Is it worth it to get DR8 or DR400 or should I go 2nd hand?

[Guest Anonymous]

I would be most grateful for any advice from Minidisc community members.

I am currently in the market for a MD. The primary use of the unit will be live recording (interviews, radio, some music...). I would also like the player to listen to music.

As I understand it, it makes more sense to get a sharp because of its better recording ability.

I also understand that having a good microphone is very important. So I've thought about getting a used MD and a nice microphone, but I am a bit weary of second hand. Any opinions?

If I get a new one, I like the layout of the Dr7--especially the large screen. But it doesnt have netMD and some of the new features of the DR400 series. Will those new features make a difference on recording quality?

Any feelings about Dr7 vs DR400?

Any particularly good used unites to look at.

Thanks!

[mAjEsTiC]

hey there,

well the Sharp models are very easy to use when recording and give great sound...their features are easy to use and practical when recording...it's a good choice to use a sharp for recording since they can adjust recording levels on the fly (unlike the sony units)...

a good mic is also quite important as well...depending on how portable you want it to be i suggest that you shop around and try them out before buying...for me i personally like to use cardiods to record since they are stereo and record basically what is in front and 90 degrees either side of the mic...the omni directionals are ok but they pick up a lot of ambient noise from behind the source as well so IMO i think that's not a good thing...i also feel a little weary about second hand and i buy everything of mine brand new...

the DR7 isn't losing out over the new DR400 since they basically both utilise the same 1-bit amp and they're both Sharps...the new unit just has NetMD feature which is good if you have a lot of mp3's that you want to download to ur unit....otherwise it's useless...i would say stick with the DR7 since it has a nice LCD screen for you to monitor your recording levels plus by now the price would've dropped so it makes it a very good buy...

[Guest Anonymous]

mAjEsTiC :

Thanks for your helpful advice ! I was hoping that you would respond to my query!

[Christopher]

I second Maj's recommendation of the DR7, but if you wait a month or two you may notice the price will most likely decrease.

[mAjEsTiC]

mAjEsTiC : 

Thanks for your helpful advice ! I was hoping that you would respond to my query!

np, glad to have helped...and i also second kurisu's recommendation of waiting a while longer if you are not in a hurry to buy the unit since the price would have dropped even more by then since the new units will be out and the DR7 will eventually be phased out as the flagship model of Sharp...otherwise u can buy it now if need be since the price of the unit atm is already considered a very good buy...best of luck...

[Guest Anonymous]

I'm not sure if you need any advice on microphones, but the Sony ECM-MS907 (http://snurl.com/2ptx) is widely used with MDs and I've heard nothing but good things about it. That's the one I'll probably get...