Which MD recorder?

Post by **undermind** » Sun Sep 14, 2003 11:20 pm

I'm looking for a simple recording device and it appears that MD is the way to go. I'm rather ignorant on the topic, and have a couple of questions.

Are all MD players also recorders? Do they all accept a mic in? Are there certain makes or models I should look into on Ebay? It seems most MD players/recorders these days are used for MP3's.

What is a typical simple sound setup? Are there good mics that will plug into the MD directly without going through a mic preamp first?

Thanks so much.

Post by **S8 Booster** » Sun Sep 14, 2003 11:47 pm

It seems that the simplest and possibly best option is a Sharp MD with a direct manual recording control.

Check:
Minidisc questions regarding record levels

Also there exists some preamps / interfaces for proffessional microphones that will match the MD mike inputs:
XLR TO MINIJACK: Shure A96F Transformer
Beachtek XLR Adapters

R

Post by **Dave Anderson** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 10:35 pm

No. Not all Minidiscs have the record to mic functionality. Check out http://www.minidisc.org/ for great info.

I own a Sony MZ-R700 and LOVE it. I went to RadioShack and got their stereo Tie Clip mic for it. Works really well.

Good Luck!

Dave

P.S. http://www.minidisco.com/ is a good resource for pricing.

Post by **S8 Booster** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 11:25 pm

Yes - having a MD700 myself I think it is great.
Only detail is that the recording level can not be adjusted manually while recording.

R

Post by **focusgroup** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 1:31 am

If I may make a suggestion. Try solid state CF card recorders. I just purchased one and am very pleased with it. They are extremely light weight, have unlimited CF card capacity. There are no moving parts, the transfer to your computer is via USB 2.0 (1.1 as well) or CF card. They are extremely light weight with dat quality at 48K and choosable bitrate. The one disadvantage (which I think is big but may be cured in the near future) is that the do not support smpte at this point.

Post by **undermind** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 1:57 am

Great information. Thanks for those MD links.

Well, I bought a Sharp MD-SR60. I got a pretty good deal on it, and it seems pretty good. I just really need a simple solution for audio.

Now I need a decent mic. I have quite a few mics that I've used for audio projects in the past, but never for field work or film. I've got a few SM57's and a couple condenser mics. But I doubt these will do me much good. What is a good starting mic? It will be used on a boom. I'm looking for the simplest solution with the least amount of equipment necessary. Just looking for the most direct path from mic to MD recorder. Any good starter mics? By the way Dave Anderon, what kind of range does the clip on mic have? Any chance of using it for torso shots and keeping it out of the frame?

Thanks again guys.

Post by **MattPacini** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 4:17 am

I have a Sharp (702, I think) and it's worked out great for me.
I use a little portable Fostex mixer with a built in compressor that runs on a 9vt battery, and this arrangement has been great.

Matt Pacini