Who here uses the record slider on minidisc decks?

[freddyjollo]

One reason that I keep on using minidisc is that little slider on the decks that on power on will start recording and on power off wont lose the recording. I use my decks alot for recording comedies and SciFi series, mainly speech, from BBC Radio 7, DAB. Quite often this can go on for 5 or 6 weeks or more unattended until I have the whole of a programme( or I need to replace the disc with an empty one) Are there any other more modern devices have some thing similar - apart from Freeview boxes?

[md user]

One reason that I keep on using minidisc is that little slider on the decks that on power on will start recording and on power off wont lose the recording. I use my decks alot for recording comedies and SciFi series, mainly speech, from BBC Radio 7, DAB. Quite often this can go on for 5 or 6 weeks or more unattended until I have the whole of a programme( or I need to replace the disc with an empty one) Are there any other more modern devices have some thing similar - apart from Freeview boxes?

Can you use internet radio, on a timer-basis?

I use pc-card DVB-T for BBC radio scheduled recordings [kaffeine in linux].

Never misses a recording!

Then, after download, place on MD! [A little ridiculous, no?]

Regards,

mdmad

[freddyjollo]

Can you use internet radio, on a timer-basis?

I use pc-card DVB-T for BBC radio scheduled recordings [kaffeine in linux].

Never misses a recording!

Then, after download, place on MD! [A little ridiculous, no?]

Regards,

mdmad

well presumably that means having the pc on all the time?

or are you suggesting putting a pc on a timer?

The thing I like about the deck solution is that it is a very low energy answer. How many watts does a deck use - not a lot? Hmm I think I have an old Super Socket 7 board with K6-400 mhz cpu some where. Maybe try building up a low energy system from it & try out kaffeine

[md user]

well presumably that means having the pc on all the time?

or are you suggesting putting a pc on a timer?

The thing I like about the deck solution is that it is a very low energy answer. How many watts does a deck use - not a lot? Hmm I think I have an old Super Socket 7 board with K6-400 mhz cpu some where. Maybe try building up a low energy system from it & try out kaffeine

Right, turn off monitor gives about 60Watts energy use on my PC, a lot more than 10W on my deck.

I tend to use my PC a lot in daytime, so doesn't matter to me.

Otherwise, for low energy use, I use ordinary freeview box, and optical out to MD deck - again, never misses!

mdmad.

[Hungerdunger]

I used to use the timer facility a lot - for me it was usually the afternoon plays on BBC Radio 4, as well as general interest programmes like Home Planet, Monebox, Analysis and Americana to name but four.

However, as more of these programmes are now available as Podcasts, I tend to subscribe to those instead and transfer them as MP3 files to me RH1. There is also a brilliant programme called Radio Downloader which will save just about any BBC programme in MP3 format, and can be set to save a whole series or just a single programme.

I'd probably have bought one of the Onkyo Hi-MD decks by now if they had a timer switch, but unfortunately they don't

[sfbp]

I'd probably have bought one of the Onkyo Hi-MD decks by now if they had a timer switch, but unfortunately they don't

Actually the X-B7 and X-B8 have terrific timers.

http://www.minidisc.org/part_Onkyo_X-B7+B8.html

Problem I think you have to order from Japan.

Stephen

[md user]

Actually the X-B7 and X-B8 have terrific timers.

http://www.minidisc....yo_X-B7+B8.html

Problem I think you have to order from Japan.

Stephen

U're Right! I'd forgotten, I bought a cheap mini-hi-fi on ebay with 3xMD slots (Aiwa XR-560), it's brilliant!

It times just like a VCR - and records up to 3 MD's in series. Only thing is, there's a 6-second gap between each. Doh!

Still, perfection takes longer ... and it's not Hi-MD ...

Just hope that they don't switch off FM!

Regards

mdmad

[freddyjollo]

I used to use the timer facility a lot - for me it was usually the afternoon plays on BBC Radio 4, as well as general interest programmes like Home Planet, Monebox, Analysis and Americana to name but four.

However, as more of these programmes are now available as Podcasts, I tend to subscribe to those instead and transfer them as MP3 files to me RH1. There is also a brilliant programme called Radio Downloader which will save just about any BBC programme in MP3 format, and can be set to save a whole series or just a single programme.

I'd probably have bought one of the Onkyo Hi-MD decks by now if they had a timer switch, but unfortunately they don't

WOW the Radio Downloader is a really nice program!. Thanks for the link! So simple to use!

[Hungerdunger]

WOW the Radio Downloader is a really nice program!. Thanks for the link! So simple to use!

It's good isn't it.

If you find yourself using it a lot, I'm sure the author would appreciate a small donation.

[ozpeter]

(Indeed Radio Downloader is a good 'find' but I've raised a bug report as it appears to reduce stereo downloads to mono, regardless of mono/stereo settings in options).

[freddyjollo]

(Indeed Radio Downloader is a good 'find' but I've raised a bug report as it appears to reduce stereo downloads to mono, regardless of mono/stereo settings in options).

Well I ve just downloaded a few - from the Early Music Show under Documentaries & run them thru Sony Sound Forge Audio Studio 9.0 & the 2 channels meters show a distinct stereo effect - also the graphs are different though harder to see. I know the BBC dont broadcast the same programme the same way on various mediums eg Radio 7 is mono on DAB but Stereo on Freeview. I have tried comparing Radio 7 - iplayer v dab eg Dads Army. Dads Army is very old now & was probably not made in stereo but on Iplayer was being broadcast in stereo, the Sound Forge Audio Studio 9.0 meters were( almost, maybe) identical. The DAB ones were definitely identical. So it looks that maybe the BBC is broadcasting mono material as stereo?

[Hungerdunger]

I've just listened to a few recent downloads too, and while I have to say that the stereo effect appeared to be very negligible, playing them in Total Recorder I could see from the meters that they did not appear to be mono. What I'm not sure about is whether the original programme sounded like that or whether something happened in re-encoding.

[freddyjollo]

I've just listened to a few recent downloads too, and while I have to say that the stereo effect appeared to be very negligible, playing them in Total Recorder I could see from the meters that they did not appear to be mono. What I'm not sure about is whether the original programme sounded like that or whether something happened in re-encoding.

well a good example is Any Questions? under Discussion & Talk - quite definite left-centre-right of the speakers.

some seem to use fixed mics. most they move the mic to the current speaker. some are better than others. In some I can hear people on either side of current speaker coughing or audience participation left & right eg clapping, cheers etc

[Hungerdunger]

(Indeed Radio Downloader is a good 'find' but I've raised a bug report as it appears to reduce stereo downloads to mono, regardless of mono/stereo settings in options).

I've just received an email about an update which might be of use to you:

I've just released beta version 0.10.1 of Radio Downloader, which is available for you to test at http://www.nerdoftheherd.com/tools/radiodld/downloads/beta/Radio%20Downloader.msi

[ozpeter]

Indeed, the very responsive and professional developer has fixed it - the problem was only being experienced by people outside the UK - the BBC sends them a different feed from the UK users, and that feed got reduced to mono by the previous version of Radio Downloader.

Now what were we talking about in the first place??

[freddyjollo]

well its been a useful digression - I didnt know of the radio downloader nor I bet many other people. I dont think it will replace my use of my decks & the time switch slider though as some of my shows not on iPlayer. It just means I can download more than I would otherwise as I dont like to mix different programmes on the same disc. In this way I got most of the old comedies some time ago - Dads army, Hancock's Half Hour, All Gas & Gaiters, Steptoe & Son, Yes Minister & One foot in the Grave. The only irritation is that Radio 7 where these come from is only mono - I just hope in the axing of 6 Music etc this will change - some of the good SciFi dramas like Journey Into Space & Earth Search were broadcast in stereo on freeview. I did record these again but having to set up 2 timers ( one in the freeview box ) is a pain.