"Lance" wrote:
>...advice on the CHEAPEST minidisc recorder
>I can use it with my PowerMac?
Lance, all the current models from Sony are Hi-MD
recorders, meaning they can record uncompressed
16/44.1 to a WAV file. The Hi-MD recorders can
also record using Sony's ATRAC compression.
Sony has written software called Sonic Stage
that uploads WAV and ATRAC recordings from
HI-MD to a PC via a USB connection.
A version of Sonic Stage is *not* available for
the Mac. Sony has a separate program called
Hi-MD Music Transfer for Mac that supports USB
transfers. Unfortunately, this software only
works with the Sony MZ-RH1 recorder.
Three of Sony's "professional" Hi-MD recorders include
software called Hi-MD WAV Importer that lets you upload
to a Mac via USB.
Checking prices in USA, of these four Hi-MD machines,
the leaast expensive is the MZ-M10, at about $270. The
MZ-M100 and the MZ-RH1 cost about $300, and the MZ-M200
costs around $400. All four are available on eBay,
sometimes for quite a bit less.
That's the story for Hi-MD recorders. Sharp continues
to make standard minidisc recorders, and lots of
discontinued Sony standard minidisc machines are available
on eBay.
The problem is that none of these recorders can upload
directly to a Mac in digital form. All have to play back
the recording in analog form through the line-out port.
The Mac then digitizes the incoming signal.
Many Macintosh machines have no serial input suitable for
a line-in connection. If you have one of these Macs, then
you need to purchase an external serial-to-USB converter.
One example is the Griffin iMic. Read about it here:
http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/imic/
Griffin makes available a software program called Final Vinyl
that helps with the transfer from line-in to Mac.
The transfer of recordings from minidisc to Mac via the
serial port takes place in real time. In other words, a
30 minute recording takes half an hour to transfer. To
some people, this is a perfect time to listen to the
recording and make notes about which portions they want
to keep, and which to discard.
If this process seems OK to you, then any minidisc machine
can be used with a Mac. You'll find the cheapest deal by
buying a used minidisc machine on eBay or another auction
site. There are lots of recorders for sale in this way
for less than $50.
Others prefer to review the recording using some Mac audio
editing software, so they want to transfer from minidisc to
Mac as fast as possible. If this is your preference, then you'll
need to purchase one of the Sony Hi-MD machines listed above.
Good luck with your recording projects. Tell us what equipment
you choose.
--oryoki
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