Yamaha MD8 thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter dvance101
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COOLCAT said:
16bit/44.1K...like the MD8.
....
Click to expand...

Eh,...

The MD8's front end mix is obviously analog.

Then it goes through the AD converters at 16-bit/44.1KHz.

Then an ATRAC encoding scheme is used to further reduce the data set, from 16/44.1, where it's then recorded to MD media in an ATRAC data compressed format.

It's idea of a ATRAC data compression factor that drives all the so called audio purists, pros and experts crazy about Minidisc.

AFAIC, you cannot hear ATRAC and it does not audibly reduce the quality of the sound. ATRAC is data compression that uses a model of actual human hearing range to calculate the reduction it makes. The ATRAC effect is transparent, and your ears don't hear in a 20-20kHz flat response, anyway.

That's why I'll stick with MD. YMMV.
 
I am considering getting an MD8. Does anyone have any recordings they made on one for me to hear what they sound like?

Josh
 
Md8

Josh83 said:
I am considering getting an MD8. Does anyone have any recordings they made on one for me to hear what they sound like?

Josh
Click to expand...

you'd like it.

as others i went thru numerous porta-studio cassette units,
then tried the ADAT/8, MiniDIsc Porta-studio, 8-track cassette 488?,
then Cakewalk, USB, ROLAND 840 HD/ZIP.
MD8 has probably been my all around favorite.

The MiniDisc MD8 has been a great tool and is....fun.
No upgrades, no lock-ups, you can exchange discs and start a new song!

Following several years with this unit, i want to upgrade....
but haven't found anything yet that is a clear "upgrade".
I'd sell you mine ~$325 w/MD's,
but i just haven't found anything to replace it.

DP01 is user friendly, but is 8tracks (so whats the point? MD8 is 8)
2488 is 24/24 but so many articles state
"yeah my 2488 freezes up too!! and wipes out all the tracks...
but I LOVE IT! IT'S A GREAT UNIT!"

Computer PC- not porta-studio friendly.

round, round....MD8 is a great unit. I'd recommend it highly.
 
Yamaha MD8

I rented an MD8 a few years ago, and got down a track *exactly* as I had heard it in my head for about 14 years previously.

While this was partly due to my performance and the equipment that I used, I was very impressed that the MD8 did not get in my way at all, and that it was relatively easy to use.

I lusted after an MD8 for a couple of years, but by the time that I was ready to buy there were other, more advanced stand alones around. I was simply dying for an MD16, and would have bought one immediately, but unfortunately that never came to pass.

Very impressed, but it's time has passed - that's my opinion.

GVDV
 
death has spoken

gvdv said:
Very impressed, but it's time has passed - that's my opinion.

GVDV
Click to expand...

yeah it's true, great fhkng time was had by all.....
MD8's one of those gems that never took off because of
tech-heads slamming the specs and sht...and who knows why.
coporate sabatoge. for those upgrading...no MD16!! damn.

i've surrendered, and upgrade is in progress.

I was trying to decide on new monitors and recording unit.

Realizing ,my analog outboard gear will have to satisfy my desire
to turn knobs. The Record Unit will be just that and hopefully will
not have to do much more than press PLAY/REC. Unit/PC will
just record and playback....48 tracks is exciting.

SP B1- DMP3- RNC..going in.
I'd like to grab a Toft ATC-2 and maybe another mic. but love my little
"channel strip", damn RNC and DMP3 is a sweeet combo.

I bought a 3.2/64 with 512/160gig HD, it flys. $569 w/ CDR-DVDR
been downloading and snooping out "free" recording software,
most are way too noisy...
noisy as in too much sht on the screen...
#1 so far is Powertracks. had a nice simple recording screen.
(and 10 million other little tiny icons. sucks)
of course my family has taken to this new fast pc.
so I may have to buy one and sneak it in the studio, or get a standalone..TASCAM 2488 is a front runner or the Korg 16track...both 24 bit with CDR! $1,000~

damn I paid $1200 for the first 4-track 144 cassette in 79!!!! now its
fhkng 24 Tracks/ 24 bit digital and a CD-R with effects for $1,000!!!!

yeah...gearlust, its still the best thrill hooking up some new speakers
and gear...crazymancrazy.
 
I've been having mine since 2000. I love it, and I hate it. I've never had any trouble with it functioning though. Once in a while an error 06 I think. I just repower it and it's ready to go again. Nothing lost.

I love the fact that it has knobs and not menus, and is pretty idiot-proof to use. I can just plug in and lay down something while I'm still hearing it in my head. I like the removable media, etc.

I don't like the sound all that much. I get degregation going to CD. I do use a consumer CD deck so I know where it's coming from but I think that's the problem. No digital out is giving me fits. As far as the data compression when recording, I don't know, I've never recorded to uncompressed media except in a real studio so I'm not sure how much of what I don't like is from the degregation of the transfer and how much is coming from the data compression.

Overall though, If I really record something I'll go to a studio anyway so, the md8 works out for me because it's so easy to use and sounds certainly good enough for demo quality.
 
I am considering getting an MD8. Does anyone have any recordings they made on one for me to hear what they sound like?
Click to expand...


I recorded all 5 songs on my soundclick page on an MD8 with a nanoverb and mixed down to a consumer CD recorder. Some of the tunes were recorded before I knew what I was doing and about 2 were recorded after I knew a little about recording and mixing.


http://www.soundclick.com/bands/3/rayjohnson.htm
 
After three or four years of ownership, i have just sold my MD8 - i bought it new and i remember how excited i was when i first got it home and booted out the old cassette 4-track ! and.... i've loved every minute i've spent using it, the ease of use, the sound quality, the editing.. but alas, the time for for upgrade has come, and the money was needed... just bought myself an alesis HD24 and a Soundcraft Ghost 32:8.

Anyone thinking about about a 8-track all in one... GET AN MD8 ! they really are brilliant. true, a digital out would have been a bonus, but hey, i got by just fine, and got damn good results !
 
Agreed. It's a fine machine! High tech, highly capable, easy to use & great sound!!

Ref:
the Yamaha site said:
Digital Output Capabilities of Yamaha MD Recorders

The following information applies to the MD4, MD4S, and MD8.

Yamaha MiniDisc recorders DO NOT incorporate digital outputs. The basic reason behind this design decision is the fact that the mixer section of the MD units are analog, thus the signal is converted from MD digital audio to analog while mixing down to the stereo output. Conversion of this analog stereo signal back to digital would add unecessary cost to the device, without the benefit of improving the signal-to-noise ratio. The Yamaha product developers also considered the fact that, if the MD Recorder had a digital output, a user might incorrectly assume that ALL of the signal processing is done in the ''digital domain''.
Click to expand...

See: http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA...Detail/0,6401,CNTID%3D10461%26CTID%3D,00.html
 
Be Loveless said:
I'm thinking about upgrading TO an Md8 from my tascam 488. It seems to have some great features.
Click to expand...
Don't throw away your 488 though. Back when I still had an MD8 iw ould start on the 488 until I had drums, rythm, and vocals down and then dump them to the MD8. I liked the sound better that way (or maybe the tape on the 488 was a little more forgiving?). Just my $.02, Dave.
 
I own a Yamaha MD8 and I think it's one of the best machines around for multi-track recording. Unfortunately, it had come to the point where 8 tracks just weren't enough for my needs, so I upgraded to a Fostex VF160. I still think the Yamaha MD8 is a great machine, and if 8 tracks were all I needed, I'd still be using it. I use it occasionally for small projects though, and will keep it around as a backup in case I have problems with my VF160.
I have found out though, since I've been reading on this forum that all of us musicians that have been using these digital recording machines are using inferior recording equipment! Unless you're using analog recorders, you're missing the boat as far as sound quality is concerned. I've never had a decent analog multi-track recorder, so I don't know what I've been missing. I guess as long as I'm completely happy with the digital recorders I've got and can enjoy the features that they provide that analog recorders don't, I'm content with mine.

Tunes68.
 
Okay!

Eh,... don't get all wound up about the ol'analog-digital debate. It's not as cut-and-dried as most people would have you think. There's a lot to be said about mics, gear choice, front-end/side-chain devices, and techniques of all sorts that all play a role in the resulting sound quality.

The MD8 is great, in my book!
 
A Reel Person said:
Eh,... don't get all wound up about the ol'analog-digital debate. It's not as cut-and-dried as most people would have you think. There's a lot to be said about mics, gear choice, front-end/side-chain devices, and techniques of all sorts that all play a role in the resulting sound quality.

The MD8 is great, in my book!
Click to expand...

I agree. I've always thought (and still do), that the Yamaha MD8 along with all of the other digital track recorders are fantastic machines, I'm just saying that you couldn't tell that to some people though, at least the ones that won't use anything unless it's analog based. Sure, these digital machines can't match up to the quality of some of the old high end analog multi-tracks, but I've always been happy with the recordings my MD8 has produced over the years.
By the way, in your opinion, what is not cut-and-dried about it? From what I've read, it's pretty much a majority opinion that analog tape is much better than any digital recording. Do you have a difference of opinion on this and why?

Tunes68.
 
Thanks Everyone!!!

I've had my MD8 for nearly 5 years now and have never had a problem. I've looked at a lot of new 16tr units and was close to buying the AW16 but keep stalling on the deal. I have no real issues with the MD, but I would be happy to trade track time for a non-compressed data format to punch up the sound a little. Also, it took some time to catch on to the work-around made necessary by the relatively high noise level in the analog mixer, The fix, obvious to many but not to me, was to burn the tracks as hot as you dare
and not to print effects till mixdown. This helps cleanup the sound and make possible a more realistic stereo field.Also, I mix to a free-standing CD burner
and monitor the mix from the CD burner instead of the MD8. It's much higher quality and very transparent. The very best results I have had was from taking a direct-from-track signal (x8) into a Yam 01 digital mixer. Way cool, way clean. Anyway, what I wanted to say was "thanks for restoring my confidence in my old friend. I thought I was in a time warp for still using it.

chazba
 
bdwwashburn said:
I have 2 MD8's that I rigged to record together using the footswitch and a splitter and I love them! This set-up has been great for working on projects w/ my friends. 16 tracks + a total of 8 extra inputs or 4 stereo effects, not to mention somewhat flexible routing possibilities using the cue. The only thing I don't like about it is the time it takes to bounce things to the PC (real time :( .) I am working on getting one of the old Sony MD drives that connect via SCSI as well as looking into the new Hi-MD players (that work as data storage too) to see if I can speed this up.
Click to expand...

Could someone please explain more thoroughly how to do this? I have had my md8 for about 4 years and really like it but I need more tracks nowadays. Until I decide which route to take as far as buying something new I could pick up another md8 and experiment for a while..Thanks in advance!
 
I read that the MD8 can only Master, not Slave-sync,...

so if you could help clear that up, that would be cool. Thx. :rolleyes:
 
ive been thinking about if its possible to link two md8s together for a cheap alternative 16 track if i doesnt work with the midi in/out maybe they could be triggered with the footswittch simultaniously?got any ideas
 
I can't remember where ......do some googleing "Yamaha MD8", theres a guy that figured out how to do this.
 
Maybe someone could PM the member, above?

.............................. ;)
 
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