Sony MZ-NF810CK Net MD MiniDisc Recorder with Car Kit Review
I've had this minidisc recorder for about 1.5 months. I wanted to review features/shortcomings that I didn't notice other reviewers comment on for those that want to get a MD for live recording, not for recording gobs and gobs of material onto one disc. (For recording from the computer to the mini disc, I already have a digital out on my computer so I have never tried using the Net MD software.)pFirst of all, my experience with the mini discs in general has been very positive. I have been a huge supporter of mini disc ever since I got my first player in Japan in 1997. Due to their ability to easily re-record, edit, move around tracks, title tracks, on the spot excellent sounding recordings (no tape hiss), etc. I have gone through two portable recorders and two deck units. These are the older mini disc systems, before Net MD. My portable died so I wanted to get a replacement. I did not want Net MD as high-speed or long play discs are not compatible with the old system. There are work arounds of course or I could buy a new Net MD compatible deck, but I would rather not at this time. (I found this out first-hand about 1 year ago when I tried to play on my deck a music class lecture/jam session disc my friend recorded using a portable Net MD recorder.)pI like to create my own 'best of' mixes on mini disc to hear on the go, however, the main reason behind my love of mini disc is the excellent quality of live recordings (versus analogue tape) for the cheap price. I want to use the portable to record live musicians and then listen to the disc on the deck unit. I searched and searched to find new portable recorders with a mic input and without Net MD technology but could not find one. Another requirement of mine was that the player come with a rechargable slim battery and a casing for AA batteries. (Duel battery power sources is a must for portable devices used in live situations.) I also didn't want to spend too much money. I carefully read as much as I could find on the Sony MZ-NF810CK before I bought it. This is my first Sony mini disc player.pMy big complaint about this recorder is that you cannot adjust the recording level while it is recording. (This was possible on my previous portable recorders.) The recording level can only be adjusted while it is in record/pause mode. This is a hindrance during live recordings. Distortion is very unkind to digital recordings and if you have to pause your recording in order to fix the level, you will have a mini disc with gaps in the performance. Due to moving around to find a sweet spot, the fluctuation in sound levels, and the poor lighting in some recording situtations, it can take a few minutes to adjust the levels properly.pAnother complaint of mine is that it is too easy to create new tracks by accidentally pressing on the "track mark" button. There should be some sort of lock for it. This wouldn't be so bad if the player had the "combine" function but it does not, in other words, you cannot undo a split track. Once you split a track, you have to put the disc in another mini disc with the "combine" function in order to put the tracks back together. (I use my deck for this.) pOther than the above gripes, the player is great. It does have features that I have not had in previous portables. It has EQ functions, long-play stereo and mono modes, and a radio. It also lets you group music into "groups", much like how a folder/directory functions in computer terms. The player itself is extremely small and light. These portables just get smaller and lighter each year. My friend has a complaint about the ever decreasing size of the players as she finds the buttons harder and harder to press separately, without pressing more than 1 button at a time (they are squished together too tightly). Future functionality of portables is a concern of mine if features are being deleted such as the "combine" function.pAs another reviewer pointed out, it would be nice to have a backlight on the display but that is not critical for me. I am also one of those people who likes to play music very loud and agree with another reviewer who thinks this portable does not play loud enough. I have found that in order to get the loudest sound possible, you have to turn off any sort of EQ setting. Those settings severly dampen the sound. I connected the portable to my car stereo with the EQ on and had to turn on the car stereo volume all the way in order to hear the music at what I call a normal person's level, (a level that doesn't interfere with conversation). Not being one for conversation, I wanted the music even louder. I do not recommend turning on the EQ setting while connected to a car stereo because you may forget how loud your stereo is and blow out your speakers once you change to the radio or disconnect the mini disc player.
Sony MZ-NF810CK Net MD MiniDisc Recorder with Car Kit Feature
- Record and play back your own MP3 mixes directly to your Sony Mini-Disc
- Built-in bookmark function for skipping directly to your favorite songs
- More than five hours of continuous playback
- AM/FM/TV/Weather band digital tuner(in remote)
- G-Protection technology lets you hear your favorite songs skip-free
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Customer Reviews
Excellent product - best MD recorder in class - M. Detko - Scarborough, Ontario Canada
OK, I have reviewed the comments here and "an electronics fan" has skewed this product unfairly due to a reliance on software made by Micro-soft. I own a Macintosh computer, so there is no software for this product. This didn't matter to me, as I have a recording studio built into my computer.br /The reason I picked up this unit was because I could record uncompressed PCM audio using an external microphone, or by plugging a line-level signal into the line in/optical jack. Contrary to another comment here, the record level can be adjusted while the unit is in rec/pause mode, and also while in recording mode. It also remembers the last setting which is extremely practical. The sound quality depends largely on the mic used. I paid the extra money and purchased the highest-end Sony mic and the results were much better than with the first mic, which was only about cheaper. I found the sound to be excellent, and a little eq, for instance using the "Jazz" setting or a custom setting works very well. For transfer to CD I would capture the audio to my computer (using Cubase SX2 and an AD converter) and then burn to CD later. It has an optical out but I never tried it. Yes this means that recording must be transferred real-time. If I was to make a complaint, I would say that for uncompressed PCM (WAV) recordings, the audio output is kind of low, so that you have to turn your audio amp way up to hear the music at a decent volume, then turn it down again for normal listening. This of course is solved by increasing the volume level of your audio files (normalizing) before burning to CD. I never used the MP3 options, or radio or any other features. For my purposes, recording live music and making noiseless dubs of studio recordings, it was perfect and convenient. The unit is sturdy, made of metal (titanium) with metal mechanics, and not plastic like the newer cheaper models. I bought this unit in November 2003 for 0 Canadian.
Speechless!! This product is so great I couldn't believe it - G. R. -
I received this md player as a gift and it has been, by far, the best gift I`ve got. I read a lot of reviews coplaining about the software, well I can tell you it coudln't be easier to use, it's quiete simple, so much you do not really need to go to de manual to get the hang of it. The md has a really nice design, specially this model, because of the recharchable battery, which is very slim, aside, this kit includes so many usefull accesories you wouldn't believe it. The sound quality, even at the lowest bitrate, is awesome, so you can record the so promised 5 hours on each disc without really loosing sound quality. In short...a great product overall.
Mar 25, 2010 18:16:04
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