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wb557

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I am looking to purchase an MD player for the primary purpose of recording lectures at school. I have seen the HI-MD's , but that may be overkill for what I need. I have looked for regular MD's but don't seem to be able to find many with a mic-in connection. I doubt that line-in will work in a lecture hall environment.

I'm not worried about getting the lecture back to my PC in digital format, I just need the information. I'm sure my professors don't sound that much better in digital.

I really don't want to spend $300 for an MD, but if I have to I will.

Your suggestions on a good model are and will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

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Recording lectures, hmm?

Is that all you're going to do with it? If so, I'm sure you could snag an older MD unit (such as the Sony MZ-R50 or Sharp MD-MS702) for around 30-40 bucks on eBay; maybe cheaper. They all have microphone jacks. However, all are not MDLP compatible, so only 80 minutes per disc (or 160 in mono, which would likely be just fine for lecture recordings).

If you are also going to use it as a music player... well, that's different then. It opens up a whole lot of new questions before I can make recommendations.

First off, will you use it as more than a lecture recorder? Will you want to be able to quickly transfer MP3 tracks to MD? Do you want new or used?

I'll help as best as I can. :happy:

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First, sorry for not posting here to begin with. This is an impressive site, I'm surprised at the amount of information. After thinking about your questions, I guess I would have to say that I do want more than just a lecture recording device. I don't do file sharing, so all of my music is my own. I don't know if that impacts the whole MP3 transfer thing. I have read so much about the problems people have getting things to and from the MD, that I am totally confused.

I would prefer a new unit. I like to know the history of my gadgets.

I guess in order of importance it would be:

1. Record lectures.

2. Record live music.

3. Carry my music with me.

I have read that sony is supposed to release software that allows me to put my recorded stuff back to the PC in a "usable" format. That would be nice.

I have looked at the HI-MD devices and they sound pretty cool, but I think you ( aeriyn ) said you probably wouldn't be getting one.

Anyway, thanks for the input!

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I have read that sony is supposed to release software that allows me to put my recorded stuff back to the PC in a "usable" format. That would be nice.

Kurisu, help me out. Isn't there some goofy limitation on this, like it'll only allow you to burn ATRAC CDs once you've uploaded to a PC? I also opted out of the Hi-MD scene for now, so I'm not sure.

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Easy as pie!

The Sharp MD-DR77. No contest.

An upgraded version of the DR7 with added features, it has all the wonderful sound of the Sharp Auvi 1-bit amp as well as many useful recording features. It's quite a bit chunkier than newer Sony units (I think around 17mm thick rather than 13mm), but Sharp doesn't sacrifice sound quality for size. It is also built like a freaking tank... the only other modern unit I've seen halfway as tough was my R900, may it rest in peace.

It uses normal gumstick batteries and has an external battery pack, so powering the unit won't be a problem. It does not have NetMD, but pfft... you can't record in true SP mode via SonicStage anyhow.

This unit has many useful features for recording, including remembering record mode settings (SP stereo, SP mono, LP2 or LP4) and a record-start button on the remote. How cool is that! The unit itself has a large 3-line display for monitoring recording levels which is why I place this above my favorite NetMD unit (the DR80, which has no displays at all on the main unit).

You can get this unit at Audiocubes. It is a Japan-only model, but pfft... that doesn't stop us. Somewhat pricey, but if you want recording and good listening all in one unit, this is the way to go.

affiliate_show_banner.php?ref=5&affiliate_pbanner_id=873

Sharp MD-DR77 Auvi 1-Bit MiniDisc Recorder

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Kurisu, help me out. Isn't there some goofy limitation on this, like it'll only allow you to burn ATRAC CDs once you've uploaded to a PC? I also opted out of the Hi-MD scene for now, so I'm not sure.

Yes, supposedly sometime soon Sony will release a wav converter.

No matter..looks like someone is near releasing one.

---------

Ya know Aer, :rasp:, you'd make a good salesgirl for Audiocubes. :happy:

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The MZ-G750 is essentially the MZ-R700 with the addition of a radio in the remote control (assuming it comes with the original remote). I've been using an MZ-R700 for frequent live recording for more than a year now and it's been utterly reliable. Controls are well-placed for one-handed operation, too. It uses a regular AA battery, which is very convenient.

It doesn't have a mic-sensitivity switch, so for loud music you'll need either the Radio Shack Headphone Volume Control (attenuator) or a battery box. And it's not NetMD--neither is the Sharp--so the only way to get mp3s into it is to record from an output in real time.

You CAN do Sync recording from a CD, so that you can let a CD roll and it will place track marks during silences. It's also better than the Rxx Sonys because it will record in LP2 and LP4, doubling and quadrupling your time per disc; music fidelity suffers, but lectures shouldn't be a problem.

So it's ideal for your lecture recordings. But it's not good for making minidiscs of your computer's MP3s (that requires realtime recording or a NetMD unit like the MZ-N707) and you won't ever be able to digitally upload your lecture or music recordings (that's realtime too for anything except Hi-MD).

Also, you'll be getting a used machine. You have to use your common sense about the person who's selling it to you, and if possible get some kind of guarantee. But there are a lot of older MDs around that people bought or were given and never were intrigued enough to use, so if you find one like the R700 I got, or a MZ-N707, you're in luck.

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