MiniDisc recorders - anyone use them?

[Mods]

I can't afford a DAT recorder but I can afford a MiniDisc recorder, so I have a very simple question.

Are they any good?

[img]smile.gif[/img]
m0ds

[Tom Servo]

m0ds-
i use a minidisc for sound occasionally, it depends on if the project is serious enough/even needs sound. I would say "yes", they are definetely good, but not without a good mic. They also have long play, which can record up to 300 minutes on one disc at little to no loss of quality....price varies, mine was 250 two years ago.
mendon

[Mods]

Thanks. Sounds like a MiniDisc is far better than any of the methods we use already. And don't worry, i have lots of good mics. There's a nice Panasonic one with a base station that costs ?150 from AVland, so I think I'll look at getting that. Thanks!

Anyone else? Chris Jones of LivingSpirit said he didn't recommend using them - but then I have no idea what else to use, as I can't afford much else.

m0ds

[belovedmonster]

There are two problems with using minidisc in what we call "iso" mode (ie: separate and non-synchronously from the camcorder). The fiest is that if it's placed a distance away from you, you might not have any way of monitoring what it's recording - and therefore any noises and pops which affect the recording might go un-noticed. Secondly, if you're recording with lots of invididual takes (start/stops) the minidisc might have to be running continuously, and cause you a massive amount of work later.

There is one benefit to working this way if the shoot involves one continuous take (eg: a music or drama performance, wedding, etc) but if you're doing other stuff it could be a real headache. In this situation, its best not to work without someone having the ability to monitoring audio continually.

That said, if minidisk is all you can afford, then its the best you can do.

[the big lebowski]

Minidisc has ATRACK compression on it which cuts out 40% of the frequencies that you dont usually hear. It's a digital format so there will be no hiss or time differences. You will be able to stop the MD recording after every take and start a new track for the next take, so if you keep tabs on which track is which take it will speed things up in postproduction.

We have used a MD recorder for dialogue on a 30min short we made and it was just fine.

Have a blast

the Dude

[Mods]

Thanks beloved and el duderino - I wondered what all that ATRACK stuff was, but now I'm deffinatley tempted to buy an MD recorder, which I think i will.

Beloved, one thing I must mention to you is that a) its okay, we'll be having a sound recordist, complete with headphones! [img]tongue.gif[/img] And b) It also helps for him/her to keep a log and for you as a director to also call roll sound and then get the clapper guy to say the scene number/name [img]wink.gif[/img]

m0ds

[belovedmonster]

then you shouldnt have any problems