Minidisc: The tactile experience in the digital age

[theblueraja]

I was hanging out with a friend who has a DJ setup in his house, and we were commenting how there is such an art and "tactile experience" in putting on a record, dropping the needle and watching it spin while the sound comes out. All of this is lost in today's pc-playlist, or iPod shuffle action. I used to collect techno vinyl records until I discovered MD back in 2004. Then I concentrated my $$ in buying MD units, and ended up selling my vinyl to support my new habit. Anyway, I'm just wondering if anyone else here agrees that there is another whole level of enjoyment when playing music on a minidisc player strictly because of the tactile experience. HOLDING the physical disc, perhaps with artwork you designed, popping it in as you even hear & feel the disc spin inside your unit. One could easily argue that non flash-based mp3 players have a hard drive drum spinning, but I think you can understand the difference here. I also enjoy some of the LABOR in getting this great audio quality into my ears. Much like setting up a record on a turntable, calibrating, leveling, adjusting things... here I sit in my office with my MZ-E10 and I've got lots of wire, a remote that then triggers the unit that I can even hear firing up... I even LIKE the delayed response between when I hit play and the anticipation for the audio to kick in (using battery conserve mode - which on LP2 discs is much faster than on HiMD units).

On a side note I think its great that one of Sony's new Walkmans actually has some physical controls for stop/skip/play even though its digital... I'm sure its for the blind in-pocket moments, but its still a nice touch.

We now live in a virtual music society where nothing is tangible anymore, and people seem to treat music like its disposable; you have it for a week, enjoy it, then maybe you can download it again sometime as you're not really sure where it is anymore. Minidisc is the happy medium, offering digital compression in a compact form, but still having a warm output (especially with units with built in HD amps), and finally offering the PHYSICAL removable media. Youth today certainly don't care because they've grown up on Napster, etc so they don't know a difference. But for us older folk who remember what its like to buy a new record or dare I say compact disc (remember those?... not long before these are forgotten as well), I think we enjoy having our high quality trophies.

Just sharing some thoughts.

[Levanel]

Totally agree. Need to have that feeling that music you own is on physical media that can be archived and listened to later.

This iPod generation was totally an eye-opener and gave people the excuse to ditch buying overpriced music CDs over digital downloads for convenience. I like to think that the MD has a tangible archivable value attached to it, unlike flash/HDD-based players. In fact, the latter does have a lower life expectancy than the former. Why do you think magneto-optical disks are still being used in the academic field?

[sinus]

the ultimate experience: recording vinyl to MD!

[bluecrab]

No question about it, part of the thrill that's not gone for me with MD is that they are media you can look at, pick up....feel. I like the sound of the MD as it goes into a deck. The whirring, the clicks of the controls, all that stuff. For that matter, I like the look and feel of cassettes, too, and spent part of yesterday and today listening to those. They still sound OK when played on a good deck, and then there is the extra kick of of listening to recorded waves, rather then a digital interpretation of waves. Had I space for one, I'd get a nice turntable. There is just nowhere for me to put one. Although it would be a practical thing for me, a DAP is something I have not yet been able to convince myself to get. Hey, at least I'm happy!

[tekdroid]

I've gotta say the tactile part of it means v.little to me. I like that they are different, shiny little discs, and that I can piece together, more or less, how they work on a physical level and kind of enjoy that, but that's where it ends.

* The fact that they make noise is a nice novelty in this age, I'll give you that, but not ideal when recording and I could do without the mechanical complexity of the units.

* I don't like that putting media in is something you probably couldn't trust to your 4 year-old.

* I don't really like that dust and humidity / condensation is more of an issue with the units and media.

* I don't like that the magnetic head makes physical contact with the disc.

* I think it's genius how they made it all happen when nobody else could do something like this in a portable, and they are quite unique, but that's where it ends for me.

What I like is that I can separate music from the unit, keep it offline in bits, but I don't like that those bits are a mere 1GB and that same 1GB limits recording lengths, especially when doing PCM. I enjoy the same removableness with flash media in my digital camera, tapes in my video camera, memory stick in my PSP, etc. I would hate for them to be tied to the unit, non-removable like so many disposables nowadays.

Batteries; it goes without saying I hate non-removable batteries that limit the life of perfectly good electronics to their own limited life and don't allow easy swapping whenever and wherever you are. I dislike battery-charging appendages. I can't stand downtime charging and can't stand batteries that cannot be removed. To this day have never bought a portable unit of anything without the ability to swap out a battery, and never will.

[BIGHMW]

Agreed.

Although I now own an NW-HD5 Network Walkman (20 gigs, ATRAC/SonicStage compatibilty, and a whopping 40 hrs. battery life from a removeable cell), I still enjoy the uniqueness of both MiniDisc and Hi-MD discs, as well as any other physical media out there. Nothing out today or tomorrow will ever meet (let alone beat) the versatility and portability of MiniDisc and Hi-MD.

Try recording your favorite band LIVE with an iPod, you cant, can you?

How about remote control access to many if not all the features on your unit without taking it out of your pocket?

Not possible with an iPod, is it?

How about an onboard adjustable graphic or parametric (bass/treble cntrols) equalizer?

Nope, not on an iPod.

The unique bragging rights of being able to show all of your iSheep for friends your massive collection of both MD and Hi-MD media, which if one of your units dies out (if you have a large collection of players like myself and some others on this forum do), you never lose your music due to it being removeable and swappable.

and, oh yes, the tough one kiddies:

How many of todays iPods and MP3 players on the market run on the ever-reliable and always replaceable AA batteries?

I can't think of many that do if not any.

[Strungup]

Agreed.

Try recording your favorite band LIVE with an iPod, you cant, can you?

How about an onboard adjustable graphic or parametric (bass/treble cntrols) equalizer?

Nope, not on an iPod.

How many of todays iPods and MP3 players on the market run on the ever-reliable and always replaceable AA batteries?

Hey umm BIG , This is gonna Hurt , but no intense offended ............( I just thought I would stop in to say hi )

[tekdroid]

Wow, that looks really neat, and quite professional, too! I wonder how it would compare to a PCM-D50...

How much is the Alesis add-on?

http://www.alesis.com/protrack

USD$199 http://www.guitarcenter.com/Alesis-ProTrac...047-i1434674.gc

Guitarfxr should be banned for hijacking this fine, wholesome Hi-MD topic

2.5 hours on 4xAAA sounds limiting.

PCM-D50 is on another level, really...not to mention it does higher bitrates. I'm assuming mics are worlds apart, too. Still, interesting add-on for a product I don't own

[Strungup]

Guitarfxr should be banned for hijacking this fine, wholesome Hi-MD topic

I didnt Hijack this plane ,......... I was merely answering Big's claim that the iPood couldnt do it ( I didnt say it did it "well " Just that it did it .

2 push ups , vs . 50 pushups " I can do pushups " the iPod says ........ ya but how many , and how do you look in shorts ???

[bobt]

I didnt Hijack this plane ,......... I was merely answering Big's claim that the iPood couldnt do it ( I didnt say it did it "well " Just that it did it .

2 push ups , vs . 50 pushups " I can do pushups " the iPod says ........ ya but how many , and how do you look in shorts ???

Bloody awful, no one should have to look at a 56 YO skinny dudes knees!

But that's another story,

Welcome back TC

Bob

[tekdroid]

I didnt Hijack this plane ,......... I was merely answering Big's claim that the iPood couldnt do it ( I didnt say it did it "well " Just that it did it .

Yeah yeah, tell that to the judge

[bobt]

but anyway, to get back on track, I'm old fogey enough to like the feeling of being interactive with my music, got a pod, don't use it much, if it had a remote, might be better, MD is just nicer

JMHO

Bob

[tekdroid]

if it had a remote, might be better...

Remotes. There's a tactile experience I really care for.

Rest of Sony's range is weak sauce when it comes to blind usage, not to mention basic informational LCDs. This is without going into the rest of the industry, which feels totally outclassed in this department by this obscure little format

Yes there are small players that can be used as a remote, but it just isn't the same.

[BIGHMW]

I didnt Hijack this plane ,......... I was merely answering Big's claim that the iPood couldnt do it ( I didnt say it did it "well " Just that it did it .

2 push ups , vs . 50 pushups " I can do pushups " the iPod says ........ ya but how many , and how do you look in shorts ???

Hey TC, thanks for the wakeup call. It's just that here in Port Townsend we are a bit isolated from the rest of the world and most of us don't know what's out there in the "real world".

BTW, are we still on for selling me 2 RM-MC35ELK remotes in black (as included with the Japanese MZ-RH1) as we were talking about earlier? Hope you can get bac to me on that please. I can pay thru PayPal, of course.

Thanks,

Ray Jackson

MDCF user ID: BIGHMW

[Strungup]

Hey Big , I have basically gotten out of running around for other people , sorry , I have taken most of the stuff I had to Hardoff and sold it , what is left is for my own use .

I wont be on this forum very often , just once in a blue moon , to see what is happening .

[KHA]

I agree with the initial post, and i would like to add something.

By selecting the MD you want to put in your deck, mostly an album, you already think about what you want to listen, and then , you get a feeling of contentment as you take the desired minidisc with you.

You start enter into the musical ambiance of your minidisc even before starting playing it. You enjoy already music, and then when you push the play button, it is even more appreciable and... (i let you complete here )

Then you see one of your colleagues on the way back to home: He is using his hard drive or flash music player with more that 3000 songs (average at 128k): he is not really listening, he is just zapping the music, one song from this Album, then something completely different from that one... He does not realise that more and more, he is just running the same 100 songs during his trips...

He is not listening to music anymore, he is just consuming music as a way to spend his time to home, and then he will connect to a streaming website and listen for what he wants to listen.

Can you believe someone told me he was listening music through youtube clips and that he thinks he can find really good quality there... poor guy...

More and more, people in the subway (Paris) are looking at me when i change of minidisc. I am not a freak to them, not yet, but they don't see the point of changing of minidisc when you can have a huge library of songs with you. I wonder how many of them have listened a complete album without zapping using a hard drive or flash music player

[theblueraja]

Well said, kha! "zapping" indeed. "kids" these days don't even hear a song all the way through! They skip, sample, and shuffle their playlists, etc. Here's the old man now talking, but I remember buying a 45 record (you know, a "single"?, ONE song with a b-side?) and I would play that song - all the way through - like 20x in one night. As far as the YouTube thing, yeah, I've seen kids rip a YouTube song to an mp3 and put it on a flash player and be completely content. Sickening.

Edited February 16, 2009 by theblueraja

[theblueraja]

... says he who listens to his music in LP2 ...

oh, please, no comparison there buddy!!

[tekdroid]

he is not really listening, he is just zapping the music, one song from this Album, then something completely different from that one... He does not realise that more and more, he is just running the same 100 songs during his trips...

100 songs is not bad, I wish I could fit them losslessly on one Hi-MD

But you know where all this zapping started, don't you? Those new-fangled CDs started it all. Track selection! Programmed playback?! I could hardly believe my eyes. Then, digital presets on the radio! After that it was all downhill. Nobody appreciates music nowadays. Zapping back and forth with no respect for the broadcaster's wishes. Back in my day we used to be huddled around the wireless as a family. Those were the days. Stories, drama, music, variety...we had it all on the wireless, and none of us turned out bad or were so easily bored like the kids nowadays!

Now, where was I? Oh yes, the cost of medicine is outrageous. Back in my day we...

Damn kids, get off my lawn!

[bobt]

100 songs is not bad, I wish I could fit them losslessly on one Hi-MD

But you know where all this zapping started, don't you? Those new-fangled CDs started it all. Track selection! Programmed playback?! I could hardly believe my eyes. Then, digital presets on the radio! After that it was all downhill. Nobody appreciates music nowadays. Zapping back and forth with no respect for the broadcaster's wishes. Back in my day we used to be huddled around the wireless as a family. Those were the days. Stories, drama, music, variety...we had it all on the wireless, and none of us turned out bad or were so easily bored like the kids nowadays!

Now, where was I? Oh yes, the cost of medicine is outrageous. Back in my day we...

Damn kids, get off my lawn!

that and walking to school 500 miles through snow and blizzards, had to paint the TV because you wanted colour,,,,

Bob

[bluecrab]

that and walking to school 500 miles through snow and blizzards, had to paint the TV because you wanted colour,,,,

Bob

[Hungerdunger]

that and walking to school 500 miles through snow and blizzards, had to paint the TV because you wanted colour,,,,

Bob

You've reminded me of this

[theblueraja]

Damn kids, get off my lawn!

LOL!! Hilarious

Okay folks, back on topic please...

[bobt]

You've reminded me of this

Thats the one I was thinking of, but I didn't want to offend,

My brain hurts

Bob

[KHA]

And there is a proof of the nice feeling of using MD: Look at these movies using MD as great data/audio highly technological device like Matrix and lastly Transformers.

In this movie, the secret agency guy is coming with top secret videos stored in minidisc. He puts the md into his computer...

He could just take the laptop and show directly the video, but the movement of taking the MD and putting it in the laptop make our brain phantasm on this whole thing! that is so better that a guy just saying "look at what i just download from our private server"

Next movies using MD will add more excitement as this audio support is forgotten by people...

[theblueraja]

And there is a proof of the nice feeling of using MD: Look at these movies using MD as great data/audio highly technological device like Matrix and lastly Transformers.

In this movie, the secret agency guy is coming with top secret videos stored in minidisc. He puts the md into his computer...

He could just take the laptop and show directly the video, but the movement of taking the MD and putting it in the laptop make our brain phantasm on this whole thing! that is so better that a guy just saying "look at what i just download from our private server"

Next movies using MD will add more excitement as this audio support is forgotten by people...

I've seen The Matrix and the screen cap shot... but not Transformers... anyone have an image that shows MD in the Transformers movie?? Would love to see. Thanks.

[Levanel]

I've seen The Matrix and the screen cap shot... but not Transformers... anyone have an image that shows MD in the Transformers movie?? Would love to see. Thanks.

See the stickied minidisc sighting thread..

http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showt...50&start=50

I recall something "like" MD being used in the Transformers movie.

[tekdroid]

! that is so better that a guy just saying "look at what i just download from our private server"

ah but is it cooler than 32GB of pr0n from the private server on SD card?