I've heard it does some kind of lossy compression, is that right? I wouldn't know shit about MD because I've never had a use for it. But I'm pretty sure they make digital wave recorders if quality is what you seek.

Quite honestly I think you answer your own question. You got one for cheap, media is cheap, and you have an honest use for it that nothing else in the market that you could easily find could fulfill.

True, today's portable players are focused on built-in data storage (both HD and Flash mem) yet I personally haven't seen one with digital ins/outs. Given that, MD obviously doesn't have a future, but it has a present. So unless someone can shove a super wizzbang flash memory based unit in your face for 25 bucks, looks like you have a good temporary solution.

Some interesting, albiet pricier than 25 bucks, prospects here:

http://www.sweetwater.com/c860--Flash_Players_Recorders

Minidisc is a great format, its got really big storage and the ability to swap that storage out for a new one.
But realistically, it died when ipods got big enough to hold your ENTIRE music library. The other thing that kills it is I don't think it supports mp3 AND more important, its all too proprietry and there's stacks of copy protection.

Its a bit of a conflict of interests when sony owns the label and the media you use to record the music as well...

netmd is shit, no two ways about it - most of the recorders wont record raw, and you have the sony checkin/checkout bs to stop you actually using it for anything important.

normal MD, still is good. only downside is you have to do everything in realtime.

I use mine all the time in the studio.
Good format

quote:

Originally posted by ******** I just bought a MiniDisc recorder player so that I can record mixes and copy any radio shows or in studio activities or play back materials in relatively high quality direct on minidisc rather than through mp3 and a stereo 3.5 to rca stereo cable. I'm wondering if minidisc format actually has uses, and what type of player would fill the role of a portable minidisc recorder. For instance are there any cheap mp3 players that can record from a sound source or contain optical inputs and outputs in addition to USB? I paid about $25 for the think which seams pretty cheap imo, and the discs are also relatively cheap, as compared to even CD. Are these things totally obsolete? Is SD the way of the future and am I wasting my time with using MD? I basically got it so I can record in station and edit what I do there on computer and be able to playback stuff on the in station md player etc.. Any comments or flames on the minidisc format?

they are pretty much obsolete... but that doesn't mean they are useless. there are portable ones out now that use a 1gig md a lot less for less than a portable dat recorder. plus, you can keep re-using your md's over and over, like a cassette, but w/out loss in quality. of course the dat recorder will offer higher quality... but the md is a better value.

i still have my oldschool one that came out back in the '90's. what killed the MD is the price drop and improvement of cd recorders (stand alone, and computer). back in the day when phillips released their first consumer cd recorder, that thing was 600-700 dollars. my md recorder new was about 1/2 the price, or less. so naturally, i went w/the md.

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We'll be having the same thread about Sony's Blu-Ray Disc in a few years...

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BEATPORT

more analog, more sidechain

Last edited by CReddick on Jun-26-2007 at 00:36

Ok
I will admit it
in my car I have a MD head unit.
Not a cd player, not a cassette, but an MD, with a 10 disc cd changer in the trunk.

Loved the format and still use it lots for recording.

Last edited by Freak on Jun-27-2007 at 22:47

wow even the disc is mini and they can only build a 10 disc changer? what stingy *******s

edited for clarity- i meant cd changer

actually, they did do an md changer.
it had 4 discs, not even 10

quote:

Originally posted by Freak edited for clarity- i meant cd changer actually, they did do an md changer. it had 4 discs, not even 10

I had a 6 disc MD changer... i think i sold it on ebay for $50

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BEATPORT

more analog, more sidechain