Topic: MD Recording Question/Problem

[YJ2K]

I was at the Dream Theater show last night in KC and was recording the show using my new mics/preamp and Sharp 722 MiniDisc. I had to switch discs before the first set was over and only needed 10 minutes of the second disc to finish set one. I hit stop, then stop again and it wrote the TOC. We had a 15 minute intermission and I resumed recording. It looked as if it were recording because I had the levels going and the timer was running. They were right towards the end of In The Name Of God when the disc ran out. I thought I still had a couple more minutes, but apparently not. When I pulled the unit out, the display was blank. All I can guess is that since I didn't stop it manually and write the TOC, that everything after the first TOC at 10 minutes just vanished. Is that true?

I did a test this morning (without mics), and had the unit record a few tracks with me stopping it as I did last night and writing the TOC after each and it worked fine. So, is my assumption correct that since I didn't write the TOC, that is why I lost the whole 70 or so minutes by it running itself to the end?

How can I avoid this in the future? I have tried telling the MD to have the MARK OFF so it would do one long track and I could just look at the display for the time remaining, but it still cuts it into tracks for some reason (does the unit need to be looked at? I bought it used from a friend who had barely used it). When I stopped the recording at 10 minutes on disc two, should I have only hit stop once and not a second time to write the TOC? Could I have resumed again after intermission had I done that? Or should I have hit pause and just let it sit for the 15 minutes? I am thinking that I did it right by stopping it and writing the TOC, but with the MARK OFF not working correctly, I was unaware of how much time was left and that I could have saved the recording had I stopped it again prior to the disc running out. Is it even possible that the recording is there and the MD just doesn't see it? I wouldn't think so, but hell, it doesn't hurt to ask.

Agh. I am frustrated. The show was incredible. They played Kansas' Paradox in the second set, and now it is forever lost (unless MP releases his copy). Any suggestions/advice are welcome and greatly appreciated. I don't want this to happen at Rush in June. Thanks guys.

[mattb]

You may be able to recover that disc if you haven't written anything to it by performing a TOC clone. Look up TOC cloning at minidisc.org for more info.

Basically, the audio is there but there's no table of contents to tell the machine that it's there. If you can replace that TOC with one that says the disc is one long track you can recover the audio.
In the long run you'd be better off with a DAT deck or JB3 IMO.
Good luck!

[Chanher]

yeah I'm still a MD user and I'm so ready to get a jb3, but I'd really like to wait for the pda etc. to drop in price/become more stable.

[YJ2K]

Wow... HOPE!

Thanks Matt!

[YJ2K]

I've been hunting around on the net, and cannot find out how to add the TOC to the end for my model.

Does anyone know how to go about this for the Sharp 722?

[vansmack]

YJ2K, If it makes you fell any better, I taped the 3-6-04 show in Hollywood where they played there whole 1st album and were joined on the encores by there orignal singer and keyboardist. I could mail you a copy for shipping charges or do a b&p for you.  I use a sharp md480h.  If you hit display a couple times the unit should show total time remining for your disc.  I made a quick disc change at the the 70 minute mark and didn't miss any music they stopped for like 30 seconds.  I wondered if it was to be taper friendly?

[YJ2K]

Just want to up this to the top in case some people that might be able to help haven't had the chance to see it. Basically I just need to know if I can get a TOC onto the end of an MD that didn't write it. Quick overview: Used an MD for 10 minutes, stopped it, wrote TOC. Resumed 15 minutes later and it used the whole disc, stopped itself when out of room and didn't write the TOC. How do I get a TOC on the end.

Thanks!