Just recently got a Fostex VF-08 Digital Multi-tracker and would prefer to master to a portable mini-disc recorder. Could anyone out in home recording land advise me of the best (within a budget of £200 or $350) portable recorder to use.
Fostex VF-08 Mastering to mini-disc
- Thread starter Jonboy
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Wide Awake
New member
If you go with a minidisc, I'm not sure that a portable one will give the the editing features of the non-portable ones. Buy the latest version of Sony because they keep improving the technology and the reviews of the current models are quite favorable.
I think minidisc is still a 'decent' alternative to a CD recorder but with good CD-RW's in the range of $600 US I would also consider those. The problem with CD-R and CD-RW's are that there are some compatibility problems between certain recorders and players. A friend of mine paid $900 for a CD recorder and then had to go out and buy two more CD players to get one to work with his new machine...a costly lesson. (even though CD players are really inexpensive)
Next year DVD audio recorders will be all the rage and you might be able to pick a CD-R used for a really good price.
Before the "audio police" attack me for recommending a mini-disc I would just like to say that I've never done a head-to-head comparison between the two so I really can't comment on what sounds better. Bottom line is that I think they both sound excellent.
I think minidisc is still a 'decent' alternative to a CD recorder but with good CD-RW's in the range of $600 US I would also consider those. The problem with CD-R and CD-RW's are that there are some compatibility problems between certain recorders and players. A friend of mine paid $900 for a CD recorder and then had to go out and buy two more CD players to get one to work with his new machine...a costly lesson. (even though CD players are really inexpensive)
Next year DVD audio recorders will be all the rage and you might be able to pick a CD-R used for a really good price.
Before the "audio police" attack me for recommending a mini-disc I would just like to say that I've never done a head-to-head comparison between the two so I really can't comment on what sounds better. Bottom line is that I think they both sound excellent.
Thanks to bbbmusic and wide awake for the replies. Your good points are noted. The reason for using mini-disc is its portability. I use my Fostex as a notebook as well. When musical ideas come they go straight into the multi-tracker. Lyrics however seem to demand more time and the portability and convenience of the mini-disc allows me to work on lyrics wherever and whenever. I appreciate it is a personal thing but with me its usually music first then lyrics. I do know of people who master to mini-disc and swear by the quality and it is for these reasons that I have decided to go this route. I am still interested in the views of others who work with MD as a mastering medium. I would of course 'dump' on to CD when I was ready to circulate my material, but that is some ways off yet.
Thanks again guys.
John
Thanks again guys.
John
Hi,
Sony's portables are definitely the way go. They cost a little more but they're great - it's worth the extra money. Design and quality is on a different level. I've had a portable Sony MD for about 3 years now, and though it's taken a lot of beating and dropping, I've carried it with me everywhere, it still works without any problems. And now with the new Sony MDLP's you'll get up to 320 minutes of recording time on a single disc. MDLP has been out here (I live in Japan) for a couple of months now, I'm afraid I don't know about the US-market, though.
I'm thinking about getting a VF-08. How is it working out? Seems like good value. Is it worth going for?
Mikael
Sony's portables are definitely the way go. They cost a little more but they're great - it's worth the extra money. Design and quality is on a different level. I've had a portable Sony MD for about 3 years now, and though it's taken a lot of beating and dropping, I've carried it with me everywhere, it still works without any problems. And now with the new Sony MDLP's you'll get up to 320 minutes of recording time on a single disc. MDLP has been out here (I live in Japan) for a couple of months now, I'm afraid I don't know about the US-market, though.
I'm thinking about getting a VF-08. How is it working out? Seems like good value. Is it worth going for?
Mikael