Is it really worth the price? Ease of use seems important but is this worth it when you can get a roland, korg or other high end quality mobile recorder but in a 24bit / 96KHz recording format (sony is 16bit/44.1KHz?) that will do multiple simultaneous track recordings (Sony does 1 i think)? How is this comparable an wouldn't we want to find an easy to use multi-track Korg for the same price? Is it really worth the price? Ease of use seems important but is this worth it when you can get a roland, korg or other high end quality mobile recorder but in a 24bit / 96KHz recording format... » Read More Is it really worth the price? Ease of use seems important but is this worth it when you can get a roland, korg or other high end quality mobile recorder but in a 24bit / 96KHz recording format (sony is 16bit/44.1KHz?) that will do multiple simultaneous track recordings (Sony does 1 i think)? How is this comparable an wouldn't we want to find an easy to use multi-track Korg for the same price? « Show Less
1010980
To E. Hopkins:If you need to upload MDs to the computer, you need this unit and that's all there is to it. You're not going to find anything else than can read your MDs, not ever.The MD format may have a very few points in favor of it over modern flash recorders, but I wouldn't think that any of those points would be so compelling that the advantages offered by the more modern recorders wouldn't far outweigh them.
827061
Check out forums.minidisc.org, you're more likely to find someone that knows, and the people there can probably really help ya. Good luck!
1010981
I bought an MZM 100 a couple years ago. The stereo mic that came with it was kind of lame, but it is a great recorder with a dynamite built-in preamp. I can tell you that this one also comes with a stereo mic, and that probably means it records in stereo (2-channels) as well.As an acoustician, I think it would be nice if it recorded at 96 khz (> 4x the maximum threshold of hearing for human beings), but other than that, it has done some good work for me.
583825
Dear Stephen, I gave your question serious thought. I even searched the web for a proper answer. Its best to contact Sony's technical dept. They will ask you for the type of recorder, model, speed etc. Regards, George Ejdaharian
2003619
The sound on the Sony is pretty spectacular, it offers you, the user, quite a bit of flexibility in adjusting the sound, tone, etc.I purchased the Sony unit for a couple of reasons, one, I've had great luck with their "portable" units in the past, but this unit in particular allows me to play CDs, tapes, the radio, or from a USB source. I've loaded a variety of music onto thumb drives, and allowed the Sony to shuffle the music and basically play "DJ" for gatherings without me having to give up my evening to keep music going. I'm not overly familiar with the Sharp GM-X10 system, so it's difficult for me to make an honest comparison between the two.Sorry I couldn't be of more help. The sound on the Sony is pretty spectacular, it offers you, the user, quite a bit of flexibility in adjusting the sound, tone, etc.I purchased the Sony unit for a couple of reasons, one, I've had great luck with their "portable" units in the past, but this unit in particular allows me to play CDs, tapes, the radio, or from a USB source. I've loaded a variety of music onto thumb drives, and allowed the Sony to shuffle the music and basically play "DJ" for gatherings without me having to give up my evening to keep music going. I'm not overly familiar with the Sharp... » Read More The sound on the Sony is pretty spectacular, it offers you, the user, quite a bit of flexibility in adjusting the sound, tone, etc.I purchased the Sony unit for a couple of reasons, one, I've had great luck with their "portable" units in the past, but this unit in particular allows me to play CDs, tapes, the radio, or from a USB source. I've loaded a variety of music onto thumb drives, and allowed the Sony to shuffle the music and basically play "DJ" for gatherings without me having to give up my evening to keep music going. I'm not overly familiar with the Sharp GM-X10 system, so it's difficult for me to make an honest comparison between the two.Sorry I couldn't be of more help. « Show Less
681706
I have always preferred Sony products because of my past experiences with their products so the decision wasn't difficult for me. It was just a matter of having the functions I wanted in a recorder and the name Sony. I've been very happy with my choice so far. My recorder produces clear, crisp sound and it easy to use I hope this review has helped.
1844368
You answered your own question in that the sound quality if a Sony, to me at least, is always superior. Olympus is better suited for those who record a lot. And the sound is very good on the Olympus. Generally Olympus is also cheaper. Whichever better suits your needs I would purchase.
1734987
Hey Kelly, I have had a DP-008 for a while now, and it is a great device. Unfortunately I don't own a DP-02, so I can only go by what I've read and explain some key differences, which may or may not be helpful. The main difference between the devices is that the DP-008 uses SD memory cards, while the DP-02 records to an internal mechanical hard drive. With the SD cards, you can swap cards up to 32MB in and out of the unit. SD/SDHC cards are pretty standard, and you can use them in lots of different devices (digital cameras in particular. And most modern computers will have an SDHC slot, or you can get a USB-to-SDHC adapter for dirt cheap). With the DP-02, the hard drive is 40GB, and is not nearly as plug-and-play (you can hook up the device to your computer, but to say that it would be inconvenient to swap the drive in and out would be the understatement of the week). Plus the DP-008 runs on battery power for added portability. The caveat being that the power supply is sold separately, but it's not that expensive. The device works well on AA batteries, but for extended recording, invest in the adapter. Note that there is a newer TASCAM recorder -- the TASCAM DP-03 -- which is basically a DP-008 with extra bells and whistles. These include a built-in CD burner (along the lines of the DP-02), faders instead of knobs for track levels, compatibility with the TASCAM multi-function foot controller, and stereo (TRS) 1/4" inputs. (The DP-008 uses unbalanced TS connections on the 1/4" inputs, unless I am mistaken.) The DP-008 does not have a drum machine built-in. It does have a basic metronome, but that's as fancy as it gets in that respect. You can either hook up your standalone drum machine, or use computer software to lay out your rhythm and then record it using the DP. Hope this helps, and if you think of anything else you want to know, lay it on me and I'll help where I can.
880177
Batteries can be fickle even with expensive recorders. I bought a recorder that was $200+ and this little recorder kicks tail over it and can throw it away and buy another one when the battery dies. So far mine has lasted weeks on 1charge, and far exceeds expectations. My sister saw it and bought 2 for herself. I'm not sure, but I always charge my new device before using it. By the way, I have found this recorder to be best operated with the factory defaults. I was messing around with all the settings, and got terrible things happening like screaching high squeals, and almost threw it away. Luckily my sis had one and I reset back to factory. Very happy with it now. (Just a friendly suggest ion) Batteries can be fickle even with expensive recorders. I bought a recorder that was $200+ and this little recorder kicks tail over it and can throw it away and buy another one when the battery dies. So far mine has lasted weeks on 1charge, and far exceeds expectations. My sister saw it and bought 2 for herself. I'm not sure, but I always charge my new device before using it. By the way, I have found this recorder to be best operated with the factory defaults. I was messing around with all the settings, and got terrible things happening like screaching high squeals, and almost threw it away.... » Read More Batteries can be fickle even with expensive recorders. I bought a recorder that was $200+ and this little recorder kicks tail over it and can throw it away and buy another one when the battery dies. So far mine has lasted weeks on 1charge, and far exceeds expectations. My sister saw it and bought 2 for herself. I'm not sure, but I always charge my new device before using it. By the way, I have found this recorder to be best operated with the factory defaults. I was messing around with all the settings, and got terrible things happening like screaching high squeals, and almost threw it away. Luckily my sis had one and I reset back to factory. Very happy with it now. (Just a friendly suggest ion) « Show Less
613409
Thats depends on the complexity and the kind of music you are thinking. This machine was planned to be as a beat maker, so you can make a complete song with its on built 3 part sequencer. Obviously its better for hiphop related music, but still found very useful for a vast range of music styles. Very good for entry level, even medium range. No sampling functionality, but still good enough pre loaded high quality samples, cover almost any musical style (but again, better for hiphop). Anyway its a sequencer monster with midi capabilities, so you are able to control midi modules and sound generators.
121038
Hello Martin,my wife is logged on and I saw your post.I have this recorder,Dp-008.8 tracks but you can only record 1or 2 at a time,then go back and record on another 1or 2 until all 8 are full. There's only 2 inputs anyway.this is true for the dp-oo4 4trk also.Mabey a different brand or I know most 16tr recorders allow 4 at once.Hope this helps,you probably have your answer already. Allen
818277
AWESOME! Your clarification on the capabilities of this unit seals the deal for me. I just wanted to make CD copies of the music I already have previously recorded on mini-disc. For some reason, I could never get my Net MD recorder (and software) to go from mini-disc, to computer, to CD OR back to another mini-disc(?). Mp3's are OK, but I prefer using CDs/MDs for their sound. MD rules for me for it editing capability, and now I'm willing to go with the MZ-M200 for it's features. Thanks again for the help and the link to the manual!
2023902
I'll be able to do a direct comparison soon, as I've got a PX312 coming in, after purchasing the VN-302PC. The specs and features are very nearly clones of each other, but I've found that the Olympus lacks some rather basic abilities that the Sony covers, such as a means of moving files between the 5 folders for organization. Also, the files recorded on the internal memory can't be moved over to the external memory card through the recorder; though it's easy enough to do when connected to a PC. It shows up as two separate drives on the PC, and the files remain uniquely named whether recorded on internal or external memory, so it's a simple matter to just copy them over. (If they reused file numbers on int vs ext memory then there would be an added complication of renaming before copying). I'd rather that the file names included the timestamp, like some other recorders do, but neither of these do that. Record quality of the Olympus is fine, so if the Sony does just as well, the Sony has more comprehensive features. The file erase process is better on the Sony as well, because it plays back the recording you're about to erase for confirmation before recording. With the Olympus you have to stop the playback on the target file first and be careful that it didn't advance to the next file, and watch the screen for the sequence of prompts to follow through with the delete process. I think the Sony method for deleting is better because it can be initiated while the target file is playing, and the playback of the recording as confirmation has less potential for inadvertently deleting the wrong recording. I believe the Sony also retains the time for at least a minute during battery changes, while the Olympus loses an hour or two and needs to be reset. It's not very significant since the batteries last so long, but so far, all the pros have been on the Sony side. When I get the Sony in hand I'll see if it actually performs as well as the Olympus
2206477
We've been using "MAGIX Music Maker 2013". We got it cheap and it's works pretty well. Very easy software to learn. Depending on what you are doing with it though, it can get kind of glitchy to work with. We record several tracks together on a compilation, and we've been running into lag issues with it. As long as you can work around it, you should be fine. Just be aware that it IS a pretty big problem with this particular software. But you can't beat the price!
571938
Hello there. I got this one to replace an old model. I am a full time musician and I use this device as practice tool and a demo recording device. You'd even record complex 8 track pieces if you'd use it with Amplitube's studio for an iPad.It sounds great for a tiny and fairly in expensive sound device like this.I would suggest you to go for a newer model though.It will cost you about 40$ more but it has Midi and other features, I would go for it myself if I wouldn't have this one.P.S. The only minus of these devises compare to they cheaper predecessor is that you can't change your iPhone or an iPad while recording or practicing. Keep in mind that the apps for these devices are power consuming. Hope it helps. Hello there. I got this one to replace an old model. I am a full time musician and I use this device as practice tool and a demo recording device. You'd even record complex 8 track pieces if you'd use it with Amplitube's studio for an iPad.It sounds great for a tiny and fairly in expensive sound device like this.I would suggest you to go for a newer model though.It will cost you about 40$ more but it has Midi and other features, I would go for it myself if I wouldn't have this one.P.S. The only minus of these devises compare to they cheaper predecessor is that you can't change... » Read More Hello there. I got this one to replace an old model. I am a full time musician and I use this device as practice tool and a demo recording device. You'd even record complex 8 track pieces if you'd use it with Amplitube's studio for an iPad.It sounds great for a tiny and fairly in expensive sound device like this.I would suggest you to go for a newer model though.It will cost you about 40$ more but it has Midi and other features, I would go for it myself if I wouldn't have this one.P.S. The only minus of these devises compare to they cheaper predecessor is that you can't change your iPhone or an iPad while recording or practicing. Keep in mind that the apps for these devices are power consuming. Hope it helps. « Show Less
1065938
It's not exactly like the Tascam 4 track, but still very easy to use and the recording quality is miles better. Go ahead and get one.
2006218
I use the AKG's to monitor my music when recording virtual pipe organs. ("leo037chris" on YouTube) The sound is clear and the really low bass is there (even pretty impressive below 32 KHz). The lows are not muddy or boomy at all. I can boost the low end without distortion. The sound is very accurate. The HD600's also have plenty of low response. I think they are not quite as good to monitor my recordings since there is a more distant feel to the music, I think due to the somewhat less mid-range volume(?) and a sort of fuller mid-bass feeling. Really, both phones sound excellent, but I prefer the AKG's for recording, and the HD600's for just general listening to music. I use the AKG's to monitor my music when recording virtual pipe organs. ("leo037chris" on YouTube) The sound is clear and the really low bass is there (even pretty impressive below 32 KHz). The lows are not muddy or boomy at all. I can boost the low end without distortion. The sound is very accurate. The HD600's also have plenty of low response. I think they are not quite as good to monitor my recordings since there is a more distant feel to the music, I think due to the somewhat less mid-range volume(?) and a sort of fuller mid-bass feeling. Really, both phones sound... » Read More I use the AKG's to monitor my music when recording virtual pipe organs. ("leo037chris" on YouTube) The sound is clear and the really low bass is there (even pretty impressive below 32 KHz). The lows are not muddy or boomy at all. I can boost the low end without distortion. The sound is very accurate. The HD600's also have plenty of low response. I think they are not quite as good to monitor my recordings since there is a more distant feel to the music, I think due to the somewhat less mid-range volume(?) and a sort of fuller mid-bass feeling. Really, both phones sound excellent, but I prefer the AKG's for recording, and the HD600's for just general listening to music. « Show Less
912370
Hi Dawn..I'm not sure I understand... If you run left channel to left "03" input and right channel too right input of "03" you can record to "03" but seems there should be a cheaper device for recording 2 tracks out there? paul
1013926
Sorry I can't comment on its recording quality since I only have knowledge of the quality of sound when playing pre-recorded cassettes. You can always give it a try and return it via Amazon's return policy if you're not happy with the quality of recorded sound. Amazon is most gracious with its return policy. Good luck!