Reliable cheap MP3 player with a line in for recording?

minidisc.jpg

ugh no.....not a minidisc! i hate them! has to be something I can put on my computer easily and without losing too much sound quality.

try the creative zen? hard to know what you'd define as cheap.

my zen micro can only record like half an hour of line in stuff. just saying...

well, if I could pay under 100 euro, that'd be something.

http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=323588

i haven't used the line-in function on mine, so i'm not an expert, but all other aspects of it are top-notch.

110 euro.

actually I should clarify, I need it to be able to record in stereo, I think a lot of these record in mono?

i'm backing away from this discussion as of now, you're on your own. i put music on, it plays that music, i know it has a line-in because i read the manual once. that's my sum total of information, sorry.

heh...i'm not even very well up. i likes to line in with red/white leads at either end

buy one google, you lazy ass. i'm at work.

here: this pretty much gives you the options-

http://reviews.cnet.com/4321-6490_7-6543950.html

and, finally, the specs on the line-in recording does say stereo, if i am reading you correctly-

Connector type 1 x Headphones Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Audio line-in Sub-mini phone stereo 2.5 mm, 1 x USB Mini-USB Type B

there's plenty of great stereo field recorders like the zoom, the m-audio, there's another one i can't remember, but none of them are mp3 players.

iRiver T30 has microphone and line-in recording (3.5mm stereo). 1GB. AAA battery. I rate it.

http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-players/iriver-t30-1gb-red/4505-6490_7-31490435.html?tag=pdtl-list

minidisc is better because the quality of the electronics is better. the recordings just sound great. i don't think any flash-based or HD-based recorder matches it yet. i ALMOST bought a zoom h2 or h4, which is what it sounds like you want, but ended up getting the Sony MZ-RH1 minidisc, which takes 1-gig discs and allows uploading to your computer (or from your computer) over USB 2.0.

(none of these options are particularly cheap. but the minidisc is basically broadcast quality so i think it's worth it, as long as i don't drop it or leave it in an unattended bag.)

zoom h2 - http://www.samsontech.com/products/productpage.cfm?prodID=1916

yeah there is no need for them to be mp3 players really I suppose.

what lead do I use into stuff like the creative players? I mean I always thought you needed that standard phono red/white lead to get stereo sound? but seemingly not?

it's like a standard headphone jack on both ends, AFAIK

as long as the miniplug (aka 1/8" jack, aka mini headphone jack) has TWO black stripes on it, it's stereo

i'll rustle mine out this evening and check.

the zoom H4 actually has XLR inputs, which is nice. but again, i've heard the recording quality is just not quite up to it - there's a little hiss. of course that may make no difference depending on what you're using it for.

for dj mixes!

jack/phone is just the connection yeah, you can get all kinds of wires in like maplins? for £5 max (or more ghetto places for cheaper)

if you have phono equipment you need a stereo jack - phono lead.

okay that's what I figured...I'll be using it out of a mixer mainly. I think I have a stereo jack to phono lead already. connects ipod or walkman to my dj mixer?

right so maybe I can get the creative zen, seems good value!

well, it's a pretty damn good player too, so that's a bonus.

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41JGQR4TJML._AA280_.jpg

hmm...still can't decide on this. does anyone know what kbps that creative zen encodes recordings at? I need 192 at worst.

iFP-799 is absolutely what you require. 1 gig, can record to a variety of formats (some lossless if you hack the firmware, which is very easy by the way). has line in, has fm radio (which you can record from, with mixed results that are nothing short of BRILLIANT if you record some noise because it starts fucking up nd making this awesome modulating sound), has cheap ebay prices. total package.

the creative zen thing looks like a full-blown media player for commuting, i.e. it plays video, stores photos, has an FM radio etc. i'd be wary of it for that reason - it's hard to see the line-in as being very high-quality.

if i were you i'd plump for the zoom h2, although it's not really designed to be a daily commuter-style mp3 player. and it is more expensive.

or what Will M. said. i know not of what he speaks but it sounds pretty good!

yeah am tempted by the H2. in a way my archos was great cos it had a special stand which had standard phono line in so you could record as wav and then convert to 320kbps.

I'm not an audio geek but it's good when recording a mix/podcast on a weekly basis to have a decent sound quality.

I think my brain has imploded from trying to reconcile "is this the best available" with "can I afford this", over and over.

the zoom machine up there looks pretty nice
this is pretty great but obv not v small - good quality, fast file transfer (usb): http://www.transom.org/tools/recording_interviewing/200503.pmd660.html
obv you need to get a mic (if you don't already have one)

mini discs have given me nothing but pain lately but i understand the logic

what about recording with ipod recording gear?
have people done this?
there is prob another thread abt it eh

i just want my own maranzt recorder i think

i missed the 'cheap' part of this thread title sorry

here's what you want -

http://www.fsfl.se/voxbilder/filmhist/nagra3-sela.jpg

i do want that

I want to be that.

"the more knobs it has, the more they want it"

that's what she

but yeah i am actually still without an answer to thread question and wld like one. it seems like there is prob nothing that does the things we all want with the quality we want. hence my leaning towards something like the maranzt up there.

and mini-disc is good quality, true, but bizarro tech compatibility b/c of sony being bitches back before mp3 takeover of the wrld or whatever i have heard. hence no usb communication. so while quality is good, if you transfer btwn computer and minidisc machine via mini-to-mini cable, you do lose some quality. i have not made anyone explain what i would assume to be something simple involving hooking mini-disc up to stereo and computer up to stereo and then everything talks. how i transfer from minidisc to computer is using the dedicated mini-disc player at the radio station and i haven't looked behind it all to see what's plugging into what.

i'm saying that i really need to sit down and have a good long talk about cables with all the cables and all the things you plug them into right there so i can make drawings/notes.

wordy!

i have a sony minidisk recorder with usb linkup, its one of the later ones but its a pretty straightforward process. its from their hi-md brand, an mz-nh700, and i use it all the time (tho the noise of the machine itself is often audible on recordings)

yeah, my Hi-MD has a USB2 cable and it's just a matter of drag-n-drop.

since MD isn't solid state you can get the sound of the machine, but if you keep your microphone far enough away (a couple of feet) you don't.

also i guess it depends on what kind of mic you've got - a unidirectional mic a couple of feet away, pointed away from the machine, will pick up nothing. omnidirectional will pick up some stuff but i think omnidirectional mics are really better suited for live music and things like that, so you wouldn't hear the machine anyway?