Re: [microsound] recording hardware

["jan.l" <jl@xxxxxxx>]

While I have no particular interest incurring the wrath of the powerful min=
idisc
lobbyists there are some considerations here.

Here in europe several broadcasting organsations use DAB as well as FM. DAB=
 is
digital audio transmissions and it uses lossy compression (if I remember
correctly it is MP2).=20

They dont allow the use of Minidisc f=F6r field recording due to the side e=
ffects
and interactions you get when using lossy comression (the minidisc uses ATR=
AC)
first in recording and then in transmission.

So if you are recording stuff for treatment and distortion it might not mat=
ter.
But if you are recording entire performances and think MP3-release you migh=
t
think again.

Depending on your application you might consider simply using your laptop a=
nd
put your money on good mics and conversion. Like this:
http://www.digidesign.com/products/mbox/systems/

My personal field recordings lately has been very low-level sounds and here=
 good
quality mic-preamps and mics are essential. I have been using an old Tascam
DAP-1 portable DAT-recorder which is quiet and has good preamps and it can =
power
good mics. =20

I also have a Minidisc (R50) but the mechanism makes some noise and the pre=
amps
are noisy and it is messy to set levels etc. And the R50 has no digital-out=
 but
newer minidisc probably have.

You are probably right that DAT and Minidisc are slowly dying.  They are bo=
th
being replaced with solid-state (Flash-RAM) or hard-disk solutions. But the=
re
will be no shortage of media as DAT is so widely used as backup-media in th=
e
computer world.

On 03-01-20 ghede@xxxxxxxx (Aaron Ximm) wrote:

>> There is a Minidisc unit out that does bidirectional USB transfers.
>> http://www.minidisc.org/part_HHB_MDP-500.html
>
>Well, re: your 'better job' recording, I don't want to reopen the tired
>old MD vs. DAT dispute, but it's worth commenting that 'sides' aside,=20
>DAT
>is genuinely dying in the marketplace, and that portadisc is widely used
>professionally and extremely well regarded.  If it wasn't a battery hog=20
>I
>would be using one.  When I didn't need to be stealthy.
>
>Well, one more thing I'm waiting for the USB transfers it does are
>realtime.  I can already to realtime digital transfers using a $200 Sony
>component deck with coaxial SPDIF and an appropriate soundcard...
>
>....what we really need is a portadisc (or consumer NetMD deck) that=20
>does
>faster-than-realtime transfers.  USB2 or firewire please.  I have=20
>perhaps
>foolish optimism that HHb will address this this year.
>
>My baroque EDL system lets me do 5x MD rips, and cranky as it is, I will
>never give it up until something surpasses it. I can't stand to rip
>things at realtime anymore (details: www.esdl.co.uk, they offer special
>non-commercial pricing if you write them...).
>
>Best,
> aaron
>
>  ghede@xxxxxxxx
>  http://www.quietamerican.org
>
>
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