[zowie]

Anyone have a chance to compare the respective recording quality of MD and the NJB3?

I record live shows on MD because that's been the best cheap portable device for the last several years, but they eventually end up as wav files for editing and then are burned to CD audio. I'm wondering if I can get equal or better sound quality by recording direct to wav on a Nomad, since it would also offer long uninterrupted recording time and easier uploading to my PC.

 

[Peddler]

Both would have pros and cons.

MD offers better battery life, stealth and potentially top quality recording.

NOMAD offers fast upload to PC, WAV or MP3 recording and potentially top quality recording. Downside would have to be size and battery life.

If there's an add-on solution available for the NOMAD - i.e. a home made battery pack or something, I think this would be the winner.

I hope this helps.

 

[Born2bwire]

The Nomad II has a bad mic on it, it only picks up sounds that are up close to it. I've tried to use it to record lectures from the second row and it was worthless. I would get something that was designed around being primarily a recorder and not a source.

 

[zowie]

My question is mainly about the sound quality, since I tape with permission (usually).

I wouldn't use the internal mic. Pretty much all builit-in mics suck. I'd use the ubiquitous a-t or panasonic capsules. Probably need an external preamp for the line in.

 

[Peddler]

Yes you would with the Nomad 3 that's for sure. I have not tried any field recordings with mine - don't really have the hardware (or time) for it but I think that the machine is capable of much - up to 48Khz uncompressed WAV with plenty of potential storage to boot. Couple that with the high speed firewire interface and the possibilities with software such as Soundforge - I think you could be in for a treat.

I don't know how long the Nomad 3 would last on batteries when recording but I shall give it a go sometime and report back to-you all some time soon.

Certainly from the digital editing aspects - the Nomad rocks.

 

[Born2bwire]

Does the Nomad offer a line-in? If so, which models, though I assume you're looking at some of the higher capacity Jukeboxes over my own Nomad II so there are features that the Jukeboxes have that mine does not.

 

[dwp]

The JB3 has a line in and also an optical input for recording digitally.

 

[zowie]

Another point pro-Jukebox is that it seems their are very few MD decks with digital out AND MDLP for transferring a show to PC, and they go for pretty big bucks.

On the other hand, I saw a reeport that the Nomad is unreliable for live recordings - dropped samples and occassional freeze ups. However, I think they were talking about the older models.

What this country needs right now is a good, affordable, portable hard drive recorder.

 

[Mystyler]

Whoa, zowie!
There are plenty on MDLP decks with digital out if you care to look - although these are possibly few and far between in the US. I scored a deck with MDLP/optical out for $529Aussie - $290US.

From the recording I've done with my cheapo mic, the result are great(!) on MD. I've also listened to samples that others have recorded with MD using decent gear, and they are unbelievable.

Seriously consider MD, but if you are in it for fast PC transfers, then look else.

 

[zowie]

Quote:

Originally posted by Mystyler Whoa, zowie! There are plenty on MDLP decks with digital out if you care to look - although these are possibly few and far between in the US. I scored a deck with MDLP/optical out for $529Aussie - $290US. Seriously consider MD, but if you are in it for fast PC transfers, then look else.

If you could point me to some that'd be great. There are none in the Sony line now except the very expensive ES series, and if the other brands still make component decks, they're not in the stores around here or the etailers.

I do use MD now and I definitely like it, but there's room for improvement in several respects and uploading is one of them.

 

[Mystic]

zowie,

If by "4th Largest City in U.S." you mean Brooklyn, hop across the river into Manhattan to B&H. They have the Sony MDS-JE470 deck which supports MDLP and has digital out, all for only $179.99. Or online at bhphotovideo.com follow the Pro Audio link.

 

[zowie]

Quote:

Originally posted by Mystic zowie, If by "4th Largest City in U.S." you mean Brooklyn, hop across the river into Manhattan to B&H. They have the Sony MDS-JE470 deck which supports MDLP and has digital out, all for only $179.99. Or online at bhphotovideo.com follow the Pro Audio link.

I sincerely thank you for the suggestion, but that's an error on the byphoto website. No digital out on this unit.

 

[williamgoody]

I believe he means Philly. Anyway I just recorded my first song with the NJB3. Small sample indeed, but all went well, no gaps or anything mentioned before. Sounded as good as anything. Wasn't so much a listening test as it was a functionality test. Again having both mediums, I believe either the Nomad or MD would suit you as far as recording equally as well.

 

[zowie]

Williamgoody- appreciate the info.

But I did mean Brooklyn.

 

[Mystyler]

The JE470 doesn't have optical out.
But off the top of my head, the following have digital out (be it optical or optical/coax), MDLP, and aren't QS or ES series decks:
JE780
JE770
JE640
PC3

I have the PC3 - connect it you your computer to title/edit/record music (in real-time only though). I could possibly get hold of one for you, but the shipping to the USA would at least double the price.