Basic Equipment
1) A model like the Sony Mini Disc MZ-M710 is suitable, but seems to be discontinued,so eBay is the best place to find one.
With this standard model, I use the headphone output to transfer recordings to my computer in real time., because there is no USB port to upload to PCs for copyright reasons.
Latest Sony Models use HD (high Density) discs, and have an upload facility through their own software; they can use standard discs too. Question is, can you find HD disks and spare batteries for the latest models?
In both cases, it is a good idea to buy the microphone with the machine.
2) At the radio (RSA), we play MP3 files on Winamp (Winamp free software) with the PC and standard audio CDs on CD players; they can play home-made CD-R discs too..
3) I do all editing with Audacity (free software), and save final tracks as MP3.
4) What matters is that you end up with audio CDs or MP3 files.
You can do your recordings with a laptop, with a mini-disc, with a SD memory card recorder, an old tape machine, etc.
If you edit with Audacity, you can produce MP3 files and WAV files to burn your own audio CDs.
Basic Software
In the meantime, good idea to try the software. Free downloads below:http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/
http://www.winamp.com/
For Audacity, you need to download an MP3 codec from a site that they give you, and install it in your Audacity folder.
Note that Audacity can record any sound which plays on your PC; you need to set up the Windows audio functions.You can visit the various tutorials available on the Web.
For Winamp, just download it and experiment playing files and saving playlists. You can use Winamp database or just drag tracks from folders!
Transfer, copy, upload
The missing piece about getting your recording to your PC:- with a standard mini-disc: you connect a standard stereo cable with mini-jacks on each end between the MD's earphone connection and your PC's line in input. (no line in?, try the mic in, but adjust the levels) - Sony records in a proprietary format, not Wav, nor MP3;
- same process for equipment with no direct digital connectivity;
- with recent HD mini-disc: install their software and use their USB cable to upload the file to your PC;
- some machines record a digital track in Wav of Mp3 on an internal hard disk or memory chip: connect the unit to your PC through their USB cable; the PC will see them as an external storage device and you can copy the files through the Windows system as usual.
- with the latest removable SD memory cards: just insert the memory card into a card reader,either inside your PC or an external module; the will appear as a drive on the PC.
Just copy the files through the Windows system as usual.
Microphone
Always go for the best quality, mainly if your work for radio.- internal microphones on MP3 recorders tare practical, but offer only a low quality, like a dictating machine;
- clip-on microphones can be a bit better, but tend to record the internal noises of the unit and are not flexible;
- an external microphone with its cable is the best option as you can move hold it near the speaker and move it;
- the best quality is offered by units which have a manual setting for the microphone recording; fully automatic ones tend to record too much ambient noises.
