Phunky Cauldron Posted August 8, 2002 Report Share Posted August 8, 2002 I was thinking about buying a portable MD recorder and I was looking for a bit of advice on what to look for and what kinds of prices I can expect to see. Also, if anybody has an old one that they are looking to sell, let me know. Peace, Justin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weezy Posted August 8, 2002 Report Share Posted August 8, 2002 yes yes - GET ONE! It's the best gadget I've ever owned. I have a Sharp mdmt90- it was only around $250 then $100 for the mic. (a wee sony dictation one - sounds great) it's great, no complaints. Try to get one that has the firewire included so you can make MP3 minidisks - Sony makes all kinds of them. You'll need a microphone as well - that's up to your personal preference. good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phunky Cauldron Posted August 8, 2002 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2002 What if my computer only has usb ports. Do they make usb to firewire adaptors? Also, what kind of software do you need on your computer? Do they make any software for Mac users? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcane Posted August 8, 2002 Report Share Posted August 8, 2002 Just curious: Is a FireWire a typical thing for tapers to use? Macs have it as a standard feature--Apple owns the trademark to the term "FireWire"--but I'm wondering if it's standard on Wintel boxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcane Posted August 8, 2002 Report Share Posted August 8, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Phunky Cauldron: What if my computer only has usb ports. Do they make usb to firewire adaptors? Also, what kind of software do you need on your computer? Do they make any software for Mac users? FireWire should be standard on a Mac. If you're using a Wintel box, you'll need a PCI FireWire adapter card. I'm not sure about the going rate--I only know what we charge for them, and we only offer them as a convenience for our customers. I saw one listed on the Web for about $30 US. The cards are easy to install. Open the box, slip the card into the PCI slot, secure it into position, close the box. (One of the things I do is write manuals, and one of things I've written up is the installation procedure for a PCI FireWire adapter card ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcane Posted August 8, 2002 Report Share Posted August 8, 2002 Something I should add: FireWire comes in 4-pin and 6-pin varieties. Make sure you know which one you're dealing with. 4-pin to 6-pin conversion isn't a problem--there are cables and adapters out there--but if your equipment is using a 6-pin port, that means it's capable of sending/receiving power via the cable. If it's a 4-pin, it's getting power from elsewhere (batteries or wall outlet). Here's a picture of 4-pin and 6-pin cable connectors (4-pin on the bottom): ... and ports, as on this repeater (the one on the left is a 4-pin, the next one over is a 6-pin): If you're buying a PCI FireWire adapter card, try to get one with a TI chipset. We've had nothing but grief from NEC chipsets. The same cards work in Macs too, apparently. If you're using a laptop, forget the PCI FireWire adapter card. What you need is a CardBus FireWire adapter like this guy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aberg83 Posted August 9, 2002 Report Share Posted August 9, 2002 if you're buying a MD recorder for taping, DON'T by any means, buy a sony... DON'T. They're very poor.... I have a sharp md-mt 99 and it's been great for me. I have sound professional binaural mics ($75) and a battery box ($90)... I've done some great recordings of some nero, and gtb shows. You may have heard them. Stay away from sonys.... that's all I can say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phunky Cauldron Posted August 9, 2002 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2002 Taping would be one on the uses of the MD recorder. Alright so stay away from Sony, which brands would you recommend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ike Posted August 9, 2002 Report Share Posted August 9, 2002 There was a thread similar to this one on the etrade mailing list a while back. The bottom line is that mini disc is similar to mp3 in that it is a lossy compression ratio. Of course mini disc is much better than mp3, but still lossy. I think this excerpt from the etrade thread sums it all up well: 'MD is accepted as a lossy form of recording. The small size of the disc forces a compression rate that is not as bad as MP3, but still lossy. I think most people would agree that it should be noted clearly in the .txt file. While MD is a GREAT medium to get people into the hobby, it is definitely inferior to DAT. As far as the comment about the mic, any mic will be restricted from recording everything it hears by the compression and loss of the MD.... Don't get me wrong, MD is a great way to start... that is how I got into taping and eventually bought a DAT.' All I got to say is know what you're getting into and if you're trading shows with people let them know yours comes from a mini disc. You'd be surprised how many people want nothing to do with MD recordings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puddles Posted August 9, 2002 Report Share Posted August 9, 2002 They are crap and brak down signal wise in 3 years. Save an extra 200$ and get a portodat,. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blane Posted August 9, 2002 Report Share Posted August 9, 2002 I think it depends on how serious you are about taping. I've been doing it since '97 and am pretty serious about it, so I only use DAT stuff. However, if it's more for personal enjoyment and hooking friends up with copies of local shows or whatnot, then MD is probably sufficient. Dat can get expensive as hell and the technology is getting more and more scarce by the month. Active 7pin cables for Sony DAT decks are almost impossible to get right now, and they're essential for making digital copies. Personally, I'd say go MD if it's for kicks, and go with a full-on laptop with digital card if you want to get serious these days. As far as putting stuff to disc, I use a digital coax cable from my home deck to my digital sound card. This is teh commonly used setup for lossless transfers, but you can't do it with a portable MD because they don't have digital outputs (another strike against MD). hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phunky Cauldron Posted August 9, 2002 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2002 I was just at Futureshop doing a little hunting and it turns out that they only sell Sony models. The only thing going through my head was the advice that I got from this thread saying DO NOT BUY SONY, so I didn't get anything. As far as my taping goes, since I'm just getting into it, I think that an MD is okay and that a DAT is probably a little complex and expensive. Where does everybody get their electronics nowadays when the whole world seems to be shopping at megastores? Thanks for all the advice. Peace, Justin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
show---whore Posted August 9, 2002 Report Share Posted August 9, 2002 MD baby for the money go MD dude and BUY A SONY it comes with all the USB shit you need. i've had a sony for amost 2 years now and i love it buddy mine just did bonnaroo on his MD with good mics and a mix pad some of the best shit i've heard also a SONY. not having to fuck with date tapes is great no miss loads no bullshit buy a warinty for it. i got a three year for mine for about 50 bucks and i've only have had to have one input fixed thats just from heave use. and as far changing tapes its only about 15 sec. date is a better recording but if your going optical and have good A>D convertors you can bearly hear the loss. and as far as people that don't trade because the show was done on MD is retarded. once you get into the TAPERS scene you'll under stand how fucked up we all are hahahah very very anal about most things, lots of talk about gear, FILE MANAGMENT man its funny, mic patterns, we get the look on are face when people even walk near are mic stands but it is a shit load of fun and someone always has the connector or cable to lend you and you always have all the shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aberg83 Posted August 9, 2002 Report Share Posted August 9, 2002 Sony's are good md devices, but for live taping, they have several drawbacks, one... shitty preamps, two... they don't allow level adjustments on the fly, which is CRUCIAL... you can buy stuff online from futureshop by sharp... but take a look at www.minidisc-canada.com that's where I bought mine. It's a good retailer with great prices. Go with sharp, you won't regret it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
show---whore Posted August 9, 2002 Report Share Posted August 9, 2002 quote: www.minidisc-canada.com that's where I bought mine. It's a good retailer with great prices. Go with sharp, you won't regret it. ya if they sold them at this site they only have sony's for sale that must say something hahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aberg83 Posted August 10, 2002 Report Share Posted August 10, 2002 Oh.. shitty. They used to carry Sharp models. Oh well, but seriously. I've heard bad things about sonys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weezy Posted August 10, 2002 Report Share Posted August 10, 2002 1 more thing - get the extended warranty. I bought mine exactly 1 year ago, and just last month I had to take it in because it wasn't closing properly. If I didn't get the extendo warranty, it would have cost me some $$$. The warranty was only 35 bucks and is good for 3 years - well worth it. Sharp MDMT90C - $249.00 Sony ECMDS70P condensor mic. - $89.00 3 year warranty parts/service - $34.95 = $372.95 + tax I got mine @ A+B Sound (I'm not sure if you have those in Ont.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted August 10, 2002 Report Share Posted August 10, 2002 The Bonnaroo shows done with MD used a mix pad to compensate for the lack of level adjustment on the sony MD. I also believe that 2 MD's where used to avoid the complications of disc switching. Unless you want to buy a mixpad, go with Sharp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
show---whore Posted August 10, 2002 Report Share Posted August 10, 2002 the mix pad was used to mix down two mics into the MD and second MD was wicth was mine was there so no music was if there had to be a disk change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phunky Cauldron Posted August 11, 2002 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2002 when you guys mention Sony not being able to change the level, do you mean that you can't modify how loud the recording is, you know, for quiet parts and stage banter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
show---whore Posted August 11, 2002 Report Share Posted August 11, 2002 not on the fly you have to puse it . if you want to get sound do not buy a stero mic go out but a good pair of mic and a mix pad thoses $100 mics are total shit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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