Downloading from Minidisk

[tony_p]

Hi,

Me again and Thanks to all those that answered my other post, over 30 replies and counting, blimey you are a clever bunch.

Right, to get to my point.

I want to download a test recording or maybe I can use one of my past recordings (will I not lose my precious recording), whatever I choose. All recordings are/were done in stereo mode on the Sony MZ-NH1 and more recently the Sharp MD as listed below.

Right I have 3 working MD player/recorders all of varying age, so which do I use to my downloading. These are as follows.

A Sony MZ-NH1 as per http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_MZ-N1.html
A Sharp MD-MT280E (unlisted on aforementioned website)
A Sony MZ-NH600 player as per http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_MZ-NH600D.html

As far as I can gather only the last named is Hi-MD compatable

So firstly which if it does really differ, is the best and easiest to use for downloading. I will be using Audacity as suggested as long as I can get my head around it.

Off to download Audacity and check for a decent recording in the meantime.

I have now read all the other posts on my previous post and now plan to execute some actions.

Regards

Tony

[ermine]

Right I have 3 working MD player/recorders all of varying age, so which do I use to my downloading. These are as follows.

A Sony MZ-NH1 as per http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_MZ-N1.html
A Sharp MD-MT280E (unlisted on aforementioned website)
A Sony MZ-NH600 player as per http://www.minidisc.org/part_Sony_MZ-NH600D.html

As far as I can gather only the last named is Hi-MD compatable

So firstly which if it does really differ, is the best and easiest to use for downloading. I will be using Audacity as suggested as long as I can get my head around it.



Tony,

For future recording you may want to consider HiMD, because you will be able to digitally download. Unfortunately the only HiMD deck of your three does not have a microphone input, so that isn't possible with what you have at the moment. You would have to get at least a Mz-NH700, perhaps off ebay. So let's work with what you've got.

You will be using analogue transfer, which will still give you pretty good results. The process is described in this post (http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=544933&postcount=18) . Any of your MD decks will work for that - choose whichever one is easiest to control playback from. After you've got the process working from one you might want to test the others to see if the quiet parts of the recording are better with one model than another but there shouldn't be much difference.

[tony_p]

Thanks again Ermine,

To transfer your MD recordings, get a 3.5mm stereo jack to jack lead. Connect one end to the MD recorder headphone output and set the MD volume control to about 75% of full scale. Connect the other end your computer sound card line input (not the mic in). Adjust record levels (on a PC) with the sound mixer - in the record panel select line in. Set Audacity to 44.1kHz stereo 16 bits.

I've got as far as the 44.1kHz Stereo bit above, so I need to do this? Where is it, I'll have a fiddle.

The recording is playing through my speakers as I speak and I'm impressed as it's the first time I've listened through the PC speakers, mind you I do use an expensive Sony Microphone (£200) to achieve these results.

Blackbirds, Dunnocks, Rooks all at it in the garden earlier.

Now onwards.

Cheers from a definite PC novice.

Tony

[ermine]

I've got as far as the 44.1kHz Stereo bit above, so I need to do this? Where is it, I'll have a fiddle.


Sounds like you're all set. This adjustment is under Edit -> Preferences and should look like this

http://www.suffolkbirds.co.uk/images/audset.jpg

[tony_p]

Sounds like you're all set. This adjustment is under Edit -> Preferences and should look like this

http://www.suffolkbirds.co.uk/images/audset.jpg

Yes, Now what?

Sorry to be a pain.

Should I email you direct or are we ok on here like this, do the moderators mind? It won't be long and I'll be flying.

Tony