i used some binaural mics for my recordings with excellent results.
For your MD player?
For your MD player?
Thread
Posts in chronological order
For your MD player?
I always use a Sony MD Walkman MZ-NHF800 Hi-MD recorder along with two stereo Sony electret condenser microphones: a ECM-CS10 and a ECM-MS907. The first is almost unnoticeable, while the second is bigger and need an AA battery. This hardware is really good - such a pity that Sony software is crap!
The only advice I can give you is to set the recording ambience mode to "noisy" and/or to lower the microphone sensitivity as to avoid saturation by the roaring crowd.
The only advice I can give you is to set the recording ambience mode to "noisy" and/or to lower the microphone sensitivity as to avoid saturation by the roaring crowd.
i used some binaural mics for my recordings with excellent results.
For your MD player?
yes!?!
So the best recorder is an Hi-MD player/recorder? There's a big difference with the old MD players?
Which brand is the best?
What are the best discs to get (1GB sony discs)?
What's the best mic? (sony ecm-ms907 or are there any better types)
http://www.queenzone.com/queenzone/forumnew/forum_topic_view.aspx?Q=455159
Thanx!
I did actually make a reply, but I guess Richard's mishap affected my post. I'll TRY and post what I'd said.
That thread you mention above has a lot of what I advised, already. But I can mention some new things for your above questions.
Hi-MD is a great new format that records PCM (uncompressed) audio and lets you upload it to your pc for editing, etc. Very nice bit of kit. The old MD player/recorders are compressed atrac formats that you CAN'T upload without a bit of 3000 quid equipment! And hey, the Hi-MD can still record the same old MD format! But I'm not sure you can upload 'that' type.
I think the Sony 1GB discs are all they have on offer. As for brands... aren't the new Hi-MD's all Sony models? I hear the NH900 is the best.
The Sony ecm-ms907 mic is merely ok. I'm sure you looked at the comparison site I had posted in that above thread. And considering my cheap tie-clip mics sounds much, much better, I wouldn't bother with it. Far too expensive for something so simple and not that great. If you want, I can post an example of my cheap tie-clip microphones for you to hear. I'm sure it'll surprise... :)
Peace,
Adam.
Adam, do you know if Sony MZ-NH900's input volume can be adjusted while recording? On my Kenwood MD you can do this and it's a brilliant feature. I did check some reviews of MZ-NH900 but none of them mentioned if this feature is included..
(Edit)
Please check this link: http://www.jazz-sax.com/article.pl?sid=04/08/24/0614214&tid=91
Looks like you will have troubles burning/editing the audio once you have copied it to PC. I also found few sites saying that it DOESN'T have manual volume adjustment. If someone has more info, please let us know. Thanks!
(Edit)
Please check this link: http://www.jazz-sax.com/article.pl?sid=04/08/24/0614214&tid=91
Looks like you will have troubles burning/editing the audio once you have copied it to PC. I also found few sites saying that it DOESN'T have manual volume adjustment. If someone has more info, please let us know. Thanks!
You must have missed my post from a while back that mentioned the uploading thing having been cracked by a guy called Marc - http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=6087
But, I think someone at Sony must've realised they should really activate the uploading thing properly and made it possible to convert to wav. Though, I haven't read about it for a while, so maybe that's not the best util. It may still be the one in the above link.
On the volume adjust thing, I really don't know. I haven't invested in one. But check that forum above and see. I'm sure someone did some comparisons and got some answers for what they needed.
Peace,
Adam.
But, I think someone at Sony must've realised they should really activate the uploading thing properly and made it possible to convert to wav. Though, I haven't read about it for a while, so maybe that's not the best util. It may still be the one in the above link.
On the volume adjust thing, I really don't know. I haven't invested in one. But check that forum above and see. I'm sure someone did some comparisons and got some answers for what they needed.
Peace,
Adam.
Yes, I must have missed this link you sent earlier!
I searched the forum and looks as you can manually adjust the recording level BUT you have to do it before the concert starts. You can't adjust it while recording, which leads you to simply guess how loud it will be. Not an easy task..
Another drawback; when you stop the recording, the player goes automatically back to the automatic level adjustment?!?! This is not a good thing, as when you change the MD (1GB disc records up to 94 minutes of lossless audio), you must go back to the main menu and do all the manual adjustments again. This wouldn't be a problem otherwise but in the middle of the show, in the darkness, in a hurry to get the recorder back on, it will be a quite hassle.
On my Kenwood MD you can adjust the volume while recording and it really is a brilliant feature. Hopefully Sony will someday include this as well.
I searched the forum and looks as you can manually adjust the recording level BUT you have to do it before the concert starts. You can't adjust it while recording, which leads you to simply guess how loud it will be. Not an easy task..
Another drawback; when you stop the recording, the player goes automatically back to the automatic level adjustment?!?! This is not a good thing, as when you change the MD (1GB disc records up to 94 minutes of lossless audio), you must go back to the main menu and do all the manual adjustments again. This wouldn't be a problem otherwise but in the middle of the show, in the darkness, in a hurry to get the recorder back on, it will be a quite hassle.
On my Kenwood MD you can adjust the volume while recording and it really is a brilliant feature. Hopefully Sony will someday include this as well.
Yeah, sounds like a bit of hassle. But it's not hard to set correct levels before a concert. It's quite easy, for me at least, to guess as I've recorded concerts on the minidisc before. That, and I also have something called a juice booster that allows me to rarely clip/distort my recording. It's not impossible, but it helps make it less of a worry.
But yes, Sony need to get with it on that recording level thing. My Sharp MD allows me the same freedom as yours and it's a damn good thing. Menus... *Sigh*
Peace,
Adam.
But yes, Sony need to get with it on that recording level thing. My Sharp MD allows me the same freedom as yours and it's a damn good thing. Menus... *Sigh*
Peace,
Adam.
there is a thing i have experienced with sony hi-md and i have to tell you:
if you finish recording a md you have to wait for "data save" and "system file writing" before you can change the md.this takes about 30 sec +the time of changing the md and the batterie.so if you are good you can change your(full)md in about 45 sec.this is a lot of time in a live concert and thats the reason why i´ve decided to record my stuff on usual md with hi-sp mode(2,5h).an uncompressed 1gb hi-md lasts for 95 min the q+pr concerts vary between 120 and 140 min.
if you finish recording a md you have to wait for "data save" and "system file writing" before you can change the md.this takes about 30 sec +the time of changing the md and the batterie.so if you are good you can change your(full)md in about 45 sec.this is a lot of time in a live concert and thats the reason why i´ve decided to record my stuff on usual md with hi-sp mode(2,5h).an uncompressed 1gb hi-md lasts for 95 min the q+pr concerts vary between 120 and 140 min.
Simply one of the best topics ever =-)
Bootleggers is what keeps us the real die hard fans from going crazy.
Bootleggers is what keeps us the real die hard fans from going crazy.
45 seconds is a VERY long time! For my player it takes about 5 seconds to save the data and then I just quickly take the disc out and slide a new one in. All this takes around 10 seconds (which feels much longer as you are in a hurry LOL) as I don't have to change the battery. I use a brand new one for each recording and that lasts over 3 hours. There are not many bands that play a longer set than that..
Well, I took the plunge and got an Sony Hi-MD NH900. It's not bad at all. I love the fact that I can simply plug into a usb port and download my recordings! So simple and still faster than my digital playback method.
The 45 seconds thing doesn't ring true for me. I did a recording and it only took around 15-20 seconds. Granted, a gap still isn't good for recording. But I think Hi-SP or old MDSP is good enough for recording constant live stuff. And hey, there's hours of recording available! Even the old 74-80min MD's can handle a couple of hours recording!
And yes, I know the old MDSP mode still needs to be played back in order to record it. But at least it's all played back through the computer via the soundcard's internal wav option. Yup, same as the old digital playback method.
Unfortunately, after trying my Juice booster, I've found out that it's faulty! Damn it. And I haven't read the manual enough to disengage the Auto Gain Control. But at least it's a fairly easy unit for me. The PCM recordings sound sweet. I'm very impressed!
Peace,
Adam.
The 45 seconds thing doesn't ring true for me. I did a recording and it only took around 15-20 seconds. Granted, a gap still isn't good for recording. But I think Hi-SP or old MDSP is good enough for recording constant live stuff. And hey, there's hours of recording available! Even the old 74-80min MD's can handle a couple of hours recording!
And yes, I know the old MDSP mode still needs to be played back in order to record it. But at least it's all played back through the computer via the soundcard's internal wav option. Yup, same as the old digital playback method.
Unfortunately, after trying my Juice booster, I've found out that it's faulty! Damn it. And I haven't read the manual enough to disengage the Auto Gain Control. But at least it's a fairly easy unit for me. The PCM recordings sound sweet. I'm very impressed!
Peace,
Adam.
bttt
Quick tip time then.
Before going to the gig, ensure that you have already placed a 2 second clip on each disc you intend to use.
This means that when you eject a disc, the machine only has to perform a TOC upate rather than creating a new one from scratch. Saves vital seconds.
Cheers
Steven
Before going to the gig, ensure that you have already placed a 2 second clip on each disc you intend to use.
This means that when you eject a disc, the machine only has to perform a TOC upate rather than creating a new one from scratch. Saves vital seconds.
Cheers
Steven
Nice tip, Steven! I'd never considered that.
Another tip I came across on the http://forums.minidisc.org/ forums is this - Before going into the gig, set up your MD to record with guessed levels and leave it on pause. When you want to start recording, take off pause and then there's no need to fumble to start recording.
This seems to be especially useful with Hi-MD where there some menus to navigate to set recording levels, etc.
Haven't uploaded any recordings yet, so I'll try and update when I have.
Peace,
Adam.
Another tip I came across on the http://forums.minidisc.org/ forums is this - Before going into the gig, set up your MD to record with guessed levels and leave it on pause. When you want to start recording, take off pause and then there's no need to fumble to start recording.
This seems to be especially useful with Hi-MD where there some menus to navigate to set recording levels, etc.
Haven't uploaded any recordings yet, so I'll try and update when I have.
Peace,
Adam.