MD: Why MiniDisc?
It's a question we constantly see everyone who wants a portable player. Why MiniDisc instead of MP3? Why MP3 instead of MiniDisc? Well, here's MY view! The Sharp MD-MS722 is an AWESOME machine! Just look at it. Made of _METAL_, has a jog dial that helps in editing, selecting tracks, and in titling. To me, it's not just an MD recorder, its a great example of GREAT industrial design. If you whip this thing out in public, you'll attract a small crowd! MD naysayers say the rotating media of MiniDiscs is bad. Just today my friend picked up my MD-MS722 and shook it real hard chanting like an idiot, "Does it skip? Does it skip?!" Needless to say, IT DIDN'T. The quality issue is already annulled. The MD-MS722 has 24bit encoding, hevce giving it a greater dynamic range than CD. I can grab the MD-MS722, a few discs, slap on my phones, and im ready to go for the day. Don't like a song? Grab the remote, and change it. Remote you say? You've never seen one on an MP3 player? Oh, darn. Your an idiot and bought an MP3 player without doing the research. With MP3, the bigger players that tout "OVER 40 HOURS OF MUSIC" are crap. Take a look at http://www.mymuzik.com/images/archoslg.jpg. It's UGLY! Thick, blocky, and has a big circle to control everything. Sure, it holds more music than I own, but I DON'T CARE. If i drop it when its running, chances are i'll ruin the HDD. With my MD player, I would yell and cuss, and have a new scratch, but PROBABLY not much more. And for the MP3 player, I'd need a computer to use it anyway. Just today i fell asleep in class and led the MD-MS722 take notes for me. I see MD as the big player, not MP3. Reguards, -Rob -- Robert J. Lynn, Jr. Brainbench Certified Computer Technician, Linux Administrator, and Master Windows 98 User PGP Key ID: 0xCDE22CFB (RSA) [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] EFNet: Vegeta99 - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: New Panasonic MD player
Hello there! http://www.panasonic.co.jp/avc/audio/web/pick_up/mj80/mj80.html The SJ-MJ80 has identical specs to the MJ88. Instead of the "shrinkable" top lid, the "smart eject" found on the MJ77 is featured. The only major difference is that it has "shell lock", the type of lock that's been used on Panasonic cassette players for years. Leon - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Best Buy and MD
Someone returned a Sony 530 home deck at the local Best Buy for some unknown reason, maybe it had too many repair problems. The have it on the shelf in the original box with instructions and everything marked down to $129.60. Still has the original Sony warranty. This is a heck of a price for a 530. It's been sitting there for over a month next to the Sony 440's and it hasn't sold yet. Glenn j - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Question for Don
Mike Burger wrote: In other words, you really can't take the cost factor into consideration for your personal debate, and then decry the same factor in the overall debate. What Surely the above statement has no meaning in reality. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
Hello ALL Several good posts along this thread (once again) but I like this one most as it points out the not so obvious things that can go wrong...even the slightest of analog components (never mind the digital) can make a very noticeable difference! Let me add that anyone that hears a difference on regular quality home equipment DEFINITELY has a problem somewhere in their MD system. You should not ever be able to hear any difference "normally" though as some have pointed out there may be that rare classical track that just will not record right. My point is that if you are always hearing a difference no matter what you are recording, then you have a problem. Possible problems can include expecting too much from a portable! Never expect a portable to match a good home deck as you would not expect a portable cassette to match a high end home deck either. After all it IS the cassette we are talking about replacing here, NOT CD. Newer CD decks also have the 20 bit (and some with 24 bit) resolution so the analogy on that issue isn't totally accurate (although I believe all computer burners are still just 16 bit so still a good point). In any case there is not a better replacement yet for audio in my mind. I do not expect my MD stuff to replace CD, just compliment it. Many have said that DAT (or even very high end cassette) is better and while this may be true for VERY high end gear costing much more, it does not remain true over time. Even a digital tape is going to experience wear and loose quality in time. HERE is the big advantage of MD! It is going to sound as good after 1 playings as it did the first time. And by the way, if you have not been to www.musicmixers.com/mall in a while check out the new look and prices. Please let me know what you think. Am still busy as heck changing and adding stuff as I go, so sign up for the mailing list while there to get notified of the monthly specials (we do not spam and never send more than 2 mails in a month). THANKS Have a GREAT Musical Day! Les Music Mixers www.musicmixers.com/mall - Original Message - From: "Timothy Stockman" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2001 11:28 AM Subject: Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality I wonder if you were hearing effects of the MD's analog section rather than problems with the ATRAC? I used to have a Carver DTL CD player. It seemed to have a slight lack of bass, so I got out the test CD and 'scope. As expected, I found quite a bit if "tilt" on the 1000 Hz square wave signal and I suspected an undersized coupling capacitor, so I probed around until I found the guilty part. I increased its value 10X and the problem went away. My point is don't indict ATRAC or MD in general for a problem caused elsewhere; use an external D/A converter, preferably the same one for the CD in the A/B test. MD does not use "joint stereo" (except LP4 mode); it records left and right channels separately, so there should be no reason that the stereo image should be narrower. In actuality, MD has 16 bit resolution companded by the scale factor to 20 bits, so a properly operating MD should be capable of up to 24 dB *more* dynamic range than a CD. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Imac to MD
That latest blurb we all received from Minidisco got me to thinking. Is there anyone here in the newsgroup that is in involved with recording MDs from MP3s downloaded to their Mac computer ? I am presently achieving this process with my Sony Vaio via the superb Sony software; however, despite Apple's iTunes, etc., it seems nigh on impossible to achieve with an iMac. TIA. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: MDLP Car Stereo
Is there any MDLP Car Stereo out there? Which model is good? Where can I buy one? Thanks TAKY CHEUNG http://hottaky.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: The far horizon of MP3 storage
"J. Coon" wrote: IBM put it together and got the DOS operating system from Bill Gates. They didn't buy the whole DOS program and Billy Boy, decided to sell it to compeditors too, since Big Blue didn't have an exclusive license to use his software. That's exactly what I said. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: The far horizon of MP3 storage
We could all be using Apples for ciying out loud. Yech! the thought of it. :) Yeah, but would you think that if all you had ever used were Apples? :) Josh - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
From: "las" [EMAIL PROTECTED] One of the fundamental things you have wrong is this 5 to one compression. It is not compression. If set up correctly 80% of the digital information on a CD not heard by the human ear. Don't confuse bit wise reduction with compression. U...you lost me there Larry. ATRAC is indeed lossy compression. A great deal of data is "thrown away" in order to fit it onto those tiny little discs. Don C. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Question for Don
From: "Mike Burger" [EMAIL PROTECTED] In other words, you really can't take the cost factor into consideration for your personal debate, and then decry the same factor in the overall debate. Mike...I think the use of the word "doesn't" was a typo and he meant to say that such extra costs should be factored in. At least I think so anyway. I gave him the benefit of that doubt. :-) Don C. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: The far horizon of MP3 storage
Mike Burger wrote, | But is that really news? It was IBM Germany, after all. Apparently some of it started, or may have started, while there as yet was no autonomous IBM Germany, before Hitler nationalized foreign corporations' ope- rations there. In any case, revenues of IBM and Ford Motors are no longer benefiting Thomas Watson or Henry Ford. Today Chrysler has far more connection with Germany than Ford does. DWT (my MD equipment and my car were manufactured by Japanese corporations, some assembled outside Japan) - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: The far horizon of MP3 storage
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: We could all be using Apples for crying out loud. Yech! the thought of it. :) Yeah, but would you think that if all you had ever used were Apples? :) I'd be thinking, "When are they gonna invent the pc and Windows?" -- Jim Coon Not just another pretty mandolin picker. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If Gibson made cars, would they sound so sweet? My first web page http://www.tir.com/~liteways - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: The far horizon of MP3 storage
las wrote: Besides, IBM hasn't done anything to help promote the Mini Disc. They are the ones that came out with the PC that everyone copied and got everyone on this platform. We could all be using Apples for ciying out loud. Yech! the thought of it. :) -- Jim Coon Not just another pretty mandolin picker. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If Gibson made cars, would they sound so sweet? My first web page http://www.tir.com/~liteways - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Sharp MD-PSI MD Digital Camera
=== The original message was multipart MIME=== === All non-text parts (attachments) have been removed === Has anyone ever heard of this? Well I found it on ebay, and as far as = digital cameras go, it isnt very good. It only takes pictures in 640 x = 480. But it uses MD! And plays audio MDs, too. Pretty cool, I think. = Here's the link so you can check it out for yourself: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=3D1214137283 I'd love to buy it myself, but I really don't have the cash. Dan === MIME part removed : text/html; === - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Question for Don
Why is that? You don't feel that a person who took the cost factor into account in his own deliberation should not allow that same cost factor for others? On Wed, 14 Feb 2001 20:54:28 -0500, las wrote: Mike Burger wrote: In other words, you really can't take the cost factor into consideration for your personal debate, and then decry the same factor in the overall debate. What Surely the above statement has no meaning in reality. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
On Thu, 15 Feb 2001 10:58:51 -0600, John Small [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: (based on tests along the lines Francis was suggesting) Ah, that was Sherry's suggestion. Thanks. -jts Arlington, TX - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
On Fri, 16 Feb 2001 11:01:18 +0100, "Francis Auquier" [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: According to the Revue du Son (December 1999), some components found in high end MD decks are similar (or identical) to the ones used in high end CD players What was the defination of a high end MD deck? Thanks. -jts Arlington, TX - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
On Fri, 16 Feb 2001 14:15:13 -0500, las [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: No if only they could make a portable MD recorder that was capable of recording standard ATRAC and also MP3 files directly from a computer link, and still use plain ordinary MDs. Then MD might still have a shot. Does the MZ-R70PC do this? I was wondering ... -jts Arlington, TX - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
las [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The better the quality of the MD playback equipment and hence the DAC, the closer to the original CD the MD would sound. "closer to the original", it goes right into my direction; ATRAC has its own limits ( and the one you should hear) so you cannot improved it 'in general' by using better DACs and so on. And what we are talking about, a cheap way to record music or high end ES series MDs of 600-1000 $ range? And they do the same; it's still 5:1 compression. The same applies to the other mediums as well, you need a better CD player to hear your CDs better. What's the point of having 100 $ CD player and 1000 $ MD recorder who provided "closer to the original CD sound" of 100 $ CD player??? - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
Using the system you described, the problem with the sound probably has very little to do with the MD format. The 530 has crappy converters. So this may be the reason why my recordings and playbacks with Sony's MZ-R 70 seem so low on quality. If ATRAC is the same in every machine, the difference comes from what is before and after this compression, hence the need to know what we buy (this is very difficult to know, indeed). By the way, is this what the ATRAC type R does (as Matt would suggest)? Is this type R specific to Sony and superior to other makers' solutions as far as converters and signal processors are concerned? Francis - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
Newer CD decks also have the 20 bit (and some with 24 bit) resolution so the analogy on that issue isn't totally accurate (although I believe all computer burners are still just 16 bit so still a good point). The CD, as originally developed by Philips and Sony, only has enough bits for 16-bit resolution, but Pacific Microsonics came up with a way to hide 4 more bits in the audio to allow 20-bit resolution. Problem is, very few CDs are recorded this way, so practically all discs are recorded at 16-bit resolution. Also, there are not very many CD players that have the Pacific Microsonics decoder, so most decks only extract 16-bit resolution. Many CD decks now output 20 or even 24 bits. This allows them to more accurately represent the output of high precison DSP calculations in the digital anti-alias filter, but in practically all players, the input to the anti-alias filter is 16-bits. Contrast this with MD, where the format natively defines 20-bit resolution (16-bits + 4-bits scale factor). S/PDIF allows up to 24-bits. In fact, if you look at it on the 'scope and count bits, there are 32-bits, but the other 8 are for framing and non-audio. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Best Buy and MD
=== = NB: Over 50% of this message is QUOTED, please = = be more selective when quoting text = === Where is your "local Best Buy"? On Thu, 15 Feb 2001 19:09:19 EST, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Someone returned a Sony 530 home deck at the local Best Buy for some unknown reason, maybe it had too many repair problems. The have it on the shelf in the original box with instructions and everything marked down to $129.60. Still has the original Sony warranty. This is a heck of a price for a 530. It's been sitting there for over a month next to the Sony 440's and it hasn't sold yet. Glenn j - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
* John Small [EMAIL PROTECTED] on Thu, 15 Feb 2001 | So, what player is this ... is there a 'good' one, in this sense, out there | yet? Bear in mind that the amplifier driving your headphones (I'm assuming headphones because you are talking portables here) sucks. Sony headphone amps are notoriously weak. Sharp has better amps, but if you want better sound than that then an outboard amplifier is a must. That said, Sharp MS-722 recorder, AirHead amplifier from Headroom, and Sennheiser HD-600 headphones is a sweet kit. -- Rat [EMAIL PROTECTED]\ Warning: pregnant women, the elderly, and Minion of Nathan - Nathan says Hi! \ children under 10 should avoid prolonged PGP Key: at a key server near you! \ exposure to Happy Fun Ball. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
My recomendation, if you want a very good DAC, is to use an outboard DAC where all of the power parameters have been optimized for the best audio performance. The built in DACs in many CD/MD decks, while better than portables, are no match for esoteric, high-end outboard DACs. According to the Revue du Son (December 1999), some components found in high end MD decks are similar (or identical) to the ones used in high end CD players (much more expensive than MD decks), and even in SACD players: 24 bit digital filters, noise shapers, 24 bit DACs, etc. But this does not answer the question about the ATRAC DSP type R from Sony. What does it do exactly? I guess it is similar to the Rec and Play DRIVE system by Kenwood or to similar systems by Sharp, e.g., unless you prove me wrong! Any engineer knowing about these issues in the list? Francis - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Best Buy Possibly Phasing Out MD Component Decks
On Fri, 16 Feb 2001 14:45:29 -0600, "Daryl O." [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: This past week, both of our MD component deck models (the MDS-JE440 and the MX-D3) have gone closeout, and a search of our sku list has not come up with any models that may replace them. Daryl, is it not possible the MX-D40 will be one replacement deck? And that whatever new designation that add LP capability to the 440 be the other? I have observed that (at the Cooper Street/I20 location in Arlington, TX) the portable MD units are displayed apart for the MD decks, and that the portable showcase looks looted and in significant disarray. This seems a disservice to MD, BB and the customers. -jts Arlington, TX - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: ATRAC and stereo (was more on sound quality)
Timothy Stockman posted, | MD does not use "joint stereo" (except LP4 mode); it records left and right | channels separately, so there should be no reason that the stereo image | should be narrower. Indeed, somebody posted here several years ago that ATRAC would tend to *spread* stereo separation wider. The theory went like this: ATRAC encoding analyzes each channel separately, so if the separation is fairly wide to start, say, one component is 90% left and 10% right while another is 10% left and 90% right, there might be so little of the right-side sound in the left channel and so little of the left-side sound in the right channel that ATRAC would consider it masked and would drop it entirely, resulting in keeping only the left-side sound in the left channel and only the right-side sound in the right channel. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Question for Don
=== = NB: Over 50% of this message is QUOTED, please = = be more selective when quoting text = === I considered that, but chose to challenge it, instead, in hopes that he would either see the error in logic or note the typo. shrug Haven't heard, either way. On Wed, 14 Feb 2001 20:34:12 -0800, Don Capps wrote: From: "Mike Burger" [EMAIL PROTECTED] In other words, you really can't take the cost factor into consideration for your personal debate, and then decry the same factor in the overall debate. Mike...I think the use of the word "doesn't" was a typo and he meant to say that such extra costs should be factored in. At least I think so anyway. I gave him the benefit of that doubt. :-) Don C. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
In fact, MD copy has the following characteristics: obviously less dynamics, very poor bass and Jazz devil has plenty of it), narrow stereo image, and in general flatten sound picture. I wonder if you were hearing effects of the MD's analog section rather than problems with the ATRAC? I used to have a Carver DTL CD player. It seemed to have a slight lack of bass, so I got out the test CD and 'scope. As expected, I found quite a bit if "tilt" on the 1000 Hz square wave signal and I suspected an undersized coupling capacitor, so I probed around until I found the guilty part. I increased its value 10X and the problem went away. My point is don't indict ATRAC or MD in general for a problem caused elsewhere; use an external D/A converter, preferably the same one for the CD in the A/B test. MD does not use "joint stereo" (except LP4 mode); it records left and right channels separately, so there should be no reason that the stereo image should be narrower. In actuality, MD has 16 bit resolution companded by the scale factor to 20 bits, so a properly operating MD should be capable of up to 24 dB *more* dynamic range than a CD. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Question for Don
James Jarvie [EMAIL PROTECTED] said: Also, just to weigh in on the previous debate. Yes, I have a computer. No, I cannot burn CDs (older computer not fast enough - can't afford / justify the cost to get a new one). Still, I think if we are going to debate this issue, that it must be granted that anyone considering using MP3s has the neccessary gear, and that it shouldn't be factored into the cost equation. I'm going to have to disagree, here. By your own statement, above, you have obviously considered using MP3s, but have already factored cost into the equation. To wit, you yourself say "older computer not fast enough - can't afford/justify the cost to get a new one". And in an earlier paragraph, you note that you also can't justify the cost of the Expanium kit. In other words, you really can't take the cost factor into consideration for your personal debate, and then decry the same factor in the overall debate. -- Mike Burger CompuCom Information Services http://www.compucomis.net (215) 946-5573 - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
On Thu, 15 Feb 2001 10:06:45 +0100, "Francis Auquier" [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Using the system you described, the problem with the sound probably has very little to do with the MD format. The 530 has crappy converters. So this may be the reason why my recordings and playbacks with Sony's MZ-R 70 seem so low on quality. If ATRAC is the same in every machine, the difference comes from what is before and after this compression, hence the need to know what we buy (this is very difficult to know, indeed). Exactly ... and so I'm looking for a portable MD player (+/- recorder) with both LP modes -and- and very good DAC. I think the DAC in my Sony MZ-R50 is holding back the fidelity of the music (based on tests along the lines Francis was suggesting). So, what player is this ... is there a 'good' one, in this sense, out there yet? Thanks. -jts Arlington, TX - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
On Fri, 16 Feb 2001 14:15:13 -0500, las [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: So you could probably fit 2 hours or so of music on an MD. At $1.50, considering the alternatives, that seems like a pretty good deal to me. Considering the alternative of solid state memory, yes. But even considering the writeable media it's excellent. Sure CD-R's are less but one cannot erase and re-record. Now consder cd-rw's. They are $3 each the least expensive I've seen at retail (Memerex 3pk at BB) but you can only erase from the last track back and cannot do the masterful editing work that MD's seem to handle with aplumb. So are MD's worth $2 ea (5 or 10 pk Memorex at BB)? I don't see how they can be consider other than a bargain by comparison. To compare an MD with a cd-r, like some have done, is not comparing apples to apples! -jts Arlington, TX - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
On 15 Feb 2001 13:30:28 -0500, Stainless Steel Rat [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Bear in mind that the amplifier driving your headphones (I'm assuming headphones because you are talking portables here) sucks. That said, Sharp MS-722 recorder, AirHead amplifier from Headroom, and Sennheiser HD-600 headphones is a sweet kit. Yes ... I take the line out from an MZ-R50 (MD recorded on an MDS-JB940) to a Total AirHead amplifier then to a pair of Sennheiser 580's. The Sharp MS-722 DAC ... you find it very good? At home I take the optical out from the 940 to an external DAC. AudioAlchemy did, I think, made a portable DAC but with portable units there is no digital output. Besides, I really do not want this in a portable unit, rather a decent DAC in a small package. Thanks. -jts Arlington, TX - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: recovering deleted TOC
When you delete something, it's reference to it in the TOC is erased. The data is still there unless you start recording over it. If the data itwelf were to be erased, it would take longer to erase it than it does, considering the MD records in what seems to be real time or on some units 4x. In any case it would take several minutes to erase a full 74, 80 149, or 160 minute disc, but it doesn't. if you record something and like a friend f mine did, took the batteries out before it was done, the TOC isn't written but the data was. I was able to recover it for him on my Sony 520 deck. Matthew Bullis wrote: How do you know the data is still present? In my MZ-R70 manual, it says that once you delete, you can't get it back. Thanks for any help. Matthew - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Jim Coon Not just another pretty mandolin picker. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If Gibson made cars, would they sound so sweet? My first web page http://www.tir.com/~liteways - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
=== = NB: Over 50% of this message is QUOTED, please = = be more selective when quoting text = === James Jarvie [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I don't know how many people on the list listen to classical music. I have made a number of recordings, Holst's Song of the Night, a piece for violin and orchestra by Respighi and a piece by Massenet for piano and either oboe or bassoon - can't remember are three examples, in which there were moments when the ATRAC just could not encode the music properly. On the first two examples, the problem occurred during an swell in the orchestra. In the third, it was low chord on the piano. Each time, the music came across for a second or two as a noise, sort of as if someone were blowing across a microphone. In none of these cases was I looking for, or expecting to hear, a difference. I heard them while listening casually, and then went back to double check. No need to do an A-B (no facility either), this was plainly not a musical sound. James, Could you document this (precise CD, track and time point, plus a description of the artifact) for our "ATRAC Trouble" page? Thanks, Rick - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
John Small wrote: Considering the alternative of solid state memory, yes. But even considering the writeable media it's excellent. Sure CD-R's are less but one cannot erase and re-record. Now consder cd-rw's. They are $3 each the least expensive I've seen at retail (Memerex 3pk at BB) but you can only erase from the last track back and cannot do the masterful editing work that MD's seem to handle with aplumb. So are MD's worth $2 ea (5 or 10 pk Memorex at BB)? Actually CDRW discs are available at Sam's Club for just over a dollar each. (I think I paid $30 for a spindle of 25 Verbatim). But as I have stated many times before, even if you can hear a difference between the MD and CD, that difference becomes insignificant when you are jogging or driving in or car. It is such a shame to see the MD media go down the tubes. It is so perfect. I have had many 3.5" floppy discs go bad even though they are enclosed in a jacket. Forget about CDs. Either you keep them in their jewel box and handle them with kid gloves or they can give you problems. But I have only had one MD ever go bad on me. A Coolata (Duncan Donunts-My wife is addicted to them-spilled on one). Every other MD that I have since the original Sony's that I bought in the very early 1990 still work. Larry - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
wow, this story goes endless. Let me tell you my experiences and opinions. I was doing A/B test some times ago with a friend of mine. We've been doing recording of the same song, Jazz devil by Barry Adamson. The units were Sony 530 MD, and the rest was nothing special, Akai amp, Sony 330 CD, small Tannoy's and some cheaper Van Den Hull speaker cables and interconnects. The connection was analogue. The results weren't so impressive. In fact, MD copy has the following characteristics: obviously less dynamics, very poor bass and Jazz devil has plenty of it), narrow stereo image, and in general flatten sound picture. We've been doing this again with the other types of music with the same results. It doesn't put me off of buying MD, but ( maybe it hurts somebody on this list), MD is not so impressive music format. Yes, you need a little bit of extra concentration to spot all the differences, but believe me, it's not so hard anyway. Don't get me wrong, I love MD, and for a casual listening at home ( especially if you're using PC as a sound source), in car, while jogging and riding a bike, it's a great format. But, for a critical listening at home, it is simply not up to the CD standards. MD simply isn't an ultimate listening experience; its advantages are countless, but don't be so uncritical, CD is still fairly better format. IP - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: The far horizon of MP3 storage
"J. Coon" wrote: They are the ones that came out with the PC that everyone copied and got everyone on this platform. We could all be using Apples for ciying out loud. Yech! the thought of it. :) Jim the "PC" that IBM "invented" was a worthless piece of sh!t. All they did was throw together a bunch of off the shelf parts. The system did nothing. Along comes Bill Gates and partner. Now IBM thinks that the value of the PC in next to zero. Just a joke side project that they really don't even see a future in. So they don't even design their own operating system. They don't even buy an operating system (like Gates did). They license the system from Gates and his partner. They don't even get an exclusive right to the license. Gates turns around and starts licensing anyone who will pay him for "DOS". Funny thing. People start taking an interest in the "PC". Since IBM has no exclusive rights to the "PC", companies start putting together PCs in their garage. They have zero over head and can sell the PC for a fraction of what IBM has to sell it for. It is truly a credit to programers and electronics engineers that they have been able to reverse engineer the PC so that it is capable of doing all of the things that it can do today. And where is Big Blue today? a comfortable capitalization of 202 hundred mil. Microsoft? 311 hundred mil. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
Don Capps wrote: U...you lost me there Larry. ATRAC is indeed lossy compression. A great deal of data is "thrown away" in order to fit it onto those tiny little discs. ATRAC involves loss. But is it not compression per say. To really have done ATRAC correctly, it should have been variable. That is some "files" will contain more inaudible data than others. A perfect ATRAC scheme would not predict the total amount of music that each MD could hold. It would depend upon what was not needed. This type of situation is really not that uncommon. A CDR claims to hold 650 MB of data (minus that used for formatting). However if you use your CDR to back up files using data compression, there is no way of knowing in advance how much you can fit on a disc. It will vary from disc to disc depending upon the compressibility of each file. But ATRAC is bit wise reduction, not compression. It relies on the theory that 80% of the data on a CD is not needed to reproduce the music. By using an exact ratio, they are not taking into account the variables of different music. For example something recorded which does not have a significant difference between the loudest passage and the quietest should be easiest to process with the least amount of detectable difference between the original and the digital copy. These discussions can only be applied to digital transfers since. Analog creates a much more complex number of variables. Larry - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: The far horizon of MP3 storage
OK, first off this is my 2.5 cents. anyone who actually thinks this business about ibm and the nazi's is really about how evil ibm is for working with the nazi's douring the war needs to wake up in columbia and smell the so called coffee. it's about the that ibm has. someone found out ibm existed douring the war and was in germany...HEY LET'S SEE HOW MUCH $ WE CAN GET FROM THEM THROUGH THE COURTS! I personally blame it on the trial lawyers, no more no less. yes hitler/nazi's were/are still evil, no doubt about that, yes we sould remember the past so it doesn't happen again, but if you think this is about anything except money then your wrong. On Wed, 14 Feb 2001, las wrote: [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The news is that IBM found out what those purposes were yet continued to deal with the Third Reich. If that turns out to be true, you have to acknowledge that it makes a difference. lot's of stuff about the war cut out. Nor should a tool maker be punished for the methods that a customer used to employ the tool. Besides, IBM hasn't done anything to help promote the Mini Disc. True. They haven't done anything to help promote OS/2, either. G - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: MD: The far horizon of MP3 storage
I think the lesson to be learned here is that business does not and never has had any real morals. Industrial leaders in pre-war Germany supported Hitler because he was attacking communists and trade unionists. You can make awfully big profits if your factories are full of slave workers. Look at the big pharmaceutical companies right now, taking African countries to court to prevent them making generic anti-AIDS drugs to save their people. Or the continuing expansion of the arms trade. Not on a par with Nazism certainly, but other examples of the desire to make profits coming before human rights and lives. It's just as well that big businesses also come up with good things like Minidisc, I suppose... Alan -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Gerry Morgan Sent: 14 February 2001 14:26 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: MD: The far horizon of MP3 storage Mike Burger wrote: But is that really news? It was IBM Germany, after all. The employees were German. Besides the Jews and Gypsies, who else do you think was killed...anyone who spoke out against Hitler/The Reich. Hitler ruled by fear just as much as force of personality, you know. The book by Edwin Black that has just been published on this says that the chairman of IBM, Thomas Watson, expressed admiration for Hitler and that Hitler personally presented Watson with the Merit Cross of the German Eagle with Star. I don't know to what extent Watson really sympathized with Nazi ideology. There was pressure on him after the US joined the war to return the medal, and he did so. According to the book, there was no such thing as IBM Germany before the war. It was created in order for IBM not to be caught trading with the enemy. Watson knew that the profits could be repatriated to the US after the war. But if one decided to boycott IBM for trading with the Nazis, one should also boycott: the Ford Motor Company (Henry Ford was awarded a similar medal, and definitely was a Nazi sympathizer); General Motors, which owned Opel, purveyor of fine automobiles to the Nazi regime; Bayer Pharmaceuticals and Hoechst, both of which were part of the notorious I.G. Farben group, and Hugo Boss, which designed the Nazis' uniforms. There are many more examples, and it might prove impractical to boycott them all. The important thing is to understand what happened in the past, in order better to understand how things are today. That's why I'm planning to read the book (so far I've only seen an extract from it in the UK Sunday Times). As for me, you can be absolutely sure that I do NOT own an IBM minidisc recorder. Gerry - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
I'm looking for a portable MD player (+/- recorder) with both LP modes -and- and very good DAC. I think the DAC in my Sony MZ-R50 is holding back the fidelity of the music (based on tests along the lines Francis was suggesting). "Portable" and "very good DAC" are mutually exclusive for technical reasons. In portable electronic devices, low power consumption is the *primary* design issue since it must at relatively low voltages and currents to get reasonable battery life without having a huge battery pack. Very good DACs and analog stages require higher voltage and current than is avaiable from batteries. Many home CD/MD players use bipolar 5 voltage power for the analog section. Better home stereo equipment uses bipolar 15 volt or even 24 volt supplies. Also, to get the lowest noise, low impedence circuits, requiring high current are used. None of this stuff is possible in a battery powered portable device. Another consideration is interstage coupling capacitors. To get good low frequency amplitude and phase response, large value capacitors must be used. These are often physically too large for a poratable unit. Of course, the best approach is to use DC coupling with servo amplifiers to cancel the offset, but only very esoteric audio equipment implements the complex circuitry required to pull this off sucessfully. My recomendation, if you want a very good DAC, is to use an outboard DAC where all of the power parameters have been optimized for the best audio performance. The built in DACs in many CD/MD decks, while better than portables, are no match for esoteric, high-end outboard DACs. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Question for Don
Here's where we part company. You would never now the difference between my Expanium playing MP3 files and my Expanium playing the original CD. I guarantee it. Inferior sound quality? Nope. Not at all. But then, don't believe me. Just burn a CD full of MP3s and borrow an Expanium...maybe a Circuit City store demo model...and listen for yourself. Don C. I have three questions for you Don, and please don't take this as any sort of criticism or sarcasm, because it's not meant that way (though it may sound it). 1. It's apparent that you are very fond of MP3s and your Expanium (of which I never heard until you weighed in on this list). My question is: do you do minidiscs at all? I assume you must because you're on this list. I can't, however, remember you talking about using MDs personally (though you seem to know enough about them to suggest that either you do or you have used them). If you have mentioned using MDs personally and I missed it,them I apologize. 2. If you are using MDs as well as your Expanium, then my second question is: do you find that you have uses for both, or do has the Expanium taken the place of MDs for you 3. Have you listened to any classical music on either (especially orchestral stuff, though it's more common to find chamber music than orchestral on MP3s). I have to admit that your description of the Expanium intrigues mebut I can't afford more kit right now. Also, just to weigh in on the previous debate. Yes, I have a computer. No, I cannot burn CDs (older computer not fast enough - can't afford / justify the cost to get a new one). Still, I think if we are going to debate this issue, that it must be granted that anyone considering using MP3s has the neccessary gear, and that it shouldn't be factored into the cost equation. __ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Best Buy Possibly Phasing Out MD Component Decks
Hi, guys ... I'm a merchandiser at Best Buy and have been on the list since 1996. I usually don't post unless I have something substantive to say, and unfortunately, I do have something worth posting about today. I say 'unfortunately' because it appears that many listmembers' fears about Best Buy dumping minidisc may indeed be true, if only partially. This past week, both of our MD component deck models (the MDS-JE440 and the MX-D3) have gone closeout, and a search of our sku list has not come up with any models that may replace them. I did, however, find two new portable models that will be introduced in May: the MZR500PC (SKU# 4118369) and MZR700DPC (SKU# 4118387), both of which are described as "MD Walkman Player/Recorder PC Bundles", at least one of which the Community Page reveals will include a USB-optical cable. (The 500PC will retail for US$179.99; the 700DPC, for US$249.99.) With the addition of a new Sony CD-R/RW component deck to our digital recorders mix, as well as the elimination of our two current MD component models, it does appear that Best Buy will be phasing out MD component decks. Best Buy will continue to sell MD portables for some time to come, but stupidly, they have chosen to keep these models in the portable audio department, depriving MD of wider exposure in the computer department. Best Buy could save this format if it wants to -- I can only hope that it takes decisive action to move the MD portables to PC/Home Office ASAP. Only with its repositioning as a competitor to solid state MP3 technology, can MD have any chance of surviving in this post-modern world of consumer electronics. Daryl - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
Ivica Petrovic wrote: wow, this story goes endless. Let me tell you my experiences and opinions. I was doing A/B test some times ago with a friend of mine. We've been doing recording of the same song, Jazz devil by Barry Adamson. The units were Sony 530 MD, and the rest was nothing special, Akai amp, Sony 330 CD, small Tannoy's and some cheaper Van Den Hull speaker cables and interconnects. The connection was analogue. The results weren't so impressive. In fact, MD copy has the following characteristics: obviously less dynamics, very poor bass and Jazz devil has plenty of it), narrow stereo image, and in general flatten sound picture. We've been doing this again with the other types of music with the same results. Using the system you described, the problem with the sound probably has very little to do with the MD format. The 530 has crappy converters. What you have done is take the CD and put it through a digital to analog converter. The signal then has to be converted from analog back to PCM digital by putting it through a digital to analog converter. The PCM is processed with ATRAC. The ATRAC signal is decoded to PCM again and then the digital signal is once again converted to analog by putting it through a digital to analog converter. High quality converters alone can cost thousands of dollars. Probably more than the entire system that you described. It is impossible to evaluate the sound quality of MD without using much better equipment and keeping everything digital. If the MD had been copied digitally (even if the equipment was just so, so), there would be no converter in between the CD and MD. The only converter would be the final digital to analog (here the better the converter the better the quality of the sound you would hear). The better the quality of the MD playback equipment and hence the DAC, the closer to the original CD the MD would sound. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
=== = NB: Over 50% of this message is QUOTED, please = = be more selective when quoting text = === I've also noticed this with ney recordings, such as the soundtrack to the film 'The Sweet Hereafter'. On my digital MD copy there's an intermittent squeaky, buzzy noise. It also happens on a recording I have with an Armenian reed instrument - can't remember the name of either the instrument or the CD. Perhaps there's some problem between the MD format and instruments from the Black Sea/Caucasus regions :-) Peter Jaques [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: i've had similar experiences with fairly simple music. on a recording of solo turkish ney (flute), there are a few moments where there is a very noticeable squeaky noise high above the instrument. i was surprised, since flute is an extremely pure sound, very close to a sine wave. on a recording of brave old world's "rufn di kinder aheym"--bass clarinet accordion only-- at the beginning there's a slow volume swell, which md did in much less subtle steps rather than a smooth crescendo. both were recorded digitally from cd, i noticed both without even trying. these were very noticeable artifacts. my solution has been the same, to make cd-r's of each of these recordings. in general md is fine (in fact i prefer its convenience size). peter On 12 Feb 01, 6:28AM, James Jarvie wrote: The differences are there in some of the more difficult classical music recordings. Unless you have done this, I don't think you can call your opinion informed. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
Timothy Stockman wrote: The CD, as originally developed by Philips and Sony, only has enough bits for 16-bit resolution, but Pacific Microsonics came up with a way to hide 4 more bits in the audio to allow 20-bit resolution. Problem is, very few CDs are recorded this way, so practically all discs are recorded at 16-bit resolution. Also, there are not very many CD players that have the Pacific Microsonics decoder, so most decks only extract 16-bit resolution. Many CD decks now output 20 or even 24 bits. There are one or two more "Higher Definition" CD formats out there. One is kind of a music DVD. Just what we need more competing formats. The first one I learned of is HDCD CDs. I own a DVD player that actually has an HDCD CD decoder in it. But I don't have any HDCD CDs. So I can't tell you if there is a noticeable improvement in sound. There was a debate here a while back where one person was claiming that the newer formats don't sound any better than HDCD CDs and someone else argued that the latest format was much better than HDCD CDs. No if only they could make a portable MD recorder that was capable of recording standard ATRAC and also MP3 files directly from a computer link, and still use plain ordinary MDs. Then MD might still have a shot. I don't think that you have to be able to get 10 hours of music on a Mini Disc to make it worth it. MP3 files use less data space than ATRAC. So you could probably fit 2 hours or so of music on an MD. At $1.50, considering the alternatives, that seems like a pretty good deal to me. BTW, I was just at my local Circuit City and didn't see one portable MD recorder or player! They had a 15 pack of Fuji MDs for $30. I also saw some strange brand (Classic??) of portable CD player that also played MP3 CDs and had 105 second buffer for $99.00! The unit was kind of bulky (thick) and only had an analog line out. But with a player like that, you would be using it to play 10 hours of MP3s in your car so you really wouldn't need a digital output. Larry - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: The far horizon of MP3 storage
=== = NB: Over 50% of this message is QUOTED, please = = be more selective when quoting text = === IBM put it together and got the DOS operating system from Bill Gates. They didn't buy the whole DOS program and Billy Boy, decided to sell it to compeditors too, since Big Blue didn't have an exclusive license to use his software. las wrote: "J. Coon" wrote: They are the ones that came out with the PC that everyone copied and got everyone on this platform. We could all be using Apples for ciying out loud. Yech! the thought of it. :) Jim the "PC" that IBM "invented" was a worthless piece of sh!t. All they did was throw together a bunch of off the shelf parts. The system did nothing. Along comes Bill Gates and partner. Now IBM thinks that the value of the PC in next to zero. Just a joke side project that they really don't even see a future in. So they don't even design their own operating system. They don't even buy an operating system (like Gates did). They license the system from Gates and his partner. They don't even get an exclusive right to the license. Gates turns around and starts licensing anyone who will pay him for "DOS". Funny thing. People start taking an interest in the "PC". Since IBM has no exclusive rights to the "PC", companies start putting together PCs in their garage. They have zero over head and can sell the PC for a fraction of what IBM has to sell it for. It is truly a credit to programers and electronics engineers that they have been able to reverse engineer the PC so that it is capable of doing all of the things that it can do today. And where is Big Blue today? a comfortable capitalization of 202 hundred mil. Microsoft? 311 hundred mil. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Jim Coon Not just another pretty mandolin picker. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If Gibson made cars, would they sound so sweet? My first web page http://www.tir.com/~liteways - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Question for Don
From: "James Jarvie" [EMAIL PROTECTED] I have three questions for you Don, and please don't take this as any sort of criticism or sarcasm, because it's not meant that way (though it may sound it). No problem James. But thanks for the qualifiers. 1. It's apparent that you are very fond of MP3s and your Expanium (of which I never heard until you weighed in on this list). My question is: do you do minidiscs at all? I assume you must because you're on this list. I can't, however, remember you talking about using MDs personally (though you seem to know enough about them to suggest that either you do or you have used them). If you have mentioned using MDs personally and I missed it,them I apologize. Absolutely no apologies necessary. The answer is yes. I own a Sharp MD-SR60 but I use it for one VERY specific purpose and that is for the recording of live music. In fact, I use it so extensively that I am considering the purchase of one of the "pro" recorders (either the HHB or the Marantz) because they include so many features of interest to the pro recordist (XLR inputs, high headroom mic preamp, built in limiter, digital inputs AND outputs, and so on). 2. If you are using MDs as well as your Expanium, then my second question is: do you find that you have uses for both, or do has the Expanium taken the place of MDs for you. Yes, as I hope the above comments made obvious. I use the MD recorder almost exclusive for live recording. And I use the Expanium for portable personal audio (CD and mp3 playback). 3. Have you listened to any classical music on either (especially orchestral stuff, though it's more common to find chamber music than orchestral on MP3s). Yes. And I have recorded a bit of classical music as well. Some has turned out well and some...well...ahem. I have to admit that your description of the Expanium intrigues mebut I can't afford more kit right now. That's ok. Save your duckies for the second generation CD/mp3 playback units that are just hitting the market now. The Rio Volt and the TDK Mojo are gonna be KILLER players (with id3 tag support and some other nifty features) and will cost significantly less. Also, just to weigh in on the previous debate. Yes, I have a computer. No, I cannot burn CDs (older computer not fast enough - can't afford / justify the cost to get a new one). Still, I think if we are going to debate this issue, that it must be granted that anyone considering using MP3s has the neccessary gear, and that it shouldn't be factored into the cost equation. Oh, I agree with that James. I just enjoy playing the Devil's Advocate. :-) Don C. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: charging a NH-9WM(N) battery
hi all i recently purchased a second hand mz-e55 with the rechargeable battery but without a charger. the battery is Ni-MH (NH-9WM(N)) 1.2V x 1200mAh gum. is there any cheap (and/or nasty) way to charge this battery? or does anybody know where to purchase (or is selling) a cheap charger? i've had a look at this fantastic md battery page which contains some tips and tricks about md batteries(take a look!) but there is no solution to my problem on it... http://www.ece.wpi.edu/~pwd/minidisc/portable_power/ thanks ct australia _ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Remotes/Battery Life
Has anyone tested whether or not there is a significant increase in battery life if one foregoes the use of a remote on a playback unit? I have a couple of SONY playback units a Casio. I've never experimented with the option of plugging the headphones directly into the unit instead of using the remote. Does it make a difference? Also, I killed one of my SONY remotes. Don't know if I need a new one because I still have one that will work on both SONYs. If I decided to try to get a new one, what would be the best source? Thanks to all of you experts for your help... Chris Callahan -- home: [EMAIL PROTECTED] work: [EMAIL PROTECTED] URL: http://www.coldwatercentral.com Jazz Nation: http://www.thejazznation.com -- - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Basic MD questions
=== = NB: Over 50% of this message is QUOTED, please = = be more selective when quoting text = === Fuh. I sent this over a week and a half ago. Odd. - Original Message - From: "Robert J Lynn Jr" [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2001 8:30 PM Subject: Re: MD: Basic MD questions === = NB: Over 50% of this message is QUOTED, please = = be more selective when quoting text = === Hiya Paul - On my Sharp MD-MS722, you can listen to whatever is coming through the LINE/OPTICAL or MIC in as soon as you hit the REC button. The player itself can power a mic, or accept LINE and digital optical. To take it over to PC, you could either use an analog cable or get an MD component deck and use the optical out, provided your sound card supports it. - Original Message - From: "PAUL MCDONALD" [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2001 7:40 PM Subject: MD: Basic MD questions These questions are pretty basic, and are probably already covered somewhere at minidisc.org or in the archives, but I can't for the life of me find them. So here goes. I've decided that I need a (relatively) inexpensive, compact, high-quality sound recorder for audio for my short films. (my video camera has no mic jack) MD looks like the way to go, though I still have a few queries (applying to the Sony MZR70 specifically): * A salesperson told me that you can listen to what you're recording using headphones. That's a great feature. Is it true? * I will need to download the audio to my computer for sync with visuals and post-production tinkering. Is this possible? I have a relatively new computer (PII) and a soundcard (audio sonique, I believe). What cables or adaptors will I be needing? * I'll be needing both an omni and unidirectional mic. Is it worth buying the standard Sony MD mics (not sure of code but retail for about A$150)? Will many other mics connect to the unit? I really appreciate the help, and please forgive the newbieness of these questions, its just that salespeople no helpy :( Paul McDonald - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
On Thu, 15 Feb 2001 14:43:26 -0500, Timothy Stockman [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: My recomendation, if you want a very good DAC, is to use an outboard DAC where all of the power parameters have been optimized for the best audio performance. The built in DACs in many CD/MD decks, while better than portables, are no match for esoteric, high-end outboard DACs. Yes, that's what I do at home ... I'm looking for a way to get better performance from the portable equipment. I first hit on this need when I compared a metal cassette tape I made on a two head Sony Pro Cassette Walkman (WMA-D6) and compared it to an MD made on the Sony MZ-R50. Source was cd with analog feed to the cassette deck and optical to the R50. Guess which sounded dramatically better? The metal cassette. I reasoned it is likely the DAC stage in the R50. When I played the same MD on the 940 feeding an external DAC the differences dissappeared ... in fact the MD sounded more true to the CD than the cassette (as an aside a metal cassette made on a home 3 head deck sounded identical to the source cd, as did an MD made on the 940). These findings with the home units are as I expected but not the portable. I expected the MD to sound better ... it did not. I'm looking to correct that if I can. Regardless I still prefer MD for many reasons (not the least of which is that both tape transports failed during this test)! Thanks. -jts Arlington, TX - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
Ivica Petrovic wrote: "closer to the original", it goes right into my direction; ATRAC has its own limits ( and the one you should hear) so you cannot improved it 'in general' by using better DACs and so on. You are misinterpreting my statement. "closer to the original can mean beyond the ability of the human ear to tell the difference. And what we are talking about, a cheap way to record music or high end ES series MDs of 600-1000 $ range? And they do the same; it's still 5:1 compression. The same applies to the other mediums as well, you need a better CD player to hear your CDs better. What's the point of having 100 $ CD player and 1000 $ MD recorder who provided "closer to the original CD sound" of 100 $ CD player??? One of the fundamental things you have wrong is this 5 to one compression. It is not compression. If set up correctly 80% of the digital information on a CD not heard by the human ear. Don't confuse bit wise reduction with compression. Compress schemes pose limits, like FM cutting off frequencies above 15,000 CPS. ATRAC does not do this. That the set up program on Windows 98. It is only about 30 MB. Yet when all of the Cabs are opened, you will have several hundred MB of space used up on your hard drive. Larry - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
MD: Puting differenct formats into prospective
This going around about which sounds better is growing old and really misses the whole point. I think that they best way to compare different recording formats it to compare them to cars. There are economy cars (cassettes). Then there are inexpensive sports cars. Expensive sports cars. Middle of the road cars, of various sizes and grades. Next there are vans, trucks, and SUVs. Finally there are true Luxury cars. Even these fall into different classes. There are the Caddies and Lincolns and the Mercedes and Lexus. Finally the Rolls. A cheap "sports car" will not handle well and gives a crappy ride. A high end sports car handles the road well, but would you want to take it cross country if you had a chance to drive a car that feels like you are floating on air? For long trips, the sports car, while being fun to drive, is not fun to sit in for 12 hours a day. Neither will do well in the snow. And I don't think that you would want to take a sports car off road. The same types of things apply to recording media. When you factor in the cost of fuel as an analogy to the cost of media, that plays a part also. I'm not going to make any comparisons. I'll leave that to you. I only mentioned the cassette, to get you thinking on the same page as me. The CD, MD, MP3 (solid state) all have their place. For me the cassette is something whose time has passed (but that may not be the case for everyone). On an up note for the MD, I was on a discount E lectronics site the other day and they had a top ten list of their most popular items. I'm not sure if they were in order of popularity. But item number one was the Sony MZ-R90!! Surprise. And this was not a site devoted to MD. Larry - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: Best buy, phasing out MD equip ??
It is not, nor will it ever be, a replacement (or even serious competition) for CD portables. Why must it be? Why can't CD and MD just live side-by-side as siblings? Why can't stereos come standard with CD/MD features instead of CD/tape. Yes, a handful of stereos DO have CD/MD, but these are by far the minority and can be hard to find. This is so bloody ridiculous!! MD is far better than CD-R or CD-RW! Sorry. But here I cannot agree with you. How can a data compressed format possibly be superior to a properly dithered uncompressed digital recording? This statement just doesn't make sense. The original poster was perhaps a bit broad there. But one has to remember that the quality of a medium is not just its sound -- it's also cost, portability, features, et cetera. Generally, MD sounds, for all intents and purposes anywhere near the realm of normal usage, identical to CD. If I could, I would switch almost all of my CDs to MDs -- maybe all (and I do have some classical). I believe MD to sound indistinguishable to CDs for my usage, plus there are the standard MD features that are above CDs (e.g. the plastic casing, easy re-recordability, titling, size). For ME, "MD is far better than CD-R or CD-RW!" And probably for many other people. However, overall, there is no one clear winner. There ARE winners, though: CD and MD. J. C. R. Davis ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: MD: More on CD vs. MD Sound Quality
On Fri, 16 Feb 2001 18:52:28 -0500, las [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: It is such a shame to see the MD media go down the tubes. You guys seriously think this is happening? I do not. -jts Arlington, TX - To stop getting this list send a message containing just the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
