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Sony MD recorder MZ-N1

Subject: Sony MD recorder MZ-N1
From: Marty Michener <>
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2004 10:28:53 -0500
Sound friends:

I need some help or suggestions, we are bound for western Mexico in three 
days.

I have inherited from my son his MD recorder (he now Ipods everything), 
sans manual, so I am in mode of the trial and error, and error, and error. ;^)

I will start with my main questions for the MZ-N1:

1. How do you keep from dropping the tiny thing? Five oz, smooth, no strap 
or handles???  Was there a case for it originally?
2. How do I shut off the obnoxious GROUP feature that ruins the naming of 
the MD tracks? And keep it off?
3. What does the T MARK button do?
4. Do you ever use the "hold" switch during a recording to prevent 
accidental random button presses?
5. Do you every use the cigar shaped controller?  Probably not very useful 
during recordings?

Those are my main questions, the rest of this post is techno-minutiae 
regarding what to press, etc. for the overly curious.  Experts at Sony MD 
recorders my wish to read through the rest of this stuff to help me correct 
misunderstandings or to show me shorter more efficient routes, but I 
include (for anyone else who is having problems with one) a sort of how-to 
summary of many errors but no real field experience:

I have figured out how to record sounds from my 3 mics, now that I have 
miniplug adapters for all:
A. Sony ECM-MS907 stereo - this cheap mic BTW has the boldest "deadspot" I 
have ever seen: If you set the switch to "90 degree" stereo and point the 
exact back AT the envinronmental noise source, e.g. bulldozer, then rotate 
the mic so one stereo lobe points as much as possible toward your wanted 
subject, it ain't bad.  This and the next are strictly high-b.g. noise 
level mics, not for the very, very quiet or distant subjects.  I found this 
out trying to announce a track from behind - it ain't there!
B. AT822  stereo
C. ME-67 (2 of them, rigged as shown 
http://www.enjoybirds.com/howitworks/HowToRig.htm )

My trial and error button protocol in order to record:

I insert the earphones plug, then the (turned on) mic plug.  This sometimes 
turns on the recorder for reasons known only to Sony.

Then I press [END] to get the thing to the blank part.
Then I hold the bar up {pause, or || } and flick the Rec to the right.
       This puts it into rec-pause mode, red LED flashing slowly.
Then I press the star wheel { * } in once, roll down three steps to "RecVolume"
another press { * } , and roll down one more to "ManualRec"
another press { * }  and down down several times to "Rec 30/30" , meaning 
Rec at full mic manual volume.

I can now hear the mic in the earphones, at max volume.
After a few seconds it reverts to the display:
GP 11  001  flashy-disc [REC]
      00  :  00
and display bars of L and R VU levels.

To begin recording, I press up the bar ||

To pause recording, thereby starting a new track, another pause up-bar  ||

To stop, I press the bar down  []

At any time during a recording, to alter the Rec volume, I press the right 
end of the bar "menu"
and turn the gain up (turn star wheel down) or down (turn star wheel 
up).  (why ??!!??)

That summarizes my skills so far with the machine.  I still don't know how 
not to keep dropping it.  Maybe it is the 20 deg F. and the gloves?

I am considering putting a neck string on it, with a heavy rubber band 
around the body.
But this will prevent changing discs completely.
Every surface has a button or gizmo that you might hide or press 
accidentally. . .

I am not so concerned about PLAYING back the tracks, as I will use my HHB 
on my desk.



Thanks in advance.

Marty Michener
Hollis, NH    http://www.EnjoyBirds.com


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