What sort of microphone do you use with the MZ-R700?
[Its not an expensive unit so I could be tempted!]
Thanks for the info.
Boyd
“if I have to wait until next year, that’s fine…”
I recently bought this Sharp MD recorder
http://www.minidisco.com/md-dr480l.html
and I use it on the road with this stero mic
http://www.minidisco.com/sp-spsm1.html
I like the Sharp because I can use it with the tiny mic without motor noises (a problem on the Sonys). I also like the fact that I can adjust the recording level while recording, but that has turned out not to be much of an issue. I don’t like the fact that the LED on the main unit is not backlit; it is on the remote, but you need the main unit to start recording.
This MD will also let you adjust playback speed (-30% to +15% in 6 increments) but it also drops/raises pitch.
Since I use it for recording lessons, sessions, and myself in practice, as well as learning tunes by ear, what has turned out to be the greatest feature is the ability to combine, split, move and delete tracks easily, and I think all MDs do that.
Boyd,
I use a Sony MZ R909 and a Sony ECM-MS907 mic. It’s about a year old now. The mic cost almost as much as the recorder. About “digital in”, as far as I know that only applies if you use an Optical cable to link the Mini Disc to your CD player to transfer CD’s to MD’s. I use mine to record my lessons and then connect it to the PC via line in and record on the PC using Cool-Edit, that has to be done in real time and it isn’t digital. The quality’s fine though, don’t get too hung up on sound quality from analogue, how good are your ears anyway? If you want to hear what it sounds like recorded on MD, transfered to PC and then burned to CD, e-mail me. Have a look here for prices, http://www.avland.co.uk/sony/mzn710/index.htm
Don’t assume that a recordable MD will work with a mic, check the specs to make sure, some Recordable MD’s only record from a line source.
Cheers, Mac
p.s. Happy New Year
Happy New Year,
I also use the Sony ECM-MS907, and am greatly impressed by its performance. The best recordings I have I made with that microphone, despite my efforts to get the same performance from other stereo mics.
The Sony MZ certainly does create a lot of motor noise, and I need a short extension cable (one came with the mic) to prevent that.
Another note to the aspiring MD user: sessions can last a long time, and an MD recorder only goes so long on a battery. It’s amazing how much play time I can get from one AA, but recording is a real drain. You can buy external battery packs that attach to the side of the MD recorder; this is a better option than an AC adapter, because very often you won’t have a power socket nearby, either at a festival or a session.
Caj