Topic: New hi-md questions (quality, transfers)

[vansmack]

Well my sony rh10 will arrive tomorrow and I was wondering if the ATRAC3plus encoding at 256kbps is decent for recording live shows...I will record most shows in PCM (16bits/44.1khz...but with the 1:38 max record time, longer festival type shows with 4-6 bands I was hoping I could use the 256 mode...since it can fit around 7 hours on a 1 gig disc.  I'm kinda pissed because i spent 300.00 on a home md player recorder with optical line in/out.  My old sharp unit recently died. Now my unit won't play hi-md discs.  I've heard differing stories on a digital transfer with the just released hi-md models.  Does anyone have a definite answer?  Could I just connect my md to the optical in on my computers soundcard and record in real time?  Thanks

[Wedge]

I'm not an audiophile, and I use Hi-SP for my recordings and am quite happy with the results.

Here are 2 examples, from the same show night - Judas Priest and Scorpions, Cardiff International Arena, March 30, 2005.

CMC-2 > SP-SPSB-1 (flat) > MZ-NH1 (Hi-SP) > SS3.0 > .wav

The only processing I have done is transfer via Sonic Stage 3 to Wav, and then amplify using Audacity.  Then convert to .mp3 using Audacity/Lame.  No equalization or normalisation.  So these are just louder versions of the Raw recording (converted to .mp3).

http://www.aqsl13.dsl.pipex.com/Scorpions%20The%20Zoo.mp3

http://www.aqsl13.dsl.pipex.com/Judas%20Priest%20Metal%20Gods.mp3

[vansmack]

Is the PCM noticeably better?

[Wedge]

Regarding your question about optical line in, I doubt that the Hi-MD unit you are getting has got a digital out - it is a long time since any sony portable MD unit had an optical out.

Quite simply, you use Sonic Stage 3 to upload over USB, which will then convert to .Wav for you.

For more information, take a look at the minidisc.org forums, in particular, this thread may help:

http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=7436

As to whether PCM is noticeably better?  I've been told it is, but my ear can't tell the difference, certainly not with the kind of music I tape.  I would willingly sacrifice whatever slight loss of fidelity there is in order to keep the disc running rather than have to swap discs.  Recording in Hi-SP mode on an 80 minute MD gives around 2 hours 20 minutes.  On a Hi-MD disc, its over 7 hours.

Right now, I don't trust the Hi-MD discs due to having an error on the first one I've used - luckily it wasn't for recording a show - just putting music from CD onto to listen to in work.

I can only suggest that you try out the two methods using the same source at home, and see what you think.

[vansmack]

Has anyone else had trouble with errors on the hi-md media?  Man i bought 4 at 7.00 a piece.  I guess i will test each disc out before taking them out to tape.  When using my sharp md...many of the 80 min md''s were crap except for the colored Sony's...I was hoping the Sony Hi-mds were of equal quality. 

[Wedge]

Well, actually, it may not have been a problem with the disc itself, it may have been a problem with the transfer from computer but still, unless what I'm recording is likely to go over 2:20, I will stick to my trusty TDK 80 minute MDs.

[vansmack]

Can a transfer be truely digital with hi-md??  Also when hooking your mics via line in does the minidisc record digital line in or analog line in?  Or is this an option on the minidisc recorder itself?  I know I can't transfer to wave if I record with digital in.

[Roamer]

The MD and SonicStage will known if you're recording analog or digital and mic > line-in hopefully counts as analog.
You can record digital if you want, but the manual strongly suggest that the HiMD will resample the input. I don't think there is any HiMD deck with digital out on the market, SonicStage/WavConversion Tool from Sony will not let you convert to wav something recorded digitally. Only option i can see is using HiMDRenderer ( http://marcnetsystem.co.uk/ ) . But recently i made an analog PCM recording, then exporting to wav with SonicStage and HiMDRenderer, and finally comparing the result with EAC, and there are samples differences ... I'll try to do some more testing, but even if you can record and export digitally, i don't think you can get a bit perfect recording.
EDIT : I forgot, there's one more way to get the wav out, and that should work with digital recording as well. Use TotalRecorder or your favorite audio editor (CoolEdit/Wavelab/SoundForge/Audacity ...), play your uploaded file in SonicStage, and record with TR while playing.

[vansmack]

Well i got my new Sony Rh10 today......The display is awesome.....not too impressed compared to my old Sharp 480H....I hate having to select manual record levels every time I turn on the unit...very lame....anyways one problem i'm having is when recording when theres a short silence and when the sound returns the track goes from track 1 to track 2, etc.  I have synth. set to off....any ideas regarding this?? 

[Danielle]

Well i got my new Sony Rh10 today......The display is awesome.....not too impressed compared to my old Sharp 480H....I hate having to select manual record levels every time I turn on the unit...very lame....anyways one problem i'm having is when recording when theres a short silence and when the sound returns the track goes from track 1 to track 2, etc.  I have synth. set to off....any ideas regarding this?? 

You have to turn off the auto tracking feature.  Press, record then pause to bring up the recording options menu, then find the autotrack option and click to off.