Hello Walt!
Thank you very much for your detailed info. You are right, ebay
sometimes tends to be strange when it comes to the final price. Did
you ever see a Portadics for sale elsewhere? The strap and carrying
case do not matter much to me either. However, I was hoping not to
spend more than $900 for the recorder. Next, I have to look for a
good microphone that is suitable for nature reccording. The same
seller also offers a Sennheiser 816T on ebay (currently at $1!). Do
you happen to know anything about that mic? Is there any other mic
you could recommend? I also looked at the Sennheiser K3 with various
heads (ME 80, ME 40, ME 6?). I liked that you could basically
change the characteristic of the mic by simply changing the head. I
don't know anything about the quality though.
Sorry to bombard you with all of these questions. I would just love
to get the equipment worries out of my head, be content with what I
have and finally start to focus on recording ;-). I just want to
make sure that I will not ourgrow my investment in the near future.
I guess thats why I liked the Portadisc.
jonny
--- In Walter Knapp <> wrote:
> jonnykontroletti wrote:
> > Hello everyone!
> > I am new to this forum and new to recording. I have heard many
good
> > things about the HHB MDP 500 Portadisc and wanted to know what
you
> > thought about this device. Currently there is a Portadisc listed
on
> > Ebay (1392045558) and I am thinking about bidding on it. How
much
> > would you say is it worth?
>
> It's worth it's list price and more as far as I'm concerned. I
bought
> one by preordering when they were first announced. Mine is out of
the
> first shipment to arrive in the US. I've used it through two
recording
> seasons, field recording frogcalls. Excellent recorder. Deserves
the
> title of the finest portable minidisc recorder. This is a recorder
that
> can handle the best nature recording mics in a worthwhile manner.
Just
> works well. Those that get them mostly don't turn loose of them.
>
> Note this is a recordist's field recorder. Large feature list for
> recording. Playback options are fairly simple by comparison, except
for
> all the output options. I hardly use the disk editing, I mostly
record
> on new disks and keep them. And playback is mostly just to transfer
to
> computer, I use it's optical digital output for that. Note that all
> output modes are realtime, no high speed transfers, not even via
the USB
> connection. Just like any other recorder, DAT, Cassette, reel to
reel
> and so on in that.
>
> The only items in the auction that did not come originally with the
> Portadisc are the case and the mic. I don't know much about the
mic, but
> kind of expect it's more for music than nature recording. A Pelican
1450
> case, which is what HHb supplies in their reporter's kit version is
> $68.75 here (though it lists for the price he's saying):
> http://www.all-pelican-cases-4-less.com/detail_pelican_1450.html
> Could probably get it less off ebay with a little watching.
>
> The Portadisc also came with a shoulder strap and a fabric case.
Neither
> are shown in the auction. Both are kind of ho hum, not worth much
to my
> mind. I made a new strap for mine that's much nicer. Still have not
made
> a new case. I also did not see mention of the 2nd battery holder it
came
> with. Came with one set of 8 NIMH AA batteries, and two holders. I
keep
> the 2nd one full of a 2nd set of batteries. You get about 3 1/2
hours
> record time. There are higher capacity NIMH AA's available now than
what
> came with mine.
>
> It's more what you will have to bid to get it. The auction will
almost
> certainly be decided in the last minute so you have to think it out
in
> advance. I'd not be too surprised to see it go for nearly list
price for
> the Portadisc. Maybe more. But you never know on ebay auctions.
He's
> right, these are very rare to see on ebay.
>
> Note depending on the ROM in it you might have to have HHb update
it.
> There were a couple ROM versions that had problems. HHb has not
been
> charging for this, though I don't know on a used one. (Mine, with a
ROM
> older than anybody's has never had problems)
>
> Walt
>
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