I fully agree with you Walt, although from our perspective it's not that
we are unwilling to continue manfuacturing portable cassette products, but
that it's becoming harder to find factories willing to build them. Even MD
for many of the professional audio manufacturers is not really seen as
having that long a shelf life; the mechanisms are difficult to manufacture
and service, ATRAC compression is a problem in several professional
recording fiedls, and in terms of our digital roadmap, solid state is a
much better fit with where the rest of recording technologies are going (
networking, fast transfer times via USB, Firewire etc. ). I think in the
next year or so you will see a significant decrease in prices of solid
state recorders and media, making it a much more affordable option.
Matt Jarvis
Product Marketing Manager
Marantz Professional Europe
Kingsbridge House, Padbury Oaks, 575-583 Bath Road, Longford, Middx, UB7
0EH, United Kingdom
+447796610410 - Mobile
+441753686080 - UK Office
+441753686020 - Fax
Walter Knapp <>
2002-07-05 19:13
Please respond to naturerecordists
To:
cc: (bcc: Matt Jarvis/LGD/CE/PHILIPS)
Subject: Re: [Nature Recordists] casssette vs. MD
Classification:
KACastelein and DJLauten wrote:
>
> Wil wrote:
>
> I can't see why anyone would still use cassette over MD
> these days.
> Sorry for the confusion
> Wil
>
> The simple reason some of us still use cassette is because that is what
> we have and that is what we can afford - as Walt said, better to take my
> cassette to that remote place in southern Venezuela than take nothing at
> all. Sorry if some of us aren't wealthy enough to afford the "better"
> product! And even if I was wealthy enough, just listening to you folks
> squabble over which is the best format and where formats are going makes
> one a little hesitant to purchase anything at the moment. Go buy a
> Portadisk to find out next year or the year after if you just waited
> there is now a better newer product on the market. It is very confusing
> at times, and I must say that the tone from some comes across as
> arrogantly as Cornell's webpage, which does not make it easier. Who are
> we supposed to believe? You know, for every one of you that knows your
> shit, there are probably 10 of us who understand a lot less and get more
> confused listening to all the talk.
It is confusing to all of us. Particularly when you get into the exotic
technical end.
I certainly agree, we are arguing over what amounts to trivia for most
recording. The factors we cannot control will be far more important.
Things like unwanted noise in the environment are the biggest problem now.
There will never be a time that there will not be something "better"
just around the corner. I work on buying the best I can afford when I
need to move up, and not worrying that it will be outdated next week.
Worrying about that will grow ulcers and you will never buy. Working
with computers will really teach this lesson. In terms of the bleeding
edge of technology we are always buying equipment that's "obsolete" when
we buy it. I take the view that it will do the job and the rest is
unimportant. Buying equipment is a snapshot of what's best choice at
that point. And has only a little to do with what all will do the job.
I do recommend that anyone who has no equipment and is trying to decide
what to get avoid tape based systems. It's not that they don't work,
it's more that they are on the downhill end of being supported. There's
now only one factory still making tape, and as we have heard less
manufacturers willing to make cassette mechanisms, to say nothing of
reel to reel. Even DAT is loosing models with new ones not turning up.
So, in terms of expected support, it's better for someone new to buy
into MD, or maybe solid state. Though even there it's a gamble. I like
to get maximum life and use out of anything I buy.
And as you noted, I believe if you already have a recorder that works,
use it! Only when you need something better or what you have fails do
you have to jump into the confusing world of what's available.
I think the tone of Cornell dictates the tone of the responses to a
certain extent. Some of us have had Cornell's stuff thrown in our faces
for years and have found it necessary to be more forceful than is really
appropriate as a result. It's hard not to respond in kind.
Walt
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