[Gildersleeve]

For personal use I convert favourite radio to mp3 and for years(seeing cassette tape has virtually been discontinued)I have been using a minidisc recorder connected to the satellite receiver via phono leads and then taking the discs to the second minidisc recorder and transferring to hard drive in real time and converting to mp3.

Sometimes if programmes clash I use the second machine to record something else or if that machine failed I could play the DAB radio directly into the pc's hard drive.

I can even use the minidisc recorder without any disc inside and use it as an amplifier just relaying the sound.

An advantage of minidisc(well the Sony range)being that you can record upto 5 hours in stereo sound on a disc so you can leave a disc running for those long special programmes or if using a timer you can record a selection of programmes whilst you are out.

Now it appears that minidisc is all but discontinued so with cassette tape out of the picture, if I am unable to replace or repair my present setup, what can I replace these machines with?

I've looked around the net but I can only seem to find portable machines and one seperate that costs nearly £900 and if I do find a site that says they sell machines when you get on site it says discontinued/unavailable. I don't fancy considering e-bay.

Any help is appreciated.

Another problem has developed with the machine attached to the DAB/PC directly...

Many discs will not eject unless...I tip the machine on it's end and press the reject button, then the disc ejects as normal.

Otherwise its working ok.

I wondered if switching off the machine and disconnecting from the mains may fix this problem...but it hasn't.

Is it worth(and are there any repairers)still able to repair minidisc recorders and are spare parts still available? When I say repairers I am thinking of how you used to be able to call in an engineer or you could take your machines/tv's into a local repairer?

Again...thanks...

Just a thought...sorry to drag this out...is the answer now that you have to record radio sound onto DVD's so you need to buy a DVD recorder. Can you record radio onto DVD's?

[carguy143]

I used to love my minidisc player, it was an Aiwa one from 2003!

To be honest i haven't seen minidiscs for sale for a while now, but have a search for a shop called clearance bargains on ebay, they used to sell all Argos old stock and i am sure i remember some minidisc players on there.

[Gildersleeve]

Thanks Carguy...maybe e-bay is the way to go?

What do you use instead or do you not bother anymore?

I thought digital was meant to make life easier but in this case it would appear no...

[Ooh_Matron]

You may find something like Tascam's DR-07 a suitable replacement - that's what I'm currently considering...

[Pepperoni Man]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gildersleeve

Just a thought...sorry to drag this out...is the answer now that you have to record radio sound onto DVD's so you need to buy a DVD recorder. Can you record radio onto DVD's?

I can't see why you can't record a radio channel that's on the TV on to a DVD using a DVD Recorder

Have you though about a CD recorder instead of your minidisc recorder. I don't know if these are any more widely available ? My Pioneer is brilliant and I'd be lost withoout it - I use it for bunging my vinyl on CD

[carguy143]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pepperoni Man

I can't see why you can't record a radio channel that's on the TV on to a DVD using a DVD Recorder

Have you though about a CD recorder instead of your minidisc recorder. I don't know if these are any more widely available ? My Pioneer is brilliant and I'd be lost withoout it - I use it for bunging my vinyl on CD

I have seen a Sony Hi-Fi in comet and currys that will record directly to USB and has an auxiliary input if this helps?

[Gildersleeve]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pepperoni Man

I can't see why you can't record a radio channel that's on the TV on to a DVD using a DVD Recorder

Have you thought about a CD recorder instead of your minidisc recorder. I don't know if these are any more widely available ? My Pioneer is brilliant and I'd be lost withoout it - I use it for bunging my vinyl on CD

That is a thought...if its a bit like a hi-fi seperate and...I could use reuseable CD's to record on. And play them on the PC's DVD/CD drive onto hard drive and convert to mp3 and burn to DVD. Worth looking into...thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by carguy143

I have seen a Sony Hi-Fi in comet and currys that will record directly to USB and has an auxiliary input if this helps?

That could work too...especially where the computer is but maybe not a solution in the lounge as I'd need to put another pc in there.

But an idea worth considering. Virtually everything today seems to need access to a computer to either download or burn.

[gemma-the-husky]

few possibilites

use a tv tuner on the PC - see if that would record directly
use an archos - i'm sure that would record off air directly to mp3 (although perhaps not - perhaps it would record an avi)
do any mobile phones record FM signals
is any of what you record available as a podcast - saves all the trouble of messing around
you may be able to get a portable MD player - they dont load like a CD tray - just mechanically, like droppoing in a cassette. Sound will still be OK
- use a CD recorder, instead of MD - although this will presumably limit you to 1hr or so per CD

[Gildersleeve]

Thanks again Gemma...
Yes until you convert the sound to mp3, it probably would be limited to an hour(when you burn mp3 files to CD that increases and on a DVD it can be as much as 55 + hours)per disc.

Portable mini-disc, that sounds interesting...portability might be an advantage but I wonder what connections it would have so I could plug a sound source into it...

I'll have a look around the web again...

[Pepperoni Man]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gildersleeve

That is a thought...if its a bit like a hi-fi seperate and...I could use reuseable CD's to record on. And play them on the PC's DVD/CD drive onto hard drive and convert to mp3 and burn to DVD. Worth looking into

Yep - CD recorders come as a hi fi separate (standard full size) and you can use CD RWs

[Gildersleeve]

Fantastic! So the CD recorder is another possiblity still...

And should they remain available and I can scrape the money together I may get around the problem with portable mini-disc recorders having looked around the internet too.

Of course the problem may arise again at a future date...

[Andy Carlton]

Why not just buy an all-in-one HDD system with multiple inputs and a USB? No more recordable CD's to buy...

I have one of these and they are fantastic!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ONKYO-BR925-CD...item4cec7ad335

[Chris Frost]

Philips HDD120. It's an MP3 player with a line input & record feature. Records direct to MP3 at 64/128/192kbps. The hard disc size is 20Gb so there's very little chance that you'll run out of space!! There's a USB connection so you can transfer to and from your PC.

These are selling second-hand on Ebay for around £20 - £25 with mains adapter/charger. Have a look - HDD120 and search under completed items.

Alternatively you could try and track down a Sony MDS JB930/940/950 minidisc deck. I had a 930. It's a superb bit of kit.

[frasera]

egads thats a lot of effort to record something off the radio.
is it really worth it?
these days we have things called podcasts and rss feeds. try it sometime!

[Gildersleeve]

Thanks Chris...I think my Sony machines are 980's, the other idea that you suggest sounds great...

Andy, the CD recorder gives another option but for convenience I'd still wish to convert to mp3.

A lot of radio is still not available as a podcast frasera unfortunately. Many podcasts are not allowed to include all that is heard on radio.

This has given me much to consider and a few options I never realised existed out there.

We have no specialist shops near by so chances are when the decison has to be made it will be via the internet.

[frasera]

err i guesso, but most stuff worth listening to is, or alternatives can be found.
years ago there used to be a radio computer dvr thing sold..usb antenna and all that, radio shark or somethin like that. not sure if they still exist. in any case thats a whole lot of trouble to save a radio show.

[cloudfactory]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gildersleeve

For personal use I convert favourite radio to mp3 and for years(seeing cassette tape has virtually been discontinued)I have been using a minidisc recorder connected to the satellite receiver via phono leads and then taking the discs to the second minidisc recorder and transferring to hard drive in real time and converting to mp3.

Sometimes if programmes clash I use the second machine to record something else or if that machine failed I could play the DAB radio directly into the pc's hard drive.

I can even use the minidisc recorder without any disc inside and use it as an amplifier just relaying the sound.

An advantage of minidisc(well the Sony range)being that you can record upto 5 hours in stereo sound on a disc so you can leave a disc running for those long special programmes or if using a timer you can record a selection of programmes whilst you are out.

Now it appears that minidisc is all but discontinued so with cassette tape out of the picture, if I am unable to replace or repair my present setup, what can I replace these machines with?

I've looked around the net but I can only seem to find portable machines and one seperate that costs nearly £900 and if I do find a site that says they sell machines when you get on site it says discontinued/unavailable. I don't fancy considering e-bay.

Any help is appreciated.

Another problem has developed with the machine attached to the DAB/PC directly...

Many discs will not eject unless...I tip the machine on it's end and press the reject button, then the disc ejects as normal.

Otherwise its working ok.

I wondered if switching off the machine and disconnecting from the mains may fix this problem...but it hasn't.

Is it worth(and are there any repairers)still able to repair minidisc recorders and are spare parts still available? When I say repairers I am thinking of how you used to be able to call in an engineer or you could take your machines/tv's into a local repairer?

Again...thanks...

Just a thought...sorry to drag this out...is the answer now that you have to record radio sound onto DVD's so you need to buy a DVD recorder. Can you record radio onto DVD's?

how do you record from mini disc on to a pc? i've got a load of mini disc stuff i made recordings of from cds and i'd like to get them on my mp3.

[Gildersleeve]

cloudfactory,

Basically, you connect a sound source(perhaps a minidisc recorder or a radio, a turntable)to the computer by a cable(I think it goes into the sound card and it may depend what connection it has. I think you can use say a phono lead(You know the kind with the red and white plugs)I think you can have a cable that goes to a USB connection.

Or you may need to adapt a cable by using one of those little splitter plug things where you put the cable in one side and it has a phono plug on the other side of the splitter.

It is a bit hit and miss intitially getting the right cables etc...

Basically you are using the computer/hard drive like a tape recorder, it's similar to someone editing a video from say a camcorder or making a DVD.

The fact that you want to put the material onto an mp3 player probably means you will have to do some of the above and then download from the pc to your player using a USB cable.

But to avoid using the pc and time you may be better following Chris Frosts advice further down the page by investing in the following...

Chris Says...
Philips HDD120. It's an MP3 player with a line input & record feature. Records direct to MP3 at 64/128/192kbps. The hard disc size is 20Gb so there's very little chance that you'll run out of space!! There's a USB connection so you can transfer to and from your PC.

In some cases even I may be better investing in such a piece of kit.

Good Luck!

[2Bdecided]

For your old MDs, see eBay.

For recording from satellite radio in the future (and, to be honest, this has been the way to go for at least the last five years!) get a PC DVB-S card and grab the radio streams straight to HDD. No transcoding, no loss of quality, no faffing around!

Alternatively, get a Freesat PVR - no need to reply on a PC, and the recordings can be archived to external HDD. You could use Sky+, but Freesat includes the BBC Radio schedules in the EPG, which makes it easier.

Alternatively, get a Freeview PVR which lets you record the radio off their (though I wouldn't be sure that radio will remain in high quality in Freeview across the entire country "forever").

Alternatively, grab the programmes straight off iPlayer (if BBC). That's the most convenient option (assuming a broadband internet connection). Far faster than real time with Replay Media Catcher.

All of the above allow you to record multiple programmes at once. Both the PC-card and iPlayer route would let you grab all national BBC radio stations simultaneously (assuming your PC could keep up - though you can grab them one-by-one after-the-fact on iPlayer if you want).

Cheers,
David.

[Gildersleeve]

Thanks David

I'll digest what you say and make a note of that as another alternative and next year when I see my pc repairer mention your suggestions and he'll be able to help(I think)find what I need.

I can by then hopefully take streams direct to the PC or play a signal into the system and that only leaves how to take the second feed off the sattelite system in the lounge where a computer isn't really practicle.

This information is helping me find a way to keep accessing my interest in radio when it seems to be getting much harder than it used to be to archive/record in the old days when we used tape

[2Bdecided]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gildersleeve

This information is helping me find a way to keep accessing my interest in radio when it seems to be getting much harder than it used to be to archive/record in the old days when we used tape

IMO is has never been so easy as it is now!

(...and I have boxes of tapes recorded from FM during the 1980s, and boxes of Hi-Fi VHS recorded from FM during the 1990s).

Cheers,
David.

[fenlander]

Internet radio? Download and install RadioSure for your PC. Pick a radio station. Click the record button. Records direct to mp3 on your hard disk.

I'm trying to work out why you jump through so many hoops to get radio programmes saved as mp3s. Do you need to record some special local stations? What am I missing?

[Gildersleeve]

Perhaps not so many hoops if I was getting everything online? Some stations are not on DAB/analogue radio.

If they are on DAB/analogue as set up and played into the computer that's easier.

It's mainly when something is only available where there is not a computer or when something airs at the same time.

But you are all giving me such a lot of great ideas.

[Marroo]

Me again !!

I use my dvd recorder to record the radio channels on sky.

As with tv programmes , you can record on various qualities , i.e 1 hour per dvd for best quality , down to 8 hours per dvd on my machine .

As it's just audio , i usually use Extended Play mode which equates to 4 hours on a disc .

I think though , that you can only play it back on your & other dvd recorders ( after finlising the disc) .

I don't THINK they'll work on CD players .

Cheers , Marroo .