Dat, iPod, MP3 or Minidisc to capture sounds?
 

What is the best method to capture various sounds? I will be using my iMac, so I know that there are Sony Minidisc issues (right?!).

I am interested in capturing ambient sounds (racetracks, cities, buskers....) and already have a Sony ECM 908 mic.

I intend to use them in my DV editing in iMovie.

Thanks!

I have been using the iRiver recorders (700 series) they work great.Get the 1 gb model if you can.
One problem is to record mono(single channel) you have to invert the left and right channels with an adapter(I made mine)
This doubles the stereo record time (over 13hours at 44k 16bit mono with 1gbmodel)
smitty

Hi Jack, if you have the money, the Marantz PMD670 is really great. You record onto CF cards (I have 2 1GB ones, which is PLENTY for usual purposes), and you have a lot of flexibility with the format you record onto - MP2, MP3, WAV, Mono, Stereo, etc.

You also have a large selection of input and output methods - optical, XLR, RCA. There is also a USB port for direct dragging and dropping of the sound files onto your hard drive.

If you search in the forum for earlier posts on this topic, you'll find that most people speak favourably of this device.

I've had no problems with mine since I bought it, and it's been a great replacement for my MD-recorder (a consumer model, very loud machine noises and limited, but of course, not as expensive).

Good luck,
Dennis

I'm a big fan of minidisc. I especially like the archiveability -- you can match one disc to one tape. The new HiMD units have finally eliminated many of the barriers to making digital transfers.

marco

can you copy the music off the new mini discs at a faster rate then 1x to a computer?...my old mini disc player was limited to real time song transfers...

<<<-- Originally posted by Marco Leavitt : I'm a big fan of minidisc. I especially like the archiveability -- you can match one disc to one tape. The new HiMD units have finally eliminated many of the barriers to making digital transfers. -->>>

Thanks, but also on Mac ? ?

I believe that the new HiMDs do allow faster than real-time uploads. Unfortunately, the Sony software apparently will only do the upload after deleting the file from the disc. Frigging Sony. If something goes wrong with the upload, you can lose your file. Check out out the forums at minidisc.org. There's quite a lot of discussion about this. Most people are using a more reliable third party hack that only allows for a real time transfer, but at least there's no danger of losing your file. Besides, as I mentioned, one of the best things about minidisc is its archiveability. I sure wouldn't want to have my original disc erased. All of this only works for PC. I'm also on a Mac. We use the older style minidisc and do the transfer with a deck that has optical outputs. Still not a bad way to go. It's very reliable and used minidisc gear is now dirt cheap on eBay.

is a small device (the size of a packer of cards) reallly that good for recording? I don't think you can get great quality with that. Better us a bigger hardware device with better in and outputs like the marantz or other bigger nad more heavier. hardware

The iriver is half the size of a deck of cards and can use usb 2.0 so the files transfer very fast.An hour of recording = 3 minutes to transfer(depending on your computer)It is restricted to .rec files which are mp3 files but I'm very pleased with the sound quality at 44k 16bit 320kbps.
Jose :This is 1 case that size doesn't matter!
Marco: No moving parts in the iriver ,faster file transfers, as good if not better quality recordings, longer record times and compact size.......... minidisc has had it's place but I believe the iriver at the moment(technology changes fast) to be substantially a better choice.
Dennis: Thanks for the heads up and Marantz does make good gear that unit is excellent in the right situations.But it won't in the talents pocket and the marantz does like a lot of power.
So for remote situations or when you need to mic several sources Ilike this little iriver.
jack: for archiving I just drop the files onto cd.
Thanks
smitty

Jack,
Does the iRiver have a meter? I've heard repeatedly that it does not, which I find a little hard to believe, and more than a little frustrating.

It doesn't have a record level meter, only a playback one.Although I didn't like the idea of no meter and I wish they would put one on it, it hasn't posed a problem for me.Once you establish typical mic positioning and experiment with volume settings , the unit seems pretty stable.
On some shoots I take the laptop , do an audio check, dump to laptop and have a look at the file in software.Doesn't take any longer than a normal sound check.
Now bear in mind that this device has it's place and isn't a cure-all for every situation.
You still need a sm58 , wireless system, etc. in situations calling for them.
This is just another tool
smitty

Marco, not sure if this has changed since you posted, but my Hi-MD doen't delete the file when it transfers the first and only time you're allowed. The file stays on the disk, but deletes if you try to transfer again. It means the discs are still good archive material, just means you have to go line-in through your sound card next time (ad infinitum), which isn't terrible as a backup. Annoying, yes, but still archivable.

Thanks Arne. I can see where the confusion would come from with that.

Marantz has a new CF recorder - pmd 660 I believe . that's walkman size - cost 5 bills - xlrs' - the whole 9 yards- Kurth

<<<-- Originally posted by Arne Johnson : Marco, not sure if this has changed since you posted, but my Hi-MD doen't delete the file when it transfers the first and only time you're allowed. The file stays on the disk, but deletes if you try to transfer again....snip...-->>>

HUH??? After recording you're only allowed to transfer the file off of the master ONCE? I'm not very familiar with HD recording but that sure seems wacko to me. Sounds incredibly risky, especially for professional use. What happens if you're transferring and something goes haywire? One file, one chance to transfer, with your entire production, not to mention your professional reputation, resting on the odds that nothing will EVER go wrong (and nothing is ever perfect 100% of the time in my experience)?

Is this universal with miniDisk technology or is it just a "feature" of specific brands and recorder models? If you don't mind and if it's something unique to specific models, what recorder are you using (so I can avoid it if I decide to go the miniDisk route for location sound myself)?

Steve