oryoki2000 wrote:
> Right about now, folks who use minidisc recorders are thinking, "I
> could buy a lifetime supply of mds for $300." Remember that the
> CompactFlash and MicroDrive units are not intended to provide
> archival storage, just data capture. The sounds recorded with these
> systems are transferred to a computer and written to CD or DVD for
> archiving. The flash memory or disc memory units are erased and re-
> used.
They, in fact, should be considered more vulnerable than tape. The flash
memory is depending on continuous electric supply from a battery, and
the discs are down to storing each bit on just a few magnetic particles.
Consider them only if you are willing to transfer on a daily basis. They
will hold longer, but the risk does go up. By starting out thinking
daily transfer, you probably will get them off within a few weeks at most.
> So if you're getting started with recording on a tight budget, choose
> a Sony or Sharp consumer minidisc recorder. And if you're traveling
> across Asia by bus for a month, use minidiscs as your archive medium
> and transfer your recordings to a computer when you get back. For
> the rest of us looking for a recorder with pro features at a
> reasonable cost, the Marantz PMD 680 and Denon F20R provide good
> alternatives to the HHb Portadisc.
Even if you are just recording local, the convenience of being able to
transfer the recording on your time schedule is not to be disregarded.
For several months out of every year, I'm so occupied recording I don't
have time to do transfers, or if I took the time, I'd have less time to
record. So, about this time each year I have a stack of MD's to process.
I'd think if I was to go solid state it would take at least a dozen one
hour cards to come close to handling that.
All recording types have good and bad points, and solid state is no
exception. The ideal that could be produced tomorrow would be for the
larger capacity minidiscs to be used in a audio recorder. Those could
give you CD length uncompressed now, and there is a future there that's
headed for a couple gigs at least. And they are just as archival as
current MD's and can be as cheap per disk. The trend to low quality
sound started by mp3's has probably precluded that, however.
Walt
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