I have read quite a few posts, but all mention models that have been discontinued or are un-available except in japan.

Please include model numbers and purchase locations. I was looking a Sony Net MD on sale at Circuit city for $199 but I would have to have a powered mic.

I was looking for a good MD Player so I could hook up an unpowered Lav mic to it.

Or is there a better suggestion?

Please help.

Thanks,

Steve

You don't want to use an unpowered (dynamic) Lavaliere except in especially noisy conditions. An unpowered lav that is fairly good will cost you around $200 or so.

Sony makes a nice $45 lav that will pick up power from the recorder. It also comes with a battery operated supply if your recording device does not have power.

I don't like all the new NetMD ... cause I don't need the feature (it doesn't allow uploading to PC)

I just picked up an old Sharp MT821 from Ebay for about $120.

For a MD recorder you should look at :
- manual recording level (with a lot of Sony units you will have to stop in order to adjust)
- Line out capability (some will just be able to drive headphones). That can be important if you decide to transfer to PC using analog
- MIC sensitivity : having LOW and HIGH sensitivity can be useful to match different microphones
- Long battery life
- Some people say that Sharp has better mic preamp than Sony (I know it depends of the model).

Some of them :
- Sony N707 (no mic sens, no line out)
- Sharp MT190 (manual level only, line out)
- Sharp DR7 (SWEET unit.. pricey, line out, mic sens also records 30s BEFORE you press RECORD)
- Sharp MT770 (no mic sens)
- Aiwa F80.. old but very functionnal
- Sony R910, N710, N910, N909

Dany

I have a sony MZR-55 its a few years old but i see them on ebay all the time .It has mic in/mic sens/line out/phones out/ and manual recording level.I've made some very nice recordings on it using both an AT 825 stereo mic plugged directly into mic jack and a ME66 going to a XLR-Pro box into the MD as well.I always use manual reocrd level.

Mike do you know the model # to that sony lav?

The MZR-55 is sometimes considered by users to be the last good MD recorder made by Sony... solid construction, features and sound quality. It also has independent connectors for headphones and line out (most of the other MDs use the headphone out to output line levels).

I have a Sharp MD-SR60 (used ebay $80). Solid construction and well laid out buttons. Manual level control only. It records excellent quality but its lack of a true line out hurts. I also have a Sony JE480 deck and its output quality is noticeably better.

Thank you all for the information. I am looking on ebay right now.


Steve

I've got 2 MD player/recorders that I bought in Japan in 2002.. They're great, but now that I'm up and stylin with my shiny silver mac, I'm looking at my MD's which are 1/5 of the price of a perfectly good parachute and theres no easy answer how to add my Md's to my sound library... optical in, not out... wtfo...

The solution to no line out is to feed a mixer with the earphone signal out. The mixer will bring the level down to line levels and allow you to capture good quality sound.

Another step but if the equipment is handy, not a problem.

Kyle Ive made excellent transfers plugging a MD line out into the audio in on a mac and recording using Peak DV.