Hi,
I'm going to purchase a MD but i don't know wich one, I've seen some and the new Sony Hi-MD recorders seem interesting, check this one out:

http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_MZ-NHF800.html

1GB discs, supports uncompressed PCM recording (16bits/44.1khz), you can store 1h 34m on a single Hi-MD blank, check out the Hi-MD faq at http://www.minidisc.org/hi-md_faq.html to me Hi-MD

So what do you think? It's worth it? I'm probably going to be using DAB mics, do i need an attenuator cable? Mic in or Line in? I have a lot of questions since I've never taped before but those are the most important ones I think, I just want to give it a try, thanks all.


Abelardo

you might want to read up on some of the issues people are having when it comes to uploading audio from hi-md:

hi-md forum (http://forums.minidisc.org/viewforum.php?f=34)

Yes I've been reading the forum, still doesn't seem like a bad choice, here's something I've found:

"There is a way to upload your recordings. Unfortunately, it's not as fast as a USB upload, but it's along the same guidelines. Hi-MD devices have the capability to play back audio through USB [digitally]. You can take advantage of this process by another program such as Adobe Audition, Audacity via capturing that audio and converting it into wav, hence a pure digital upload. The only negative? It's realtime.

Supposedly Sony will release a conversion program so you will be able to upload seamlessly, but don't hold your breath. "

It seems like a temporal solution until the WaveConverter software becomes available. I ordered the MZ-NHF800 and I can't wait to test it out. Hopefully I'm going to be recording The Cure on september 2...



Abelardo

That method won't preserve your recording's quality at all, it just re-records what it's listening to, like that old program Total Recorder that was Total Crap.

You shouldn't consider that to be an acceptable alternative.

EDIT: Unless I don't understand something about the whole "pure digital upload" thing which makes my post inaccurate. But I think it's accurate.

i'm pretty sure dead's right about this one. i'm waiting to see if this wave converter program (or a hack of some sort) actually comes out. it seems like sony's being pretty vague about it.

i'd say go ahead and buy the deck and use it. maybe next year, you'll actually be able to do a lossless transfer with it.
:)

Originally posted by Dead
That method won't preserve your recording's quality at all, it just re-records what it's listening to, like that old program Total Recorder that was Total Crap.

You shouldn't consider that to be an acceptable alternative.

EDIT: Unless I don't understand something about the whole "pure digital upload" thing which makes my post inaccurate. But I think it's accurate.

Are you sure about that? Even if you use a coax or SPDIF digital output on a CD player, it's not a bit-for-bit copy. I would think that the USB transfer would be as good as either of those digital transfers... but I'm not positive.

Originally posted by ivor

Are you sure about that?
No.

I'm not disagreeing with the USB, I'm saying it sounds like they're claiming that doing a Total Recorder type of thing is the same as a digital transfer of the data, it's actually just re-recording the original recording and possibly introducing other noise or degrading quality.

But if this guy is not talking about a Total Recorder type of setup then I don't really know.

Originally posted by Dead
That method won't preserve your recording's quality at all, it just re-records what it's listening to, like that old program Total Recorder that was Total Crap.

You shouldn't consider that to be an acceptable alternative.

EDIT: Unless I don't understand something about the whole "pure digital upload" thing which makes my post inaccurate. But I think it's accurate.


I understand how it works, you play the audio via USB then that total recorder program re-records everything that is being played on the sound card, sure it's not bit-by-bit but that's at least more acceptable than doing an analog transfer (wich is what I would be doing if I had a normal MD, since i don't own a home MD player with digital out nor the proper soundcard to record that).

Anyways I can just wait until someone hacks the program or Sony finally relese that Wave Converter thing and then I'll have an awesome recording deck capable of pure PCM recording and digital upload bit-by-bit. I'm sure it will happen someday, maybe not so soon but it'll happen.


Abelardo

Well I decided to check out how that Total Recorder thing worked, here's an interesting diagram that shows how it works:

http://www.highcriteria.com/images/rec_from_soft.gif

Seems it captures the audio before the digital to analog conversion takes place. Unless the Total Recorder guys are complete liars, it seems that you're making a digital transfer after all.


Abelardo

I'm not certain about those other programs you mentioned, but I know for certain that Total Recorder just re-records the audio. But like you said in your second last post, if you want it then buy it and wait for the other software.

Originally posted by Nadie
Seems it captures the audio before the digital to analog conversion takes place. Unless the Total Recorder guys are complete liars, it seems that you're making a digital transfer after all.

keep in mind that a digital transfer is not always superior to an analog transfer. sometimes, digital artifacts are introduced or some sort of compression is being used. 'digital' doesn't always mean 'better', despite what advertisers would have you believe.

Originally posted by RumoredToTheS&N


keep in mind that a digital transfer is not always superior to an analog transfer. sometimes, digital artifacts are introduced or some sort of compression is being used. 'digital' doesn't always mean 'better', despite what advertisers would have you believe.

I'll keep it in mind. I'll listen for any artifacts after I do the transfer, and investigate further this transfer method (the guys in the minidisc.org forums seem happy with this method, but I don't know how picky they are).

Thanks for your comments.


Abelardo

Originally posted by Nadie
the guys in the minidisc.org forums seem happy with this method, but I don't know how picky they are).

never put too much stock in a die-hard md fan's opinion on sound quality. the sad reality is that atrac get beaten time and again by the lowly mp3 in ABX tests, but they still swear by it for some reason.
:p

that said, i'm going to be getting a mz-nh900 the second it hits the market.
;)