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MD is still used since most mp3 players do not work as recorders.

No, but there's a whole market of HD and flash-based portable recorders, many of which will also record 24-bit uncompressed audio. If you're serious about the recording quality, you don't want mp3 or ATRAC compression getting in the way.

M-Audio Transit available now. Digital audio in/out via USB.

I can walk into the local mall and buy a minidisk at Target, Best Buy, and Circuit City.

You used to be able to get DAT recorders at MARS Music (before the chain went bankrupt last summer).

These are just US places. From the minidisc web sites, like MiniDisco it seems the things are even more popular outside the USA.

I agree, Sony missed a big opportunity here. Perhaps it was just before its time, MD-DATA showed up in 1994 before most people needed so much storage. The first drive they introduced cost $769, and very few were sold. There is a list of all the MD-DATA devices here. most of them are digital cameras, there are a few PC drives at the bottom of the page. You can still buy the data discs at Minidisco for $12.99 each... pretty steep for 140 megabytes. It seems like a format that came too early and was too expensive combined with almost no marketing at all by Sony. It never came down in price and never caught on.

I had been looking at Minidisks for recording, and while its nice that they are so small, i just can't stand the idea of waiting around to transfer two hours of recorded sound to my computer. I still might buy one (a sharp model), but i'm looking at these alternatives instead:

The MR-8 8-Track Digital Recorder "Genuine 16-bit/44.1kHz uncompressed linear sound quality. 2-track simultaneous recording and 8-track playback is just the tip of the iceberg. 38 self-illuminating keys, 13 knobs, and 7 smooth-moving faders combined with a 128x64 backlit LCD make it way easier to operate than any other full-featured digital recorder. Onboard guitar distortion, amp modeling, built-in mic, mic modeling, digital reverb and delay section, plus advanced editing and archiving features make stellar demos a breeze. Mastering effect for stereo bus, USB port for WAV transfer to PC, and optical S/PDIF out. Battery or included power supply operation."

SME Marantz PMD222 " Portable 3-head, 2-Speed Cassette Recorder with XLR"

NOMAD Jukebox 3

" # 20GB storage space holds up to 8000 songs encoded in WMA at 80kbps or 5000 MP3s encoded at 128kbps. 40GB of the storage space doubles that!
# High audio quality: 98dB Signal-to-Noise Ratio Playback
# Frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz
# Maximum output 100mW
# Analog/Optical Line-In for direct high quality recording from external audio devices
# Firewire (IEEE 1394) and USB 1.1 Transfer
# Second Battery Bay: Up to 11 hours of continuous playtime with one lithium-ion rechargable battery, up to 22 hours of uninterrupted playback with both batteries
# Quick and easy navigation Scroller to find songs in seconds
# Smart Volume Management (SVM) for normalization of audio output
# AudioSync to synchronize your PC music library to the NOMAD Jukebox 3
# Anti-skip protection of up to 7 mins for smooth listening
# EAX-enabled
# Time-Scaling - Speed up or slow down audio playback without distortion
# Creative File Manager - Use the player as a portable storage device
# Personalization features: LCD color, faceplates, accessories, startup logos"
(according to some sites, i'd need a mic preamp to record with this)


Theres a whole section dedicated to "uploading facilities" here: http://www.minidisc.org/

have you looked here: http://www.minidisco.com/netmd-info.html ?
sounds like the open/nmd project might be for you.

and to all of those giving this guy crap for his netmd - i have one and love it. i tested out an ipod last week for a few days. different but no better.

the netmd battery lasts longer, there is no gap between tracks and no penalty for long tracks. it can record easily. (for someone who listens to lots of mix cds and dj mixes, the benefits are esp important.)

it just depends on what you want to do with it.

Minidiscs do use Atrac3 but the newer MD players have adjusted the atrac encoding format (called MDLP) to allow for longer play times with marginal quality losses. try minidisco for a great resource and more info.

Check out the new MiniDisc Recorders. They have the new NetMD technology, that lets you drag and drop mp3's to an MD at 32x real-time. And MDLP lets you record up to 320 minutes in stereo on a $1.50 disc. They have a USB port built into the unit. The Sony MZ-n505 Model is only $135, now that's a damn good deal.

there are newer NetMD recorders out there, with USB inputs; not sure on the transfer speed, but i believe that it's 32x max. check minidisco for more info on features n pricing.

I would love to have one of these, as I am a very light sleeper.

That being said, the technology is the same thing as noise cancelling head phones (such as these, these, or these). These headphones simply rock if you have not tried them.

alternatively, you can use more traditional methods to quiet things down, like insulation. Putting some dynamat in your car will really dampen the noise and make it nice.


One thing I have always wanted to try for fun, is get a really sophisticated sound cancellation system with many microphones and many large speakers to broadcast the "anti"sound, and put it in a large area like a park or the mall.

then, don't tell anyone about it and watch the puzzled look on people's faces when they can't hear each other.

maybe it's not possible, but I sure do think it would be funny.

Copy protection is built-in; there are no digital outs on any minidiscs.

(Now, if you would've said "Weak copy-protection is built into the spec via SCMS", you would've been right)

Copy protection is built-in; there are no digital outs on any minidiscs.

(Now, if you would've said "Weak copy-protection is built into the spec via SCMS", you would've been right)

The units themselves are tiny (most of them are in the 80x16x75mm range) and weigh almost nothing (the Sharp MD-MT770 weighs 128g). The discs are infinitely re-recordable and cost about $1.50 each.

Depending on the level of compression you record at, shock protection can be up to 160 seconds. Most units have rechargeable batteries and can also use an extra AA for backup yielding incredible battery life -- the MT770 for example can play up to 49 hours on the highest compression level (35 on the regular SP mode).

One of the coolest advantages they have over mp3 players is that you can record concerts at virtually CD quality sound. Plug a microphone into the in-jack and you can bootleg with ease. Most of the latest recorders feature manually adjustable recording levels (while recording!), automatic 3/5/10 minute timestamping, audio syncing and optical line-in (which means you can optically record mp3s from a computer equipped with optical-out). Some of the Sony recorders (MZ-R700DPC for example) ship with external D/A converter that connects the MD's digital input with your computer's USB port, which makes recording all internet audio formats quite easy.

You can shuffle tracks around on a disc on the fly, delete them, insert new ones and of course there are the usual random/repeat play modes.

You can get an entry-level MDLP (2x/4x recording) player/recorder for around $215. Compared to paying $90 for each 256mb flashcard, they are really cost efficient.

I have a Sharp MD-MT77 which I am quite happy with. I make 5 hour playlists in xmms, plug the recorder into my soundcard's line-out and make mix MDs. 5 hours is a lot of space to work with -- and the quality is quite decent. At 2x (160 minutes), recordings sound virtually like CD quality.

Check out minidisc.org for more information, or minidisco.com for a run-down on most of the available models.

If you don't need any inputs or digital connectors, there's also the Xitel An-1, which I've not tried but is only $40. Ignore all the minidisc talk if you like; it's just a USB-to-analog audio converter. I don't have one myself, but the linux-usb database says it works.
--
// mlc, user 16290

If you don't need any inputs or digital connectors, there's also the Xitel An-1, which I've not tried but is only $40. Ignore all the minidisc talk if you like; it's just a USB-to-analog audio converter. I don't have one myself, but the linux-usb database says it works.
--
// mlc, user 16290

When Minidisc first came out, there was a data version. However (get this) the audio and data disks were different and not interoperable. You can still go buy a MD Data disk, if you want, at Minidisco. However, they're $13.49 each!

I remember seeing MD data drives a LONG time ago. But I haven't seen one marketed in years. There is still no really easy way to title audio disks without buying one of the expensive decks. Bah humbug.

Minidisc isn't exactly dead...

At the risk of sounding redundant, MiniDisc is exactly what you want...
It can store 74 minutes of high-quality stereo on a 2.5" disc, housed in a protective cover. the media is cheap and you can get it anywhere, no need to buy expensive flash cards.
when recording in mono on a standard recodring walkman, the recodring time is doubled. the newer models from Sony can recodr up to 320 minutes in MDLP mode on one disc, check out the MZ-R900 on Minidisco.

i've had a MZ-R50 for many years now, and it's still going strong, they are built to last.

it's a sony...


Verbing Weirds Language.

Looks like somebody forgot to close a quote in that HTML there. Take a look at


http://minidisco.com/minispecs/lunchbots.html


To see the ninja soup bowl things.

Taco screwed up the link, here's the right one:
Ninja Assassin

Some of the article was lost in a missing end href tag... It should be: morphs into a Ninja Asassin.While we're talking about Japanese stuff, Ant is back with Mathamat...

Japan has all the latest MiniDisc recorders/players about 6mo-1year ahead of the US. All the buttons are in English, and instructions are usually in some english with diagrams easy enough to understand. Check out MiniDisco who imports Japan's latest models to the US for an idea of what to get, you'd prolly save by having your friend pick one up while he's there though. That, and schoolgirl uniforms/porn, if you're into that sort of thing.

MP3 players are all the rage, but everyone seems to be overlooking one major flaw: flash memory is really expensive. 64 MB of songs just isn't enough, even for a bus ride to work. What you need is a format that is cheaper than flash, but just as portable and durable.

Independent-minded techies will want to take a good, long look at getting their hands on MiniDisc hardware. Tiny, durable, long battery life, and $2.50 for 74 min. of nearly indestructible, rewritable, random-access storage is hard to beat. The sound quality on recent units is really CD-quality, considerably better than 128Kbps MP3. 12 hour battery life is nothing to sneeze at, either.

Portable recorder units like the Sony MZ-R90 can be had for around $320, while a player like the E60 or E75 is around $200. Pick up a home deck to go with a player-only model, and you're set. Minidisco and Planet MiniDisc are good sources of equipment and discs.

If you're in the Playstation-2-on-eBay price range, then the Ghibli ga Ippai, or Full of Ghibli, laserdisc boxed set is what you need. All of Studio Ghibli's wonderful films (except Princess Mononoke, which it predates) are collected in one box, with high-quality laserdisc transfers. No subtitles, though; you'll have to print out translated scripts unless your Japanese is really good. A new set would have cost Y98000, or about $1000. Unfortunately, it is now out of print, so you will have to either a) check eBay daily or b) get friends in Japan to scour the dusty back shelves of anime shops. Good luck. (Selling one?)

MP3 players are all the rage, but everyone seems to be overlooking one major flaw: flash memory is really expensive. 64 MB of songs just isn't enough, even for a bus ride to work. What you need is a format that is cheaper than flash, but just as portable and durable.

Independent-minded techies will want to take a good, long look at getting their hands on MiniDisc hardware. Tiny, durable, long battery life, and $2.50 for 74 min. of nearly indestructible, rewritable, random-access storage is hard to beat. The sound quality on recent units is really CD-quality, considerably better than 128Kbps MP3. 12 hour battery life is nothing to sneeze at, either.

Portable recorder units like the Sony MZ-R90 can be had for around $320, while a player like the E60 or E75 is around $200. Pick up a home deck to go with a player-only model, and you're set. Minidisco and Planet MiniDisc are good sources of equipment and discs.

If you're in the Playstation-2-on-eBay price range, then the Ghibli ga Ippai, or Full of Ghibli, laserdisc boxed set is what you need. All of Studio Ghibli's wonderful films (except Princess Mononoke, which it predates) are collected in one box, with high-quality laserdisc transfers. No subtitles, though; you'll have to print out translated scripts unless your Japanese is really good. A new set would have cost Y98000, or about $1000. Unfortunately, it is now out of print, so you will have to either a) check eBay daily or b) get friends in Japan to scour the dusty back shelves of anime shops. Good luck. (Selling one?)

MP3 players are all the rage, but everyone seems to be overlooking one major flaw: flash memory is really expensive. 64 MB of songs just isn't enough, even for a bus ride to work. What you need is a format that is cheaper than flash, but just as portable and durable.

Independent-minded techies will want to take a good, long look at getting their hands on MiniDisc hardware. Tiny, durable, long battery life, and $2.50 for 74 min. of nearly indestructible, rewritable, random-access storage is hard to beat. The sound quality on recent units is really CD-quality, considerably better than 128Kbps MP3. 12 hour battery life is nothing to sneeze at, either.

Portable recorder units like the Sony MZ-R90 can be had for around $320, while a player like the E60 or E75 is around $200. Pick up a home deck to go with a player-only model, and you're set. Minidisco and Planet MiniDisc are good sources of equipment and discs.

If you're in the Playstation-2-on-eBay price range, then the Ghibli ga Ippai, or Full of Ghibli, laserdisc boxed set is what you need. All of Studio Ghibli's wonderful films (except Princess Mononoke, which it predates) are collected in one box, with high-quality laserdisc transfers. No subtitles, though; you'll have to print out translated scripts unless your Japanese is really good. A new set would have cost Y98000, or about $1000. Unfortunately, it is now out of print, so you will have to either a) check eBay daily or b) get friends in Japan to scour the dusty back shelves of anime shops. Good luck. (Selling one?)

MP3 players are all the rage, but everyone seems to be overlooking one major flaw: flash memory is really expensive. 64 MB of songs just isn't enough, even for a bus ride to work. What you need is a format that is cheaper than flash, but just as portable and durable.

Independent-minded techies will want to take a good, long look at getting their hands on MiniDisc hardware. Tiny, durable, long battery life, and $2.50 for 74 min. of nearly indestructible, rewritable, random-access storage is hard to beat. The sound quality on recent units is really CD-quality, considerably better than 128Kbps MP3. 12 hour battery life is nothing to sneeze at, either.

Portable recorder units like the Sony MZ-R90 can be had for around $320, while a player like the E60 or E75 is around $200. Pick up a home deck to go with a player-only model, and you're set. Minidisco and Planet MiniDisc are good sources of equipment and discs.

If you're in the Playstation-2-on-eBay price range, then the Ghibli ga Ippai, or Full of Ghibli, laserdisc boxed set is what you need. All of Studio Ghibli's wonderful films (except Princess Mononoke, which it predates) are collected in one box, with high-quality laserdisc transfers. No subtitles, though; you'll have to print out translated scripts unless your Japanese is really good. A new set would have cost Y98000, or about $1000. Unfortunately, it is now out of print, so you will have to either a) check eBay daily or b) get friends in Japan to scour the dusty back shelves of anime shops. Good luck. (Selling one?)

First, MD only holds ~120M. The transfer rate of the audio MDs is 256kbps which is the rate at which the audio is encoded. Sony had developed a Data MD standard and even a SCSI MD drive, but transfer rate was about the same as a 1x CD-ROM, the discs are still used in some multitrack recording systems. Sony has recently came out with a high density MD which they call MD^2 or MD View depending on the day of the week, this disc stores 640MB and was originally (IIRC) to be used as the PS2's software format. However both the MD Data and MD^2 discs run about $15 a piece, still less than Memory Stick, but still not the $2 that an audio disc costs.

Take a look at minidisc.org and Minidicso for see some prices...