mini disc recorder

[Celso Álvarez Cáccamo]

Sonja,
You ask,

>I'm going to do two sets of interviews. one set that will likely require
>spectrographic analyses. I want digital recordings so they can be put on
>the computer.

Yes, there have been some discussions on the issue. In short:

1) Direct digital recording (Mini Disc or MP3) compress data and this
entails data loss, which is not good for spectrographic analysis.

2) DAT has better quality, but

3) No equipment exists yet (yet -- see below) to make digital recordings
without data loss which could then be transferred on-the-fly as digital
files (e.g. MP3 or WAV) to a computer. But, since sound transfer is in real
time, it doesn't really matter whether the original recording is digital or
analog.

4) Yes, a good mike is a must.


Now, you (and other list members) may be interested in knowing about this
new, quite ugly portable gizmo called Archos Jukebox HD-MP3 Recorder. This
is a direct MP3 recorder in near-CD quality (with some data loss, though),
20Hz to 20,000Hz range, which holds up to 100 hours of sound in a 6GB hard
drive. The drive can be also used as an external regular hard drive. It
connects to the PC or Mac via USB, so file transfer is fast. MP3 files can
then be converted to WAV or CDA tracks to make CD's. I don't know if it
takes an external mike -- it should! I don't remember the price now, less
than $600 or so. Does anyone have had any experience with this Jukebox? I
wonder about background noise by the hard drive.

The Jukebox can be ordered on-line from Archos' web page, http://www.archos.com

Better yet, in the same page Archos announces for Fall 2001 the release of
the first commercial portable CD Audio Recorder, which will record sound
*directly* onto regular CD's, presumably in CDA tracks (20Hz-20KHz with no
data loss), apart from it being able to record also up to 10 hours in one
CD in compressed MP3 format.

If sound quality turns out to be good, the CD Audio Recorder would be the
solution to what many people are asking for: no data loss, easy and quick
transfer to the computer, portability, permanent data storage, and
relatively cheap medium (this sounds like a salespitch).

Best,
-celso
Celso Alvarez-Cáccamo
lxalvarz at udc.es

At 16:21 2001-07-01 -0400, you wrote:
>I know this has been discussed before and that I saved some messages, but
>they're at school I think and I'm leaving tomorrow to collect new data. I
>don't know if there are archives somewhere for this list (I'm not
>typically a procrastinator but I planned to use a recorder from our
>Linguistics Program and discovered that's it checked out for the summer).
>
>I'm going to do two sets of interviews. one set that will likely require
>spectrographic analyses. I want digital recordings so they can be put on
>the computer. I would imagine my choices to be a mini disc or a dat or
>possibly an analog recorder like a marantz that can be converted to
>digital. My primary interest is in the content of the interviews and the
>later transcription for the other set of interviews.
>
>I don't know much about a mini disc recorder or a dat. I need something
>that will have a good microphone, preferrably an internal mic or with a
>fairly non-intrusive external mic. I read good things on this list for the
>mini disc as well as some drawbacks (neither of which I remember much
>right now). In any event, I'd like to know if someone can tell me about a
>good mini disc or dat recorder they've used for the situation I need to
>use it in.
>
>The mini disc supply here in Athens is limited to two Sony models--one
>analog and one digital. But, according to the saleperson, I'd need to buy
>a mic--and they don't have one. So, in addition to good models I also need
>to know if a separate mic purchase is needed as well.
>
>At this point, any useful info would be much appreciated.  --Sonja
>
>**************************************************************
>Sonja L. Lanehart
>Department of English                 706-542-2260 (office)
>University of Georgia                 706-542-1261 (messages)
>300 Park Hall                         706-542-2181 (fax)
>Athens, GA 30602-6205                 lanehart at arches.uga.edu
>**************************************************************

Celso Álvarez Cáccamo              Tel. +34 981 167000 ext. 1888
Linguística Geral, Faculdade de Filologia     FAX +34 981 167151
Universidade da Corunha                          lxalvarz at udc.es
15071 A Corunha, Galiza (Espanha)  http://www.udc.es/dep/lx/cac/