Hey guys i was in the market for one of those little mp3 players to take with me to work to listin to music! I like to download mp3 but then seen the little sony mini disk! Which one is better?
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mini disk anyone have?
- Thread starter eric atkinson
- Start date
Mini disk needs mini disks, and you have to transfer music to them. Why would you want to do this for no gain in sound quality or capacity? I would get one of the new CD players that plays CD CD-R CD-RW .wav and .mp3 files. They go for an avg. price of 150-200 now. A friend of mine has a mini disk, I really don't think much of it.
I'm firmly in the MD camp. The sound quality is higher, the storage media is cheaper, and the hardware prices are better. Also, you can record live from a mic, which I'm pretty sure isn't possible with a portable MP3.
It's very easy to rip from CD to MD using your PC or a CD player - and if your CD has an optical out, there's no generational loss. It's just as easy to record an MD from a downloaded MP3 as it is to squirt it into an MP3 player.
My rule of thumb - if you listen to the same basic collection of music year after year and add new stuff to it, go MD. If you're a "flavor of the month" music fan who only listens to current stuff, hates anything not on the radio today, and won't go beyond the standard internal memory of an MP3 player, going MP3 is no problem since it'll only be in your player for a few weeks anyway.
Overall, I'm not impressed with MP3 players, but they have their place - somewhere.
It's very easy to rip from CD to MD using your PC or a CD player - and if your CD has an optical out, there's no generational loss. It's just as easy to record an MD from a downloaded MP3 as it is to squirt it into an MP3 player.
My rule of thumb - if you listen to the same basic collection of music year after year and add new stuff to it, go MD. If you're a "flavor of the month" music fan who only listens to current stuff, hates anything not on the radio today, and won't go beyond the standard internal memory of an MP3 player, going MP3 is no problem since it'll only be in your player for a few weeks anyway.
Overall, I'm not impressed with MP3 players, but they have their place - somewhere.
Hey Eric
I suggest going for the Mini Disk recorder. I have a Sony MX700 (I think that's the model number) and it's great. I paid $430 Australian (about $215 US) and it's one of my best buys. I can record from CD to MD and on this model you can compress the data to put 270 min recoding on one mini disc. You get a decrease in sound quality if you do this but you'd have to be pretty fussy to worry about it. If it bothers you that much you have several options for how much compression you want.
Another plus is that you can buy a small Stereo mic and use it to make bootlegs (for personel use) and also record jam sessions which is where they come in really handy. You'd be able to dump your jams onto CD and give them to band mates. All in all I think that you have heaps more versatility in an MD but as always thats IMO. C-YA and keep groovin
Ben
I suggest going for the Mini Disk recorder. I have a Sony MX700 (I think that's the model number) and it's great. I paid $430 Australian (about $215 US) and it's one of my best buys. I can record from CD to MD and on this model you can compress the data to put 270 min recoding on one mini disc. You get a decrease in sound quality if you do this but you'd have to be pretty fussy to worry about it. If it bothers you that much you have several options for how much compression you want.
Another plus is that you can buy a small Stereo mic and use it to make bootlegs (for personel use) and also record jam sessions which is where they come in really handy. You'd be able to dump your jams onto CD and give them to band mates. All in all I think that you have heaps more versatility in an MD but as always thats IMO. C-YA and keep groovin
Ben
How could the sound quality of an mp3 go up by putting it on minidisk? CD's are still very cheap, I get cd-r's for .25 cents US and RW's for 1.00-1.50 US. at my local Staple. I guess putting crap on an RW is about the same as putting crap on a mini disk. I just prefer to use a disk that will play in almost anything. I agree about the little mp3 thingy's, they seem useless tome too. When the get up to 100 terabytes for $200.00 /in memory I'll look into putting all my cd's on one.
True enough SPEDAWAY, we record straight to hard disk, on a notebook, -but I can definitely see the advantage in terms of price in that case. Are there different types of recording for MD? In other words, what accounts for the low quality of guitar players MD? Side by side, through the mackie, the notebook wins every time. Do MD use some type of compression or something? I haven't really looked at his more than enough to notice its a sharp and it's a couple years old at this point. I know NPR uses professional grade mono cassette tape for interviews, is there a professional grade MD?
MD is a compressed format, so it wouldn't be my first choice for recording music for sale. However, for "casual" recording - the stuff most of us do - I don't think it can be beat!
Marantz/Superscope does make a broadcast quality MD, but it's the same compressed format.
Think of MD as a replacement for cassette, not CD. A portable MD is much easier to carry (smaller) than a portable CD, and it records, too! The size of the MD media make it more resistant to skips, too - less mass to flywheel.
Marantz/Superscope does make a broadcast quality MD, but it's the same compressed format.
Think of MD as a replacement for cassette, not CD. A portable MD is much easier to carry (smaller) than a portable CD, and it records, too! The size of the MD media make it more resistant to skips, too - less mass to flywheel.
I own the MD8 from Yamaha, and it is a great piece! 8 tracks of minidisc. Its sounds awesome, the preamps in this piece are the same ones that Yamaha uses in their top of the line recording
consoles. It does use a compression scheme, but, the stuff I have recorded sounds as good as or better than ADATS and hard disc stuff (puter based or any of the VS stuff). I know this is a little different than what you guys are talking about, but is still the same format.
consoles. It does use a compression scheme, but, the stuff I have recorded sounds as good as or better than ADATS and hard disc stuff (puter based or any of the VS stuff). I know this is a little different than what you guys are talking about, but is still the same format.
- May 30, 2000
- 4,707
- 257
- Disclosures
- Creator of: iGigBook Sheet Music Manager
IGNORANCEISBLISS,
As others have pointed out here, the mere fact that you can create a HIGH quality recording with equipment that can fit in a jacket pocket for less than $400 is worth the price of admission alone.
I've used MD extensively to record rehearsals, practice sessions and live gigs and I'm still blowing people's minds with the quality. I use a Audio Technica ATM35 microphone that has a frequency range from 30hz - 20,000hz, which I've gotten amazing results from even though it's directional. At home I have a mini disc deck that has an optical out in addition to a audio CD burner, which is how I make the transfers to CD.
HEAVY-D,
I haven't heard a cassette copy of anything that can match the quality of MD, the sound quality is very close to a CD or DAT.
As others have pointed out here, the mere fact that you can create a HIGH quality recording with equipment that can fit in a jacket pocket for less than $400 is worth the price of admission alone.
I've used MD extensively to record rehearsals, practice sessions and live gigs and I'm still blowing people's minds with the quality. I use a Audio Technica ATM35 microphone that has a frequency range from 30hz - 20,000hz, which I've gotten amazing results from even though it's directional. At home I have a mini disc deck that has an optical out in addition to a audio CD burner, which is how I make the transfers to CD.
HEAVY-D,
I haven't heard a cassette copy of anything that can match the quality of MD, the sound quality is very close to a CD or DAT.
DRUNKAFIFTH, that's true, I guess the problem is most likely this specific mini disk. HEADOFMAZE, yep, the notebook came out really well. I actually know a lot of people who have these new fangled things so Ill borrow one to compare. Guitar player is in the witness protection program,, so none of the Gotti family should come looking for him, hear me Gotti's! Nothing to see here!
edit:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=19200
edit:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=19200
I agree - that's why I think of MD as a logical successor to cassette.
Eric -
I don't know if you're here in the States or not, but Target, Best Buy and Circuit City all carry an assortment of MD gear. If you want to learn more, here's a link to a user's group:
http://www.minidisc.org/
Have fun looking!
I don't know if this is doable on MP3 'cause I've never messed with 'em,but one very cool thing about my minidisc machine is that I can instantaneously and repeatedly change the order of the tracks on it and even seperate portions of a track into different segments and edit out bits I don't want to keep.Cool stuff.
I've got a little 2-track Sony MD Walkman that I've had since they came with metal cases and cost $650. It is bitchen. I record all our practice tracks off CD, then take it with me to learn the songs. Also, Hosa makes an adapter that takes the 1/8-inch stereo input and splits it to two female XLR plugs, so you can set up two mics at a gig, and record right to the MD. I've also recorded straight off the tape outs on our Mackie board. To do this, you'll need a 15- or 20dB attenuator for each channel (I made my own), because the output signal is too hot for the MD recorder. The recorder automatically adjusts the input gain, but if the signal's too hot, you'll get a loud, distorted second or two at the beginning of the song until the auto gain adjustment kicks in. I'd think that the newer ones may have addressed this. Certainly, pro units can accommodate it.
Thanks, I think you just nailed the problem geetar playa' has with his! Attenuation, here we come! -or something like that.
When I field record, I ALWAYS go to manual record level. The auto function does not work well for anything other than recording conversation. My friend's big buck DAT is the same.
I thought we would be OK with line level and the auto leveler feature of the MD, but I think BUNGIJUMPER's suggestion will solve our woes with the MD. -Actually, this thread has convinced me to go out and get one so I can always have a copy of practice, without bringing the notebook.
Hmmm, I thought about this some more. If it's truly a line level out from the board and it's going into the MD's line in, it should be OK without attenuation unless your SPLs are approaching the pain threshold. There are attenuation pads available for the MD concert recording hobbyists for micing really extreme SPLs, but most of those guys report great results when they can get a direct board patch.
When I record railroad stuff (very loud) I usually mic up into my line in rather than pad down my mic in - I can do it because my mic is self-powered. Line in gives you a much cleaner signal, anyway - no preamp to deal with. (I guess you can only expect so much with a preamp the size of your thumbnail, huh?)
Blisshead - are you going to use a mic or line input? Sony makes a decent single point stereo mic for under $100, and a great one for just under $200.
When I record railroad stuff (very loud) I usually mic up into my line in rather than pad down my mic in - I can do it because my mic is self-powered. Line in gives you a much cleaner signal, anyway - no preamp to deal with. (I guess you can only expect so much with a preamp the size of your thumbnail, huh?)
Blisshead - are you going to use a mic or line input? Sony makes a decent single point stereo mic for under $100, and a great one for just under $200.
I think I'll get the above mentioned mic actually. BREADOFWHEY said something about getting the sound your hearing by putting the mic where you happen to be standing which made a lot of sense to me. Also- some of the folks I play with don't have a board to use. Gitar Player has a mackie 16 channel. I'm moving in a couple of weeks so I'll probably wait until that's over with and I have more cash to dispose of.
