jazmaan Posted May 13, 2004 Report Share Posted May 13, 2004 Hi, I've got a bunch of dumb newbie questions so please bear with me. I currently use an MZ-R50 to make recordings either via a Plug-in Power Microphone (ECM-DS70P) or line-in from analog LPs. I often take the resulting recording and upload it to my computer via the R50's line out. Then I convert the resulting .WAV files to MP3 or WMA and upload them to a website where they can be audio-streamed via Windows Media Player or Winamp. Will I still be able to do all this with a Hi-MD recorder? Will my plug-in power mic still work? Will I still be able to do line-in analog recordings? Will I still be able to upload those line-in or mic analog recordings as WAV files and convert them to MP3s? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A440 Posted May 13, 2004 Report Share Posted May 13, 2004 Most of the Hi-MDs (except NH600) have line and mic in, so you're set on those fronts. They have headphone out, not line-out, but it's probably switchable to line-out in at least some of the units. And it may not matter because for uploading, if Sony's promises are true, you'll be able to do direct uploading instead of realtime recording. (Right now, you're not uploading .wav, you're recording analog compressed ATRAC out as a .wav file). Hi-MD promises seriously higher-quality recording--uncompressed PCM, which is the equivalent of .wav. So it should be an improvement over the current situation in two ways: uncompressed recording and digital upload instead of compressed recording and analog upload. That is, if Sony ever gets around to actually selling them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazmaan Posted May 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2004 Thanks for the answers. Do you think Sony will continue to support the Plug-In Power mics? I hope so since I spent over $50 for mine. Yes, I knew I was recording ATRAC as WAV files. I am confused by all the different ATRAC formats being discussed here. Which ATRAC format is my R50? Also I have always suspected that ATRAC > WAV > MP3 can cause artifact weirdness. Is there any scientific support for my suspicions? Is there any kind of a Winamp plug-in or other PC player that will play ATRAC? I guess the new SonicStage 2.0 will play ATRAC? But it sure would be nice to have a small easy to download ATRAC player so people could hear my music from a website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJ_Palmer Posted May 13, 2004 Report Share Posted May 13, 2004 1. Yes, the new Hi-MD units will continue to utilise the plug in power type mics. Your investment is safe. 2. Your R50 uses an earlier form of ATRAC, ATRAC Type 4.0 if I'm not mistaken. It will still be virtually indistinguishable from the latest (and best) Type-R. 3. Using compression codecs always introduces artifacts. Using different ones (or the same one more than once) simply compounds artifacts, emphasising them all at once (OK. not a good explanation...). 4. Sorry, pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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