Sony MZ-N707 won't record from mic

[jkyoung]

I bought an MZ-N707 on ebay and I'm having problems getting it to record from a mic. I'm using brand new minidiscs, and slide the record switch to the right to start recording. The counter begins counting, the level meter shows that it's receiving a signal, and I can here the signal through my headphones. When I push stop, it blinks "Data Save", then "TOC Edit". Sometimes it goes straight to the "TOC Edit". After that it displays "END" and the time remaining, which is correct (e.g. if I record for 5 minutes, it says there is about 75 minutes left). In either case, nothing is on the disc. When I turn the power off, then on it says "Blankdisc".

Is there some other button I need to press, or some secret menu setting? I've tried in sync on/sync off mode, high and low mic sensitivty settings, mono/SP, no help. Did I just get a dud recorder?

The recorder came with several minidiscs full of the previous owner's music, and these play fine.

[A440]

It doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong on recording. And if the Table of Contents (TOC) is getting updated and End shows something is on the disk, it's very odd that the disc should then turn up blank.

When it says END and shows the time, can you go back before turning off the power and replay what you just recorded? Also, push the Track button while recording and see if you can jump from track to track afterward.

If mic definitely doesn't work, have you tried recording through Line In--just get a stereo-plug-to-stereo-plug cable and play something out of your CD headphone jack into the white jack. See if that recording stays on the MD.

If neither Line nor Mic records, then it's possible your playback head works and your record head doesn't, and you do indeed have a dud.

You mentioned that there's a mic sensitivity setting. That means someone hacked the MZ-N707 to add features--something that usually works but could create problems. (And while the hack does give you a mic sensitivity setting in the menu, it doesn't actually give you adjustable sensitivity due to the hardware).

If you're brave you could try to enter service mode and hack it back to the original values (which are the ones mentioned in the hack instructions) and see if that makes any difference. But take your time, work in good light and read the instructions carefully because you could screw up the unit completely.

http://forums.minidisc.org/viewtopic.php?t...ght=mzn707+hack

[jkyoung]

Thanks for the reply;

When it shows End, and before I power cycle, I can go back and try to play back, but each second which ticks off on the display takes anywhere from 1 to 15 seconds in realtime. Nothing comes through to the headphones. I pressed the track button a couple of times while recording, and it looked like it was adding tracks. Going back before powering off, I was able to move from track to track, but again, nothing comes out of the headphones, and the time counter moves very slowly. (Putting in one of the discs which came with the machine, it plays fine)

I went back and undid the hack, putting the values back to what the article said was the original, but it still has the same problem.

Tried using linein - same problem.

It didn't come with the cable or software, so I can't try downloading from the computer.

Is it worth sending these in for service? Or am I just better off buying a new one?

Thanks again for the help.

[A440]

With all the tests you've done, it pretty much sounds like the record head is messed up. Possibly throwing good money after bad, you could get a Recording Head Cleaner (Maxell or other brand) and see if it knocks the head back into position, but it's a longshot. (Of course you can use it on your next MD.) Please post if it works!

If you're in a big city you could try taking it to a Sony place and finding out about rates, but it's probably more costly to fix the MZ-N707 than to take another shot on Ebay.

If you want to get a new one, you could wait for Hi-MDs, which will be in the $300 range, or get the Sony MZ-NF810 ($200 at minidisco.com) or the Sharp-IM-DR420, which has all the features of the MZ-N707 and more, $260 at www.minidisco.com.

If the Ebay seller guaranteed working condition, you could try for a refund, too, or resell the MZ-N707 as a player only and recoup some of the loss.

Anyway, full sympathies. Hope your next experience is better.

[A440]

Check this out:

http://forums.minidisc.org/viewtopic.php?p=21315#21315

and this:

http://forums.minidisc.org/viewtopic.php?t=4712

[jkyoung]

Thanks very much for your help A440. I opened it up, and (drumroll) the flex isn't torn; even examining it under a microscope, it looks like it's in one piece. So, I went ahead and bought a new one (NF810CK). It came today, and works great.

I guess I'll see what I get listing this as a player only on ebay.