Buying First MD Recorder/Player -- scared now after doing..

[Guest Anonymous]

... some research on these things.

I first started looking at Sony's minidisc recorder/players, and had basically decided to get the MZ-N707... UNTIL I started reading reviews and about all of the problems and complaints people have with ALL minidisc players, and especially recorders. So I guess my questions to all of you are these... 1) Are there good quality recorder/players out there that I will be satisfied with? and 2) Which one is the best for me, in your opinion??

What I'm really looking for is something that will convert my mp3's into some sort of MDLP format at a good speed and good quality. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg though - I mean I could get a 10gb IPOD for 400, but I don't really want to spend that much. I don't anticipate the need to record anything from any place except my computer, and I want to make sure I won't run into any copyright problems like i've heard about with Sony's programs.

So, after all of that, does anybody have any suggestions for me? This whole minidisc underground sector that I've just recently come across has really blown my mind --- I had no idea there was such a cult-like following of these products, I didn't even realize anybody other than Sony was making these things until earlier today, and I'm not totally on the outside of the electronics world either... Anyways, thanks ahead of time for anything you can offer me.

[me]

I think the complaints come from people who expect MD to be something it isn't. Like an MP3 player.

Think of it as a digital tape recorder. The merits of CD and tape in one, i.e. recording from CDs, random access, titling, editing, all away from the computer.

I'd say MD isn't for you. Try and get money for an iPod, or nomad Zen..

[Guest Anonymous]

^^ thanks, i'm beginning to think that you're correct. I guess i just convinced myself i needed one of these because they are so cool looking :oops:

[Leland]

While Me makes a good point, I wouldn't steer you away so quickly. The copyright restriction is irritating, but how many copies do you need? You can restore them from a backup anyway, so I don't worry about it. For copying to a portable format at high speed, the N707 is excellent value for money. HDD players are cool, but the benefit of the minidisc over these is 1. Size, 2. Battery life. 3. Better sound quality then MP3, if source is ripped from CD to ATRAC3.

[me]

Ya know, i'm certain I read that he wanted to move 'em around from the MD to the computer... which is why I recommended an HDD player.. :oops:

Thing is, the NetMD to me is for permanantly converting your MP3's to the MDLP modes. Don't do this and you won't like NetMD (as it hides .omg files all over the place). Once everythings converted to .omg, then its very good, and you will get fast transfer speeds to your MD.

So if all you want to do is move your mp3s (and keep them intact) to a portable device, MD doesn't seem such a brilliant idea. However, they have merits like what Leland says..

Also, with an HDD player you *can* store 'em as .wav

[Guest Anonymous]

Me, I've heard that comment before and didn't understand it, maybe you can clarify it for me. You said:

as it hides .omg files all over the place

On my computer, it seems to put them only in the directory I specify. Where else might it "hide" them?

[Leland]

That last post was me (not Me) not logged in.

[me]

I was doing some 'I am considering netmd' research which involved openMG and realjukebox.. Maybe I got confused (openMG and Real hiding them in different places?) but I kept finding .omg files hiding in folders marked 'sony'. I think I zapped 'em all.

I installed sonicstage today, just for fun.. Damn, if I buy netMD boy am I going to be complaining.. It's slow... Damn slow.. I'm scared of launching the program now. On the plus side, ATRAC3 doesn't sound so bad on my computers speakers

[Aidix]

I don't think talking people who don't have any MD equipment into buying a NetMD is smart. Why?

First let's see what's good about (Net) MD

-NetMD is a (relatively) easy and fast way to get MP3's on your MD's.

-Carry them around in your portable or listen in your car or at home.

-cheap media, no expensive smarmedia cards or harddisks and smaller than CDR

Now the bad

-You will need double copies of every MP3 on your harddisk. Keeping the original MP3's is a must because OpenMG completely sucks as a music player on the PC.

-The software is unstable and slow. Soundstage is worse than OpenMG.

-only 2 quality settings (LP2 / LP4) one is bad, the other isn't perfect either. Your MP3's will suffer.

-can't edit the resulting tracks on MDs

-MD equipment is far more expensive than MP3CD hardware.

-MD can't play CD's

Simply put, NetMD is

-more complicated

-more expensive

-lower quality

-usually smaller

than simply buying a direct MP3-playing solution.

The real benefit of NetMD is that you can also use it as a high quality standalone audio recorder!

Using NetMD simply as a MP3player really is a waste of such a nice portable high quality audio recording device as MD

Comparing a NetMD to an iPod... iPod is more expensive but it also stores ALL you music in uncompromised quality if you want to.

[darK (aka Tharaka)]

I had no idea there was such a cult-like following of these products

hmm.. sounds like an interesting concept.. lets start one... :mrgreen:

[Leland]

Me, I just searched my C drive and all 4535 *.omg files were in the folder I had specified when installing the database. I don't use RealPlayer.

Regarding the comments made by Aidix, perhaps you are right, although I might contest a few of your points (the practicallity of having WAV's on any portable player as a primary format vs. MD in SP mode and carrying discs...) but I won't. I agree with several of them also. Perhaps for me it was different for two reasons. As you can see, I have a ton of history with MD and I like it. Secondly, NetMD was a convenience for me based on my CD collection, not a MP3 collection. I buy any CD I really like, and only collect a few MP3's of odd or old stuff.

That said, I wouldn't try to convince anyone: they have to convince themselves! I only give my opinion

[Aidix]

By 'uncompromised' I mean high bitrate MP3's. Ofcourse SP mode will beat any MP3 but I'm still waiting for a NetMD SP upload function :cry:

I also love my MD's and would never stop using it. There is no perfect portable audio solution, so just try to search for a format that suits your needs.

[me]

Leland, guess i'm wrong then

Still, it's pretty chunky. SOF2 didn't make my computer grunt so much as sonicstage does!!

As a music player, I find sonicstage not so bad, but it's incredibly slow. I prefer to just take an MD and put it into my deck. Doesn't skip, either..

[Leland]

Me, don't get me (meaning me, Leland, not you, Me) wrong. I don't love SonicStage or OpenMG Jukebox. They are slow and buggy. They are usable and I really like NetMD for the fast download speed. But it is sad that the software isn't simply killer. I really like Sony gear in general. I have lots of Sony stuff and think their designs are good, their user interfaces are good and even like the quality. That said, they need to write better software! It is a real weakness of theirs.