PLANET O DA TAPES: March 2014

Launched in 1992, Mini Disc seemed at the time, to be a very serious contender for the dominance of the portable record/playback market. It was portable to rival the cassette and most importantly it was 'digital', the holy grail of audio since the Compact Disc in 1982. Players were smaller than portable CD and cassette machines and by the late 90s with some more compression, the Mini Disc LP4 could fit collections of whole albums on one disc. In early 2004 Hi-MD was introduced and this superb revision of the existing system offered 1Gb on the same size disc. In 2013 Mini Disc was discontinued by Sony, it's creators. So what happened? The iPod or media player, along with download overtook it and left it for dead. But iPods are boring and nowhere near as sexy as Mini Disc!

Sony MZ-R 90 (1999)

This was the world's smallest recorder at the time! This was my introduction to the world of MD in 2003. A family member was given it and hated the whole concept and then I was given it. Jammy or what. I learned to love it and now I'm a due hard MD user!

Sony MZ-E707 (2001) (MDLP)

Now this is what I call small. Playback only, not even a DC in but it's slim and sexy and does an excellent job. You'll hardly feel it in your pocket. This was given to me by a friend clearing out his house. I also hit 50 discs with it, all for free!

Sony MZ-R410 (2003) (MDLP)

This is a superb sounding recorder, with LP options and a great adjustable EQ you will need if you decide to you the maximum storage capacity for songs.

Sony MZ-N420D (2004) (Net MDLP)

An eBay acquisition. This attractive player downloads from PC, but who wants to do that? I just like it the way it is for standard MD playback only.

This looks super-cool and has a great sound setting from low bass to sizzling

treble. A very attractive player indeed!

Sony MZ-N710 (2003) (Net MD)

The acquisition of this neat little player was by accident. A woman in a thrift store said she had a walkman for sale and I thought she meant a cassette walkman. She showed it to me and I was quiet chuffed when she said she wanted €10 for it, with case, rechargeable battery and disc! I grabbed it so fast I burnt my hand! It sounds fantastic and is in mint condition. Now that's the bargain of the century!

Sony MZ-S1 Sports (2002) (Net MD)

Damn eBay, makes it so easy! I picked this up cheap and it's a superb machine. It's built like a tank with a kick-ass sound. It has Optical in, runs on a single AA for ages. It is a bulkier player than most but it's a collector's must have at this stage. They go pretty cheap now, but down the track I reckon they will get more expensive.

Sony MZ-R 500 (2001)

A record store find. This was in excellent condition and works a treat! While the design and cheap construction are nothing to write home about it's a great little player working on a Single AA cell.

Sony MZ-RH 710 Hi-MD (2005)

This is one of the cheaper of the Hi-MD players that records in Linear PCM, plays mp3, and can store 1000s of songs using ATRAC compression. It has Line In/Optical/USB, remote and it uses a single AA cell. A very neat and great sounding state of the art recorder.

Sony MZ-E60 (2000)

This came in a box of 50+ blank discs I found in a junk shop. When I put a battery in nothing happened. I didn't give up at all. I noticed the inner battery spring was a bit rusty. I filed it was a mini grinder on a spindle until it was shiny. I popped in a new battery and it came back to life. It is a playback only which offers display only on a remote. Don't worry, I have three remotes. The sound, well it is superb and the digital Mega Bass at one is pretty funky while at two it's pure thunder. A headbanger for sure!

MZ-E62 (2000)

I liked the MZ-E60 so much I snapped this up as soon as I spotted it. It's the same player as the MZ-E60 but the different number means it's the European model. That pearloid effect is pretty cool!

Sony MZ-R70 (2000) Made in Japan

I found this very cheap on an online advert site and I thought what the hell, I'll have it! One of the better models with AA cell and you can use a rechargeable AA also which charges with the power supply. It must be one of the few Sony MD players with 2 headphone outputs. The sound again is excellent with plenty of socks from the MegaBass. The shell is all metal which adds to the build quality and better still it is made in Japan. Stock up on them I say!

Sony MZ-R70 (2000) Made in Japan

This is the same unit as the one above but in blue. This one has issues!

Sony MZ-R505 (2002)

This was another advert site purchase. This is a budget NetMD with the plenty of features, such as SP/2LP/4LP, Optical/line in and rechargeable AA battery, remote and Mega Bass. The design is a bit arty like something modern from the 60s! It has a pearl tint when light hits it at a certain angle. I must say the build quality is pretty poor and this would be way down on my list of must have players.

Sony MZ-E32 (1998) Made in Japan

Purchased on eBay for €6. The seller said it was untested as they had no gumstick battery to test it. I took a gamble and it's working perfectly. It takes gumstick or AA cell in the battery bay, which is great, and it takes a rechargeable AA, so you have three choices of battery power. The sound is good with a booming MegaBass on setting 2 that will blow you out of it. It has a Star Wars look to it with the magnesium casing looking tough and futuristic. There is a window and you can see the disc spinning! It works with a remote and backlights certain types. All in all the best €6 I have ever spent!

Sony MZ-R900 (2000) Made in Japan

I heard a lot about this recorder and some of the rarer colours are going for big bucks on eBay. So when the opportunity came to own one I couldn't resist. It was a funny method of payment though. I asked how much it was and the propietor of the antique store said he would swop it for twenty LPs and it would be mine. I ran home and dug out twenty old LPs that I never listen to, I have 1000s, so a bunch of worthless old LPs I would not miss. So deal was done, and he even threw in seven prerecorded MD albums. I have since put these on eBay as they are not my thing being Mariah Carey, Jay Lo, Lauryn Hill and a few classical albums. I kept one, ELO Greatest Hits! The player came with the remote, headphones, gum stick battery that still works and the AA battery pod. It has a lot of features, a good amount of EQ, mainly controlled from the remote I must add, the sound is similar to most of the Sony MD players from this time. The recording level is adjustable and there is stacks of features like disc memory, bleep alarm for daydreaming on the train so you don't miss your stop. It's a great player even though I'm not too keen on the jog wheels, but this is a minor complaint.

Sony MZ-R909 (2001) Made in Japan

This was the improved model of the 900 (above) and it does sound less muffled with it's Typre R software. this was bought as part of three players online and the seller said none of them worked. Well, they all worked! The best €20 I ever spent in a long time. This along with the 900 are highly sought after and fetch high prices now.

Sony MZ-E300 (2001) Made in Japan

Bare bones and ugly as hell this is the skinny of the MD world. No remote, no DC in and the controls look like they were designed by a toddler. All in all if you wanted a cheap no frills into to Sony MD, here it is! This is also from the job lot.

Sony MZ-R55

Bought cheap online this is a beat up model from 1997. It isn't perfect either with a few minor glitches. It seems to cut out on the DC when you move it. The battery compartment is also shoddy. The colour is cool and it's a nice addition. I noticed the battery caddy is a different type to the ones that came after it and I'm sure they were for 2XAA cells. I don't have one so I don't know!

Sony MZ-N510 (2003) (MDLP)

I found this in a flea market and bought it for €10 even though I had no way of testing it. Well, I tested it at home and it's working very well indeed. An out and out bargain if you ask me!

Sharp 831 (1999) Made in Japan

This is how the story goes. I was browsing in a second hand shop I visit once a month. The shop is an Aladdin's Cave of TVs, furniture, books, Hi-Fi, tapes, records, instruments, tools, the list goes on and on. It contains a mind-boggling amount of junk too and lots of crap that doesn't work. I saw the back of this unit in a glass cabinet. I looked at it and asked if it was working and how much it was going for. The seller said it was working and the price was €15 but I had no way of testing it. The rechargeable battery was in it but long dead. I offered him €10 as it was a risk on my part. He declined and said €15 or nothing! I just couldn't leave it could I, if it worked I'd be laughing and if it didn't I could sell it on eBay for scrap and get €10 back. Well, I plugged it into an AC adapter and by golly it works and not only does it work it sounds fantastic. The music is vibrant and the bass is a monster that kicks your head in at setting 3! I tested it to see if it recorded and it did that too with flying colours. The battery even came to life and charges. What a bargain and there was even a TDK blank disc in it! This Sharp 831 is a winner little indeed and with it's tough all metal bodywork it is heavy and built like a tank.

Sharp MD-SR505 (2000) Made in Japan
The third from the stash I bought online. Sharp MD players sound very good and the bass is big, especially at 3. It's a heavy beast, pretty bulky, but well made and it runs well on one AA cell.

Late-comer To Planet MD

I was very slow to take up the format myself simply because I had a CD burner on my Mac in 1998 so burning CDs was good enough for me and I did not feel the need to shell out on expensive Mini Disc players and record in real time. I was doing that with cassettes. I admired it's small size, portability and punchy sound but it was not until 2003 I got my first player from a relative that was given one and didn't like it! The Sony MZ-R90 is a fine if a little finicky machine to use. I used to record with a mic for dialog but mainly from CD via an Toslink cable. How futuristic is that? I reckon I used it for about six months but then lost interest as it was easier to burn CDs and use a cheap Discman. I could even burn mp3 CDs and use them in the car and Discman. The Mini Disc player was put on the back burner, pardon the pun, until I got sick of iPods, the synching crap, plus poor sound that goes with them. The sound of the Mini Disc players I own piddle on the iPod, for

sound and sheer musical enjoyment. I won't be going back to iPod ever as

it cannot deliver the sound I demand as a music listener.

TDK MD-RXG

Alloy frame, clear plastic?

This is the MD version of the TDK MA-XG cassette!

I must admit Mini Disc is a great technical achievement by anyone's standards but I still cannot help thinking that it is now a novelty format in todays world of audio. The iPod or Media Player is a far more attractive bulk file carrier but, it does not record and I have yet to hear an iPod sound as good as a Mini Disc. I personally sold my iPod and would prefer to mess about with Mini Disc that iTunes any day as I will not allow software or Apple to dictate my music listening pleasure.

Pioneer MJ-D707

I acquired this machine simply because I had a lot of Mini Discs in store and I never had a full sized player/recorder. It was a bargain and it sounds superb. There are three recording modes, Analog, Coaxial and Optical and stacks of other features for one to chew on.

A selection of discs made by various manufacturers

You'd be surprised how little room a stash of discs takes up.
All these fit into an old whisky bottle box!

Then there are the purpose made boxes which are finicky!

A stash I bought from a private seller!

The ultimate stash!

This box of 50+ blank discs came from a junk shop. All discs are used, three have no sliders on them. They are nearly all Sony and nearly all 80 minutes. I made an offer and the MD player was thrown in for peanuts!

Obsolete Format!

You heard it right, Mini Disc is now classed as an obsolete format so you will notice a lack of discs in shops. There are still lots to be found online, so spend the cash and pile the stash before it's too late. Now is the time to act if don't want to be shelling out big bucks to

cute sellers on eBay five years down the line!

My own sealed stash!

A reserve stash!

A nice display unit!

Disky Business

Here are some of my main MDs by the major manufacturers, Sony, TDK and Maxell.

I hate labels and write the artists name and album with a felt tip pen. This is easily

removable with contact cleaner and a soft clothe.

SONY

Sony disks are stylish but I wonder how 'Anti-Shock' the mechanism

actually is compared to other brands!

A bit of a dark horse!

Now this is a slick looking MD!

Tasty looking disc I must say!

Amber Orange looks sweet!

Alien scribble!

Tasty Orange!

True blue!

Crystal clear Basic!

Sony Hi-MD

This was the last stand by Sony at utilizing the MD system ten years on from the original launch. The discs were high density 1Gb and players could record in Linear PCM stereo. This would be great for field recordings or those that wanted the highest fidelity from their portable. It could also store up to 45 albums on one disc using ATRAC compression. Great yes, and quite an achievement by any standard but the iPod was now a far more attractive option and I guess you could say it won the race. Unfortunately for MD across the board.