dubai2000 Posted July 6, 2001 Share Posted July 6, 2001 Hallo out there, I am not sure how important this topic is, but I thought I might share my experiences: I might be crucified by some for having jumped on the MiniDisc wagon lately, but for recording from the radio it is much more convenient than my old VCR. First one doesn't worry about damaged tapes (and over the years quite a number of them were damaged by the mechanism of the VCR itself) and it's also no longer necessary to transfer the tapes onto CDs. So why did I use the VCR at all? Well, as I also listen to classical music (somehow exotic on this board as far as I can tell!) I have been recording operas and other stuff which wouldn't have fitted on a CD. Until lately I didn't even consider MiniDisc, but having come across a favourable review of one of the latest Sony decks I dared to spend the extra money. What tempted me was the ability to choose a long-playing modus in stereo! (which is just what I need). So I spent $250 and whow, I am pleased (especially considering the modest outlay). So if you are looking for a smart device to record off-air, give the latest technology a chance. Thanks for reading this message..........Wolfram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenhet Posted July 6, 2001 Share Posted July 6, 2001 I love my MiniDisc. For those that aren't familiar with them, they are similar to CD's but you have the ability to totally edit what you burn. You can move, copy, cut, paste, even divide tracts, name disks and tracts from the remote. Can do much more than CDRW's as far as editing options. Optical/digital input. There is absolutely no noticible difference from the original to the copy (that I can tell). I just wish they would catch on in the States like they have in Europe. I haven't heard of recording movies as dubai2000 mentioned. At least I assume that is what he is talking about when he mentioned a VCR. Also, the disks are enclosed in a case much like a 3.5" floppy disk. Would be a great "add-on" to those of you who have everything. I have an older model that I got from Circuit City on demo ($130) with lots of features. There are even models that you can interface with your computer to edit right from your keyboard. Finally something that I know a little about. Now I can contribute a little. Scott ------------------ Front - Quartets (Walnut oil) Center - KG1.2v (Walnut oil) Rear - Optimus (haha) Receiver - Marantz SR-680 (upgraded from Denon AVR-810) CD - Denon DCM-320 Tape - Denon DRW-850 (soon to be back in the box) MD - Sony MDS-JE330 DVD - coming soon Sharp 27" This message has been edited by Tenhet on 07-06-2001 at 01:18 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai2000 Posted July 6, 2001 Author Share Posted July 6, 2001 Hi Tenhet, no, of course you can't use the MiniDisc fpr movies, but a stereo VCR can be used to record sound only, which means it can be used as a kind of tape deck. The advantage over tape is better quality and longer playing time. You are of course right when you mention all the editing possibilities a MiniDisc recorder offers. As I've said, I am really thrilled and shall record someting off-air later tonight....Wolfram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenhet Posted July 6, 2001 Share Posted July 6, 2001 I have tried to record from satellite with no luck. The model that I have cannot "interpret" the signal from the satellite. In other words the recordings were hardly audiable (extremely low volume). I, however, beleive that the newer Sony MiniDiscs are capible of recording satellite signal. Sorry dub about misunderstanding you original post about using the VCR to record sound. Scott ------------------ Front - Quartets (Walnut oil) Center - KG1.2v (Walnut oil) Rear - Optimus (haha) Receiver - Marantz SR-680 (upgraded from Denon AVR-810) CD - Denon DCM-320 Tape - Denon DRW-850 (soon to be back in the box) MD - Sony MDS-JE330 DVD - coming soon Sharp 27" This message has been edited by Tenhet on 07-06-2001 at 01:20 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4977 Posted July 6, 2001 Share Posted July 6, 2001 I have a Sony MZ-R50 walkman player/recorder. I think it is pretty neat. Mine will record off of satelite. What I really like about it is that it can be used to make live recordings if you have a mic. If you have a decent sound editing program on the PC you can end up with a fairly decent disc. Q. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted July 6, 2001 Share Posted July 6, 2001 Sony has a showroom over on Michigan Avenue, here in Chicago. There is a lot of Mini-Disc equipment on display. So they are still keeping some confidence in the technology. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted July 7, 2001 Share Posted July 7, 2001 Gotta hand it to Sony. Though they tend to try to throw their weight around as far as promoting "their" formats, they do stand by them very well. I agree that MD is a cool format and ideally would survive as a replacement for the audio cassette - two channel tunes for portables, mini shelf systems and auto sound. And for us wackos - SACD! Make that multi-channel SACD. ------------------ JDMcCall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roy Posted July 7, 2001 Share Posted July 7, 2001 love my sony home deck which is a combo minidisc and cd player...just put cd into one side and blank minidisc in other side and presto!! a perfect copy and all levels adjusted automatically!! comes out perfect everytime..i also have a portable sony player recorder for my car which i hookup thru the cassette deck portion of my car deck..its wonderful!! ------------------ my equipment: klipsch rf-3 (main) klipsch center ch speaker boston acoustics (rear) mirage ss-1500 subwoofer yamaha 795 receiver driving center and rears parasound hca-1500 amp driving rf-3s mirage subwoofer 1500 watts! sony 650 dvd/cd player sony minidisc/cd player combo panasonic hifi vcr waiting to see what new reference line will sound like in 2001!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai2000 Posted July 7, 2001 Author Share Posted July 7, 2001 Much as I admire my latest acquisition, it is nevertheless not quite an undistinguishable copy of the original. I copied a live recording of a folk singer plus some guitar, bass, drums support last night using my MR 77 (which got kind of beating on this board the other day). A reviewer in an English magazine described the MD sound as 'bloomy' and I think that fits. I don't recognize a smaller soundstage or less of a live feeling, but a certain softness does creep into the copy (made in the long playing format!). Still, this is better than any digital harshness which one found on early CD players. If one doesn't know the original, the copy is really very good indeed! So even if MD is not perfect in absolute terms, it's still better than any tape and, what's also important, affordable! So everyone out there - happy recording! Wolfram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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