[gloco]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IpaqMan I still use my Hi-MD NH1 and my MZ-B100. The B100 is great for interviews and lectures. It can record over 5 hours in LP4 format and allows editing without a computer. It includes built-in stereo mics and a small speaker. It is quite rugged having survived virtually unscathed a fall to a ceramic tiled bathroom floor from my hand. The NH1 records live in high quality in PCM or Hi-SP. I have HDAP recorders (H120, NJB3) and flash DAP recorders (WS-320M, Iaudio 5, N200, Ripflash 2). None of them are as reliable and functional as the NH-1. Only the newer Edirol and MAudio flash recorders look as good or better, but I have read about slight stability problems with them. Hopefully, the H120 with Rockbox will eventually produce an outstanding HD recorder. The only DAP I use regularly for recording is the Olympus WS-320M digital voice recorder/music player. It does both very well. I would love to see a Hi-MD version of the B100. I would buy that for sure.

Errr, the NJB3 has proven to be bit perfect via its optical in port. It's one of the most stable HD recorders out there, has proven itself to the taping community for the last couple of years. It has two line outs, a line in and optical in. It has usb and firewire. On the negative side, its big and its level meters stink. The Iriver H 100 series is still relatively new to the taping scene thanks to rockbox, before rockbox it wasn't seriously considered due to the HD noise it would pickup when recorded with. So far, I've taped one show with my H140 with no complaints. I have a whole pile of events coming up this Spring, so I'll get a clearer picture on how well the H140 holds up in taping situations. So far, go good, imho.

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IpaqMan The first generation Hi-MD recorders can record to uncompressed PCM. Transferred to a PC, the recording is "perfect". Of course, the input source is the critical factor here. For example, if you got an optical connection to a band's sound board into your Hi-MD recorder, you would have a perfect copy.

I've never heard of a optical/spdif out on a soundboard. It's typical phono out or rca out. I've heard that some boards have xlr outs. I think what you're trying to say is that you transfer your MD recording via usb its bit perfect (as it should naturally be). I don't know if Hi-MD recorders have a digi in and if its been proven to be bit perfect.

 

[redshifter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IpaqMan The first generation Hi-MD recorders can record to uncompressed PCM. Transferred to a PC, the recording is "perfect". Of course, the input source is the critical factor here. For example, if you got an optical connection to a band's sound board into your Hi-MD recorder, you would have a perfect copy.

i have a decent microphone, and i'd be using it primarily for live recording of music.

 

[IpaqMan]

I originally bought the NJB3 for transferring a large cassette tape collection to mp3. It is a great recorder, but it is missing functionality that I am used to on my Sony MD recorders. I still have my NJB3 along with two functional batteries.

I am thinking about selling it since I have duplicate functionality elsewhere.

 

[davei]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gloco If Sony produced a recorder with the following features, a lot of tapers would jump on it: PCM 24/96 digi in/out line in/out removeable media (up to 4gb MD's) usb/firewire transfers NO SOFTWARE REQUIRED Good battery life and external AA battery add on Price tag: $500 or less.

You need a PDAudio if you don't already have one:

http://www.core-sound.com/pdaudio_system/1.php

 

[davei]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redshifter i just read that the new hi-md players can record in uncompressed linear pcm (redbook). does anyone have one of these and tried it yet? what is the sq like?

Works great, SQ completely depends on the mics you use. I have heard PCM recordings made with a 2nd gen HiMD with $10,000 Schoeps mics and they're outstanding.

Bit perfect via optical in port - that I don't know. I'll see if I can borrow a HiMD to try it out, I'm curious about that myself.

 

[redshifter]

thanks, i'm shopping for a replacement for my beloved mz-r50. how many minutes lpcm per md?

 

[sonic_rage]

http://ravn.net/md/mdcal.htm

try this calculator i found from a minidisc forum.
one of the forumers created this.

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redshifter where do you get your information from?

My ownership of multiple Sony and Sharp MD's. And also a very interesting impact test at Sony's expense of the first-generation Hi-MD's shortly before they were released.

Quote:

i have a sony mz-r70 that has been (1) completely soaked in water--it worked again in 5 minutes and (2) hit out of my hand onto a crowded dancefloor knocking open the player & battery compartment. i popped the md and battery back in, and only missed recording one song of the concert. are you telling me that ANY unprotected ipod is going to survive that?

Not sure about the water... The knock? If the MD recorder survived it the iPod will.


I'd suggest waiting until April at least before you pick up a Hi-MD for recording... or perhaps if the machine seems expensive at launch, you may have to wait a while for it to appear used. Possibly the ultimate 'taper's machine' (or as ultimate as Hi-MD is likely to get) will be out then. And a sexy beast it is too. Too little too late for the mass market, but recorders will probably rate this highly.

 

[davei]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redshifter thanks, i'm shopping for a replacement for my beloved mz-r50. how many minutes lpcm per md?

Somewhere around 90-100 minutes IIRC.

 

[redshifter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangraman My ownership of multiple Sony and Sharp MD's. And also a very interesting impact test at Sony's expense of the first-generation Hi-MD's shortly before they were released. Not sure about the water... The knock? If the MD recorder survived it the iPod will. I'd suggest waiting until April at least before you pick up a Hi-MD for recording... or perhaps if the machine seems expensive at launch, you may have to wait a while for it to appear used. Possibly the ultimate 'taper's machine' (or as ultimate as Hi-MD is likely to get) will be out then. And a sexy beast it is too. Too little too late for the mass market, but recorders will probably rate this highly.

thanks for the tip. i'll look for that.

 

[dj_mocok]

They're going to launch a new line of HiMD ? Thought SONY gave up MDs already. Well at least here in Aussie, they're not selling MDs anymore, the last one was the 1st gen of HiMD. There was a huge discount when they announced they stopped the line here in Aussie, I think the NH1 was selling pretty much like in Japan's price (around AUS$250-ish). Big discount, considering it used to sell around AUS$700 here.

Don't know how nice the new one will be. Hope they don't look plasticky.
I actually chose NH1 over the second generation of HiMD because NH1 got a metal body unlike the 2nd gen ones which are plastic (or some sort).

 

[SilverBlade]

If anything, Sony should seel the MD technology to a company that will actually listen to what people want, instead of telling them what they want.

I think MD's are great...cheap rewritable storage in a small size. SD and CF are crazy expensive still in comparison.

But I'd rather have an mp3/CD player over minidisc, just because its soo pooly implemented today if you're a person who listens to music and doesn't record it.

 

[acidboy84]

I think that's a great idea. But I guess a lot of MD users has converted to other DAPs. I've been using MD since 1998 and just bought an iPod last month due to the crapy Atrac conversion inorder to transfer to my NH1.

 

[Sparky191]

The recording modes on HiMD are long enough for non professional use. If you really need to use PCM and record hours of audio you could use two HIMD units and swap the disks. At the price point the are great. The market is small and the units expensive to make.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minidisc#Recording_modes

However if a HD based DAP (iPod/Cowon/iRiver/Creative) had a line in/Mic in with the same quality of recording as HiMD. It would leave HiMD dead in the water. So far any HD DAPs have had poorly implemented recording functionality.