Equipment advice

[rainbow]

Hello,

I'm new to the MD scene and I need some good advice for a md recorder, which I will mainly use for recording rock concerts.

I think that a md recorder is at the moment the best choice for recording concerts, right?

For me it is important to change the record level during the recording and to use "normal" batteries and don't be dependent on special battery types from the manufacturer.

Please give me some suggestions for a good actual recorder to record rock concerts.

Thank you in advance.

I will use Soundman OKM micros and I think it is no problem to use it with a md recorder.

How do you handle it to record shows which are longer that 60 minutes? Do you use in this case longplay modus?

[Christopher]

Welcome to the forums. :happy:

What's the maximum budget?

[rainbow]

The maximum budget for the recorder will be roundabout 300 Euro.

[Jammin72]

Do yourself a favor and don't pass up the HiMD units just becuase they don't have an adjustable record level during recording.

1) You're recording rock shows.... once the music gets going there is usually limited dynamic contrast for this type of music. Even in "auto" mode the recorder's adjustments will most likely only be audible before and between songs. I've been suprised at how well the Sony units have done this. Aside from the Auto setting it will really only take you a few shows to get a good idea of where to set the recorder in the manual mode for your favoirte clubs/bands.

2) The new HiMD features are worth the trade off!!! Uncompressed wave recording and the ability to transfer the recording to your computer digitally will more than make up for any detriment you may incur from an "auto level" disc or from a slightly under-recorded one!

3)Look at the Sony MZ-NH900 for $269... You've got all the features of HiMD, Mic Input, and the ability to run from both internal gumstick or standard AA cells with the adaptor.

Just my $.02 YMMV

Love and Light,

Ben

[aeriyn]

I still don't recommend Hi-MD even for recording... the 1st-gen units do not seem well-made to me. I mean, come on. The back half of the NH900 is made of plastic.

I like Sharp units, but using old MD means you'd have to have a MD deck to transfer your sounds to PC digitally. Yeah, kinda sucks.

So... despite my dislike of it, I'd recommend either NH1 or NH900, but I'd go more with NH900 for the external battery pack. (Even though it is big and half plastic.) With these, you can play through USB over the PC and capture the sound stream via a program like Total Recorder or Audacity.

[dex Otaku]

Do yourself a favor and don't pass up the HiMD units just becuase they don't have an adjustable record level during recording.

Hi Ben.

Hi-MDs do have adjustable record levels while recording. Yes, you have to put the unit into manual mode, but once that's done the jog shuttle acts as the record levels continuously during record. There is no longer any requirement of pausing the unit to change levels.

[dex Otaku]

I don't really understand the issues everyone has with Hi-MD's build quality. My NH700 is all-plastic and I'm far more concerned with the possibility of my wearing out my earphone and microphone cables than I am with breaking the unit itself.

True - most of the older MDs I've used were all metal or half-aluminum like the NH900, but every MD I've seen die did so for one of two reasons:

1) having drink spilled on them or

2) general use breaking the earphone or mic jack

Neither of which relates to having a plastic case.

No- I don't think the 700 would withstand a 2 metre drop. Neither would any of the other models I've used, with the possible exception of the R50 [more than one of which I've seen live through severe accidents and mishandling].

[Jammin72]

Thanks for the update dex! It seemed from reading the manuals that it was only possible in record-pause mode. This is good news. Now if the display can be read in the dark we'll be OK!