So i'm looking to buy an inexpenisive portable digital recorder. at first i naturally looked towards DAT, but then saw all these minidisc players with record feature and find out that some of them can switch to analog recording. is there any reason why i wouldn't buy a less expensive minidisc player than a DAT? any and all educated opinions welcome.
Portable DAT vs. MiniDisc
- Thread starter natbot
- Start date
happy hour
New member
What do you mean by 'switch to analogue recording'? Mini discs are 100% digital... nothing analogue at all.
There might be analogue inputs (and there are definately analogue outputs) but it is converted to digital right away.
I myself would buy a minidisc simply because I dont have the money for a DAT. DAT is a better medium because it is uncompressed and you can get a higher sampling rate.
Minidisc uses data compression which colours (coloUrs?? yeah, I'm a Canadian) the sound... its getting better, but if you have the money for a DAT machine.. get a DAT machine.
There might be analogue inputs (and there are definately analogue outputs) but it is converted to digital right away.
I myself would buy a minidisc simply because I dont have the money for a DAT. DAT is a better medium because it is uncompressed and you can get a higher sampling rate.
Minidisc uses data compression which colours (coloUrs?? yeah, I'm a Canadian) the sound... its getting better, but if you have the money for a DAT machine.. get a DAT machine.
Portable ???
One more thing to throw out at you. I have noticed that the components that are in portable units tend to be inferior to those of the non-portable persuaion. Regardless if it's DAT or Minidisc. Non-portable units, to me, are not that hard to take with me, I do it all the time. If you are concerned with damage, either save the box for transport, or by a unit that you can put in a portable rack unit.
Just my $.02 (what ever happened to the cent sign on the old typewriters)
Joe
One more thing to throw out at you. I have noticed that the components that are in portable units tend to be inferior to those of the non-portable persuaion. Regardless if it's DAT or Minidisc. Non-portable units, to me, are not that hard to take with me, I do it all the time. If you are concerned with damage, either save the box for transport, or by a unit that you can put in a portable rack unit.
Just my $.02 (what ever happened to the cent sign on the old typewriters)
Joe
bvaleria
New member
Re: Portable ???
Well... I don't think that's quite true - you can get some mighty fine-sounding portable DAT units. Think about it - the most common users of DAT machines (portable or not) are professionals in the sound industry. There certainly isn't a consumer market for them, so it wouldn't be in the manufacturers best interests to put out a portable unit that is inferior to a rack-mount. Their main clientele wouldn't buy it!
Bruce
JC Lives said:
Well... I don't think that's quite true - you can get some mighty fine-sounding portable DAT units. Think about it - the most common users of DAT machines (portable or not) are professionals in the sound industry. There certainly isn't a consumer market for them, so it wouldn't be in the manufacturers best interests to put out a portable unit that is inferior to a rack-mount. Their main clientele wouldn't buy it!
Bruce
Point well taken
Hey Bruce, your point is well taken. My lack of experience with gear shines though again. I was speaking of personal experiences I have had with various other gear (other than DAT). I have noticed that the D/A converters and electronic components for portable units of things like tape decks, cd players, even my portabel md player have inferior sound.
So natbot, if you are looking at a dat, please don't listen to a word I say. If you are looking at anything else, compare it to a full size unit and you can be the judge.
Peace
Joe
Hey Bruce, your point is well taken. My lack of experience with gear shines though again. I was speaking of personal experiences I have had with various other gear (other than DAT). I have noticed that the D/A converters and electronic components for portable units of things like tape decks, cd players, even my portabel md player have inferior sound.
So natbot, if you are looking at a dat, please don't listen to a word I say. If you are looking at anything else, compare it to a full size unit and you can be the judge.
Peace
Joe
Yeah, the pro's use portables, but they cost thousands...I have borrowed a portable Sony from a friend, about the size of a tape walkman, it's in the $500 range. Good for basic recording, but feels small (buttons) when trying to play out to the board or 'puter...get a decent MS/Stereo mic too, if your into recording "sounds".
field recordings...
actually, recording sounds is all i really had in mind in terms of portable recoring (what else would you want them for?) a couple years ago i plugged a decent mic into a hand-held tape recorder and could not believe the quality of the recordings i did of crickets, walking through leaves, water faucets... but the background hiss was too much to make them usable... can anyone suggest the best way to make quality field recordings at a reasonable price? $400 and down.
actually, recording sounds is all i really had in mind in terms of portable recoring (what else would you want them for?) a couple years ago i plugged a decent mic into a hand-held tape recorder and could not believe the quality of the recordings i did of crickets, walking through leaves, water faucets... but the background hiss was too much to make them usable... can anyone suggest the best way to make quality field recordings at a reasonable price? $400 and down.