MDS-JE520... should I get it?

[Swordsage]

Ok... I just found someone nearby who wants to sell his MDS-JE520 minidsc deck and several blank md's for $75 Flat. Now, normally I'd say it was a no brainer: go and buy it. I'm just wondering if I really need it.

I already own a MZ-RH1, and a MZ-NH1, among others, and am pretty much converting my cds to minidiscs with those units via my computer. That's pretty much what the deck is designed for, but if I'm doing this with the other units, wouldn't this be a waste to get it? Or should I be using the deck more often for this, despite not being a Hi-MD model? I did hear that the decks tended to make some high quality recordings anyway. Plus there's always the thing about backing up equipment. And I can always use more blanks.

Should I nab this deck while I can, and risk not using it often, or just let it go?

[philippeb]

Should I nab this deck while I can, and risk not using it often, or just let it go?

The point is: do you do SP or MONO recordings ? If the answer is yes, then you should definitely buy the deck. Decks are more robust than portable units, and they add UNDO, super UNDO, and TOC cloning. Also, but this is totally subjective, ATRAC 4.5 sounds much warmer than ATRAC3 or ATRAC3+ to my old ears.

[PhilippeC]

The point is: do you do SP or MONO recordings ? If the answer is yes, then you should definitely buy the deck. Decks are more robust than portable units, and they add UNDO, super UNDO, and TOC cloning. Also, but this is totally subjective, ATRAC 4.5 sounds much warmer than ATRAC3 or ATRAC3+ to my old ears.

Yes deck sound is better for me too. And it is easy for you as the seller is nearby so that you can test is sound before buying it. Please notice also that in the future that will be more and more difficult to find Hi-MDs portable units, there are so much more SP/MDLP both portable units or decks.

Myself I have also HiMDs portable units (MZ-RH1, MZ-NH900), a MZ-R510 et a MDS-B5 deck. This last unit as an incredible sound so that is the third reason why I choose to re-record ALL my MD music in SP mode, except on my 1Gb discs. The second reason is what I said in the first paragraph, here in Vietnam where I live it is know quite impossible to find a Hi-MD unit, not telling about 1Gb disc. At least old MD discs are always on the market. One can find a lot of very cheap boomboxes, bookshelves and decks. Sadly, it is a lotery to find a unit in good coodition except in the very center of Saigon (I do not know in Hanoi). You are lucky, you can find any kind of units nearby your home or on eBay. I have not that choice (recent units).

[sfbp]

My $0.02 - if you've not played with a deck, then you should get one. Just as Philippe says.

If you were in the UK, you should hang about and get a JE640 which does MDLP, and which should set you back about the same or less on Ebay. However they aren't so common over here. You'd be looking at a 940 which may set you back twice as much (or more).

Having said that I still do my LP (ie vinyl) transcriptions via an SP-only 630. This has one important feature that is not on the 520 - a port for a PS/2 style keyboard (which you should be able to pick up for next to nothing if you don't already have one). Look in the completed listings (advanced search) on Ebay, a 630 went for about what you are preparing to pay.

Why the 640/940? Because they support MDLP - any NetMD recordings or downloads can be saved by uploading them at x1 out the optical port. Until and unless the folks in Germany get inside NetMD well enough to deal with that problem (getting stuff out via USB on the RH1), those recordings are forever "stuck" on MD. You can buy a new Tascam with this capability but it will set you back a LOT more.

What the heck, get your feet wet. It's addictive, we all know that.

Stephen

PS on the issue of MONO recordings, there is a well documented bug where the volume ends up too low on early decks. I don't think the 520 suffers from this (you might want to check), but the 510 and its predecessor, the commonly available S707, do.

[philippeb]

PS on the issue of MONO recordings, there is a well documented bug where the volume ends up too low on early decks. I don't think the 520 suffers from this (you might want to check), but the 510 and its predecessor, the commonly available S707, do.

The MDS-JE520 does perfect MONO recordings.

[Swordsage]

Ok, at the behest of my wife and you guys, I decided to nab it. It ended up being $70, and included 41 blank discs, though it didn't have the remote. Oh well.

Because I have a rather basic stereo system (just a 3 cd/radio/double tape player/recorder thing), I don't really have a feasible way of recording anything off of it, though whatever is playing from the deck can easily be heard through the auxiliary connection. Well, I'm sure I can set it up so I can record from the stereo, but it will take some finagling.

In the meantime, I plan on making sp recordings with my portable units for home playing. The one SP disc he gave me to test the deck sounded great from it, so I'm hoping discs made via my computer will have similar results, despite not being recorded from the deck itself. I'm a bit confused about the ATRAC 4.5 designation though.... exactly how does it line up with the timeline of development in regard to the other file formats?

Anyways, I don't regreat my purchace, and it will do as a home md player/recorder until I save up enough money for (or the price comes down on) those Onkyo Hi-MD decks.

[PhilippeC]

In the meantime, I plan on making sp recordings with my portable units for home playing. The one SP disc he gave me to test the deck sounded great from it, so I'm hoping discs made via my computer will have similar results, despite not being recorded from the deck itself. I'm a bit confused about the ATRAC 4.5 designation though.... exactly how does it line up with the timeline of development in regard to the other file formats?

Sound recording will best enough for your stereo system. But it is better to use your Hi-Mds units as they have type S so type R quality recording. Type R is the best for SP.

Check my posts about how to record in real time (then SP) MP3s or lossless music from your PC digital out using Winamp + Wincue + DFX for winamp.

[philippeb]

I'm a bit confused about the ATRAC 4.5 designation though.... exactly how does it line up with the timeline of development in regard to the other file formats?

MD formats are named ATRAC and ATRAC3.

ATRAC formats (SP and MONO) are the oldest. They are recorded/played by the MDS-JE520.

ATRAC3 formats are more recent. They cannot be recorded/played by the MDS-JE520.

In the expression ATRAC 4.5, 4.5 is a version of the ATRAC format. All ATRAC versions are compatible.

Type R/Type S (equivalent for SP) are the most recent versions of recording algorithms that create ATRAC tracks.

[Swordsage]

Sound recording will best enough for your stereo system. But it is better to use your Hi-Mds units as they have type S so type R quality recording. Type R is the best for SP.

Check my posts about how to record in real time (then SP) MP3s or lossless music from your PC digital out using Winamp + Wincue + DFX for winamp.

I'll definitely look up those posts. Any info I can get on making good recordings will be greatly appreciated.

I do need clearing up on something though... you said my Hi-MD recorders record ATRAC in Type S, and the JE520 records in Type R, and you said Type R is best for SP. But you also said that I would be better off recording in SP with my Hi-MD units, which seems to be a contradiction. Or did I misinterpret you?

[sfbp]

Type-R (note the hyphen in Sony-speak) is included in Type-S, it's a fundamental property of all the chips past a certain date.

Type-S only matters on playback, and (I have a pretty shrewd hunch, he asserted modestly) only when that playback is out of the ANALOG output of the deck or portable in question. If you are playing back over USB, or from deck opti-out, I **think** it makes no difference. Even then it's only for MDLP, and doesn't apply at all to SP.