Is Anyone Still Using Minidiscs?

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 12 Jan 2014 12:44 pm

Seems like the Minidisc came and went in the blinking of an eye. I personally like the format. I have six Yamaha MD-8 8-track Portastudios that use MD-DATA discs. I like the fact that I can be working on several projects simultaneously and just slip in the Minidisc I need. I mix down onto regular Minidiscs. When I want to create an album I copy the tracks onto CD-Rs.

I have a Tascam 2488 24-channel hard disc portastudio, too, but I don't use it much because the process of filling the disk, backing up onto CDs, then having to restore the backup next time you want to work on an arrangement is an annoyance. Besides, compared to the 60s, when we had an entire band in a circle around one microphone (2 if you're lucky enough to have had a stereo reel-to-reel), 8 tracks is more than enough for most of what I record.

Kevin Raymer · Post by **Kevin Raymer** » 16 Jan 2014 2:07 pm

I have a minidisc player recorder that I have never used.
Just like a cassette deck not a multitrack.

I still like my Roland vs1880.

There's a guy out in Washington state that it making retrofit rigs for the Roland VSes that convert them for use with compact flash cards.

Makes them work kinda like you describe your minidisc recorders.

But with 18 tracks and 256 virtual tracks.

Or.....

Could just buy a Tascam DP28..

Regards

Kevin

Leroy Golden · Post by **Leroy Golden** » 17 Jan 2014 11:14 am

Yea I'm guilty of using MD to record final mix on some of my projects, simply because it's so easy to change the order of play on them, also editing unwanted material is simple as well...I like the sound that I get with them.

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 3 Feb 2014 6:22 am

I used to use them. I enjoyed the technology. The I learned that minidiscs were no longer going to be manufactured so I bought several packs. I haven't used them in years. probably never will. anyone want them?

jolynyk · Post by **jolynyk** » 3 Feb 2014 7:13 am

Randy Reeves wrote:I used to use them. I enjoyed the technology. The I learned that minidiscs were no longer going to be manufactured so I bought several packs. I haven't used them in years. probably never will. anyone want them?

Sent you an email..

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 3 Feb 2014 8:37 am

email sent

Ben Elder · Post by **Ben Elder** » 21 Mar 2014 10:25 pm

Anybody still use DAT tapes? Reason I ask: I have hundreds of used ones (not used by me) of various lengths and I can't decide whether to post them for sale or just e-waste 'em. (I don't know if or how they can be degaussed.)

Ben Elder · Post by **Ben Elder** » 21 Mar 2014 10:26 pm

Anybody still use DAT tapes? Reason I ask: I have hundreds of used ones (not used by me) of various lengths and I can't decide whether to post them for sale or just e-waste 'em. (I don't know if or how they can be degaussed.)

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 21 Mar 2014 11:08 pm

I have both 2-channel and 8-channel DAT units. I don't use them any more because they're reliant on fast-moving tape, which can break or stretch. With minidisks, or any other form of hard disk or memory card, you don't have to rewind to a particular place on the tape.

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 28 Mar 2014 2:16 pm

I have a Sony Mini Disk Mavica camera over 10 yeras old. It's the only camera that I can post pics on this website for some reason. I can still get blank mini disks on Amazon. It still takes good pics but no sound.

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 29 Mar 2014 8:39 pm

I have a minidisc player in my car, and I think the format had a premature death if indeed it is dead. The only downside is that the blank minidiscs are so much more expensive than CDR and CDRW.

Re DAT - I still use this format to master on and think it is very useful and useable.

Alan
I have the Tascam 2488 MK2, and although it has now been superseded in my studio by Pro Tools, I still like the Tascam for certain things. I fitted a new graphics card in mine, which meant that I could use a computer monitor instead of messing around with the tiny inbuilt screen.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 30 Mar 2014 2:44 am

Ken Byng wrote:I have a minidisc player in my car, and I think the format had a premature death if indeed it is dead. The only downside is that the blank minidiscs are so much more expensive than CDR and CDRW.

Re DAT - I still use this format to master on and think it is very useful and useable.

Alan
I have the Tascam 2488 MK2, and although it has now been superseded in my studio by Pro Tools, I still like the Tascam for certain things. I fitted a new graphics card in mine, which meant that I could use a computer monitor instead of messing around with the tiny inbuilt screen.

Yes, Data Minidisks are now ridiculously expensive. Ironically, the cheapest way to buy them is to look around for someone selling a Minidisk Portastudio on eBay which comes along with a supply of Data MDs. Another source is to look around for a computer company throwing them out. By far the majority of MD Data disks were bought for computer back-up, but because of their small capacity most computer companies have been throwing them out with no idea of their worth, and I've bought several dozen via that route.
I have the circuit board for connecting the 2488 to a computer monitor and plan to do it shortly. I also have a larger hard disk ready to go into it.

Will Cowell · Post by **Will Cowell** » 20 Apr 2014 1:25 am

I have a minidisc setup Alan, it's about the only way I can get backing tracks in a quickly accessible format to replay at the drop of a hat. I can save a spotify track so it doesn't expire, for example, or anything for that matter.

I know John Davis uses them too. Basil H was pretty scathing recently about people who use backing tracks, but we don't all have the luxury of enough time to acquire and master other forms of recording where we each play each backing instrument ourselves in realtime. I mean, me, starting to learn to play drums or keyboards? At my age? PSG is hard enough.

Although I'd be very pleased to find some software to function as a virtual multitrack recording studio to run on a laptop or PC, especially if it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 26 May 2014 3:09 pm

Will Cowell wrote:...Basil H was pretty scathing recently about people who use backing tracks, but we don't all have the luxury of enough time to acquire and master other forms of recording where we each play each backing instrument ourselves in realtime...

I know that Basil uses Band-in-a-Box from time to time, because I've been in his studio and we used it. Personally, I build up my own backing tracks by recording myself singing and playing rhythm, with a percussion track or metranome on a separate track, then I add the other instruments one at a time, eventually replacing the drum track with live percussion, and then mix down onto MiniDisk or CD.

George Schinler · Post by **George Schinler** » 13 Jun 2014 8:32 am

The company I work for still sells Mini Discs. Sony still makes them. We have a ton of JVC/Victor discs we bought from a vendor in Japan. If anyone needs any, hit me up.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 13 Jun 2014 8:52 am

Do they sell Data Minidisks? Those are the ones that are hard to find.

George Schinler · Post by **George Schinler** » 13 Jun 2014 9:12 am

MD-Data discs are no longer manufactured by anyone to my knowledge. Since we are known as a place that still stocks Mini Discs, we get many calls about the MD-Data discs. If we could get them, we would stock them. A lot of folks still use those units.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Is Anyone Still Using Minidiscs?

Is Anyone Still Using Minidiscs?

So 90s

So 90s