Sony MDS-JE780

Reason for buying this Sony MDS-JE780 Mini Disk Player.

This is a deck I use in the Church to record the Sunday Services and then transfer the information onto a CD. The CD's are then distributed to anyone who for whatever reason is unable to get to the service. The services are recorded live and I, as the operator, need to be careful that the settings are correct before recording. We have had a number of live concerts in the Church and CD's have been made from them, again the initial recording is made in the Mini-disc.

It is a beautiful machine with all the buttons located at the front, the small disc is loaded from the middle on the front. The MD is menu-driven and the screen to view the information is crystal clear and the menu is very easy to follow. It is possible to: delete tracks, add tracks, move tracks, and add text to the disc and any other function needed in the recording process.

The information is transferred to the CD is via an optical connection. On the back of the MD there is an optical line IN and a line OUT. When I am happy with the recording on the MD and all the text information (name of the concert, date, time, etc.) is inserted, I plug in the optical cable from the line OUT of the MD the line IN on the CD recorder. A perfect copy is made every time.

Recording Live Music

When live recording there are a number of things you need to watch out for:

1. Every time there is a break in the input of 3 seconds, a new track is laid down. This not really much of a problem at the recording level as long as you make a note of the track number.

2. When there is a break in the INPUT of 10 seconds or more the MD pauses until such time as the record button is hit again to start the recording.

3. To make the new tracks you just need to push the record button and the MD makes a new track immediately. (This is an essential function to have on the machine as I can keep detailed records when there is a new song being introduced).

4. You need to estimate the length of the service or concert and set the play mode accordingly. The MD can be set to record at Long Play 4 (about 320 minutes), Long Play 2 (about 160 minutes) and ordinary play (80 minutes). I have recorded on all three modes and find it difficult, no, impossible, to tell the difference between the modes.

The Technical Stuff.

The MD has 24-bit ATRAC Type-S converters which improve MDLP recording distortion by up to 6dB. The back panel features not one, but two optical inputs, and the much coveted optical output! Combined with the USB connection to your PC, this allows up to 32x transfers from PC to MD.

There is a - Remote Control. When using the RC to record you can create groups, name the individual tracks. There is a number pad with letters (similar to a mobile phone) which can be used to name the disc. When using the RC in playback mode you can scroll through the groups, jump to the track you want to play and fade in and out.

Personally, I think the best way to control the MD is to use the controls on the player itself. The RC is a bit confusing and I think unnecessary as I never use the MD from a distance - I am always up close.

From the controls on the front panel you can perform all the necessary function - jump to the tracks, create groups, etc. The screen is very clear and a good size and the menu is easy to follow and you are guided clearly without having to refer to the manual.

There is a Headphone Output with volume control and the dimensions are as follows:

Weight 6.83 lbs

Width 16.9 in.

Depth 11.22 in.

Height 3.74 in.

This is an impressive machine with all the features you will ever need to not only record live music but also you can transfer this music to a CD easily through the OPTICAL out connection. I think this is one of the few machines which has an optical out connection therefore making it an essential machine for recording.

Recommend - YES

The price of this machine £199.90, but it can be bought for less on Amzon.