minidisc to mac

[Jason Maeda]

if i record sound on a simple minidisc walkman, how can i get the sound into final cut on a mac? there's no firewire connection, only the optical input, and a mini-plug headphone jack.

 

also, can anyone suggest a low cost location sound mixer that is appropriate without being overkill when using two mics tops and a minidisc as recording media?

 

thanks guys,

jk :ph34r:

[stijnbarbe]

Minidisc Walkman only has an analog output, the headphones-jack. Older models have a Line-out (-10dBv). So I'm afraid you'll have to record your sound ye olde way unless you can lay your hands on a MD home deck with an optical or coaxial digital output.

 

yeah what is low-cost? I'd say the Shure FP24 is your best option. It's the most basic ENG-style audiomixer I know about.

 

shure FP24 product page

 

I've also seen small amateur mixers being used, but they aren't tough enough for real field use. The German brand Hama, known from it's video and photo accessories, used to make a small desktop mixer that required 12VDC over an adaptor. Of course video-amateurs and hobbyists soon hooked up a 12V battery and started using it as a field mixer.

[Mitch Gross]

I was in B&H Photo yesterday and noticed a bunch of professional but simplified field mixers sold by pro-level companies for modest prices. Professional Sound Corporation had a simple 3-channel mixer for under $500. There's also a very inexpensive model from Azden, although I don't know the quality level.

[Joshua Kolling]

how good is the sound quality on mini disk? i was thinking about checking one out.

[stijnbarbe]

sound on MD is compressed in the ATRAC-format, a compression-format that is better dan MP3, but still has weaknesses.

maybe the newest MD-recorders with a maximum capacity of 1Gb can record uncompressed PCM. check it out.

But at the cost of those new machines you could find a harddisk-based mp3-player with a mic/line-in?