Just saw your name over at the Minidisc forums. Wild! I have been fighting the good fight over at the Man-Man forum while drooling over the new Hi-MD stuff coming out later this spring.
We shall overcome the iPod onslaught!
Hey, you're an MD fan!
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Zodo
- Cartoon Hero
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Indeed we shall!
The way MP3s have been surging has made it hard to argue in favor of the minidisc though... The only thing I have against MP3 is that I don't have the HD space to rip all my CDs... and I'm not into piracy. I much prefer to make
legit recordings of all the CDs I paid for, and keep them in my insulated MD case.
For the next time someone asks me why MDs are better than MP3, Do you have any suggestions about what I can tell them? (Aside that I can carry my whole music collection in 1 briefcase, and interchange them easily... and that I can listen to my minidiscs in my car, from my indash MD player)?
-Zodo, CI
Consummate Troublemaker
King of the Tonja Steele Forum!
The way MP3s have been surging has made it hard to argue in favor of the minidisc though... The only thing I have against MP3 is that I don't have the HD space to rip all my CDs... and I'm not into piracy. I much prefer to make
legit recordings of all the CDs I paid for, and keep them in my insulated MD case.
For the next time someone asks me why MDs are better than MP3, Do you have any suggestions about what I can tell them? (Aside that I can carry my whole music collection in 1 briefcase, and interchange them easily... and that I can listen to my minidiscs in my car, from my indash MD player)?
-Zodo, CI
Consummate Troublemaker
King of the Tonja Steele Forum!
No real opinion in this. I've made my choice, you're welcome to make yours.
However...
MP4 offers better compression than mp3.
I would have all of my music on my 10 GB iPod, if it were not for my wife's affection for Christmas music. A 40 GB iPod can hold over 10,000 songs easy. And still fits in a pocket.
I can listen to all of my music in my car with my iPod and a $30 fm transmitter. How much did your MD player cost?
Just nit-picking.
Doc
However...
MP4 offers better compression than mp3.
I would have all of my music on my 10 GB iPod, if it were not for my wife's affection for Christmas music. A 40 GB iPod can hold over 10,000 songs easy. And still fits in a pocket.
I can listen to all of my music in my car with my iPod and a $30 fm transmitter. How much did your MD player cost?
Just nit-picking.
Doc
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BJ
- Cartoon Hero
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- Joined: Fri Jan 01, 1999 4:00 pm
- Location: Stevens Point, WI USA
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Which MD player? 
The Panasonic recorder I'm using these days set me back $50., and I can squeeze over 2.5 hrs of music on one MD. The new Hi-MD units vary, but the one I want so bad (and SO can't afford) is $300. Each 1-gig MD will be about $7.
I'm with Zodo. I don't download music (unless it's offered for free by the artist, like Planet P, or I know I'm going to either buy it or erase it--two pirated Andrew W.K. mp3s pushed me over the edge so I bought both of his CDs), and I have TONS of CDs that I don't care to have hogging up HD space on our computer. I also like to have a selection literally at my fingertips--it's impossible for me to visualize my music collection in a list of folders and sub-folders. Give me a shelf I can go to.
I'm old. I like music I can hold in my hand and that won't go away if my hard drive crashes. I also don't like "portable" machines that must be slaved to a desktop computer to delete one song I'm sick of (iRiver's iFP-390T, which I got for my birthday and love, lets me do this on the fly). The MD is just the first thing I grab on my way out the door. Even over the iRiver.
Zodo...MP3s are more versatile than ATRAC--more people can use them, you can copy them willy nilly, and folks like that. I prefer to have my music be mine, and there's something more personal to me about having a mix on MD. It all boils down to, "What's best depends on what you're gonna use it for."
MD is better because
- it's a reliable, very sturdy, standalone audio component (no computer needed!)
- it's designed much better for field recording (you can adjust recording levels like a DAT)
- ATRAC is a cleaner compression than MP3, so it sounds much nicer
- the music is stored on removable, rewriteable media--if the player dies, your music is intact
- battery life galore! My MD will play nonstop for two days before it poops out, and then I just recharge it.
MP3 is better because
- it's a widely used format that can be played with the correct software on PDAs, computers, dedicated players, some CD players, DVD players, etc.
- depending on your storage capacity, you could hold your entire music collection on one handheld device without a wallet of discs
- there are no copy restrictions
- it can sound pretty darn good if you know how to encode 'em
- you can fine tune the compression to many degrees, instead of getting stuck with four options only
Basically, if your computer is always on and you're into sharing copies of your music with everyone you know, MP3 would be the way to go. It's also useful if you travel a lot and can't keep track of a number of 2.5" discs--all your music is in one place.
If you're an archivist, if you do your own recording (in a band or of a band), if you never outgrew spending days on one mix tape, or if you don't own a computer but have a pretty kick-butt stereo, MD is for you. The sound is (arguably) cleaner, the media is insanely tough (my MDs have been through extreme weather conditions, physical abuse, etc, and I've never had problems with one) and now, with the new Hi-MD technology, you can really store some tunes. Also, if you're in a band, look into Hi-MD for recording band practice--Sony finally lets you download your microphone/analogue recordings via USB to your computer. Yay!
Long winded. As you can guess, MD is one of my obsessions. But that's cos it's right for me, and I really don't mind any copy restrictions Sony puts on it--there are ALWAYS ways around it, and I've used them. One of my brothers uses his Archos jukebox all the time, even though he has an MD recorder--MP3 just suits his lifestyle better. My other brother still prefers CDs (he's the biggest audiophile in our family), but for him, MDs have replaced tape cassettes for everyday use. Me, I dub my CDs to MD (I usually listen on the go), then archive the CDs.
I always know what's in my MD case, but I can never remember what's stored on my iRiver. And for the resiliancy record, I have a Sharp MD-D10 (player only) that will enjoy its 11th birthday this May, and it still works perfectly. I paid $10 for it on eBay. Okay, okay, you guys are starting to nod off. I've talked WAY too much.
For better information than I can provide, check out http://www.minidisc.org sometime--they have the most comprehensive lists of MD equipment, user and service manuals, FAQs, reasons to check out the MD format and...hey, a discussion board!
Finally, I'd just like to add that the iPod is a nice machine--I got the chance to seriously play around with one--but it's just not for me.
Done now.
The Panasonic recorder I'm using these days set me back $50., and I can squeeze over 2.5 hrs of music on one MD. The new Hi-MD units vary, but the one I want so bad (and SO can't afford) is $300. Each 1-gig MD will be about $7.I'm with Zodo. I don't download music (unless it's offered for free by the artist, like Planet P, or I know I'm going to either buy it or erase it--two pirated Andrew W.K. mp3s pushed me over the edge so I bought both of his CDs), and I have TONS of CDs that I don't care to have hogging up HD space on our computer. I also like to have a selection literally at my fingertips--it's impossible for me to visualize my music collection in a list of folders and sub-folders. Give me a shelf I can go to.
I'm old. I like music I can hold in my hand and that won't go away if my hard drive crashes. I also don't like "portable" machines that must be slaved to a desktop computer to delete one song I'm sick of (iRiver's iFP-390T, which I got for my birthday and love, lets me do this on the fly). The MD is just the first thing I grab on my way out the door. Even over the iRiver.
Zodo...MP3s are more versatile than ATRAC--more people can use them, you can copy them willy nilly, and folks like that. I prefer to have my music be mine, and there's something more personal to me about having a mix on MD. It all boils down to, "What's best depends on what you're gonna use it for."
MD is better because
- it's a reliable, very sturdy, standalone audio component (no computer needed!)
- it's designed much better for field recording (you can adjust recording levels like a DAT)
- ATRAC is a cleaner compression than MP3, so it sounds much nicer
- the music is stored on removable, rewriteable media--if the player dies, your music is intact
- battery life galore! My MD will play nonstop for two days before it poops out, and then I just recharge it.
MP3 is better because
- it's a widely used format that can be played with the correct software on PDAs, computers, dedicated players, some CD players, DVD players, etc.
- depending on your storage capacity, you could hold your entire music collection on one handheld device without a wallet of discs
- there are no copy restrictions
- it can sound pretty darn good if you know how to encode 'em
- you can fine tune the compression to many degrees, instead of getting stuck with four options only
Basically, if your computer is always on and you're into sharing copies of your music with everyone you know, MP3 would be the way to go. It's also useful if you travel a lot and can't keep track of a number of 2.5" discs--all your music is in one place.
If you're an archivist, if you do your own recording (in a band or of a band), if you never outgrew spending days on one mix tape, or if you don't own a computer but have a pretty kick-butt stereo, MD is for you. The sound is (arguably) cleaner, the media is insanely tough (my MDs have been through extreme weather conditions, physical abuse, etc, and I've never had problems with one) and now, with the new Hi-MD technology, you can really store some tunes. Also, if you're in a band, look into Hi-MD for recording band practice--Sony finally lets you download your microphone/analogue recordings via USB to your computer. Yay!
Long winded. As you can guess, MD is one of my obsessions. But that's cos it's right for me, and I really don't mind any copy restrictions Sony puts on it--there are ALWAYS ways around it, and I've used them. One of my brothers uses his Archos jukebox all the time, even though he has an MD recorder--MP3 just suits his lifestyle better. My other brother still prefers CDs (he's the biggest audiophile in our family), but for him, MDs have replaced tape cassettes for everyday use. Me, I dub my CDs to MD (I usually listen on the go), then archive the CDs.
I always know what's in my MD case, but I can never remember what's stored on my iRiver. And for the resiliancy record, I have a Sharp MD-D10 (player only) that will enjoy its 11th birthday this May, and it still works perfectly. I paid $10 for it on eBay. Okay, okay, you guys are starting to nod off. I've talked WAY too much.
For better information than I can provide, check out http://www.minidisc.org sometime--they have the most comprehensive lists of MD equipment, user and service manuals, FAQs, reasons to check out the MD format and...hey, a discussion board!
Finally, I'd just like to add that the iPod is a nice machine--I got the chance to seriously play around with one--but it's just not for me.
Done now.
Here's to the worst times of my life.
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Shepherd
- Regular Poster
- Posts: 346
- Joined: Fri Jan 01, 1999 4:00 pm
- Location: Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
I don't want to be pimping my own forum too much here, but I laid out what I felt were some pretty solid arguments when comparing MDs to portable CD players; link's in the first post here.
In short, I prefer MDs because...
- Mic and line inputs for various journalistic and other field recordings; can't do that with a CD player and WAYYY better sound than the built-in-mic MP3 digital player/recorders;
- Extremely (breast pocket) portable, non-skipping -- I ride a bike to work in the summer, take the bus and walk in the winter, so pocket-size and unskippable are important to me;
- I'd rather grab a "theme" MD, pop it in and hit "play" than browse through a folder tree on an LCD screen to find the mix I want to hear at any moment in time. It's a personal bias. I grew up in the cassette era and the "mix tape" still holds a very special place in my heart -- you can't do that with MP3s.
- Damn, those l'il disks are sexy;
- Upload/download capacity of Hi-MD will make it a versatile "dongle drive"... listen to music on the way to the office, upload files from home, download at end of day, and listen to music on the way home... sweet (and the one with the mic in actually looks moderately affordable);
- Extremely supportive and creative user community (it's the Mac of portable audio, I think that's an apt description)
There's more, but I'm at work and gotta run. I know lots of people that do just fine with MP3 players and CD players with MP3 capabilities, but there's a certain ... romance? ... to MP3s that makes me a diehard convert.
In short, I prefer MDs because...
- Mic and line inputs for various journalistic and other field recordings; can't do that with a CD player and WAYYY better sound than the built-in-mic MP3 digital player/recorders;
- Extremely (breast pocket) portable, non-skipping -- I ride a bike to work in the summer, take the bus and walk in the winter, so pocket-size and unskippable are important to me;
- I'd rather grab a "theme" MD, pop it in and hit "play" than browse through a folder tree on an LCD screen to find the mix I want to hear at any moment in time. It's a personal bias. I grew up in the cassette era and the "mix tape" still holds a very special place in my heart -- you can't do that with MP3s.
- Damn, those l'il disks are sexy;
- Upload/download capacity of Hi-MD will make it a versatile "dongle drive"... listen to music on the way to the office, upload files from home, download at end of day, and listen to music on the way home... sweet (and the one with the mic in actually looks moderately affordable);
- Extremely supportive and creative user community (it's the Mac of portable audio, I think that's an apt description)
There's more, but I'm at work and gotta run. I know lots of people that do just fine with MP3 players and CD players with MP3 capabilities, but there's a certain ... romance? ... to MP3s that makes me a diehard convert.
Yes, you can. It's called a "Playlist". I've got plenty of playlists on my iPod. Admittedly, not all MP3 players can do this, but some can.Shepherd wrote:- I'd rather grab a "theme" MD, pop it in and hit "play" than browse through a folder tree on an LCD screen to find the mix I want to hear at any moment in time. It's a personal bias. I grew up in the cassette era and the "mix tape" still holds a very special place in my heart -- you can't do that with MP3s.
And some playlists can update themselves according to what you've been currently listening to.
Well, I gotta give you that one.- Damn, those l'il disks are sexy;
Can also be done with the iPod, all you need is a Firewire or USB 2 port (depending on model).- Upload/download capacity of Hi-MD will make it a versatile "dongle drive"... listen to music on the way to the office, upload files from home, download at end of day, and listen to music on the way home... sweet (and the one with the mic in actually looks moderately affordable);
Also applies to the iPod, although not necessarily to users of other MP3 players.- Extremely supportive and creative user community (it's the Mac of portable audio, I think that's an apt description)
Doc
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Shepherd
- Regular Poster
- Posts: 346
- Joined: Fri Jan 01, 1999 4:00 pm
- Location: Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Wauugh. I forgot another thing above: a woeful lack of time and interest to research these things thoroughly. I made a blanket assumption based on the few units I've messed around with.DocMan wrote: Yes, you can. It's called a "Playlist". I've got plenty of playlists on my iPod. Admittedly, not all MP3 players can do this, but some can.
But again, as an old-school cassette fan, I also really like having physical media you place in the unit rather than navigate to. I fully acknowledge that it's totally irrational, but there it is.
Uh... yeah. iPod. Mac. I'm a dork. Huh huh.Also applies to the iPod, although not necessarily to users of other MP3 players.- Extremely supportive and creative user community (it's the Mac of portable audio, I think that's an apt description)
I've known people with iPods that love the iPods and live for the iPods and their iPods are indeed pretty dang cool. I have nothing AGAINST MP3 media, I just really, really, really like MDs.
Which is totally cool...
I'm not trying to argue. I'm just pointing out the things I noticed that aren't totally accurate. At least, aren't accurate anymore.
And I've learned a thing or two. I had no idea that MD players had record capabilities. I'd need to take a laptop to try any remote digital recording. Fortunately for me, I don't have the need.
I don't swap bootleg MP3's either.
Doc
I'm not trying to argue. I'm just pointing out the things I noticed that aren't totally accurate. At least, aren't accurate anymore.
And I've learned a thing or two. I had no idea that MD players had record capabilities. I'd need to take a laptop to try any remote digital recording. Fortunately for me, I don't have the need.
I don't swap bootleg MP3's either.
Doc
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Zodo
- Cartoon Hero
- Posts: 1217
- Joined: Fri Jan 01, 1999 4:00 pm
- Location: Lafayette, Indiana USA
- Contact:
I suppose that would be an advantage of MD... 74 minutes of digital recording. I have a recording Walkman MD, and a console unit that records from CD to MD, including the trackmarks.
One thing I must point out about my MD indash player, is that when I got it, MP3s weren't really around all that much, if at all.
-Zodo, CI
Consummate Troublemaker
King of the Tonja Steele Forum!
One thing I must point out about my MD indash player, is that when I got it, MP3s weren't really around all that much, if at all.
-Zodo, CI
Consummate Troublemaker
King of the Tonja Steele Forum!
-
BJ
- Cartoon Hero
- Posts: 1875
- Joined: Fri Jan 01, 1999 4:00 pm
- Location: Stevens Point, WI USA
- Contact:
Good point--I had an MD recorder way before I had a computer, and downloading music was an alien concept. CD burners were prohibitively expensive.
And as much as I love MD and think everyone else should, it depends on what you'll use it for. For most people, MP3s really are all around better.
Joey got into MD because it works like CD-RW, but it operates just like cassette tape, so she could figure it out in a snap. Messing with MP3s involves too much ripping, shuffling around and organizing.
And as much as I love MD and think everyone else should, it depends on what you'll use it for. For most people, MP3s really are all around better.
Joey got into MD because it works like CD-RW, but it operates just like cassette tape, so she could figure it out in a snap. Messing with MP3s involves too much ripping, shuffling around and organizing.
Here's to the worst times of my life.
Return of the iPod
Well, looks like the iPod is encroaching on the MD's market again. If you have the latest generation of iPod, you can now get an add on (I think it's less than $50) that lets you digitally record onto your iPod.
Of course, I cannot vouch for the quality of the remote recordings made with this unit, having neither a latest generation iPod, nor the new recorder add-on.
Just thought I'd let you know.
Doc
Of course, I cannot vouch for the quality of the remote recordings made with this unit, having neither a latest generation iPod, nor the new recorder add-on.
Just thought I'd let you know.
Doc
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Zodo
- Cartoon Hero
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Yeah, but I bet you can't take something you've recorded on an Ipod, and toss it across the room at someone and plonk them on the head with it, then listen to it with no quality reduction...
Yeah.
MDs are better cuz you can plonk with them.
Nyah.
-Zodo, CI
Consummate Troublemaker
King of the Tonja Steele Forum!
Yeah.
MDs are better cuz you can plonk with them.
Nyah.
-Zodo, CI
Consummate Troublemaker
King of the Tonja Steele Forum!
-
Shepherd
- Regular Poster
- Posts: 346
- Joined: Fri Jan 01, 1999 4:00 pm
- Location: Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Well, I've had just about enough of your hateful MD bashing, you prick.
Just kidding. You've made it very clear, but as the only devil's advocate in the thread, opposing you is the only way for us insecure MD addicts to keep self-justifying in the face of quite-possibly-superior and less expensive technology.
Like BJ said, it really is up to what you use it for. I'm thinking about getting my girlfriend a MD player when the Hi-MD comes out (on the assumption that the end-of-line prices on the current ones will plummet), but may opt for an iPod-type device instead if it is more practical for her needs.
Me, I need the recording functionality and since most of my journo associates use MD, it's still handy to have things you can hand to people without needing any cabling.
Just kidding. You've made it very clear, but as the only devil's advocate in the thread, opposing you is the only way for us insecure MD addicts to keep self-justifying in the face of quite-possibly-superior and less expensive technology.
Like BJ said, it really is up to what you use it for. I'm thinking about getting my girlfriend a MD player when the Hi-MD comes out (on the assumption that the end-of-line prices on the current ones will plummet), but may opt for an iPod-type device instead if it is more practical for her needs.
Me, I need the recording functionality and since most of my journo associates use MD, it's still handy to have things you can hand to people without needing any cabling.