Sony's inexpensive MD recorder at DVinfo.net

Mike Rehmus · January 5th, 2004, 08:54 PM

Sony has this $149 list price MD player/recorder with optical in and line in and out (RCA).

Sony MDSJE480 Full Size MiniDisc Player and Recorder

Anyone tried one? It looks like it would solve the transfer problem when using the portable MD recorders that do not have line out.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=277124&is=REG

Marco Leavitt · January 6th, 2004, 08:26 AM

I think optical out is what everybody has been wanting.

Adrian Douglas · January 6th, 2004, 10:22 PM

Marco hit it. Optical line out would be sweet but I don't think we will ever see it in a consumer music player. Sony don't seem to want people to use their consumer MDs as field recorders. I have an MZ-1 which has a USB cradle and software for transfers files but it will only transfer files created using the software package not ones created in the MDR.

Mike Rehmus · January 6th, 2004, 10:54 PM

Guys, I know what everyone wants. Me too.

I'm asking if anyone has used one of these puppies.

Analog line out is way good enough for Wedding videos and most voice-overs. Right now I use the earphone out through a mixer and it is OK. Certainly as OK as digital transfers from my PD150 (but not my DSR-300).

Bogdan Vaglarov · January 7th, 2004, 03:07 AM

I'm surprized to hear many stand alone MD decks doesn't have digital out.

I bought a mini combo system (Pioneer) 2 years ago and it's MD deck has 1 in and 2 outs (or vise versa - I can't recall now).

May be the price is concern - Sony should have more expensive models with all the in/outputs.

I bought the system second hand for less than 600$ (incl, CD/tuner, amp, speakers, tape deck and MD deck). If you calculate the single item is at a very decent price.

I used the MD deck for recording a project via the optical cable->USB audio interface->notebook with great success. Sure the results could be very close if used the analog out but I had the digital anyway.

Here the quality of the transfer depends not on the player but on the means to record to the computer. Using separate USB or Fire Wire interface (which cost more than the MD deck itself) is of a greater importance I think.

Recently I was checking M-Audio products - they have great FireWire with 4 inputs/4 outputs so you can use straight with mics or instruments.

J. Clayton Stansberry · January 7th, 2004, 12:37 PM

That's a great price...just wondering, if wanting to transfer to computer, it's still real time, correct? I wish there was some compatible format to record to MD and then just copy the file onto the computer without waiting for realtime...anyone know of any???

Mike Rehmus · January 7th, 2004, 06:04 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Bogdan Vaglarov : I'm surprized to hear many stand alone MD decks doesn't have digital out.
-->>>

The portable MD recorders that will fit in your pocket don't even have analog line out, let alone, digital in any form.

All of the Sony full-sized player/recorders do. But the other Sony's cost around $400 and up. This one is only $149 and seems OK for the purpose.

I do not believe there are any file transfer programs for these players.

In truth, the entire genre probably has a short life expectancy since the solid state recorders are so much more appealing and are dropping in price as their quality increases.

Bogdan Vaglarov · January 7th, 2004, 10:43 PM

Thats right Mike!
Older portable recorders have though. I have the MZ-R55 which has separate line out and phone jacks. Next model stripped the line out.

Yeah, the cheapest all featured deck shuld be in the 300-400$ range.

In Japan the popularity is also declining I guess so you can find second hand or on the net for a little less.

The bigest mistake from Sony who made the first net MD is they limited the high speed transfer to one way - from PC to the MD via USB.
If they change that and allow the vice versa it will be something.

Marco Leavitt · January 8th, 2004, 08:23 AM

"The portable MD recorders that will fit in your pocket don't even have analog line out, let alone, digital in any form."

Really? I thought most did now. Mine does.

"In truth, the entire genre probably has a short life expectancy since the solid state recorders are so much more appealing and are dropping in price as their quality increases."

Kind of makes it hard to justify buying a deck with optical out, doesn't it? It's too bad. Minidisc is such a great format.

Mike Rehmus · January 8th, 2004, 04:20 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Marco Leavitt : "The portable MD recorders that will fit in your pocket don't even have analog line out, let alone, digital in any form."

Really? I thought most did now. Mine does.

None of the Sony's do.

"In truth, the entire genre probably has a short life expectancy since the solid state recorders are so much more appealing and are dropping in price as their quality increases."

Kind of makes it hard to justify buying a deck with optical out, doesn't it? It's too bad. Minidisc is such a great format. -->>>

It does indeed. I just got the latest issue of EQ which focuses on laptop- and portable-based sound recording.

One of the suppliers is now building an attachment to a PDA/pocket PC for $199 that will capture good sound. Another $400 gets you a good set of pre-amps that hold the PDA in a cradle.

One can add an entire Pro-Tools setup to a laptop for $450, or add 12 channels to a laptop for $700 or so (not Pro-Tools).

I'd guess that we will see MP3 Player/recorders that can hang around the neck with a small pendant that is the whole 9-yards. Microphone, battery and solid-state recorder.

Will Fastie · January 12th, 2004, 10:59 AM

Any news of a Hi-MD model?

Christopher C. Murphy · January 12th, 2004, 11:10 AM

Hey, I'm a ProTools user on a laptop.

I'm kinda bummed and wondering why almost no one on here talks about the ProTools MBOX. It's amazing for the price - it's digital audio editing with pro features for a fraction of the cost. Also, the REAL bargain is the MBOX breakout box...it's got TWO XLR inputs, TWO 1/4" inputs...so much more.

It's great for field recording - my opinion is indie projects that are non-action would benefit most. It's not exactly mobile - even though we're talking a laptop. It's perfect for sitting on a table with wheels during your production. I think it's really pro-like when you have seperate audio - the sound person can have a little area to concentrate with headphones and monitor the whole thing. Unlike on-board audio - which is such a pain.

IMHO - I'd recommend anyone with a laptop checkout the ProTools MBOX. It's THE best way to get audio into a computer during a shoot for less than $450. I'd even go so far to say...it's the best kept secret in field audio.

Murph

Mike Rehmus · January 12th, 2004, 12:50 PM

I think most of us don't work with a full crew for a lot of reasons.

A M-Box, while nice, does require a space all its own and a computer.

So the sound person has to be both sound person and knowledgable about the computer and its use as a sound recorder. Frequently that would mean at least 2 people for sound. One to run the system and one to manage the microphone.

For my work, that is too expensive. I can hire a single sound person with a body-slung mixer and recorder or feed to my camera who can also run a microphone boom at the same time.

And when size is very important, such as a backup recording device at weddings, the M-Box is bigger than the entire MD recording system.

I'll probably get an M-Box for my editing studio just so I can use Pro-Tools. That is as soon as they stop charging an arm and a leg for the DV compatible add-on software. Otherwise, in my opinion and for my applications, it is very little better than a $150 USB audio box.

January 5th, 2004, 08:54 PM	#1
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	Sony's inexpensive MD recorder/Player with Line Out Sony has this $149 list price MD player/recorder with optical in and line in and out (RCA). Sony MDSJE480 Full Size MiniDisc Player and Recorder Anyone tried one? It looks like it would solve the transfer problem when using the portable MD recorders that do not have line out. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=277124&is=REG __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

January 6th, 2004, 10:22 PM	#3
Adrian Douglas Trustee Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Chigasaki, Japan. Posts: 1,660	Marco hit it. Optical line out would be sweet but I don't think we will ever see it in a consumer music player. Sony don't seem to want people to use their consumer MDs as field recorders. I have an MZ-1 which has a USB cradle and software for transfers files but it will only transfer files created using the software package not ones created in the MDR. __________________ Adrian DVInfo.net Search for quick answers Where to buy? From the best in the business...DVInfo.net sponsors

January 6th, 2004, 10:54 PM	#4
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	Guys, I know what everyone wants. Me too. I'm asking if anyone has used one of these puppies. Analog line out is way good enough for Wedding videos and most voice-overs. Right now I use the earphone out through a mixer and it is OK. Certainly as OK as digital transfers from my PD150 (but not my DSR-300). __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

January 7th, 2004, 12:37 PM	#6
J. Clayton Stansberry Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Colorado Posts: 316	That's a great price...just wondering, if wanting to transfer to computer, it's still real time, correct? I wish there was some compatible format to record to MD and then just copy the file onto the computer without waiting for realtime...anyone know of any??? __________________ I understand everything about nothing.

January 7th, 2004, 06:04 PM	#7
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	<<<-- Originally posted by Bogdan Vaglarov : I'm surprized to hear many stand alone MD decks doesn't have digital out. -->>> The portable MD recorders that will fit in your pocket don't even have analog line out, let alone, digital in any form. All of the Sony full-sized player/recorders do. But the other Sony's cost around $400 and up. This one is only $149 and seems OK for the purpose. I do not believe there are any file transfer programs for these players. In truth, the entire genre probably has a short life expectancy since the solid state recorders are so much more appealing and are dropping in price as their quality increases. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

January 6th, 2004, 08:26 AM	#2
Marco Leavitt Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Albany, NY 12210 Posts: 2,652	I think optical out is what everybody has been wanting.

January 7th, 2004, 03:07 AM	#5
Bogdan Vaglarov Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Yokohama, Japan Posts: 366	I'm surprized to hear many stand alone MD decks doesn't have digital out. I bought a mini combo system (Pioneer) 2 years ago and it's MD deck has 1 in and 2 outs (or vise versa - I can't recall now). May be the price is concern - Sony should have more expensive models with all the in/outputs. I bought the system second hand for less than 600$ (incl, CD/tuner, amp, speakers, tape deck and MD deck). If you calculate the single item is at a very decent price. I used the MD deck for recording a project via the optical cable->USB audio interface->notebook with great success. Sure the results could be very close if used the analog out but I had the digital anyway. Here the quality of the transfer depends not on the player but on the means to record to the computer. Using separate USB or Fire Wire interface (which cost more than the MD deck itself) is of a greater importance I think. Recently I was checking M-Audio products - they have great FireWire with 4 inputs/4 outputs so you can use straight with mics or instruments.

January 7th, 2004, 10:43 PM	#8
Bogdan Vaglarov Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Yokohama, Japan Posts: 366	Thats right Mike! Older portable recorders have though. I have the MZ-R55 which has separate line out and phone jacks. Next model stripped the line out. Yeah, the cheapest all featured deck shuld be in the 300-400$ range. In Japan the popularity is also declining I guess so you can find second hand or on the net for a little less. The bigest mistake from Sony who made the first net MD is they limited the high speed transfer to one way - from PC to the MD via USB. If they change that and allow the vice versa it will be something.

January 8th, 2004, 08:23 AM	#9
Marco Leavitt Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Albany, NY 12210 Posts: 2,652	"The portable MD recorders that will fit in your pocket don't even have analog line out, let alone, digital in any form." Really? I thought most did now. Mine does. "In truth, the entire genre probably has a short life expectancy since the solid state recorders are so much more appealing and are dropping in price as their quality increases." Kind of makes it hard to justify buying a deck with optical out, doesn't it? It's too bad. Minidisc is such a great format.

January 8th, 2004, 04:20 PM	#10
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	<<<-- Originally posted by Marco Leavitt : "The portable MD recorders that will fit in your pocket don't even have analog line out, let alone, digital in any form." Really? I thought most did now. Mine does. None of the Sony's do. "In truth, the entire genre probably has a short life expectancy since the solid state recorders are so much more appealing and are dropping in price as their quality increases." Kind of makes it hard to justify buying a deck with optical out, doesn't it? It's too bad. Minidisc is such a great format. -->>> It does indeed. I just got the latest issue of EQ which focuses on laptop- and portable-based sound recording. One of the suppliers is now building an attachment to a PDA/pocket PC for $199 that will capture good sound. Another $400 gets you a good set of pre-amps that hold the PDA in a cradle. One can add an entire Pro-Tools setup to a laptop for $450, or add 12 channels to a laptop for $700 or so (not Pro-Tools). I'd guess that we will see MP3 Player/recorders that can hang around the neck with a small pendant that is the whole 9-yards. Microphone, battery and solid-state recorder. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

January 12th, 2004, 10:59 AM	#11
Will Fastie Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Jarrettsville, MD Posts: 353	Any news of a Hi-MD model?

January 12th, 2004, 11:10 AM	#12
Christopher C. Murphy Trustee Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 1,707	Hey, I'm a ProTools user on a laptop. I'm kinda bummed and wondering why almost no one on here talks about the ProTools MBOX. It's amazing for the price - it's digital audio editing with pro features for a fraction of the cost. Also, the REAL bargain is the MBOX breakout box...it's got TWO XLR inputs, TWO 1/4" inputs...so much more. It's great for field recording - my opinion is indie projects that are non-action would benefit most. It's not exactly mobile - even though we're talking a laptop. It's perfect for sitting on a table with wheels during your production. I think it's really pro-like when you have seperate audio - the sound person can have a little area to concentrate with headphones and monitor the whole thing. Unlike on-board audio - which is such a pain. IMHO - I'd recommend anyone with a laptop checkout the ProTools MBOX. It's THE best way to get audio into a computer during a shoot for less than $450. I'd even go so far to say...it's the best kept secret in field audio. Murph __________________ Christopher C. Murphy Director, Producer, Writer

January 12th, 2004, 12:50 PM	#13
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	I think most of us don't work with a full crew for a lot of reasons. A M-Box, while nice, does require a space all its own and a computer. So the sound person has to be both sound person and knowledgable about the computer and its use as a sound recorder. Frequently that would mean at least 2 people for sound. One to run the system and one to manage the microphone. For my work, that is too expensive. I can hire a single sound person with a body-slung mixer and recorder or feed to my camera who can also run a microphone boom at the same time. And when size is very important, such as a backup recording device at weddings, the M-Box is bigger than the entire MD recording system. I'll probably get an M-Box for my editing studio just so I can use Pro-Tools. That is as soon as they stop charging an arm and a leg for the DV compatible add-on software. Otherwise, in my opinion and for my applications, it is very little better than a $150 USB audio box. __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!