MD

[susan lepselter]

At 11:44 AM 4/3/00, Robert E Englebretson wrote:
>> Although MD is a digital medium, it does not allow for digital
>> reduplication. The recording technology comes with built-in encryption
>> that means any copy of an MD is an analog copy, even though the original
>> is digital.
>
>Generally speaking, this is not quite accurate.  I can't speak for your
>particular model, but the ones I'm familiar with (and MD technology in
>general, as well as consumer-grade DAT) use a copy protection scheme
>called SCMS (Serial copy management System).  What this means is, you
>*can* make unlimited digital copies directly from the master disk.
>However, you are not allowed to make digital copies of the
>first-generation copies, and if you do they will be done via analog.
>(Some professional-quality decks don't use SCMS at all, and there are
>supposedly some tricks-of-the-trade for defeating the SCMS circuit in the
>consumer-grade ones too.)  So, you should in fact be able to get direct
>digital from your master recordings as often as you like, no matter what
>kind of MD recorder you have..

Hey y'all

Reading this list from Susan's email,  I noticed you discussing my favorite
subject.  Robert is exactly right.  And there are simple technical ways to
defeat serial copy protection even in consumer decks (check out Dat-Heads
website if you get into this stuff, or Minidisc.org, but you'll kill your
warranty).  I'd like to recommend one model of consumer level (i.e., under
$1000) DAT that does not have serial copy protection.  This is the SONY
PCM-M1, which runs less than $800. has the same circuitry and heads as the
SCMS hindered D-*** series DATS, and has worked like a truck for me,
considering it's so small.   Also, unlike the D-series DATS, it runs on 2
AA batteries, not 3 or 4, for about the same time.  It has a digital co-ax
output, although you cannot convert directly to Firewire (yet).  You can
dump digitally onto another DAT or a CD recorder (or a minidisc recorder).


I've been recommending minidisc to my students for a year or two.  It's
cheaper than cassette for media and the quality is better, you can edit and
label on the disc and on the fly, and the machines are really durable.
However, IMHO, minidisc does NOT sound as good as DAT -- much tinnier and
less headroom and dynamic range even with AVLS systems (etc.) defeated.
Plus, on lower sampling rates (e.g., the PCM-M1 allows 40 Khz recording)
you can tape four hours without changing media, which helps make the
recorder fade into the background for long interviews (assuming you are
running AC power and don't need to change batteries, which only give you 2
hours).  DAT at 40 KHz sounds better to me than MD at 44.  DAT at 48 sounds
best of all.  I have been archiving on DAT for 5 years and have had no
media problems.  Wish I could say the same about the CDs I write on my
CD-RW deck. Treat DAT like real tape.  Exercise it, but don't use originals
for repeated playing, esp. since you can make digital copies.

On the subject of mikes, right again from several voices.  A good mike and
a cheap deck will kick tail on an average mike and a good deck. For
all-purpose DAT recording under rugged conditions, I like the Audio
Technica AT-222, about $350, or more with phantom power module.

I am beginning to investigate whether Digital Video (DV) is not in fact a
better medium for audio recording than either DAT or MD.  The reasons are
complicated, but a really good DV cam with an excellent mike makes an
awesome audio recorder.

Best to all old friends on the list

Aaron Fox
Dept. of Music
Columbia University
Posting from Susan Lepselter's account
My email is  aaf19 at columbia.edu