MD players have been almost entirely phased out in my country, so I'll probably buy one online, or when I go to Japan.

After spending so much time trying to find information and failing, this forum is a lifesaver.

[bobt]

Hi, after several days of Googling, weeks of puzzling and a couple of trips to the local electronics hub, I've come to the decision that I want to get an MD recorder to record a series of concerts that I'll be attending. These are rock concerts, mostly in small to mid-sized indoor venues.

After reading through several threads in this section, it seems like the MZ-RH1 is the most well-regarded model when it comes to live recording. But I've read on some sites that the Sharp models have 'cleaner' recording because Sony models have noisier engines and the recording mic picks up the scratching noises. This information is really old, about 2 or 3 years old. Is this still true? Then again, my friend said that live concert venues are noisy enough and the MD player's noise (apparently made by the player itself, and also scratching noises when writing on the MD) will probably be drowned out anyway. Any information/ideas/opinions about this?

The MZ-RH1 sounds great but it also looks rather pricey, from what I've seen on sites and even Rakuten. Are there other models (any brand is fine) that can provide similar recording quality, preferably at a lower price?

(The MZ-RH1 looks really nice, though. I'm tempted to skip half my meals till I save up enough money to get one, but that's not really healthy.)

And lastly, what sort of microphones should I consider? The concerts are going to be loud and all of them are free-standing, so I'll probably be moving around quite a lot (like jumping, or getting pushed, or... well, anything could happen). So I'm thinking that the mic shouldn't be too bulky, but I want a rather decent recording. Also, will all this movement affect the recording? I read somewhere (again, this info may be outdated) that moving the MD player while it is recording could cause skips or disrupt the recordings. If it's still true, any advice on how I could prevent that?

It's kinda sad that MD players have been almost entirely phased out in my country, so I'll probably buy one online, or when I go to Japan.

After spending so much time trying to find information and failing, this forum is a lifesaver.

The RH1 is what you need (or M200, same unit with mics), you also need to go the mic recording section of the forum. Welcome and have fun,

Bob

[A440]

Minidisc is deeply confusing, but the arrival of Hi-MD simplified the many choices.

Only Hi-MD units will upload your recordings to your computer for editing, burning to CD, etc. With older, MD units, you had to re-record your recordings out of the headphone jack in realtime.

The only Hi-MD brand is Sony. All Sharp/Aiwa/Panasonic units are older MD and do not upload.

And there are only three Hi-MD models I'd consider.

One is the MZ-NH700. Takes an AA battery, is a little fatter and uglier than the MZ-RH1, and makes you reset to Manual Volume for each new recording (the MZ-RH1 holds the setting). The AA battery is an advantage.

Another is the MZ-NHF800. It is exactly the same as the NH700 but has an FM radio in the remote.

And then there's the RH1. Sleek, elegant, even smaller than you think it's going to be. The rechargeable battery keeps it thin, though I actually prefer the AA in the NH700 because you can always find another one if you need it.

The hurdle is availability. Sony isn't making them any more. So look around when you get to Japan--or check on Ebay--and grab one when you can.

As for mics, I use these Sound Professionals BMC-2:

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-BMC-2

They're the size of a pencil eraser on thin wires and clip easily to a shirt collar. The higher they are, closer to your ears, the better they will pick up what you are hearing.

You're also going to need a battery module for loud music to record through Line-in and avoid distortion. Like this one:

http://www.microphonemadness.com/products/mmcbmminminc.htm

Sound Professionals also has an equivalent.

Don't worry about the whirring noise at a concert. Your mics are separate from the unit and the band is about 100 times louder than anything the machine is doing. If you're recording a string quartet, well, maybe you'd pick up some machine noise.

Moving around is another thing. When you record a concert, you are the microphone stand. Recording engineers tend to keep the microphones in one place when recording. You can't expect any microphone or minidisc to compensate for changes in position. The mic records what it hears.

Minor motions aren't going to make any difference with omnidirectional microphones. But room acoustics do change depending on where you are, and if you move from back to front you'll hear the difference in the recording. (It can be kind of a cool effect.) Also, if you (or people around you) are talking, grunting from mosh-pit impact, bumping directly into the mic, etc., it's going to be on the recording. When I record a stand-up concert I tend to stay in one place, though if there are screamers or loud talkers near me I move.

The machine is pretty shockproof, but it's not a hockey puck. Mine stays in a pocket while I record and I've never had a skip while walking around a stand-up event. But knock it around enough and you could probably screw it up. Just don't be too crazy. Also, MD records the music but does not save it until you push the Stop button, and then it needs to write for about 10-30 seconds. You shouldn't be shaking or otherwise shocking the unit when it writes. But it's made for portable recording and will do the job well if you treat it sensibly.